Boss Lady Resale Reselling Tool Kit
I created this resource guide to help those of you who message me regarding the items I use for my reselling business. Please understand, you DO NOT need to go out and buy all of these things before you get started.
I broke down this Reseller Toolkit into must-haves, could haves, and a wish list for you as your business grows.
Some of the items are for the sake of speed and convenience which helps significantly when you have hundreds of items to sell/ship per month.
Disclosure: I take pride in only recommending items I personally use now or have used and trust. Some of these links are affiliate links and I may be compensated by the merchant if the item is purchased through these below however there is no cost difference to you the consumer. You are not obligated to click on any link or buy any products I have on this list. But if you do, thank you in advance and I appreciate the support as I continue to help others grow their side hustle businesses! For more information see my Disclosure Page.
Don’t forget there are other ways to benefit from buying items for your business. If you are making a profit and decide to sell not as a hobby anymore but as a business. You should consult with an accountant regarding tax deductions and write-offs you can claim because of your side-hustle.
Be sure to keep and track any and all receipts for items purchased for your business.
This list is ever-evolving as I try new products and services to keep my business moving and streamlined. Make sure to bookmark it in case you ever need to come back to it in the future or want to see what I am adding to the list!
UPDATED: January 4, 2021
Getting Started – Must-Haves
- Amazon Prime Membership: I’m going to say that this annual fee saves me hundreds of dollars a year and gets me seriously fast shipping. There are too many perks to this program but as you get started and grow, you will truly learn to appreciate same day and next day shipping if you run out of something for your business! Knowing I can get something quickly is a terrific peace of mind. If you don’t have it yet, you can try it out for 30-days free with the link below.
Try Amazon Prime 30-Day Free Trial
- Printer. Hopefully, you have one of these in your house already but if you don’t, the great thing is you do not need an expensive one. You really don’t even need one with color ink. An inexpensive one like this will do the trick: https://amzn.to/3neOIXt
- Paper. You just need basic computer paper at first to print your labels. All you do is print them and then tape the labels onto the boxes. Do not cover the barcodes or any needing scanned with tape. I always did the outside edges and the top/bottom with one strip across the addresses. https://amzn.to/3hLL9Xp
- Some kind of basic poly mailer bag: These are the ones I use and have stockpiled right now.
Regular Polymailers: https://amzn.to/2Myc5OZ
Plain white poly mailers set of 1000: https://amzn.to/3ofsRQV
Cute design poly mailers: https://amzn.to/3hIxDnr
- Clear Shipping Tape: Please do not use gift wrap tape to ship your boxes or put your labels on. They will not stand the test of time during travel and it becomes a risk to you as a seller. Spend the extra money and get real packing tape. – Pack of 6: https://amzn.to/3oe0aUh
- Shipping Weight Scale: While Poshmark labels do cover up to 5 pounds, there are times when bundles are more and you are responsible for purchasing a heavier label from them. You need to know how much those bundle boxes weigh! And for eBay, you must have a scale no matter what. Cheap scale: https://amzn.to/3rUJXpu
- Camera. I just use my smartphone but you can also use any camera! It doesn’t have to be super technical.
- Place with good light to take photos – natural lighting shows the true colors of the items to find a place with indirect sunlight and shoot away. If your photos come out yellow, you might want to edit them with less warmth to take some of the tints out of the photos.
- Shipping Supplies: Walmart is a great resource for shipping boxes that are larger if you only need a few. I sold some larger houseware items and was able to get sturdy boxes for less than $1 each. Also, keep all of your packing boxes you get from Amazon or other retailers to recycle them! If you are selling on eBay, their shipping and packaging items are affordable and branded for eBay. eBay Shipping Supplies: http://ebay.to/2tIvD3S
- Storage containers or closet. I have a small room and closet I use for all of my storage. It has shelving from Target and Amazon and just random plastic bins I find at a great price. Finding some storage solution is a must-have. Remember to keep the items free from pet hair and smoke.
- Famous Ikea Bags: https://amzn.to/2Xc7La0
- Free Shipping Supplies: United States Postal Service Free Shipping Supplies for Priority Mail and website to schedule a free pickup of USPS packages
Could Have – Buy Once You Start Making Money
The items on this list are not a necessity and can be added in as you grow your business. Take some money each month an invest in these items. As you increase your inventory, these tools will come in handy to prep, store and ship your products.
- Bookkeeping Software: I use GoDaddy because it really integrates with Paypal and eBay seamlessly. It’s affordable and I’ve found it much easier to use than Quickbooks.
- Amazon Echo 1st Generation: I listen to music and podcasts on this thing, order things that I think of while I’m listing or ask Alexa to add them to my list. Ask her questions during photo sessions and more.
Inventory Preparation Items:
- My Salav Clothing Steamer:
- My mannequin I use for photos: https://amzn.to/2trfjH0
- Magic Eraser for Cleaning Shoes & More! http://amzn.to/2tgVDEb
- Scotty Peeler for removing stickers, price tags, and shoe gunk: http://amzn.to/2y2eLfu
- Fabric Shaver & Lint Remover Cheap: http://amzn.to/2zjv0AZ
- Dr. Marten Wonder Balsam Shoe Polish *must have* http://amzn.to/2zynuTM
- Dryel Kit to prevent dry cleaning costs: http://amzn.to/2xOLbVK
- Sewing kit to fix small things and get more money! http://amzn.to/2yy2K06
- Previously I recommended the Coach brand leather cleaner and while that is still good – I found LEATHER CPR to be much better.
Storage & Photographs
- Ziplock Storage Bags for clothes and shoes – I love these because I know they will fit perfectly in a padded flat rate envelope for eBay – if it fits in here, it will fit in one of those envelopes saving my customers money: http://ebay.to/2ua9A8a
- Storage Labels for Ziplock Bags: http://amzn.to/2uEOOzJ
LIGHTING KITS:
- Ikea Billy Bookshelf – I use these for storing all of my shipping and packing supplies. You can arrange the shelves perfectly to fit most of the free USPS boxes: http://amzn.to/2ucfIhK
- Ikea Raskog Rolling Cart – This is what I use for all my little things I find myself using while getting items ready to go like nail polish, suede brushes, clips etc: http://amzn.to/2ucFtyo
- Photography backdrop – eBay & Google are starting to prefer white backdrops – you need something that won’t get wrinkles it in and doesn’t have seams – this way they come out with no distractions in the back and your item looks great! http://amzn.to/2zHG7oG
- I actually just purchased this white brick background on eBay and I think it brightens up my photos. I was trying to use the gray background of the painted walls but it is just too much work to edit all the photos. Check out the one I bought here: 5′ x 7′ White Brick Background
- Since I wrote this guide, I’ve now switched to removable wallpaper. There are several types you can get on Amazon. The wallpaper in my office is from Etsy and was pretty expensive. I went the cheaper route for my photo area since I didn’t need to cover a full room. Try to make sure you don’t get something with yellow tones or you will have to constantly edit your photos.
- Some resellers use the Ikea bags to store their items as well but I tend to use the plastic containers. Then I just use duct tape and label the bins so I can easily change out the inventory in each one whenever I want! This is a great deal for 4 of the larger totes: http://amzn.to/2yHCyA9
Shipping Supplies
- White Tissue Paper for packaging items: http://amzn.to/2kY2t1H
- Bubble wrap for shipping more fragile items: http://amzn.to/2zjIpZV
- 1/2 Page Shipping Labels: http://amzn.to/2wFqpHF
- Postcards or business cards for your packages to thank the buyer. I’ve tried many different online printing companies and the one I’ve been happiest with for the price is Zazzle. I’ve ordered from them countless times and find their products to be well made and they have extremely creative retail and clothing designs.
Wish List – Items for Convenience & Growth
- Barcode Stickers for Inventory: http://amzn.to/2zj0aZm
- Wireless Barcode Scanner: http://amzn.to/2yxZAtk
- Cheaper Option: Wired Barcode Scanner: http://amzn.to/2xQbMa2
- 2” Shipping Tape Dispenser for Desk: http://amzn.to/2kYmZzr
- Complete lighting kit with backdrop: http://amzn.to/2zyGnpK
- Clothing Rack for Sorting & steaming: http://amzn.to/2yHCb8J
- DYMO LabelWriter 4XL Thermal Printer: http://amzn.to/2ztMZVE
- Clothing tag gun – can reattach tags or add your own to prevent returns
Other ways to save money or get cash back:
Use Ebates to get cash back on items you buy, I’m current over $1,000 since January 2018 of cash back on my purchases. I like to find items on Groupon Goods when they are having a sale. Usually, they offer free shipping and Ebates has a great deal most of the time for Cash Back on Groupon. Every single time I think about buying something now I try to find it on Ebates. It’s going to be nice to have a couple hundred bucks right before the holidays for gifts!
Get $10 to use on Ebates with my referral code here: https://www.ebates.com/r/REBEBL?eeid=28187
Shop Groupon (but go to Ebates first to get your cash back on each transaction!): http://fxo.co/1109714/groupongoods
Places to buy inventory:
- Schoola: I’ve had some luck with them on days their products are heavily discounted. If you sign up for their email list, you get frequent discount codes for up to 70% off your purchase. Their brands are decent too. I have a video about sourcing with Schoola on my YouTube page.
- Nordstrom Rack: Especially on Clear the Rack weekends – the perfect place to get majorly discounted items. These were some of my largest profit per item inventory pieces!
Places to sell your stuff if you don’t want to list it yourself – Tip some of these sites will even come to you and pick up your items depending on what you have!
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- The Luxury Resale Network
- Nearly Newlywed – Sell and Buy Preowned Wedding Dresses
- Swap.com
- ThredUp
- RoseWholesale.com – Get 20% your first order (make sure to try some items first from here)
- Current Boutique
The RealReal.com-Luxury Designer Consignment-Fully Authenticated, Amazingly Priced.
Other Reading Resources:
- Book “Tax Loopholes for eBay Sellers” – http://amzn.to/2ySWUrz
- Book “Write it off! Deduct it! The A-Z Guide to Tax Deductions for Home-Based Businesses” – http://amzn.to/2yThnfQ
- Book “Crush It! Why NOW Is the Time to Cash in on Your Passion” – http://amzn.to/2xPwC4w
- Book “Smartcuts: The Breakthrough Power of Lateral Thinking” http://amzn.to/2x5JRyk
