Amazon FBA Resources

Dymo LabelWriter 450 and 550

I’ve been using this little workhorse thermal printer for years to print Amazon’s FNSKU labels. It’s only jammed twice, maybe because I was using off-brand labels. The second time I had to fix it took a lot longer since I was in another room and kept trying to print dozens of labels before I went to retrieve them. If you mess up your printer by not using Dymo’s own labels and can’t fix it yourself, you can apparently void the warranty. With a used LabelWriter 450, though, there’s no warranty to void, so buy the labels you like and don’t worry.

I was going to suggest this LabelWriter 550 bundle since it’s a newer model and then I read that it’s “locked down,” meaning you can only use Dymo labels. The 550 is cheaper but the labels are more expensive. It is, of course, your choice.

Self-Seal Polybag Options

You’re going to need various sizes of polybags and a heck of a lot of them. I suggest getting a variety pack at first if you think you’ll be offering items ranging in size from Blu-rays to winter coats and larger. I always go with self-seal and not resealable, because then your package is nice and secure. You just have to be careful you don’t stick it to itself before you’ve got the product in the bag. 😉

• Spartan Industrial Combo Pack (400 count)
  If you’re just starting out, you can get a variety pack of 100 each of 6×9″, 8×10″, 9×12″, and 11×14″ polybags.
• Spartan Industrial 6×9″ (1000 count)
  The best bags at the best price if you’re selling smaller items, like those aforementioned Blu-rays, DVDs, video games, CDs, jewelry, et cetera.
• Spartan Industrial 9×12″ (200 count)
• Spartan Industrial 12×15″ (200 count)

U-Haul and Home Depot Moving Boxes

For basic FBA shipments, I usually look at U-Haul moving boxes first. The small, medium, large, and extra-large boxes are some of the most affordable options I’ve found. They can be a bit flimsy, but they are cost-effective, and you can always reinforce them with extra tape.

Home Depot boxes are comparable, usually slightly more expensive, and I especially like their heavy-duty options. You can sometimes find U-Haul boxes on Amazon, but they are often two to three times as expensive there.

Transparent Prep Tape

Business Source Transparent Glossy is a great all-around Scotch-type pressure-sensitive tape. I use it for taping polybags that extend three inches or more beyond the item in the bag. I’ve used a lot of it. A lot.

OWLKELA Transparent Glossy is the tape I bought most recently, either because the Business Source tape was more expensive at the time or it was out of stock. This is also a great choice.

Shrink Wrap and Stretch Wrap

I haven’t bought shrink wrap in a while because I kept pivoting into products that didn’t need it, so I’m linking to shrink wrap search results on Amazon instead of one specific roll. Those results may also include stretch wrap, which is useful for keeping products together and wrapping pallets.

Purple Q Crafts shrink wrap basket bags are useful if you are making gift baskets or bundles that need to look neat and stay secure. They are better than carelessly throwing loose items in a resealable bag.

Bubble Wrap Options

Note: Perforations on cheap bubble wrap are usually not very good, so have a pair of scissors handy. For the price, it’s worth the slight frustration, since bubble wrap can add up to a big expense that you can’t recoup easily if you sell low-cost items.

Fresh Farm LLC Bubble Cushioning Wrap is the lowest-cost small bubble wrap I’ve used. At 700 square feet, a pretty steady price even during the pandemic, and a lot of great reviews, you can’t really go wrong with this brand.

American Bubble Boy Bubble Wrap is another option I used once or twice. I don’t remember anything specific about why I changed to a different brand, so it was likely just the price.

Impulse Sealer and Heat Gun

An impulse sealer is vital if you want to seal non-self-sealing polybags or close shrink wrap before shrinking it.

A Titan Vaper heat gun is useful for shrinking shrink wrap. Fun to watch it work, but be careful — these things are hot, hot, hot!