Setup Checklist · Companion to eBay Academy™

What you actually need to start.

Everything split into two honest tiers: essential (you can't ship without it) and optional (add it later, once volume justifies it). The headline you can take to leadership: the essentials run a few hundred dollars one-time, and every piece of essential software is free.

Essential tools
~$250–$450
One-time, reusable · less if you source packing from donations
Essential software
$0
Every must-have tool is free or already included
Tools

Physical equipment. The essential list is the minimum to photograph, pack, and ship a real item. The optional list speeds things up once you're doing volume.

EssentialThe minimum to ship at all
Thermal label printer
Prints shipping labels with no ink, ever. The single biggest time-saver in the operation — no handwriting addresses, no feeding label sheets through an inkjet. (Rollo is the common pick.)
$80–$130
Digital postal scale
Weigh every package before buying postage. A 50 lb capacity covers nearly everything a ReStore ships. Inaccurate weight is the #1 cause of lost margin on shipping.
$25–$45
Photography lighting
A simple two-softbox kit or a lightbox for smaller items. Removes the shadows that make donated goods look worse than they are. Pairs with the window-light setup from Module 2.
$40–$120
Packing supplies
Poly mailers, padded mailers, boxes in 2–3 common sizes, bubble or paper, and tape. Buy a starter assortment, then reorder the sizes you actually use most.
$75–$150
A smartphone with a decent camera
You almost certainly already have this. Modern phone cameras are more than good enough for marketplace photos — no dedicated camera needed.
Already have
Lower the essential cost: packing supplies come through your donation stream constantly. A clean reused box ships exactly as well as a new one. Stock a packing station from donations and the essential tool cost can drop well below $250.
OptionalAdd once you're doing volume
Photo table / backdrop stand
A dedicated photo station with a sweep backdrop speeds up the routine once you're shooting 20+ items a week instead of a handful.
$60–$150
Phone tripod / overhead mount
Consistent angles and hands-free shooting. Small cost, surprisingly big consistency gain when photographing in batches.
$15–$40
Barcode scanner (USB or Bluetooth)
Speeds up scanning books and barcoded media at volume. The phone app works fine until the volume makes a dedicated scanner worth it.
$25–$70
Tape measure & calipers
For accurate measurements in listings (the detail that prevents sizing returns). A basic tape measure covers most of it.
$10–$30
Authentication tools (category-specific)
Only if you see real volume in designer handbags or luxury goods. Per-item app authentication — most stores never need this.
$8–$20/item
Software

The good news up front: everything you truly need is free or already included. The optional tools are subscriptions you only add when scale makes them pay for themselves.

EssentialAll free or included — $0 to operate
eBay Seller Hub
The free dashboard built into your eBay account — listings, orders, messages, and performance all in one place. Nothing to install or pay for.
Included
Terapeak price research
The sold-comp research behind the Module 4 pricing formula. Included free with any eBay Store subscription — you already have it once setup is done.
Included
Pirate Ship
Free postage software with USPS Commercial Pricing — up to 89% below retail counter rates, no markup or monthly fee. pirateship.com
Free
remove.bg
Drops a clean white background behind any product photo in seconds. The free tier handles marketplace-resolution images. remove.bg
Free
Pilot Tracker (or a simple spreadsheet)
Track items listed, sold, and revenue each week. Use the ReStore Pilot Tracker, or any basic spreadsheet — either works.
Free
OptionalAdd when scale makes them pay for themselves
AI writing assistant (ChatGPT, etc.)
Speeds up listing titles and descriptions from a photo or a few notes. A genuine time-saver at volume, but not required to start.
~$20/mo
Cross-listing tool (Vendoo, List Perfectly)
Lists one item across eBay, Facebook, Etsy and more from a single entry, with inventory sync. Worth it around the point you're consistently multi-channel — not before.
$13–$50/mo
Accounting software (Wave, QuickBooks)
For clean books once online sales become a real revenue line. Wave has a free tier; QuickBooks when the volume justifies it.
Free–$30/mo
Amazon research tools (Keepa, SellerAmp)
Only relevant if and when you expand to the Amazon channel. Skip entirely while you're eBay-only.
$15–$30/mo
Prices are good-faith estimates as of 2026 and vary by brand and source. Every item here can be purchased wherever you prefer — this is a recommendation list, not a required shopping cart. The essential tiers are deliberately small: the goal is to start lean, prove the channel works, and only add the optional pieces once real volume justifies the spend.