First off…try to find all of these items locally on OfferUp, Craigslist, Facebook (and check if you have a local FreeCycle group and post a want ad!) etc free or dirt cheap! Keep your eyes peeled and ask businesses when they are closing for shipping supplies! You’ll be surprised how expensive they are, and how cheap people will sell their used stuff for when closing! (ask for boxes, bubble wrap, peanuts, scales, labels, tape dispensers, tape, foam, etc even if they don’t have any of this stuff listed! Never hurts to ask!)
Here are the things we have collected over the years and loved the most and use daily!:
Digital Scale (we like the 86 pound Saga (I snipe these eBay on auction for cheap $20 or less)):
and a heavy duty scale with a cable if you ship big heavy stuff:
Scotty Peelers and plastic razor blades! These are terrific for removing labels (as are WD-40, GooGone)!
Styrofoam hotwire cutter (dumpster dive or check locally for free styrofoam and cut to size!) We have a really big one too, but Steve found it on eBay–a guy custom made it (and I’m not sure how safe it is LOL), so I can’t find a cheap one to link, but this size works pretty good for most of the foam we gather)–tip do this outside or near a window and hold your breath. Foam stinks!
3″ Wide Tape Dispenser (for packaging tape) and this one has regular tape and a sharpie cup too!
You’ve gotta have a tape gun…or 10. I like the ones with the squishy handles. I get our tape at Costco when it’s on coupon…or free or cheap locally when companies go out of business. I try not to pay for any supplies if I can!
Box openers (we got ours at the dollar store a long time ago and we have them all over the house!)
Utility knife/box cutter with retractable scoring tool and self healing mat so you don’t jack up your floors (I can’t find a cheap cutter to link, but this is what ours looks like that Steve loves so much):
And you know how we feel about this box resizer…we looooove to make our own boxes! Shaving off a couple inches can save you big time in shipping fees and packing material! Size it down and save! 🙂
Gummed Tape Dispenser: BEST invention ever for an eBay seller…but oh my gosh the price!!! It’s not even electronic! We’ve come across several of these when businesses have closed out and purchased them to keep or flip (for big $ immediately!). Sometimes they’re missing parts and you can buy used replacement parts from the Better Packages website! Don’t get all crazy on us and pay full price for one of these babies…check Craigslist and OfferUp and your local apps and companies going out of business and send them a message and ask if they have one! They often don’t think to list that they have one for sale, so ask! Here’s what ours looks like. Better Packages (BetterPack 333 Gummed tape dispenser–the heated one isn’t worth it in my opinion, the water only is fine):
Fragile Stickers are great! But what is even cheaper? The reusable stamp! We stamp this on our shipping labels or on clean areas of a box (we use the labels on the ugly boxes to hide flaws or markings Haha):
*IF YOU MUST* and can’t find it free, we like primarily perforated bubble wrap (medium 3/16 size bubbles) and we usually have small on hand (SAM’s Club has a nicely priced box of the small if you can snag some when it’s on sale) but you usually can’t beat eBay. Check your local apps and score free bubbles and paper!
Depending on what you sell, you’ll want polybags and bubble bags and boxes…just try to get them cheap or free (dumpster diving is never frowned upon our house when it comes to boxes shipping supplies!). Check eBay, check Amazon, sometimes Staples has amazing coupons for shipping supplies (I check every week and jump for joy when I find a 40% off shipping supplies coupon or promo at Staples! Yay!). If you have a Uline near you (to pick up–their shipping is insane) and if you have the room, their peanuts and bubble wrap is the cheapest. I’ve done this out of desperation a few times and look what happens to our guest room:
Little Jerry Seinfeld wants to know what we missed? What other tools to you love most?
Leave us comments below! 🙂 We want to know your tricks and tips!
