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If you are trying to run an eBay business, having the right tools for the job is the difference between a sputtering side business and a well-oiled money-making machine.
You’ll obviously stock up your shipping room with a label printer, scale, shipping supplies, a mannequin, and camera. But what do you do when your old laptop quits?
When I first started selling on eBay I used the laptop I had been using since college. It lasted for about a year and then decided to give up the ghost while I was in the middle of shipping a stack of orders. I ended up going to the point office (and wasting over 2 hours) to ship the rest of the orders that day but I knew I had to get a new laptop (and fast).
Now, let’s face it, running an eBay business isn’t rocket science. You can do it with just about any laptop and, if your business is new, you should put your money toward inventory instead.
But, if you’re going to buy a new computer anyway, what’s the best laptop for an eBay business? Well, as a full-time seller myself that’s the question I’m going to try and answer!
In my own search, I narrowed it down to three laptops that would be useful at different stages of reselling. Before we get into all of the justification for my choices, here are the ones I think are the best options:
1. Best For New eBay Sellers
Specs
- Screen Size: 14″
- RAM: 16GB DDR4
- SSD Size: 512GB
- Processor: i5-7200U
My Take
If you’re looking for a laptop for a fledgling eBay business this is a great option. It has all the necessary hardware for all of your listing, photography, and shipping tasks.
While it isn’t the most compact option the price is right and you’ll be able to do everything you need to do for years to come!
2. Best For Established eBay Stores
Specs
- Screen Size: 15″
- RAM: 16GB DDR4
- SSD Size: 512GB
- Processor: i7-1165G7
My Take
For a mid level business you might want a bit more oomph and resilliance as your items will likely receive more wear and tear than those with a slower business.
For those in this position, this laptop is a great option.
3. Best For Large eBay Stores With Employees
Specs
- Screen Size: 15.6″
- RAM: 16GB DDR4
- SSD Size: 512GB
- Processor: i7-1165G7
My Take
Many people who are running a full-time eBay business need items that can be used and replaced as needed. This laptop has a durable build and will blast through any of the basic things you need to do as a reseller.
What Do eBay Sellers Need To Do On A Laptop
Most people can get away with running an eBay business on whatever computer they already own. In fact, I know several sellers who run a small-volume eBay business entirely from their phones. With the advent of wireless label printers and the improved functionality of the eBay app you really don’t need a computer.
Having one just makes things easier.
The best laptop for your eBay business, however, is going to be very dependant on the types of things you’re going to do with it.
You obviously don’t want to be paying for options that you don’t actually need.
Here are the things I use my laptop for (related to eBay):
Listing
Listing on eBay daily is where the rubber meets the road. In fact, the number of items you have listed is the number one indicator of total sales.
In general, the listing process doesn’t require much computational power. Most laptops come with sufficient processing power to do any sort of listing or editing you’ll need to do.
The only time you might tax a laptop is if you’re trying to bulk edit the maximum amount of listings (such as when you’re updating handling time, etc.) Editing 500 listings at a time can tax lower-end machines but, if you’re buying new, you’ll be in good shape.
Finances/Tracking
Tracking finances for your eBay business is typically a matter of inputting numbers into a spreadsheet or running your accounting software, both well within the abilities of the average laptop.
Photo Stuff
Unless you are consistently buying items in bulk to resell, you probably don’t have to put much effort into taking professional-quality photos. In fact, taking pictures of clothing to sell is about as easy as it gets.
You might need to remove the background (the eBay app now has that ability) or do some basic cropping but those should hardly tax whatever machine you buy.
Shipping/Connecting to Printer
Unless you are looking for a wireless/Bluetooth printer, make sure you have sufficient inputs to connect to your devices. For most label printers, (such as the Rollo printer that we use) you’ll just need an extra USB.
Most machines have at least 2 USB inputs so, as long as you don’t buy a compact or travel-size laptop (or a Mac…) you should be fine on this front.
Basic Specs You’ll Need To Decide On
RAM: RAM (random access memory) is one of the major limiting factors on older machines. Look for a laptop with at least 8GB of memory and you’ll be able to run just about any program that you need to.
If you’re going to be using the laptop for years, 16GB will be much more future-proof.
Drive: Look for a laptop with an SSD (solid-state drive) as it will boost up must faster, load programs more quickly, and be more hardwearing than a traditional hard drive.
OS: I’m biased when it comes to operating systems, but I would recommend that you run your business on the newest version of Windows. In my experience, running Windows is more cost-effective more a general business level of performance.
Most other features of specs will go hand in hand with the drive and RAM. It’s unusual that a laptop with be adequate in one area and totally deficient in another. In other words, a machine with 8GB or 16GB of RAM will likely have a corresponding level of other hardware.
New vs Used vs Refurb
As an eBay seller, you’re probably already well acquainted with the idea of buying things used to save money. Laptops are no exception.
Buying a used or refurbished laptop from
If you’re looking for a refurbed laptop, I put in all the filters you need to fill out on eBay to find something that works well for eBay (and other selling platforms). You can find that search here. Just be sure to vet the seller before buying.
Conclusion
To finish off this post with a healthy dose of honesty, the laptop that you use for your eBay business is not a deal-breaker. You should use what’s available or, if you need something new, buy something that fits comfortably into your budget.
The success you have on eBay will be much more closely correlated with sourcing the right products, listing daily, and following best practices.
I kept this article short so you could make a decision and get back to your real work. So order your laptop and get back to your job! Good luck!
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