Compare tables, printers and shelf layouts for a 50–100 order eBay station, and choose the one that fits your room and your stock.
Updated 5 October 2026
Before you start
Compare tables, printers and shelf layouts for a 50–100 order eBay station, and choose the one that fits your room and your stock.
At 50–100 eBay orders a week, the layout of your station costs or saves more time than the packaging. A table at the wrong height or a printer across the room adds seconds to every parcel, and those seconds add up to hours a month.
The sections below compare tables, printers, storage and layouts. For the full kit list and running cost, see the eBay packing station setup.
Kit for this
The products this guide uses, with typical UK prices.
180 cm folding table
Packing on the bed or the kitchen table means setting up and clearing down every session. A table that stays up lets you leave your supplies where you need them.
Typical price£40 to £65
See on Amazon
5-tier steel shelving, 180 cm
Floor space runs out before height does. Number the shelves and each item gets an address you can pick from.
Typical price£40 to £70
See on AmazonMUNBYN thermal label printer
It takes the standard 100 x 150 mm labels that eBay, Vinted and Whatnot all generate, and generic labels work, so the running cost stays low.
Typical price£55 to £85
See on AmazonPhomemo thermal label printer
Costs less than most thermal printers and fits on a shelf. It prints the same 100 x 150 mm labels, so your label stock carries over if you upgrade later.
Typical price£70 to £110
See on AmazonThe guide
Each step in the order you'll need it.
Pick the table: folding, fixed or worktop
A 180 cm folding table, typically £40–65, is the flexible choice for a spare room you also use for something else. It packs away in minutes and is long enough to work left to right.
A fixed desk or kitchen worktop is steadier and often the right height already. You lose it for anything else. If you stand to pack, aim for a surface near your hip height and raise a folding table on risers if needed.
Kit for this step
Choose the label printer for your volume
A beginner thermal printer, typically £70–110, handles 50 orders a week and connects to a laptop or phone. It suits sellers who print in small batches.
A sturdier model, typically £55–85, prints faster and handles long fanfold runs with fewer jams. Pick it at 70–100 orders a week.
An industrial printer, typically £200–260, is built for constant use. Below 100 a week it is more than you need, but it makes sense if you expect to pass 120.
Lay it out in a line
Work left to right: shelf of stock on the left, table in the middle, printer and scale at the right end, and finished parcels on the floor beyond that. You never carry a parcel back across the table.
Keep the printer and the scale within one arm’s reach of each other. You weigh each parcel, then print its label, so the two sit side by side.
Store packaging above, stock beside
Keep packaging on the shelf above or behind the table so you reach up, not across. A 180 cm five-tier steel shelf, typically £40–70, holds mailers and boxes on the top tiers and stock below.
In a smaller room, a second shelf for stock and one for packaging is easier to keep tidy than one mixed shelf.
Kit for this step
Corner, wall or island
A wall station uses the least floor space, so it suits a small spare room. A corner station gives you two walls of shelving within short reach. An island in the middle of a room is fastest for big batches, but you need space to walk round it.
Measure the room, then draw your three options on paper with the table and shelf to scale. Pick the layout where you turn least between the shelf, the table and the printer.
Kit for this step
Small changes that save the most time
A tape gun, typically £8–14, is the cheapest item on the list and speeds up each box you tape. Mount a hook or tray for it at the table edge so it stays put.
Put a bin under the table for backing paper and offcuts. Keep a pen, scissors and a spare label roll in a desk tidy at the printer end.
Kit for this step
Checklist
Run through it before each one goes out.
- 1Measure the room and sketch wall, corner and island layouts
- 2Set the table near hip height if you pack standing
- 3Choose a printer to match your weekly orders
- 4Put the printer and scale within one arm’s reach
- 5Store packaging above the table, stock beside it
- 6Work left to right so parcels don't cross back
- 7Mount the tape gun at the table edge
Setups
Complete kits for one kind of seller, costed and laid out.
Questions
Which label printer is best for 50 eBay orders a week?
A beginner thermal printer covers it. Move to a mid-range model if you print long batches or see jams.
Is a folding table sturdy enough for packing?
For mailers and small boxes, yes. If you tape heavy boxes every day, a fixed desk or worktop will feel steadier.
Can I print eBay labels on a thermal printer?
Yes. eBay’s label tool supports 4 x 6 in labels, which match 100 x 150 mm thermal labels. Check the print settings the first time.
How much space does a packing station need?
A 180 cm table plus one shelf fits along one wall of a small spare room. Allow room to stand and turn in front of it.
Should I get an industrial printer now to save upgrading later?
Only if you are close to 120 a week. Below that, a mid-range printer does the job and you can spend the difference, typically £120–200, on packaging.
How is this different from the eBay packing station setup?
The setup gives one full kit list and costs. This guide compares options so you can adapt it to your room.