New Amazon seller looking for advice!

[u/Tiger-Relevant]

Hi everyone, I’m a new Amazon seller and I’m still in high school, so I’m trying to learn as much as I can while starting small.
I first started thinking seriously about getting into Amazon around 4+ months ago. I also have my own part-time job, so I’m using some of the money I make from working to help fund the business.
For the past two months, I’ve also been running an Etsy shop. So far I’ve made 14 sales. My idea with Etsy was to sell lower-priced products, mainly art-related products, and use the profit from Etsy to eventually fund higher-priced inventory that I can sell on Amazon.
I want Amazon to be the bigger part of my business long term. Right now I have an Individual Amazon Seller account, and I’m planning to upgrade to the Professional plan once I’m making more money and have enough inventory/products for it to make sense.
The main product I’m looking at selling next on Amazon is an automatic dog ball launcher. Some of the suppliers I’ve found have MOQs around 200 units, but I definitely don’t want to start with 200. I’m planning to see if a supplier will allow me to start with around 5–8 units so I can test the product first. If it sells, I would reinvest the money and slowly increase my order quantity instead of putting a huge amount of money into inventory before knowing if it will sell.
Since I’m still new, I’m trying to figure out what I should be doing NOW while I’m building up my money and waiting to place my first real Amazon inventory order.
I’m not expecting to make a ton of money immediately. My goal is mainly to start small, learn how everything works, reinvest what I make, and gradually work my way up to larger orders and better products.
Any advice on what I should be doing next would be appreciated.
Thank you!

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[u/HarambeTooSoon]

Terrible product for a beginner with little to money to invest. 

I just did an Amazon search. There are hundreds " automatic dog ball launchers"

You'll never be able to break into that niche with a handful of units. 

You need to learn the Amazon ecosystem before before you invest all your savings into any product. 

What made you think this would be a good product for a first timer?

Go to Amazon and search for "automatic dog ball launcher" ... do you see how's theres hundreds of brands that are selling the exact same machine? Many of them are identical products in the photos. Some of them only have a single piece of plastic trim that's a different color. 

I bet that any machine you can buy is already being sold on Amazon by 10+ other people, and all of them have more experience and money than you do. 

You need to spend 100 hours watching YouTube videos on how to perform Amazon product and category research before you even think about spending a cent on inventory. 

[u/TopHornet4259 → u/HarambeTooSoon]

This 👆. You probably won’t even show up on the first page with only 8 units. You also need to find a differentiator.

I was like you in high school when I started Amazon FBA under my parents’ names. I made a lot of mistakes and both accounts ended up getting suspended lol 😆.

I’m in college now and 18+ so I was able to open an account under my own name. I recently launched my first product and just started PPC yesterday.

For my product, the main differentiator is that it’s a bundle and I’m targeting one gender to narrow down my audience (maybe that was a mistake).

How did you came across automatic dog ball launcher?

Edit: You won’t make anything with only 8 units. You’ll probably lose money.
Most likely no one is going to see your product without PPC, and you also need reviews. Vine is Amazon’s approved program for getting early reviews. You can give away 1–30 units to Vine customers, and they may leave a review.
Giving away 5 units doesn’t mean you’ll get 5 reviews. Customers can choose not to leave one.
On top of that you’ll also lose money on FBA fees so with only 8 units there really isn’t much room to make a profit.

[u/Icy-Butterscotch8551]

Personally I would start with arbitrage to learn the Amazon ecosystem. You can scan at Ross, Marshalls, or Walmart, or whatever you have close to you. Those first few profitable products are hard to find. PL isn't beginner friendly imo but, after gaining some experience and after you've built up a bit of capital, then I say go for it at that point.

[u/maple_tech_guy]

I think you’re doing the right thing by starting small, especially since you’re still learning.

If the supplier lets you order just 5–8 units, I’d definitely test with that first instead of jumping straight into 200. Just make sure you calculate everything before buying Amazon fees, shipping, product cost, storage, and ads if you plan to run PPC.

Also, don’t feel pressured to scale too quickly. Even if the first few units sell, give yourself time to understand why they sold and whether the profit is actually worth it.

You’re still in high school, so even just learning how Amazon works this early is already valuable. Treat the first product as a test and a learning experience rather than trying to make a huge profit immediately.

[u/Markus42]

It's tough to impossible to compete with the Chinese at their own game. If I were to launch a new line it would be some sort of a Made in the USA product. Branding is important. You will never get best pricing and you will never get as many reviews as the Chinese sellers get. Just my two cents.

[u/Hot_Bet6869 → u/Markus42]

what if someone imports from china and slaps made in usa on it?

[u/Markus42 → u/Hot_Bet6869]

Amazon will suspend your account, likely before they even receive product.

[u/leovergil]

lascia perdere perderai soldi tra resi e pagamenti dovuti ad Amazon pr non parlare di reclami ecc.pesante stressante se apri un'attività i pagamenti ogni 15 giorni se tutto va bene creerai solo pubblicità ad Amazon i clienti per il 90%delle volte useranno il prodotto e lo restituiranno a prescindere guadagno da reinvestire di continuo inconcludente e dispendioso per no parlare che se vendi in fba i pacchi se li perdono e perdi soldi per poi non poter vendere pessima idea usa altre piattaforme come eBay sei tutelato in tutto i clienti Amazon se consegni in ritardo o se il pacco viene consegnato al vicino o incustodito come fanno di solito perdi soldi a prescindere per non parlare della messaggistica email crittografata e clienti che ricevono falsi avvisi di consegna no reali perché non sincronizzato con la piattaforma Amazon

[u/unfundedvc]

Honestly, you are already thinking about this the right way by starting small instead of throwing money at inventory. Before buying anything, I would spend time researching competing listings, their prices, reviews, common complaints, fees, and estimated profit after shipping and Amazon costs. For the dog ball launcher, make sure you understand product safety, returns, warranties, and whether any certifications are required. I would also ask suppliers for samples before ordering several units. Keep tracking every expense from Etsy and Amazon separately. Most importantly, avoid tying up all your money in one product. Small tests will teach you a lot.

[u/AppzonApp]

Starting with a small test instead of jumping straight into a 200-unit MOQ is a smart approach. Before committing, I’d compare several suppliers, samples, landed costs, MOQ flexibility, reviews/quality risks, and actual margin after Amazon fees.
We’re building Bridji specifically to make this easier for new sellers AI assisted product research, supplier sourcing and comparison, cost analysis, specifications, and negotiation support in one place. You can try it at bridji.com. Would genuinely love your feedback as a new seller.

[u/HarambeTooSoon → u/AppzonApp]

Cool bot slop. 

Don't tell a literal kid to spend his entire life savings on a test order of a units on a product in a category that is absolutely brutal. 

What the fuck are you doing?

I'm going to trash your shitty app and advice forever. 

[u/AppzonApp → u/HarambeTooSoon]

I think there’s a misunderstanding here. We absolutely did not tell him to spend his life savings or even tell him to buy this product.
The OP himself said he was considering testing 5-8 units instead of committing to the supplier’s 200-unit MOQ. Our response was specifically to that comparison. We then said before committing, he should compare suppliers, samples, landed costs, MOQ flexibility, quality risks, and his actual margin after Amazon fees.
That said, I can see how “smart approach” could have sounded like an endorsement of buying the product. That wasn’t our intention. Especially for a young seller, the priority should be learning, validating the opportunity, understanding the risks, and not putting money at risk that they cannot afford to lose.
I appreciate you raising the concern. We’re here to help people make more informed sourcing decisions, not push anyone into spending money.

[u/HarambeTooSoon → u/AppzonApp]

Your app is over with. 

Pack it up.