Starting a mystery box business: 8 practical steps

Step 1: define your concept and your audience

Start with the question of what your customer is actually buying. Do you sell original, unopened parcels whose contents nobody knows, or do you assemble boxes yourself from sorted items? The first costs less time, the second gives you control over price point and theme. Also choose an audience: gift buyers, enthusiasts for one category, or price-conscious shoppers at the market.

Your concept determines which product line suits you and how much work you have to factor in per kilo. Broadly speaking there are three models:

• Resell as bought: original sealed parcels per piece or per size, with the lowest sorting time.
• Assemble yourself: sort items and bundle them into a box with a fixed price point or theme.
• Combine: sell the most marketable items individually and bundle the remainder into boxes.

Step 2: register your business and arrange a VAT number

Wholesalers generally supply businesses only; CNJ does not sell to private consumers either. So you need a registered business before you can buy. On registration in the Dutch trade register at the KVK, your details are usually passed on to the Belastingdienst, which then assesses whether and how you are liable for VAT and issues you a VAT identification number.

Which legal form, which schemes and which filing frequency apply in your situation differs per entrepreneur and per country. Check this with the KVK and the Belastingdienst and consult an accountant if in doubt; this article describes general principles and is not tax or legal advice. In any case, arrange the following before you request your first quote:

• A registration in the trade register with a suitable legal form and description of activities.
• A VAT number, plus clarity on how and when you file and reclaim VAT.
• A business bank account: wholesalers usually work with bank transfer, not with online payment methods.
• Bookkeeping in which you record every purchase invoice per lot, including weight and price per kilo.

Step 3: choose your sales channel

Where you sell determines your pace, your costs and the way you explain the surprise. At a market or in a pop-up a box sells itself because people can pick it up; online your photos and texts have to do that work. Pick one channel to start with and only add a second once the first is running.

The four channels our buyers use most often differ mainly in start-up costs and in how fast you move stock:

• Market or street fair: low start-up costs and direct contact, but a lot of hauling and dependent on the weather.
• Pop-up store: temporary rent and room for presentation, with higher fixed costs per day.
• Your own web shop: no location costs, but photos, texts, packaging and shipping for every order.
• Live selling and social media: fast volume with an existing audience, provided you are very clear about what the buyer gets.

Step 4: build a budget that includes VAT and freight

Do not calculate with the price per kilo alone. Our prices exclude VAT and freight, and freight is quoted per request because weight, volume and destination differ per order. On top of that comes pre-financing the VAT: you pay the VAT on your purchase invoice straight away — the standard rate in the Netherlands is 21 per cent — and only reclaim it in your VAT return. Set that amount aside.

So include at least these items in your budget before you order:

• The purchase value of the lot: kilos times price per kilo, excluding VAT.
• The VAT on that purchase, which you pre-finance temporarily.
• Freight as quoted, or collection yourself in The Hague by appointment.
• Packaging materials, labels and the shipping costs to your own customers.
• Storage space and the hours for sorting, photographing and pricing.
• A buffer for items you do not sell, or only sell much later.

Step 5: order a trial lot and measure what arrives

Start small enough to be able to measure. Our lines sold by the kilogram have no fixed minimum order, so a trial lot is possible. Worked example: 100 kg of Amazon Shipping Bags (BP2) at €5.25 per kilogram comes to €525 excluding VAT and freight. Ordering does not run through an online checkout; you request a quote, we confirm stock and send a final price including shipping, after which you pay by bank transfer.

Process that first lot as if it were a measurement and not just a sale. Record at least the following:

• The average weight per parcel, measured across a sample from your own lot.
• The number of items per 10 kg, so that you work with your own conversion.
• The share that is immediately sellable and the share that turns out to be waste.
• The sorting time per 10 kg, converted into an hourly rate for yourself.
• The average revenue per kilo after selling, as a benchmark for your next lot.

Steps 6 and 7: set price tiers and put your terms in writing

Sort your lot by value first and only then by category. Three groups then emerge almost by themselves: marketable items you sell individually, average items for a box, and remainders. With those groups you build price tiers, for example a small, a medium and a large box, where each tier has a recognisable price point and enough margin to cover your sorting time.

Next, put in writing what the customer is buying. Never promise brands, quantities, retail value or profit; describe instead the category, the weight or the number of items per box and the condition of the goods. The B2B terms you buy under cannot be passed on one-to-one to consumers, so write your own terms and have them checked by a lawyer if in doubt. Include at least this:

• What the customer buys: weight or number of items, the category and whether the parcels are sealed.
• That the contents vary and cannot be chosen or guaranteed in advance.
• The condition of the goods: new, returned, untested or possibly incomplete.
• Your arrangement for exchanges, returns and complaints, aligned with consumer law if you sell to private buyers.
• Who the seller is: company name, chamber of commerce number, VAT number and contact details.

Step 8: evaluate and scale up to recurring deliveries

After your first lot you have figures instead of expectations. Put your revenue per kilo next to your purchase price per kilo and add freight, packaging and your own hours. If margin remains and you sell out within an acceptable period, scaling up makes sense. If you are left with a lot of remainders, adjust your concept or product line first.

There are two ways to scale: larger or different lots, or recurring deliveries at a fixed rhythm so that your stall or web shop does not run empty. The Full Truck lines have a lower price per kilo, but also a minimum order of 66 boxes for the Amazon Overstock Boxes and 5,000 kg for the Amazon Mystery Box. There is currently no volume discount anywhere: a lower price per kilo comes from the product itself. Before scaling up, discuss at least:

• Whether your space and your available hours can handle the extra volume.
• Which product line matches what sold fastest from your trial lot.
• Whether a fixed delivery rhythm is feasible, so you do not have to plan from scratch each time.
• How you plan the freight: single shipment, pallet, or collection by appointment in The Hague.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a registered business to buy mystery boxes?

For buying from a wholesaler, generally yes: CNJ supplies businesses only and needs company details and a VAT number for the invoice. Exactly how you register and which tax rules apply to you differs per situation and per country. Check this with the KVK and the Belastingdienst, or put it to your accountant.

How much money do I need to start with mystery boxes?

That depends on the lot you choose. A trial lot of 100 kg Amazon Shipping Bags (BP2) comes to €525 excluding VAT and freight. Add the VAT you pre-finance, the freight quote, packaging materials and your own hours. We deliberately do not quote a total, because freight is quoted per request and differs per destination.

May I sell a mystery box without guaranteeing the contents?

The surprise is the product, so you do not have to promise exact contents in advance. You are, however, responsible as a seller for an honest description, and consumer law generally continues to apply once you sell to private buyers. Describe the category, weight and condition of the goods, and have your terms reviewed by a lawyer if in doubt.