How to start a rip and ship stream: a step-by-step plan

Starting a rip and ship is less about the camera and more about running a small shop live. You are buying stock, selling it in small pieces, opening it on stream, and then packing and posting every order correctly. This plan walks through each part in the order you will need it.

New to the format? Read what rip and ship is and how an order moves from purchase to mailbox first.

Step 1: Check the rules where you sell

Do this before you spend money on stock. Two sets of rules apply to you:

• Local rules. Selling regularly is usually a business, which can mean registering it and paying tax on what you sell. Rules differ by country, so check with your local tax office or an accountant.
• Platform rules. Every streaming and selling platform has its own terms on what you can sell and how. Some formats, such as breaks where spots are assigned at random, can fall under rules about games of chance in some places. Read the current terms of the platform you plan to use.

Step 2: Choose what to sell

Start narrow. One game and two or three popular sets are easier to manage, and easier for viewers to understand, than a shelf of everything.

• Single packs are the classic rip and ship product. Low price per order means more buyers can join.
• Larger products such as Elite Trainer Boxes or bundles suit buyers who want a longer opening.
• Booster boxes can be sold pack by pack, or as a box break.

For Pokémon, our guide to Pokémon TCG products explains what is inside each kind of box.

Step 3: Source stock you can trust

Your reputation depends on sealed product being real and untouched. Buy from distributors, official retailers or established shops, keep your receipts, and avoid deals that look too good. Buyers will ask where your product comes from, and “from a trusted distributor” is a good answer to be able to give.

Step 4: Price it so you can keep going

For each product, add up what one unit really costs you:

• What you paid for the stock, per pack.
• Platform or payment fees on each sale.
• Sleeves, top loaders and bags for the hits.
• Any shipping you do not charge the buyer for.

Your price per pack needs to cover all of that, with a margin left over. Check what other streamers charge for the same set so you are in the same range.

Step 5: Decide where buyers pay

You can sell on a live shopping platform with checkout built in, or stream anywhere and take orders through your own webshop or by direct payment. Our comparison of streaming platforms for TCG goes through the trade-offs.

Step 6: Set up your stream

A rip and ship stream needs less gear than you might think:

• An overhead camera, or a phone on a mount, pointing at a clean mat.
• Soft, even light that does not glare off holo cards.
• A microphone that picks up your voice clearly.
• OBS Studio or Streamlabs to put it together.

Our full guide on how to stream TCG pack openings covers cameras, lighting, audio and scenes.

Step 7: Have a system for the order queue

This is where new rip and ship streams most often struggle. Once several people buy in the same minute, you need a list that keeps them in order, survives a busy stream, and ideally is visible to buyers.

A queue overlay does that job on screen: who is being opened now, who is next, and how many are waiting. StreamQueue is built for exactly this, with a queue for pack opening streams and a box break tracker. Whatever you use, decide on it before your first stream, not during it.

Step 8: Sort as you open

Bag each buyer's cards as soon as their opening is done, with their name on the bag. Do not leave sorting until after the stream; that is where mix-ups happen.

Step 9: Ship on a fixed day

Pick a shipping day and tell buyers what it is. Pack cards flat and stiff, send valuable hits tracked, and message buyers when their parcel goes out. Reliable shipping turns first-time buyers into regulars.

Step 10: Stream on a schedule

Buyers come back to streams they can find. A regular schedule matters more than streaming every day. Our Twitch tips for TCG streamers cover schedules, titles and growing a channel.