The KDC 200i Bluetooth barcode scanner was first designed for inventory management, but in this review, I’m going to take a look at how useful it is to an FBA book reseller, whether it’s worth investing in one and compare it to other barcode scanners on the market.
But first, do you even need one in the first place?
Actually, you don’t.
When I first started reselling books on Amazon using FBA, I only needed the Amazon Seller app and my phone’s camera when sourcing. If you are new to Amazon FBA Bookselling or still figuring out if it’s for you, they are the only tools you need, too. It requires zero investment and will give you invaluable experience.
But if you’ve been in the game for some time, you know that this method is slow. It takes time to select the camera, align it, and then focus it until it finally reads the barcode of a book. It’s why I decided to invest in a barcode scanner and a database pricing application.
You too should invest in a good barcode scanner and a database pricing application if you are serious about the bookselling hustle. It will pay off in the long run — you will get through a lot more books and therefore find a lot more profitable books.
Features
The KDC 200i is one of the most popular barcode scanners in the FBA bookselling community because of its size and speed of reading barcodes. It’s a household name. Here are its main features:
✓ Small and lightweight
✓ 8,000 scans per full charge
✓ USB charger cable
✓ Can be paired with Android, iOS, Windows technologies
✓ Stores barcodes
The KDC 200 is also one of the most expensive scanners. But you can get a second-hand refurbished one for about £80 (or $100) instead of buying a brand new one.
How useful is the KDC 200i?
The KDC 200i connects to your phone through Bluetooth and can read any ISBN barcode instantaneously. But to get the full benefits of this scanner you also need to get a database pricing application.
You can connect it to a PC or MAC and list products on Amazon, too. But the best feature of this scanner is its strong community. Which means you shouldn’t have any difficulty finding a refurbished one on the market as well as support if needed.
In addition to its popularity among FBA booksellers, it’s also very durable. I’ve had mine my refurbished KDC 200i for almost a year and it’s still working fine.
Verdict
I would rate the KDC 200i Bluetooth barcode scanner 5 out of 5. It has excellent features, can read any barcode instantaneously (of course) and is durable. It is not essential, especially if you’re new Amazon FBA Bookselling. But if you’re serious about FBA bookselling, I would highly recommend it — it would be a great investment.
I use my KDC 200i daily to help us grow and maintain our FBA bookselling hustle. It has increased our productivity and has saved us hundreds of hours of manually looking up books using the Amazon Seller App and the camera on our phones.
The only issue I have with the KDC 200i is that it’s expensive, which puts a lot of people off. But instead of getting a brand new one, I would recommend getting a refurbished one — there is plenty on the market.
This is why I love this scanner, I can attach to my phone easily.
I use velcro tape to attach it to my phone.
Other options to consider
Other options available on the market are the Opticon 2006, SocketScan and Eyoyo.
If I had to recommend an alternative barcode scanner, it would the Opticon 2006. It’s as small, as efficient and as reliable as the KDC 200i but a lot cheaper. It also has a strong reputation in the bookselling community.
Having said that, the KDC 200i is my favourite. I have four refurbished KDC 200i scanners but have only been using one. I’ve been using it for 11 months now and it’s still working fine. So it’s definitely durable. But the only downside to it is that it’s expensive, even a used refurbished one.
But we are comparing two top barcode scanners. They are both excellent and would take your bookselling hustle to the next level.