I spent Christmas Eve taping boxes of lighted wire-frame deer sets while buyers paid crazy premiums for expedited shipping to get them in time.

The local retail stores were clearancing them out, the demand on Amazon was through the roof, and people were happy to pay whatever it cost to have a box arrive before Christmas morning. I spent the day printing labels, packing boxes at my kitchen counter, and racing to the carrier counter right before the cutoff window closed.

That merchant-fulfilled rush brought in great money. When you are starting out, trading physical sweat and long hours to build your initial working capital makes complete sense. That cash funded inventory purchases for months, and I actually ran that same holiday merchant-fulfilled sprint for the next couple of years.

Eventually I did not want to do that fulfillment grind myself anymore.

Once the capital was established, I hired people to take over the packing and shipping work, and then transitioned my business entirely to Amazon FBA. Today I sell 100% through FBA. The inventory goes to Amazon warehouses well ahead of Q4, Amazon handles the late-night holiday rush, and I get to take Christmas week off without touching a roll of tape.