Purchasing one pound should be a good amount to see evidence of them eating food and to increase the herd to fill the bin to the number of worms that it will accommodate.

I probably agree with everything other posters will give you for answers.

Reading your post reminds me that coffee grounds and shredded up newspapers are what most new vemicomposters use. I wonder if there are not better things to use. Coffee grounds work for some but not others. Do you have juicer pulp or cutting board scraps? Newspaper also works for some but not for others. Do you have access to any cardboard such as grey unprinted non shiny shirt board? Or unprinted non shiny corrugated cardboard? Or egg carton, cardboard not Styrofoam or plastic? A mixture of these bedding materials shredded will not clump as much as shredded newspaper. Unless food is really needed for the worms, coffee grounds can be spread over the lawn or garden as is. Plus when starting how will you be able to tell coffee grounds from vermicasting?

I bought 2000 red wigglers from Uncle Jim's (they sell by count, not weight, although I assume it's a guess because who is going to count out 2000 worms). I didn't think to weigh them when they came, but it felt like maybe a pound or pound and a half. At any rate, I put about 500 in a similar sized tote and 1500 in a worm factory. The sense that I have from the slow consumption in the tote is that 1000 or 1500 would work there, and would eat faster. I'm hoping that the worms in the tote will put on some Barry White and get down to business so I'll have more in there soon.

Yes 1 lb seems to be the guantity most people want to start with who are serious about getting into worming. Usually they say 1 lb is about 1000 give or take 100 or so according to Jims Worms. Having the bedding setup at least a week before you put in the worms will help with environment. Putting 1/2 lb of food in one corner a couple of days ahead might be beneficial also. Hanging a bright light over the bin if its inside could help keep the worms more settled into their new surroundings.