The IRS considers receiving items in exchange for services as bartering. Bartering can be subject to self-employment tax. The items you personally are receiving may not allow you to live off of them, however, I would not try to pass a $26,000 1099-NEC off as a hobby. This is the equivalent of a side job and is subject to Self-Employment Tax.
You do not need to have a business name. You do not need to sell anything. You do not need to have an LLC. The Schedule C is also for individuals who perform services in exchange for compensation. You are being compensated for a service (review) in the form of items that have value. You likely have little to no expenses in the review process.
It is not an arbitrary number. It is the value of the items they are sending you.
This income probably does need to be reported on Schedule C.
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