Q: What do you E-Bay sellers do for boxes?

[minutekev@50]

Specifically do you include the cost of any boxes you have to purchase in the shipping of comics? Or do you just raid the nearest Wal-Mart, Gas Station, McDonald's for their empties? (CGC 9.0 Qualified. Egg McMuffin Stains on Front Cover )

Do you charge 'hidden fees' to cover the cost of your shipping supplies?

Thanks for any help...

[brian1227]

I don't. Usually, I ship stuff in USPS Priority Boxes, but if I have to buy boxes (which I sometimes do) or packing stuff like bubble pack and packing peanuts, I never pass those charges on. Just a cost of doing business. And I never bid on auctions where guys charge handling fees to cover those expenses.

[BronzeBruce13]

I use priority boxes for 1 slab (unless its pretty expensive) and re-used boxes that were shipped to me.

 

the BEST resource is "Diamond Comic Boxes" from your local comic shop. They get plenty and are usually willing to share. The half boxes are very sturdy and can hold 1-5 slabs safely with room for bubble wrapping. You might think its too tight for a slab (longwise) at first, but you can still get some bubblewrap going around the long ways and force the wrapped slabs down into the box. The box ends will swell a little, but it works perfectly. if you have several expensive slabs to ship, you can pack them in a half box first, then center and surrond the half-diamond box into the whole diamond outer box with noodles.

 

[musicmeta]

I try to use those USPS-Priority Mail boxes for mailing CGC comics. They work pretty good. I try to only charge the USPS cost of shipping and not for any packing material or other boxes. It's just the cost of doing business IMO.

I re-use other boxes when I can.

 

 

[Darthdiesel]

ditto...hit up your LCS on a Wednesday afternoon - they'll be thanking you for getting rid of the boxes which are a pain and chore for them to break down and haul out to the dumpster...you get 2 sturdy boxes per "coffin" and the coffins come in handy for cutting up or shipping m-bags internationally...

[deathlok]

For 1-2 slabbed books I use the US Post Office Priority Box. Which can be ordered through there website and sent to you free of charge. The come in a pack of 20 I think. Many of the supplies can be ordered free of charge., like packing tape, labels, etc.

 

For 3+ I also use the Diamond boxes, which like Darth said I get from the LCS. They really get so many that they have no use for them.

[minutekev@50]

So you can ship comics in a priority box even if it's not priority (such as media mail)??

[rob_react]

no. once it's in a priority box (or even has priority tape on it) it's got to go priority.

[brian1227]

If you want to use a Priority Box, but not use Priority service, your best bet is to just wrap it in plain brown paper.

[deathlok]

Brian is right, if you don't want to use priority just wrap it in brown paper, which is available for about $3 at Staples. When I ship to Canada, I pack it in the priority box and then wrap it in the brown paper. Write the addresses directly on the paper.

[minutekev@50]

Thanks all!

[lighthouse]

I have six different sizes of boxes that I purchase wholesale from a local manufacturer. My typical order totals around 1000 pieces between the various sizes. I have a diecut size for 6-10 raw comics, a diecut size for 10-30 raw comics, a size that fits most DC statues, a size that fits 50-80 raw comics, a size that perfectly surrounds a short box, and a size that perfectly surrounds a long box.

 

I use Diamond boxes as well, but for many items they are just the wrong choice for me. I found I was paying more in void fill to use a Diamond box than what it cost me to get boxes the correct size. My expenses for bubble wrap (which I buy on 240ft rolls) and loose fill (which I buy in 15cuft bags) were higher per package than what it costs to get the correct box. And a small Diamond box weighs over a pound by itself. It's not a big deal when you are selling $100 books. But on $10 items, a difference of $1 in shipping charge is a big deal. Plus, shipments in Diamond boxes are more likely to be stolen...

 

The only "free" Priority Mail box I use with any regularity is the 1095 which I use for shipments of single CGC books. I keep 25 each of all the other sizes on hand, but I rarely use them.

[lighthouse]

Boy I hope Darth doesn't read this thread...

[Fan4Fan]

Brian is right, if you don't want to use priority just wrap it in brown paper, which is available for about $3 at Staples. When I ship to Canada, I pack it in the priority box and then wrap it in the brown paper. Write the addresses directly on the paper.

 

Or cut up a large brown paper grocery bag for the paper.

 

Technically, one could be fined by the USPS for using Priority mailing supplies in this manner (so I often cut them down a bit to give them a non-standard shape).

 

Thanks,

Fan4Fan

[ScarFace-migration]

ScarFace is in da Hizzo...to help out wit dis box Bizzo.

 

All ya needs to do is take a priority box apart at da seam. Then turn that box inside out and tape it back together at da same seam. The peel off tape strips can still be used, but you'll still need to use a bit of packaging tape on da ends to seal it up proper like.

 

Wah-lah...a plain brown shipping box for da cost of a bit of tape, and without messin' with any of dat pain in da but wrappin' paper.

 

Woiks like a charm.

[deathlok]

Technically, one could be fined by the USPS for using Priority mailing supplies in this manner (so I often cut them down a bit to give them a non-standard shape).

 

It was the post office that suggested that I wrap up the priority box. I knew they were just trying to get me back for media mail porn.

[BronzeBruce13]

I have six different sizes of boxes that I purchase wholesale from a local manufacturer. My typical order totals around 1000 pieces between the various sizes. I have a diecut size for 6-10 raw comics, a diecut size for 10-30 raw comics, a size that fits most DC statues, a size that fits 50-80 raw comics, a size that perfectly surrounds a short box, and a size that perfectly surrounds a long box.

 

I use Diamond boxes as well, but for many items they are just the wrong choice for me. I found I was paying more in void fill to use a Diamond box than what it cost me to get boxes the correct size. My expenses for bubble wrap (which I buy on 240ft rolls) and loose fill (which I buy in 15cuft bags) were higher per package than what it costs to get the correct box. And a small Diamond box weighs over a pound by itself. It's not a big deal when you are selling $100 books. But on $10 items, a difference of $1 in shipping charge is a big deal. Plus, shipments in Diamond boxes are more likely to be stolen...

 

The only "free" Priority Mail box I use with any regularity is the 1095 which I use for shipments of single CGC books. I keep 25 each of all the other sizes on hand, but I rarely use them.

 

 

Custom boxes make sense for your needs, but when shipping slabs, partcularly expensive ones... the Diamond box is ideal.

 

Another tip to save on bubble wrap is to look up your local "home Interiors" saleswoman. Have your wife contact her and go to a party and buy some lame cow patterned salt shaker and then ask her about getting her bubble wrap. They receive so much fragile product regularly that they have BW coming out their arse and most throw it away if a ebay savvy friend isn't all over them for it. I have received hundreds of feet of the stuff as my wife is friends with one. As for noodles, if you buy half as much as you sell, you have a constant flow. I've never bought any and have never run out. I sometimes use newspaprer balls to fill bigger voids so I don't have to give it all away. I had plans to stop by a circuit city or something similar and ask them for theirs if I ever did run out.

 

 

 

 

[BronzeBruce13]

For 1-2 slabbed books I use the US Post Office Priority Box. Which can be ordered through there website and sent to you free of charge. The come in a pack of 20 I think. Many of the supplies can be ordered free of charge., like packing tape, labels, etc.

 

For 3+ I also use the Diamond boxes, which like Bruce/Darth said I get from the LCS. They really get so many that they have no use for them.

 

yep.. a whole multitude. You can also set up an account and have a quarterly automatic delivery.

 

I order:

 

Larger Priority Boxes (1095)

Express Boxes

Priority Tape

Custom Priority Labels

 

All the DC, SC, Insurance, etc forms too

 

Here's the numer to start an account:

1-800-610-8734

 

[Aces]

yep.. a whole multitude. You can also set up an account and have a quarterly automatic delivery.

 

I order:

 

Larger Priority Boxes (1095)

Express Boxes

Priority Tape

Custom Priority Labels

 

All the DC, SC, Insurance, etc forms too

 

Here's the numer to start an account:

1-800-610-8734

 

Is that stuff free?

[BronzeBruce13]

Yeah!... that's the point.

Free and delivered.

The custom labels are nice.. no more writing out your return address.