Rant: Shipping

[slym2none]

Two slabs going across the country make a FR box worth it...

 

 

-slym

 

Yes. Although, IMHO, the medium flat rate boxes are too small to ship CGC books safely. The large FRBs are better, but you need break 3 pounds for it to be worth it.

 

01450 to 90210

 

2 pounds: $8.70

3 pounds: $11.95

4 pounds: $14.70 (parcel post $11.57)

10 pounds: $29.95 (parcel post $16.77) (Media $5.89)

 

Medium FRB: $10.35

Large FRB: $13.95

 

I explain this to people a lot when they query me about why shipping the Toon Tumbler Glasses is so "expensive".

 

Oh, I always send slabs in the larger FR box - the way I pad & pack, the others are too small.

 

(thumbs u

 

 

 

-slym

[sckao]

Two slabs going across the country make a FR box worth it...

 

 

-slym

 

Yes. Although, IMHO, the medium flat rate boxes are too small to ship CGC books safely. The large FRBs are better, but you need break 3 pounds for it to be worth it.

 

01450 to 90210

 

2 pounds: $8.70

3 pounds: $11.95

4 pounds: $14.70 (parcel post $11.57)

10 pounds: $29.95 (parcel post $16.77) (Media $5.89)

 

Medium FRB: $10.35

Large FRB: $13.95

 

I explain this to people a lot when they query me about why shipping the Toon Tumbler Glasses is so "expensive".

 

Oh, I always send slabs in the larger FR box - the way I pad & pack, the others are too small.

 

(thumbs u

 

 

 

-slym

 

The LARGE FRB DOESN'T HOLD SLABS... It's 12x12x 5.5

 

Priority Mail Medium Flat Rate Box-O-FRB2 11-7/8" x 3-3/8" x 13-5/8"

 

I think you're talking about the NON-FLAT RATE PRIORITY BOX which is

 

Priority Mail Box O-1095 "12.5" x "15.5" x "3"

 

 

 

 

[sckao]

 

A LARGE PRIORITY BOX with a regular slab, bubble wrap, and a packing slip comes out to basically 1lb 9oz.

 

So if it's local, it tends to be around $6. If it has to go to NY from CA, it becomes around $8.30.

 

 

 

[CKB]

Two slabs going across the country make a FR box worth it...

 

 

-slym

 

Yes. Although, IMHO, the medium flat rate boxes are too small to ship CGC books safely. The large FRBs are better, but you need break 3 pounds for it to be worth it.

 

01450 to 90210

 

2 pounds: $8.70

3 pounds: $11.95

4 pounds: $14.70 (parcel post $11.57)

10 pounds: $29.95 (parcel post $16.77) (Media $5.89)

 

Medium FRB: $10.35

Large FRB: $13.95

 

I explain this to people a lot when they query me about why shipping the Toon Tumbler Glasses is so "expensive".

 

Oh, I always send slabs in the larger FR box - the way I pad & pack, the others are too small.

 

(thumbs u

 

 

 

-slym

 

The LARGE FRB DOESN'T HOLD SLABS... It's 12x12x 5.5

 

Priority Mail Medium Flat Rate Box-O-FRB2 11-7/8" x 3-3/8" x 13-5/8"

 

I think you're talking about the NON-FLAT RATE PRIORITY BOX which is

 

Priority Mail Box O-1095 "12.5" x "15.5" x "3"

 

 

 

 

This is correct, I misremembered, I don't think any of the FRBs are appropriate for slabs. The medium box is just a little too short even if you refold the flaps to make it a little longer. The Large box doesnt have any dimension long enough that it would even fit.

 

Why they don't make any of the similar sized rectangular PM boxes, like the 1095, flat rate, is beyond me.

 

[CKB]

A LARGE PRIORITY BOX with a regular slab, bubble wrap, and a packing slip comes out to basically 1lb 9oz.

 

So if it's local, it tends to be around $6. If it has to go to NY from CA, it becomes around $8.30.

 

 

 

It's exactly $8.30 with an online printed label, $8.70 at the post office. The prices I quoted above are all post office prices.

 

 

[sakaridis]

The extremely well-packed box I sent to sakaridis, with ~50 books in it, weighed in right at 10-1/2 pounds. Round that up to 12 pounds for 10 more comics and you'd be safe.

 

 

 

-slym

Should be here any day now!

 

And for those complaining about shipping charges, let me just say that shipping such a box from the States (doesn't matter whether you're on the East or the West Coast) to Greece costs about 40 bucks!

 

First Class is a good option but only for small packages, as the option disappears once you go over 4 pounds. Even an ounce over that, is either Priority (expensive!), Express Mail International (very expensive!), or Global Express Guaranteed (exclusively for the disgustingly rich!!!)

 

Let me tell you, being a comics collector outside of the States and Canada is brutal.

[supapimp]

i charge exact shipping, not into being a shipping profiteer.

[slym2none]

The extremely well-packed box I sent to sakaridis, with ~50 books in it, weighed in right at 10-1/2 pounds. Round that up to 12 pounds for 10 more comics and you'd be safe.

 

 

 

-slym

Should be here any day now!

 

I see it hit the shores of Greece on the 10th... I hope it gets to you soon!!!

 

 

 

 

-slym

[JohnT]

Great thread, with very helpful information. It's time for me to get serious about shipping efficiently and inexpensively too.

 

So what I'm hearing is First Class for 1-3 books is far cheaper than priority.

 

What's the best/cheapest method for, say, 4-10 raw books?

 

Also, any tips for printing postage online? Do you need special labels? Other considerations?

 

 

[slym2none]

So what I'm hearing is First Class for 1-3 books is far cheaper than priority.

 

About $1.50-$2.00 cheaper, but you have to make sure you stay at or under 13 ounces. Three books can push that with sturdy cardboard, so a scale is nice to have.

 

What's the best/cheapest method for, say, 4-10 raw books?

 

You might as well go Priority Mail flat-rate envelope, IF you know how to pack one. Otherwise, Parcel Post will cost almost as much, but you can use a box that way.

 

Also, any tips for printing postage online? Do you need special labels? Other considerations?

 

 

PayPal is the best for online printing labels, as it gives you access to the Media Mail option, which I use frequently for comics. It is "against the rules," but I have found that if you print your own label and hand it to the postman, it never gets checked out by any postal service employee. As far as using special labels, you can just cut out the label and use tape, but if you can get access to the self-adhesive labels, they are sweet. Just make sure, if they have the UPS or FedEx logo on them, to mark over it with a black-inked pen

 

 

 

-slym

[JohnT]

So what I'm hearing is First Class for 1-3 books is far cheaper than priority.

 

About $1.50-$2.00 cheaper, but you have to make sure you stay at or under 13 ounces. Three books can push that with sturdy cardboard, so a scale is nice to have.

 

What's the best/cheapest method for, say, 4-10 raw books?

 

You might as well go Priority Mail flat-rate envelope, IF you know how to pack one. Otherwise, Parcel Post will cost almost as much, but you can use a box that way.

 

Also, any tips for printing postage online? Do you need special labels? Other considerations?

 

 

 

PayPal is the best for online printing labels, as it gives you access to the Media Mail option, which I use frequently for comics. It is "against the rules," but I have found that if you print your own label and hand it to the postman, it never gets checked out by any postal service employee. As far as using special labels, you can just cut out the label and use tape, but if you can get access to the self-adhesive labels, they are sweet. Just make sure, if they have the UPS or FedEx logo on them, to mark over it with a black-inked pen

 

 

 

-slym

 

Awesome slym, thanks!

[jessebrook1]

Today i shipped a CGC book for only $5.10 cents. I didn't do anything different then i have before.Between two cardboard slabs and wrapped in bubble tape.

[Shootydog]

So are most home postal scales generally the same? Should I just go with the cheapest model I can find or go a little higher?

[Timmay]

I bought some POS off of ebay that goes down to an a fraction of an ounce and up to 70lbs.

 

It cost less than $20 shipped and is accurate as mess.

EDIT:

 

Ebay seller ID: justpoundsandounces

 

Buy the 75 lb scale, shipping is $17, price of scale a few bucks.

 

The one's they're selling now are very similar to the one I bought a few years ago.

[jimhouston1]

I just shipped 2 short white boxes of comics from NJ to Lone Star in Texas. It cost $ 40.00 for both boxes. Each box was automatically insured for $ 100.00 each which is about what I am getting paid for these books. I used UPS Ground.

 

As a side note, I had wrapped each box in plain brown paper to help make the boxes look less like comic boxes but it would have cost over $ 11.00 per box to have the boxes hand carried so the paper would not rip on conveyor belts.

 

I took the paper off and shipped just the white boxes. I'll let you know how the comics arrived when I find out.

[mschmidt]

It would have been less than half that if you had shipped them media mail instead ...

[jimhouston1]

I'll give that a try next month.

 

Both boxes arrived today. I'm waiting to see if they arrived in the grade I shipped them in now.

[Ogami]

bookmarking

[Not*Sure*]

I just love my post office. two employees at the counter, two carriers and the post master. We know everyone and they always ship our comics media rate. It really depends on the post office which is a shame. Our post master has interpeted the media rate rules to be just fine for comics to be shipped.

 

The post office adapted a new policy over a year ago. The employees are supposed to rattle of prices to you "overnight, priorty etc" and NOT tell you about the cheaper options UNLESS you specifically ask..The employees at our PO know us so well I could just drop off my stuff and some cash and they would know by heart how I want them shipped. They would ring them up and leave our change in our post office box.. Unless it is something unusual that is fragile or needs to be insured we always want the cheapest unless it is time sensitive. The only other difference is if priorty mail is within a few cents different or cheaper than first class or parcel..then we will use priorty for an extra 25 cents or whatever..

 

It does irk me that they have cut our service and raised the rates continually. I could understand if they gave us better service but sometimes they just make it more difficult. I really only have problems when I deal with other post offices not in our small town. I have been trying lately to make the shipping included in my auctions and on my website. So if a person buys something there is no messing around.if my item is $15.it's $15 period. I can't always do that but I try to be fair..

 

 

[ft88]

I have shipped literally thousands of comics via media mail and have had one single return. I can trace that back to a few years ago when the USPS went for about 2 weeks and was trying to close out the pervasie use of media mail for toys and things like that.

 

A long box of 300 comics costs $17 to ship

Short box of 150 costs about $12

A small box of 50 costs about $5.50

And anything 1-5 lbs costs $3-$5

 

I can't imagine trying to use Priority or Flat Rates when shipping these which get heavy fast.

 

Now if you really think it is against the rules to use Media Mail, so be it. I roll through stop at T intersections, too.