Advise me on packaging and shipping

[Rob]

Does the USPS offer free Priority tape still? I can't find it on their website.

 

I've been selling on eBay for over 10 years, however not the volume of some of you. The recent changes to the USPS rates and the new eBay feedback system on shipping costs has really got me thinking about my postage. I don't sell exclusively comics, which makes shipping tougher. I sold some china last weekend, and like every other time I sell heavy/bulky/fragile items on eBay, I've vowed "never again!" I made the mistake of pre-weighing the items without packing materials, and just rounded up when listing. Well, that turned out to be an underestimate, and I ended up paying extra on most items. I felt bad charging so much for shipping ($16 for eight Star Wars Burger King glasses?!), but when the actual cost is MORE than that, why should I feel bad? And now with the 1 cubic foot rule on Priority boxes....my first box for the glasses was 14x12x12, and made the postage $27! I found a smaller box, and got it down to $16. I really need to standardize my inventory to comics, but I'm not a dealer, and don't have a steady source of inventory. I hit yard sales, craigslist, etc, and sell whatever I can buy for cheaper than what it sells for.

 

Donut, I really like the way you run your business. I like the simplicity. As of late, I've been trying to simplify my listings, including my terms. I like the idea of $5 shipping for everything. Eliminates alot of the pre-work when listing items. Do you offer a discount on multiple purchases? How many books can I ship for $5? And what increments do you use after that? I agree that YOU end up losing money by trying to save the customer money on shipping. I absolutley HATE scrambling around trying to find boxes, ending up paying for boxes which I didn't charge the customer for, underestimating shipping costs, etc. My brother called me yesterday screaming because he failed to plan correctly on a coin lot he sold last week. Charged $6 for shipping, came to $19. This is ridiculous. As a successful eBayer, you HAVE to have your shipping terms down. There's a fine line between being fair to your customer, and losing profits in the process.

 

I notice you ship $5 to US and Canada. $5 covers Canada too? Do you have to fill out custom forms? I avoid international sales because A) no seller's protection with PayPal, B) I usually underestimate intl shipping costs, C) I don't like filling out customs forms and having to wait in line at the PO.

[skypinkblu]

Nope, no more priority tape..and I sell glass too, although I've stopped lately cause it's just a pain with shipping, ...I've stopped going to tag sales this year, maybe next year, when it's clearer how the shipping falls out, you are right the feedback on shipping prices scared me out of listing glass, at least until the Christmas season.

 

Priority International has a minimum of 1 lb it seems, with first class under 1lb, you don't need customs forms.

 

The one good thing is, if it's international or domestic, as long as you have ONE priority package, the PO will now pick up your packages for free. I've done that for the past year, it's wonderful and saves on all the lines:) I just leave mine outside the door. (I guess it depends on where you live though)

[Mr. Spider-Woman]

I ship maybe 3,000 comics a year. I use Priority Mail envelopes for the vast majority of them (~90%). I order cardboard from Papermart - I usually order 500 8-1/2 X 11 200# pound corrugated sheet cardboard, already cut, costs $120 shipped to my house, which adds a little to my cost, but the time I don't spend cutting cardboard more than makes up for it. I slide the comic and the cardboard into a magazine size bag, tape it up, and ship it.

 

I charge $5 for shipping for everything. If you're going to ship a lot of comics (or a lot of anything, for that matter) you want to have the ability to be fast and mail directly, and that's why you use FLAT RATE mailing. Flat rate costs $4.60, buyers have no problem paying the extra 40 cents for speed. Same with the Flat Rate box, and Global Priority Mail International. You don't have to guess, and its easy.

 

This sounds good. A $5 charge for shipping with Priority Mail envelopes (which are free, correct?) at this Flat Rate dowhatsit. Still, I wish the USPS website was a little clearer -- so many of the pages redirect to another page and I still have not found any page that actually states the Flat Rate price. What about insurance or delivery confirmation, though?

 

Thanks for all the advice, folks.

[Rob]

I slide the comic and the cardboard into a magazine size bag, tape it up, and ship it.

 

Just one slab of cardboard? I sandwich my comics with 2 slabs. Is this overkill?

[Stronguy]

I slide the comic and the cardboard into a magazine size bag, tape it up, and ship it.

 

Just one slab of cardboard? I sandwich my comics with 2 slabs. Is this overkill?

 

Nope, not overkill at all. I have received many damaged books from having the just 1 side protected.

[FlyingDonut]

I slide the comic and the cardboard into a magazine size bag, tape it up, and ship it.

 

Just one slab of cardboard? I sandwich my comics with 2 slabs. Is this overkill?

 

Nope, not overkill at all. I have received many damaged books from having the just 1 side protected.

 

The cardboard I send it with is very thick. Its a judgment call - two slabs are always better than one, of course, but again, the cardboard I use is thick and feels like wood. Up to you. That's not really the big issue, the big issue is being able to use Priority Mail packaging.

[ft88]

Like Donut I buy the 8 1/2 x 11 1/2 sheets of cardboard to sandwich 1-5 comics and i get charged 5 cents per sheet. I buy boxes 3x9x12 and 6x9x12 for selling lots of 20-60 books. These boxes cost under $1 each. One method I have begun using is to wrap the comics in newspaper first and then sandwich with the cardboard. Since the cardboard is so close to the size of the box it fits very snug. For typical $1 to $3 type mid or low grade books I pretty much mail exclusively media mail. I assume you take paypal and if so, buy an electronic scale and use paypal postage delivery, it is a lifesaver in time and convenience.

 

Not to pick a fight with the priority folks but I find the $9 is a bit too much for me for low value comics. Say you have a lot of 30 for $30. Flat rate is $9 and a free box. Media mail is about $4 and a $1 box. For one sale no biggie, for 200 it adds up. And between ebay, paypal and postage; I find it difficult to take, that on a sale of $30 worth of comics sold for $39; I may get $25 and everyone else gets $14.

 

You can do this for high grade/high value too as according to the USPS, media mail is treated the same as priority, it just gets put last in line. Still it looks shoddy to send a $300 Iron man #1 via media mail.

 

I agree not to over tape. Use cardboard pancakes even inside a box (and definitely using an envelope). Any stuffing will do.

 

Here's a link to the box company I use, and I am sure they will ship. They charge $5 for 100 sheets (it's basic 1 ply cardboard) and $.75 to $1.00 for the boxes if you get over 25. Tell them Ed from York sent you. I'm trying to get them to custom design a CGC box for me to ship CGC books.

 

H&A Currogated

[Rob]

You've never had a problem with the post office opening a package and determining you're shipping comics via media mail, which is a no-no?

[Norrin_Radd]

Like Donut I buy the 8 1/2 x 11 1/2 sheets of cardboard to sandwich 1-5 comics and i get charged 5 cents per sheet. I buy boxes 3x9x12 and 6x9x12 for selling lots of 20-60 books. These boxes cost under $1 each.

 

This is the method I'm looking into. There are several lots for sale on eBay.

[Rob]

Like Donut I buy the 8 1/2 x 11 1/2 sheets of cardboard to sandwich 1-5 comics and i get charged 5 cents per sheet. I buy boxes 3x9x12 and 6x9x12 for selling lots of 20-60 books. These boxes cost under $1 each.

 

This is the method I'm looking into. There are several lots for sale on eBay.

 

What are you searching?

[ft88]

Not once out of about 5000 shipments. I've had about 8 lost packages in the last 5 years of which half were overseas. Tough to tell if they were truly lost or just claimed to be lost as a scam for a refund.

 

And I have asked about media mail for comics and have gotten the multiple answers (yes, no, I don't know thats a good question) but as long as they are accepted and delivered, who cares. When they throw out the comment about advertisements, I ask them if I can mail a book about marketing and advertising. And I'm not being a wise guy either.

 

I'm really not one to follow dumb government rules. If they are going to create a stupid subsidy for mailing "media", I'll do all I can to take advantage.

 

You've never had a problem with the post office opening a package and determining you're shipping comics via media mail, which is a no-no?

[Rob]

I would think that if you print your own postage at home, you would have a better success rate at shipping media, than the guy who has to purchase media postage at the counter, and be asked what it is before they grant you the media price.

 

I agree, I don't think $5 Priority works well when selling $1 comics. I would like to sell $1 comics in groups of 5 for $5. But if shipping is $5 (or $9) on top of that, it's becomes too high priced. I guess the other solution would be to not sell $1 comics.

 

I'm watching a HC book on eBay (no ads in it), and the seller is charging $10 Priority shipping. I was hoping to find it for $10 shipped. I politely asked him if he would consider adding Media Mail service to his listing, and that I would be willing to bid more if I don't have to pay $10 shipping. He replied "no, sorry". That's his prerogative, but maybe that's also my answer to whether I'll bid. (It's currently at 99¢ with no bids)

[NSPhillips]

I would think that if you print your own postage at home, you would have a better success rate at shipping media, than the guy who has to purchase media postage at the counter, and be asked what it is before they grant you the media price.

 

I agree, I don't think $5 Priority works well when selling $1 comics. I would like to sell $1 comics in groups of 5 for $5. But if shipping is $5 (or $9) on top of that, it's becomes too high priced. I guess the other solution would be to not sell $1 comics.

 

I'm watching a HC book on eBay (no ads in it), and the seller is charging $10 Priority shipping. I was hoping to find it for $10 shipped. I politely asked him if he would consider adding Media Mail service to his listing, and that I would be willing to bid more if I don't have to pay $10 shipping. He replied "no, sorry". That's his prerogative, but maybe that's also my answer to whether I'll bid. (It's currently at 99¢ with no bids)

 

I'm only against media mail because I have to stand on line to do it instead of using the machines in the lobby. The free boxes are a helluva timesaver too.

[Rob]

Like Donut I buy the 8 1/2 x 11 1/2 sheets of cardboard to sandwich 1-5 comics and i get charged 5 cents per sheet. I buy boxes 3x9x12 and 6x9x12 for selling lots of 20-60 books. These boxes cost under $1 each.

 

This is the method I'm looking into. There are several lots for sale on eBay.

 

Curious if anyone has found any good cardboard pads or box deals on eBay, or otherwise.

[Rob]

This is what pisses me off. I participate in another forum about eBay, and there was a thread in there about shipping costs. I posted in it, and mentioned Donuts policy of charging a flat $5 for all comics, for ease of listing and free boxes. Here's a response I got:

 

"I disagree about the comics, I wouldn't bid on a comic that costs $5.00 to ship, they can easily be mailed first class and surely it costs less than $4.60 in a padded envelope? Maybe I'm wrong, but I know I've mailed magazines in padded envelopes first class and they always arrived safely."

 

I wonder how many potential bidders feel that way? Are we losing sales for not offering cheaper shipping?

[drice6900]

This is what pisses me off. I participate in another forum about eBay, and there was a thread in there about shipping costs. I posted in it, and mentioned Donuts policy of charging a flat $5 for all comics, for ease of listing and free boxes. Here's a response I got:

 

"I disagree about the comics, I wouldn't bid on a comic that costs $5.00 to ship, they can easily be mailed first class and surely it costs less than $4.60 in a padded envelope? Maybe I'm wrong, but I know I've mailed magazines in padded envelopes first class and they always arrived safely."

 

I wonder how many potential bidders feel that way? Are we losing sales for not offering cheaper shipping?

 

My personal opinion is: who cares? If they are not willing to pay my shipping rate, then don't bid. No skin off my nose. At least I am not losing money on shipping or getting negative feedback from damaged books due to cheap shipping/packaging.

[divad]

This is what pisses me off. I participate in another forum about eBay, and there was a thread in there about shipping costs. I posted in it, and mentioned Donuts policy of charging a flat $5 for all comics, for ease of listing and free boxes. Here's a response I got:

 

"I disagree about the comics, I wouldn't bid on a comic that costs $5.00 to ship, they can easily be mailed first class and surely it costs less than $4.60 in a padded envelope? Maybe I'm wrong, but I know I've mailed magazines in padded envelopes first class and they always arrived safely."

 

I wonder how many potential bidders feel that way? Are we losing sales for not offering cheaper shipping?

 

My personal opinion is: who cares? If they are not willing to pay my shipping rate, then don't bid. No skin off my nose. At least I am not losing money on shipping or getting negative feedback from damaged books due to cheap shipping/packaging.

 

I agree . . . freakin' tightwads

[1koko]

[sterlingcomics]

[Rob]

I ship maybe 3,000 comics a year. I use Priority Mail envelopes for the vast majority of them (~90%). I order cardboard from Papermart - I usually order 500 8-1/2 X 11 200# pound corrugated sheet cardboard, already cut, costs $120 shipped to my house, which adds a little to my cost, but the time I don't spend cutting cardboard more than makes up for it. I slide the comic and the cardboard into a magazine size bag, tape it up, and ship it.

 

I just bought 400 for $47 shipped from these guys (12¢/ea): http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=280070817498

 

Thought I'd pass on the deal. It would cut your cost in half.

 

This wasn't quite as good of a deal (still better than what Donut is paying), but might be better shipping rates for those on the east coast: http://cgi.ebay.com/300-8-5x11-Cardboard...1QQcmdZViewItem