Need to ship a full box of Quarters. Any suggestions ?
Husker73
Posts: 36 ✭✭
Looking for ideas on shipping a full box of quarters. What should I do and what shouldn’t I do?
Thanks for the help.
0
Comments
Your box of 50 quarter rolls weighs approx. 29 lbs.
The Medium Flat Rate USPS Box (approx $14.25 ebay postage, plus insurance) is your best bet. It is larger than your box of quarters and can be used for domestic shipments up to 70 lbs at the flat rate fee. You want to center your quarter box in the bottom of the USPS box and firm up all four external sides and the top of the quarter box with rigid packing material so that there is no shifting inside the USPS box during shipment. Often you can used closed, empty small flat rate boxes as filler material in larger boxes. You want to use fiberglass re-enforced clear tape generously on the sealed USPS box: because of the shipment weight it is likely it will be dropped at least once during shipment. When you present the box at the USPS counter ask the clerk to stamp the box as Heavy.
I personally don't like to mail a shipment that heavy and would look into the added cost of shipping two Regional Flat Rate "B" boxes (approx. $12.50) containing 25 rolls each. Regional flat rate boxes are not normally available at your local PO, but can be ordered in min. quantity of ten, free of charge from USPS website. I keep a small quantity of both the A and B Regional boxes as well as the non flat rate priority box 1096L box (9.25 x 6.25 X 2") on hand for special shipment situations.
The 1096L box is a bit larger than the small priority flat rate box, is also known as the "VCR" shipping box and is available only from the USPS site. Because it is non flat rate I usually slide it into the flat rate padded envelope that ships for a flat rate fee of $8.45 (ebay postage). The flat rate padded envelope gives me piece of mind knowing that it takes more effort to pilferage it during shipment. Any time I am shipping something of high value with flat rate priority I always put the priroty small or 1096L box inside a padded flat rate envelope before shipping.
There may be better FEDEX or UPS options but I'm only versed in USPS shipping.
What he said
Flat rain is the way to go--if you just take the box to the post office in your own box you'll end up paying $30+, plus it'll ship much faster this way too.
Young Numismatist. Over 20 successful transactions including happy BST transactions with @CoinHoarder, @Namvet69, @Bruce7789, @TeacherCollector, @JWP, @CuKevin, @CoinsExplorer, @greencopper, @PapiNE and @privatecoin
"Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing" -Benjamin Franklin
Use tons of tape.
With 1 of my 1st PCGS orders I used a Priority Mail (flat rate) box and the USPS started measuring it and weighing it - like UPS does. And it was going to be quite a bit more expensive. But I DID do my homework, quite extensively as I LOATHE being surprised by hidden charges, and knew what the registered mail cost should approximately be with the USPS box. I insisted they put in the flat rate, and it saved me.
I think I threw them a curve with registered mail they might not see that often (it is a USPS "satellite site"), full-insurance, Priority Mail, cross country. I still have to correct them on the full-insurance detail from time to time.
Ya, that too--I sent a penny box once that I sold on Ebay using a medium flat rate priority box and a ton of foam pieces that came with the packaging of an Ikea bookshelf or something (to fill in the empty space so the box would shake around) and throughly taped the outside and the result...
...a review from the person who bought the penny box (which was a brand new 2021 box by the way--I made around $20 on it) saying something like "the box came in perfect, undamaged condition because this great seller packaged it so well."
Young Numismatist. Over 20 successful transactions including happy BST transactions with @CoinHoarder, @Namvet69, @Bruce7789, @TeacherCollector, @JWP, @CuKevin, @CoinsExplorer, @greencopper, @PapiNE and @privatecoin
"Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing" -Benjamin Franklin
Weight does not affect the cost of a priority flat rate shipment. Many flat rate shipping options do however have a maximum weight limit. Flat rate ships for one fee (varies depending on packaging selected) as long as it is under a weight limit (if there is one for the selected packaging). Flat rate priority boxes are great for heavy (over 14 oz.) registered shipments. If your shipment is under 14 ozs. avoid the flat rate box and send it registered first class, first class is cheaper.
Two classes of registered: first class or priority. A registered shipment has two fees, the registered fee and the basic fee - either first class or priority. . Always choose the cheaper first class when it is an option. Insurance (the declared value) is included in the registered fee, but if it's an ebay sale and requires an on-line trackable signature, choose "electronic return receipt" at the counter. It requires no USPS form, is cheaper and provides you with a viewable PDF of the signature should you need it. Ebay accepts "electronic return receipt" as proof of delivery.
I think you misread what I said. The USPS was not recognizing the Priority Mail / flat rate and started sizing / weighing it for the postage fee.