When you ship a coin do you charge "shipping and handling"?

GottaGetCoins

If the shipping is $10, do you add S & H? Why? How much? and How do you justify?

kieferscoins

If shipping is $10, I charge shipping of $10.

For a coin under $100 it shouldn't cost more than $3 including insurance.

Cameron Kiefer

Russ

I charge $2.95 on most of the stuff I sell, and that includes insurance. Sometimes that's enough to cover the actual cost of the safe-t-mailer, bubble envelope, postage and insurance, sometimes it isn't. For stuff that needs a box, I ship Priority Mail, so that's $5.15 - also includes insurance, and I eat the cost of the packaging.

If it's a more expensive item, I just try to estimate as close to actual as possible.

Russ, NCNE

paigowjohnny

Saw an auction today for a slabbed walking Liberty half that would probably go off for about $50...guy wants $12 for registered insured shipping.....pass...

famousramos

I try to keep it as low as possible without undercharging. I feel a lower shipping price attracts more bidders to my auction, especially for lower priced items.

relayer

It must be an awfully big coin for it to cost $10 to ship.

That is the "S" part. I charge the "H" part for my time.

I charge $3.95 S/H to ship a slab 1c-50c , $4.50 for a $1 slab, plus insurance. If it cost me $10 to ship I'd charge $5 handling.

I justify it because it is my time, which is very valuable to me and the nice people on eBay are very cheap and will try to rip me for my coins.

ss350camaro

1 Slabbed coin + 1 FREE Priority Mail box = 5.1 oz = $3.85 for 2 to 3 day service.
** Print the USPS label online and delivery confirmation is free **
add insurance: depends on value but lets say between $100 & $200 = $3.20

for a total of $7.05

Some sellers will tack on a "handling" fee and justify it with gas, travel,...etc...
Some sellers will tack on the PayPal fees (not allowed by eBay but how can they enforce it?)

By the time its all said and done you're looking at close to $10

Having it shipped First Class is cheaper. The delivery confirmation is still free if the label is printed online.

seanq

I charge actual postage and insurance (or as close as I can estimate it) plus $.25 "handling" to cover the cost of the Saf-T Mailer and envelope. If I'm off on my estimate it's normally not by much, and it all evens out eventually anyway.

On a related note, when I bid on a coin I always factor in the S&H. For example, on a coin for which I would pay around $25, and S&H of $3, I'll bid $22 and change.


Sean Reynolds

BigD5

Under $50 $3
$50-$100 $4
$100-$200 $5
$200-$300 $6
Etc.....up until I hit registered rates ~$10-$15 depending on value.

I don't get shipping cost complaints with those rates, and lately I've been throwing in Del. confirmation on the under $50 items.

I don't buy into that "handling" bull, and it is bull. Sure everyone's time can have a value placed on it, but if YOU decide to sell an item, that isn't a good enough reason to burden the buyer with your "handling costs". On that premise, I could charge handling fees for the time spent taking the pic. of the coin, loading the auction, adjusting Paypal preferences, etc......... Might as well add on $50. Sounds like a nice round number to me.

keets

i'm low volume so i always ship/insure for free at eBay and the BST. it's a negligible cost for me and i assume it encourages some bidding on lower ticket items. with a higher volume seller that tactic could get expensive, what rubs me the wrong way is when i know i'm paying way more than actual cost, but i generally ignore it because i'm more interested in getting the items.

to date, i've only been burned badly once with this approach. i auctioned an NGC MS68 Washington 1982-D Commem and it only sold for around $6. Geez, shipping and insurance was almost half that!!!

hey Vinny, why'd you have to bring this up and remind me of that loser deal??

al h.

ms70

I only charge actual cost. Nothing more.

RiffRaff1967

I've passed on many auctions due to overcharging on shipping. Don't you hate it when you see a nice coin, that is about to end at about $10 below what you would pay - only to find out that the S&H cost is $15?

Kriek

<< <i>I just try to estimate as close to actual as possible. >>



Ditto.

TheNumish

I try to keep my shipping charges simple.

$3 for the first item and $1 for each additional item.

Actual costs are usually a little more but I feel the less the person has to think about the postage the more likely they will bid on my items.

ealandg

I rarely sell stuff, but when I do it is $1.00. I try to price my auctions to incorporate the cost of mailers.

ksteelheader

I usually guestimate. On some I make a few cents and on some I lose a few cents....

BAJJERFAN

I try to estimate based on prior experience so a buck either way is no biggie IMO. If its an eBay item I try to guess what it will sell for and go from there. If I am making really good $$ on the coin (once in a great while that happens ) then shipping is on me.

ElectricEye

$1.95 for s/h, (w/delivery confirmation, this service only costs .13 to those in the know) ~ insurance available at USPS cost

Colorfulcoins

$1 shipping + USPO insurance. I combine items also - for instance, 3 items migt be $1.50 +ins. I make nothing on shipping. Selers that charge outrageous S/H are a pet peeve.....nothing worse than a $10 item with a $5 shipping charge.....I even dealt with one seller that charged my for 2 subway rides - to and from the PO! That was interesting.......

Prometheus183

Generally I charge $3.00 S&H. Insurance is extra depending on the value of the coin/item.

For dealers and snot nose kids born with silver spoons in their mouths, I charge $69.95 S&H plus 100x the insurance. Why? Because I can, and they're obviously able to afford it,... besides, it's not really money it's only funding. Just kidding,.. sorry, it's the mean streak in me.

Craig

mrearlygold

Whatever it costs, it costs. Are you kidding me?

TP

ss350camaro

<< <i>(w/delivery confirmation, this service only costs .13 to those in the know) >>



For those "in the know" it's actually free for delivery confirmation.

Veep

I don't sell via online auctions. When I sell a coin outright, I include my estimate of P&I in the price of the coin and tell the prospective customer that the price includes shipping. That avoids judgements about whether I've charged slightly too much or too little. I've shipped enough stuff to have a good feel for the true P&I cost to add.