What do you guys do to curb the prices of ebay shipping
Blindmelon5
Posts: 97 ✭✭✭
USPS shipping is way out of control. Thankful for the eBay discount. Any ideas how to maximize or curtail your shipping expense. What do you guys do?
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As a seller. Forgot to mention that
On Ebay, either pass it on to the seller or raise the price by $6 and offer free shipping. People like to see "free shipping" when they buy. Makes them feel warm and fuzzy inside. You could also use ebay standard envelope/pwe for lower shipping cost. I'm personally not a fan and don't use that. Too many horror stories for my liking, but a lot of people use it.
If it's off Ebay, then using Pirateship for their discount instead of going in to the post office and paying full retail.
Also, if you are going to be shipping a lot of stuff, buy bulk padded mailers for a bigger discount. I buy size #000 bubble mailers 500 at a time and they last me about a year and a half.
If you have an ebay store, every quarter, you get a credit (credit size varies depending on what level of store you have) that you can then apply towards getting discounted, or free shipping, supplies....boxes/tape/padded envelopes/stickers/etc. Their boxes/mailers are nice, the packing tape is cheap and doesn't always stick.
Also buy your shipping supplies in bulk don't buy 10 bubble mailers buy 100 you can find them much cheaper.
I noticed last week that USPS raised their prices once again. Its now $8.75 for Ground Advantage shipping to western States. Its sad to see many ebay buyers are dinging sellers shipping charges stars, for the rising shipping prices. Ebay sellers have no control over the rising prices.
2025 SEC bowl record 4-10
SEC bowl record vs BIG TEN last two years 2-8
bake it into the cake
plus, the optics of gratis shipping gives you a psychological edge
I bought a cheap graded card on ebay.
The seller shipped it between 2 pieces of cardboard inside a 6X9 bubble envelope folded in half.
It was shipped first-class with the printed label looking the same as an ebay standard envelope.
The price showing on the label was $1.32.
How did it get through and how did I receive it? It was tracked on ebay. Don't know about any insurance.
Have I been doing it wrong all along by shipping graded cards using Ground Advantage for around $5?
What am I missing?
** EDIT TO ADD PICS **
good question. that never would have flown at my post office
George Brett, Roger Clemens and Tommy Brady.
I just received my 2nd graded card in the mail with $1.32 shipping, this time from a different ebay seller.
I asked the postal worker how these rigid packages are being sent at 1st class letter prices.
His initial response was, "Just laziness", assuming he meant the postal worker that let it go through.
He then checked with a supervisor and returned to say, it's borderline and a gamble to ship it like that.
I don't know, but I'm 2 for 2 getting the cards.
https://www.usps.com/ship/first-class-mail.htm
After reading the description listed on the USPS website, as long as it fits the size and weight requirements, the use of First Class Mail Delivery (1-5 days) seems like it will work for most single cards. It also looks like tracking can be added for a fee.
I do think the risk of postal damage goes up with this shipping methodology, though, as these items will pass through the sorting machines which can occasionally bend the envelopes as they pass through the system.
Having received many cards in PWE’s before, I would guess about 90% arrive it the condition sent. So it comes down to risk tolerance as a seller. As a buyer, I have zero tolerance for this risk so I typically note the seller and won’t buy from them again. I like the golden rule of shipping: ship items the way you’d want to receive them.
I do my best to either charge close to what it actually costs or better yet build it into the price as suggested above. You can save a fair amount on shipping products by recycling packaging materials when possible - bubble wrap, boxes, cardboard, etc. stack a few Amazon empty packages (bubble mailers, smaller boxes) on the side for future use.
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https://forums.collectors.com/discussion/987963/1951-wheaties-premium-photos-set-registry#latest