Shipping tips?

[Longhorn]

I have a bunch of stuff in my house that I should get rid of. I've sold a few things on ebay before but I'm more of a buyer than a seller -- hence the glut! :) I live too far out from town for a garage sale to make sense, plus I'd like to make a little more money than a garage sale usually yields.

Most of these items are small enough to ship but just the thought of packaging and trekking to the post office has been enough to keep me idle. Clearly I need a plan or process so that it becomes routine to see what has sold, get it in the box, and ship it! Gee, that sounds so simple -- why am I paralyzed?

Any tips on getting a "shipping center" set up in your house? On how to package? I'll probably start out with gently-worn clothing. Unfortunately, I have a lot of it, having lost weight on a fasting diet and then gaining it back. :(

Thanks! :hi:

[Vinca]

1. If you ship stuff by priority mail I think you can still order boxes,

tapes, labels, etc. for free from the post office site. That's my best advice. Shipping is the down side to ebay. When I was going full tilt I would end up spending my entire Sunday packing stuff. Oh, wait, here's another tip. Get a cheap paper shredder and use shredded paper to pack instead of packing peanuts. It's much cheaper and better for the environment. Also, if you sell any good quality glassware, don't hesitate to double box. I usually wrap glass, figurines, etc. in tissue paper before I bubble wrap them and sellers seem to appreciate that. Also, make sure everything is spotless.

[Longhorn]

2. There you go! I hadn't thought of any of your tips

except making sure the items are spotless. I do have a shredder -- what a great idea! I'll check into the free Priority Mail boxes. Thanks a bunch! :yourock:

[NMDemDist2]

4. on the shredder thing, save your plastic bags, it's much neater for you

and your customers if the paper is bagged..

[brer cat]

8. I would be very careful

about using shredded paper. Shipping costs are very high, and shredded paper can add weight over bubble wrap or peanuts. If your use of paper bumps the package up to a higher rate, you may have some unhappy buyers. Shipping costs are one of, if not the, most complained-about aspects of eBay.

We get free peanuts, and boxes for PP or UPS shipping from a retail shop in our town that receives a lot of shipments, and are very happy for someone to take them off their hands. Recycle, recycle, recycle! We buy bubble wrap.

If you are shipping a few items of clothing at a time, you might want to invest in Tyvex bags. They are extremely light weight but very strong.

[NMDemDist2]

3. don't schelp em to the Post Office, the post office comes to YOU!

order free shipping materials and then just set up a Pick Up from your mail man

I have done thousands of $$$$ of ebay and I never went to the post office....

but *do* invest in a good scale, I got one at the Costco business center for about $70, worth every penny, I was able to give good shipping info on my auctions too

http://www.usps.com/pickup/welcome.htm?from=home&page=schedulepickup

edit to add scale info, you want something that will take 250-300 pounds of weight

http://cgi.ebay.com/265-POSTAL-DIGITAL-SHIPPING-POSTAL-BENCH-SCALE-FLOOR_W0QQitemZ160150129135QQihZ006QQcategoryZ109754QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

[Whoa_Nelly]

6. Scale is an absolute must!

I got one on eBay a few years back when I began selling. It dodn't cost much (got it from an eBay wholesaler), it weighs up to 30 lbs, and has alawyas been right on the money for shipping weight.

[ClintonTyree]

5. Just to protect yourself.......

always request delivery confirmation with each package sent. It costs $.75 (added to the price if the item, tell the buyer it's included in the price) and you'll have fewer problems. Most buyers are great but there are a few scam artists out there who ruin it for everyone. It's better to protect yourself than have to give someone a refund because they say the never received the item.

Good luck! :hi:

[democraticinsurgent]

7. Yes delivery confirmation is important

...not only for would be scammers, but also to be able to track packages for honest customers. Some get impatient and want tracking info, others have received the package already but someone else signed for it.

By the way if you use the paypal shipping module your tracking numbers are automatically ported into your ebay account.

[brer cat]

9. We love paypal.

I occasionally sum the fees we pay them and grumble, but the advantages are numerous. Generally, we are paid instantly or very soon after auction end, and we have a debit card to access the funds immediately. We print our shipping labels through paypal and receive free delivery confirmation ($1.50 savings)for Priority, or reduced delivery confirmation for PP or MR. Paypal and eBay are linked so the information is available in both sites. When I print my labels, the buyer receives a confirmation from paypal which saves me the time of emailing them that the package is shipped. Also it is the only way that we will accept international payments. Bank processing times for international money orders are ridiculous!

[Stinky The Clown]

10. Shipping tip from a buyer .....

.... the buyer being me ..... and Sparkly.

Don't overpack stuff. Yes, we all want/expect shipments to arrive unscathed from the journey. But sheesh ...... some people go to ridiculous lengths to send stuff 'well packed'. Like a book wrapped in bubble wrap inside of a plastic bag or six, inside a cardboard box with more tape on the outside and then all that placed in yet another box.

Or something so well taped (after being wrapped in layer upon layer of various materials) that it takes a machete to cut through it all.

[snappyturtle]

11. I know what you're talking about but I have something to add.

For eight years I wholesaled my small sculpted pieces....breakable. I sold to gift shops who oftentimes ordered by the gross. I cannot over emphasize how worth it is to pack well. I used crumbled newspaper in the bottom of the box. If shipping small items, which were individually wrapped in tissue paper and then put in box with crumpled newspaper and peanuts. Lots of padding across top and along the sides. I did all of this because my pick up person, I had daily pick up with UPS, told me my boxes had to withstand a fall off a conveyor belt of fifteen feet...it was quite a distance. I never forgot that. Even then, occassionally I would have some pieces broken and that was a much bigger problem to deal with than boxing well.Nobody, the buyer or seller, wants items to arrive broken. That's probably why we see things over done.

Another tip: if mailing many small pieces I found individually wrapping them in tissue and putting several in a cheap plastic bag and then into the box worked very well.....along with the newspaper and peanuts.

Also, if mailing pieces and using only peanuts, be prepared for the item to sift through the peanuts and settle at the bottom of the box! Not where you want it....so be sure to pad bottom of box well...it's worth it in the long run.

I probably should just have replied directly to the op...sorry!