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Request to Increase the eBay Standard Envelope Limit from Two to Three Top-Loaders
Summary: linedrivecards has developed a new trading card shipping system, First Class Card Pro, and is requesting eBay to increase the limit of top-loaders from two to three for their Standard Envelope service. They have tested the system extensively, ensuring it fits USPS requirements, and argued that this change would benefit both buyers and sellers by allowing more cards to be shipped at a lower cost with better protection. disneyshopper inquired about weight limits, and linedrivecards confirmed compliance with USPS weight restrictions. linedrivecards also sought guidance on how to propose this change to eBay, while evry1nositswindy provided a link for submitting ideas to eBay, noting that the issue might be more related to USPS regulations.
Dear eBay Standard Envelope Team,
I would like to respectfully request that eBay consider increasing the current limit of two top-loaders per eBay Standard Envelope shipment to three standard top-loaders.
Over the past year, I have designed and tested a new trading card shipping system called First Class Card Pro (Patent Pending). During development, one of my primary goals was ensuring that shipments remain fully compatible with USPS automated letter processing while providing significantly better protection for trading cards. In fact, I worked with my local USPS Postmaster to monitor shipments and identify issues to incrementally improve the design.
Through extensive testing across thousands of shipments for my eBay store - Line Drive Cards, I have proven that three standard top-loaders can be safely mailed within the USPS letter specifications without creating thickness issues that would prevent automated processing and significantly enhancing shipment security. My First Class Card Pro system secures the top-loaders to a reinforcing/carrier card that evenly distributes the weight and stiffens the envelope to maximize security, eliminate top-loader movement, optimize envelope flex for USPS processing. The overall profile of a shipment using the First Class Card Pro system remains consistent with all USPS requirements and avoids the concentrated “bulge” that often causes processing issues with traditional packaging methods.
Allowing three top-loaders would provide several important benefits:
Sellers could ship up to six standard trading cards (two per top-loader - more for TCG) using eBay Standard Envelope. The First Class Card Pro system I developed works with top-loaders up to 60 pt thickness to accommodate multiple cards per top-loader.
Buyers would receive better-protected shipments with reduced card movement to effectively eliminating damage in transit and items not received claims (INR)
Sellers would have fewer incentives to split orders into multiple shipments.
Sellers of low-dollar trading cards could offer their customers lower shipping charges versus more expensive methods of shipping multiple cards like USPS Ground Advantage.
The program would be optimally useful for higher-volume, low-dollar trading card transactions.
eBay Standard Envelope would become an even stronger value proposition for the trading card community.
I believe this small policy change could significantly improve the experience for both buyers and sellers while maintaining compatibility with USPS automated processing requirements.
I would welcome the opportunity to share the testing methodology, measurements, and prototype packaging that support these findings. My goal is simply to help make an already successful program even better for the collecting community.
Thank you for your consideration and for your continued support of trading card sellers like me.
Sincerely,
Bill Martin
Line Drive Cards
First Class Card Pro
evry1nositswindy
Mentor1 week ago · EditedWe are not eBay employees, just buyers and sellers like you are. You can follow this link to send an unsolicited idea, but this seems more like a USPS issue rather than an eBay one. eBay can only offer services that are available from the USPS, not make up new ones.
https://www.ebay.com/help/policies/member-behavior-policies/unsolicited-idea-submissions-policy?id=4256&st=3&pos=3&query=Unsolicited%20idea%20submissions%20policy&intent=suggestion%20box&lucenceai=lucenceai&docId=HELP1228
disneyshopper
Mentor2 weeks agoThe ESE program has a limit of 3 ounces (as well as $20 max). Would your system stay under the 3 oz maximum weight?
linedrivecards
OP2 weeks agoYes. In all configurations whether the seller is using the system to ship one card or six, the weight is always below 3 oz. In fact, the number of cards being shippied aligns with the USPS First Class rates for one, two and three ounces.
One card = 1 ounce
Two cards = 2 ounces
Three or more cards = 3 ounces
Also, we did polling of our Line Drive Cards customer base and on social media asking whether people prefer to receive their cards in top-loaders or semi-rigid holders. The responses were overwhelmingly in favor of top-loaders. Other methods to ship multiple cards being used by eBay sellers always use semi-rigid holders.
linedrivecards
OP2 weeks agoAlso, the $20 limit is a critical piece as well. I sell a lot of low-dollar cards and often sell multiple cards that don't add up to a total more than $20.00. The First Class Card Pro system allows me with ship the orders of six or less for USPS First Class rates rather than having to use USPS Ground Advantage which is the way I used to do it. This saves me $4.00 or more per shipment since I don't charge for shipping.
linedrivecards
OP1 week ago@disneyshopper do you know if there is a process to request this change with the ESE team? Or is there a way I could reach out to an individual on that team for a discussion?