I want to sell my sports cards but need USPS tracking...
I have a lot of sports cards and paper money I want to sell, but I need to include legit tracking even for a 2-3 dollar purchase... I certainly don't want 'item did not arrive' situations which shady buyers like to pull... eBay's PWE tracking system scares me as I have read horror stories about a lot of lost/unreturned merchandise, bad feedback from buyers, and no seller protection back-up... so what is the absolute cheapest tracking that seller protection covers for a 3 x 5 envelope/ 1/8" thick/ maybe an ounce envelope? I checked with USPS and was given the "$3.50 for tracking answer" which will be more than I know I can sell my card lots for... ANY help would be greatly appreciated, thank you!
15 comments
unclejesse_1
·11 months agoMultiple times I've sent out 20 or more low priced cards, just using a 3x5 envelope with no tracking, literally 1/3 of the cards were "lost" on every occasion. I don't trust buyers at all, and must do tracking. On higher priced cards, I charge at least $5 for shipping, but in reality, the PO charges me $7.60 for each small envelope.
ryry-jj
·1 year agoOk, what is a top loader vs a penny sleeve? I know nothing about cards, but the info is interesting.
I will also ask, is there ever added value of using another service other than ESE that comes into play? Hearing what is said about the mail going through rollers and being bent, I would want my card to remain flat and not put through the rollers, so to speak. So if I were to buy a card, I may not want it shipped by ESE. I want more care in the shipping....is that ever an issue? Do sellers also list alternative shipping methods with cards that a buyer can choose or is ESE usually the only shipping service offered? And are we only talking about $1-2 cards being shipped this way?
bdmh-enterprises
·1 year agoPenny sleeve is a soft sleeve that only keeps the card from getting scratched. Top loader is your standard hard sleeve; puncture resistant and barely bendable. Then there's semi rigid; basically in between, flexible but not enough to create a crease, they can be bent end to end and only curve the card a bit, makes them ideal for shipping in.
The rollers are iirc 16" drums, the envelope only needs to bend about this: ) much while only putting 40lbs of tension on the belt. This is why top loaders don't cut it, even if they can make the curve the tension is too much. I've never had a complaint about damage using a semi rigid, but I have had top loaders shatter (before discovering semi rigids).
I don't offer any other method. Nobody would pay $5 shipping even on a $20 card.
I have no problem sending up to the $50 multi item limit. The insurance has it covered.
NOTE: I sell Trading Card Game cards which are inherently flexible for shuffling. Sports cards I know are on a thicker card stock and some fancier ones may in fact not survive that slight bend even in a semi rigid sleeve. For TCG, stickers, stamps and patches though there's really no alternative.
tobaccocardyahoo
·1 year ago@bdmh-enterprisesis correct. If you use toploaders ESE is an unacceptable shipping service.
I will not forgo the protection of a top loader for any card I am willing to sell, I choose not to sell extremely inexpensive cards which cannot justify shipping in a toploader by Ground Advantage.
We all need to balance our conflicting needs. Safe delivery of the item suffers when one chooses to use letter mail.
The world is not a perfect place, and we have to make the decisions that we feel are best for us.
My UK buyers have been know to comment, shipped in the American manner, in a plastic toploader. I use toploaders in many sizes from trading card size to 4x6 for postcards to 6x9 to 8x10.
I do not use ESE.
12345jamesstamps
·1 year ago"Top Rated Plus'...to stay in that position do items need tracking and need a scan as to it being shipped on time?
If so, that might bring you down on your rating due to ESE not getting those scans sometimes.
It's really hard to stay at 'TRP' in my opinion.
I had one bad item lost in the USPS in 2 years...it went to an address with a number and street and
not stating it was a 'P O Box'...buyer's mistake.
I did away with tracking under $20. bucks long ago.
dirk12955
·1 year agoIMO the $$ savings when you make TRS is not as great as the $$ savings using
regular postage stamps without tracking.
The INR "I didn't get it" liars aren't as prevalent as
broadcast. Especially on cheap stuff.
bdmh-enterprises
·1 year agoESE costs 4 cents LESS than a stamp..
I know, you stamp sellers use bulk stamps you probably got for nothing so there's a good savings there. If only I could slap a couple common tcg cards on the envelope and send it LOL.
I do agree that even before ESE there wasn't a lot of false INRs even with cards. But it definitely wasn't 5 in 3 years good. And, like I said in my first reply, the insurance is the real star of ESE, even if it's rarely needed.
bdmh-enterprises
·1 year agoI've never had an issue with metrics and TRS even when the ESEs don't get scanned at all. I've seen my 'tracking uploaded' drop to 98% a couple of times, but it always returns to 100% in a few days. I believe eBay asks buyers if the item arrived on time, when untracked, when they send 'please leave FB' messages.
I've been TRS since/because ESE was implemented.
12345jamesstamps
·1 year agoNot everyone lives in the same state or city or has a great post office.
You apparently do...while some have problems with scanning on those ESE with their post office unfortunately.
And then there's that volume of using ESE...the more sold the greater chance of ESE's not getting scanned.
We both have a system that works which is great.
My volume can be a hundred plus every week...and only had one maybe lost in years.
bdmh-enterprises
·1 year agoYup, 99% of ESE issues you read about occur because of improper packaging by the seller. If 1st class letter regulations are followed properly you will have no problems.
Flexibility and uniform thickness are the most important aspects. This honestly can't be stressed enough so I'm going to say it again:
DO NOT USE TOP LOADERS!
Semi rigid sleeves work fine. Or raw, I've been sending $1-$2 bulk rares sandwiched between 2 commons in just a penny sleeve lately and have yet to have a complaint of damage. Also, use the smallest envelope possible. You don't want a bunch of empty envelope flopping around. A #6 fits a grading sized semi rigid almost perfectly, providing the required uniform thickness.
NOTE: the minimum size for an envelope is 3 1/2" x 5", so your 3"x5" are actually too small.
I too have sent thousands of them in the few years since they became available and just got my 5th INR. And 4 of those were promptly paid back to me with the insurance. The scanning frequency has also greatly improved over the last year. 99+% of my ESE receive a scan along the way, thereby qualifying for the insurance coverage should an INR come up. And THAT is the real benefit of ESE that doesn't get mentioned enough.
Absolute game changing service as far as card selling goes.
1786davycrockett
·1 year ago@vanpatrick2005
Many of the horror stories which you may have read regarding mailing items using the eBay Standard Envelope (ESE) seem to have resulted from sellers misunderstanding how the ESE works.
Too many sellers are attempting to send ESEs which are far too stiff and rigid to travel at ultra-fast speeds through the roller systems in the USPS sorting machines. The ESE needs to be VERY flexible, since the ESE will be bent nearly in half multiple times as it travels throughout the sorting machines -- so don't use anything thicker than a penny sleeve (NO TOPLOADERS!!!), sandwiched between a dual-layer of the type of material used for cereal boxes or soda pop 12-packs. I've been using that method for several years, without any customer complaints, and no INR cases.
Your PWE needs to be exactly that -- a plain white envelope, either a #6 or a #10 -- don't use any rigid mailing envelopes, as they are far too stiff to travel through the USPS sorting machines.
One of the major issues regarding the ESEs is the method which the seller uses to actually mail the ESE. Most important -- do NOT hand the ESE to a USPS counter employee: Many of them are unfamiliar with handling the ESE, and will either reject it, or tell you that it needs more postage, or set it aside for judgement from a supervisor -- or worse.
I mail all of mine in the USPS lobby, using the "Metered Mail" slot. Since the ESE is simply nothing more than another piece of contracted business metered mail, it joins a whole batch of other business metered mail, and is processed automatically at the next USPS Distribution Center at the end of the day.
Other sellers have indicated that they have had success simply mailing the ESEs in USPS "blue boxes," or from their home mailboxes. The less opportunity for a single USPS employee to reject your ESE is the best policy!
Regarding USPS scanning and tracking: First of all, the USPS counter employee can not "scan" the ESE, since the ESE does not use a regular USPS Tracking number -- another reason NOT to give the ESE to a USPS counter employee. The ESE should receive its initial scan at the end of the day, after it has been received at the next USPS Distribution Center, which is often in another city or county. So don't expect to receive that initial scan until late that evening, and sometimes not until the following day (although several USPS Distribution Centers have become lax in delivering all types of First Class mail).
The ESE may receive additional scans along the way -- or not (again, USPS has become very lackadaisical regarding ANY type of deliveries!). The "delivered" scan does not indicate that it was delivered to the buyer's address -- it only means that the ESE has been delivered to the ZIP Code of the post office matching the ZIP Code of the buyer's address. Depending upon the post office, delivery to the buyer should occur within a few days -- but weekends and holidays will affect delivery, as well, as well as mailings to distant rural addresses.
Many eBay sellers have been mailing out tens of thousands of ESE mailings over the past few years, with little or no mailing problems and complaints from buyers (I've had neither since I started using ESEs several years ago). While it is not as perfect as high-priced USPS Tracking, you might find it to be just what you need for your lower-priced trading cards and currency.
Give it a try -- and good luck!
johnrj1226
·1 year agoToo many people "jump before they leap" or if one prefers "they don't look before they leap". Have others but monitor(s) would banish me
vanpatrick2005
OP1 year agoExcellent advice- you are my top answer! Thanks!
johnrj1226
·1 year agoThere are no guarantees in life or on eBay except the eBay Money Back Guarantee for buyers
There are only 140,000+ listings for the "sports cards" category. and 1,700,000+ in the "trading card" category - lots of fishermen for the few sheckles of return Personally would think twice before I would sell any thing in $2-3 price category - not worth the effort - lots of competition - low profit return. But "to each their own" Sports cards selling has been around forever - Used to buy baseball and football trading cards for the bubble gum and get a trading card - as kid we would trad our duplicate cards around our 'hood - had shoes boxes full of them. Went off to college in '63. Stored my stuff in our basement. Then the Mother Nature decided to flood our basement - lost 'em all along with my model car collection and my two Detroit Lions & Tigers felt pennants - from the mid 50's as often said Stuff Happens. Passed my 1948 Lionel train set (still working) on to my son with a guarantee he would pass it on to our 6 year old grand son = value priceless..
dirk12955
·1 year agoI use the eBay system for less than $1.00 per order as many as 400 times a month. "I didn't
receive it" happens less than 10 times a year. I sell stamps.
For every horror story you hear about a bad sale, Thousands (Or more) go without a hitch.
And sometimes, Mail does actually get lost.