Packing/ shipping ACEOs

[under-a-gypsymoon]

So -- I am new to listing/ selling ACEO cards; and was curious as to how everyone is mailing them. Padded envelopes, regular envelopes, photo mailers, rigid cd mailers ? Protective sleeves, ziplock bags, hard shell top loaders ? Delivery confirmation ( USPS 60 cents )? Added protection like cardboard, mat board ? Any info would help. Many thanks, elaine

[katat0nik]

Hi buteoflyer, welcome to ACEOs:) Penny sleves are thin plastic sleeves that are usually used to hold trading cards (check out eBay item # 5173534938).

[katat0nik]

For those who are wondering why electronic delivery confirmation is cheaper than the post office's - it's probably because You are doing the work, you're saving USPS time, and you're using your own materials. You print out the label, on your paper, and attach it to the package. If you go to the post office and get Delivery Confirmation, you'd be usng USPS' stick-on label, the postal worker has to scan it, make sure your package is 3/4", and then they have to stick the DC label on if you haven't done it already.

[under-a-gypsymoon]

I have about 50-60 ACEO cards ready to start listing on Ebay; but because I have never tried to sell them before; I wanted to find out how people were mailing them. ( If I'm gonna do it; I want to do it right ) I will try getting my postage through paypal. I've never done it before; and have always taken stuff to the post office ( I go several times a week ). Hopefully it won't be too difficult. I will also see about getting some rigid mailers on-line. That looks like a good way to go. I also printed off the template for the ACEO envelopes... so I will try that. Thank you all for the GREAT ideas ! ---elaine

[artistjillian]

Sounds like you're all set to go elaine. :) Good luck! Have fun! 🙂

[katat0nik]

Good luck Elaine :D btw - For those of you looking for shipping labels to print postage on, you can find cheap ones here on eBay if you search for "Paypal shipping labels" or "half sheet shipping labels" Jane

[mareensart]

WOW Elaine, you've been very diligent creating cards. Well then - I wish you good luck and great success. Mareen :-) And lots of thanks for starting this thread - all the info is very helpful to me too. The peanut thing is cool, very smart! LOL

[buteoflyer]

Well, I went to the post office to mail out my first sale. WooHoo! When I got there, I needed oxygen when I was told the price of either delivery confirmation or return receipt where the person signs for it. Delivery confirmation was $4.65!!! and return receipt was $2.65!!! Whoa, needless to say I just sent it regular mail for $.35, hope it goes OK. I'll have to look for another way to do this.

[buteoflyer]

elaine - Where did you get the template for the envelope?

[artistjillian]

I think she was refering to this thread that was started in the past week with a template for ACEO. http://groups.ebay.com/thread.jspa?forumID=300009040&threadID=1500019182&start=0&tstart=15

[art-by-darla-h]

I just learned something the hard way about shipping I shipped one of my vases that I painted out charged 9.75 for shipping it cost me 9.53 to ship it. It was broken when it got there I pack all of my fragile items very well with bubble wrap and tissue she said that the box was ripped like they put a heavy box on top of it and the corner broke the box that the vase was shipped in. I will start offering insurance on everything I ship from now on. I know this doesnt relate to ACEOs but I am just sick about it because now I not only have to try to reproduce the painting but I have to ship it out and pay the shipping myself so on this vase I will not be making any money. Darlene

[under-a-gypsymoon]

The template was on this site; but another thread --- "artistjillian" has the link above. I really appreciate all the info you have all written. I want to "do this right" if I am going to start listing my ACEOs. As with alot of things; there is a learning curve; and you have all helped me shorten it a bit. A little bit about me..... I have been selling on Ebay for 8yrs now. My daughter ( who is almost 14 ) and I started selling on Ebay to clear extra things out of the house. We then expanded to include crafts and items that we made. We make alot of jewelry; rosaries and such; and have included birdhouses and feeders ( as well as carved wood items ), crocheted pieces, handmade quilts, collage/ mixed media canvases, photography, and more. I guess we do a little bit of everything. About a year ago; we started making ACEO cards. We have never sold any; just given them away to friends. Needless to say; we have built up collection of sorts... and were thinking about listing some. Now that I am no longer working full time ( we started home-schooling 2yrs ago after I left nursing ); we have a little more time to devote to ART !! YEAH !!! Anyway... I just wanted to say THANK YOU ; and introduce myself a bit better. Many thanks, elaine

[buteoflyer]

Darlene - That's just awful. I really don't like the mail system. Whenever possible, I try to ship UPS instead. Never had a problem with them and you can track it. I might send my ACEO's through them from now on. I'll have to check out their price.

[beadalicious1]

One thing with delivery confirmation that I had a problem with is that they never scanned it outgoing and it wouldn't show up on the tracking until it got there. It showed that it was delivered, but never picked up. I had this problem when I recently shipped out about 15 different packages. ONly about 7 of them were actually scanned outgoing. As for how I ship, I put in a trading card sleeve, wrap it up in the packing slip and then put it in a greeting card. If I have something that has a lot of depth to it, I will pack it up a little bit in cardboard and then put it in the card, just to make sure it doesn't get crushed. Good luck, Elaine. jenny

[jeanze]

One more thumbs up for printing postage at home, directly on line through PayPal -- delivery confirmation isn't optional but only costs $.14 as compared to what I've been reading that people pay at the USPS office, AND I've always been able to track the items easily, whether it's an art card or something else. I think perhaps when you print your own postage, it's already in the system, so it eliminates a scanning step. I take great comfort in delivery confirmation, and I'm really glad I know the peanut secret now, so I don't end up in trouble over a too-thin packet.

[mdtart]

Darlene, I'm sorry this happened to you. I've shipped out fragile items and I double box them, a small box with the item in it wrapped in bubble wrap, this smaller box is then suspended inside a larger box using peanuts and bubblewrap, etc to stabilize it, packing it so the little box is in the middle and cannot be shaken. AND on those items I always require insurance. Thanks everyone for your ideas here too.