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1 BEST ANSWER
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There will be no easy method.
If those carousel trays are as big as I think they are, then you won't be able to fit too many in a single box, and that will complicate matters because you may be shipping multiple boxes, and each box will start with a large base rate, with smaller cost adders as more items are added.
I do recommend that you get the carton that you will use to see if dimensional weight is applied by your selected carrier, as you may find that shipping two items could cost the same as shipping three.
In any event, you will want to allow combined shipping in your account settings:
So, the simplest might be to create your fixed-price listing with a shipping rate for a single item so that if the buyer purchases more than one at a time, each one will carry the same full shipping cost. Then instruct the buyer to request an invoice, instead of paying, so that you can adjust shipping.
https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/posting-items/postage-rates/offering-combined-postage?id=4169
For all of the rest of these situations, where calcs don't accommodate, splitting into a second box, you could simply list as many as will fit in a reasonably sized box (let's say 4), and work with that one listing, replenishing the quantity after every sale.
One solution is to use the quantity discount option that appears at the bottom of your fixed-price listing form, so that each increment will decrease by some amount (or percentage) that would make up for the shipping overcharge when all are boxed together. That would be a bit of a guess for calculated shipping that could range from near to far. And then if the buyer ordered more than will fit in one box, there wouldn't be a clean way to indicate that a second box is required and that shipping costs start over again.
A more exact method might be to set shipping discount rules, but it is best to make sure what size box will result in an oversize charge, and stay below that, even if you have to split an order into multiple boxes.
Or determine how many do fit in a shipping box, and use shipping rate tables to adjust shipping per item, but it is a complex matter to set up a rate table if this will be your only shipment of this type.
https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/shipping-items/shipping-rates/shipping-discounts?id=4168
If you used Flat-Rate shipping, instead of Calculated shipping, there is an option on the listing form to price the first item and then add a per-item increase to shipping. You will still have a limit based on box size. And the problem with flat rate shipping, if you are on one edge of the country, is that it would be hard to pick that one rate, unless you chose the farthest location, or did so and offered a refund if it is less.
Another possibility is to use a variation listing to show quantity "1" and quantity "2", etc. They would both show the same shipping cost, so you might have to increase the price of quantity "2" a tad to cover the slightly higher shipping for 2 items vs the shipping for one item.
There will be no easy method.
If those carousel trays are as big as I think they are, then you won't be able to fit too many in a single box, and that will complicate matters because you may be shipping multiple boxes, and each box will start with a large base rate, with smaller cost adders as more items are added.
I do recommend that you get the carton that you will use to see if dimensional weight is applied by your selected carrier, as you may find that shipping two items could cost the same as shipping three.
In any event, you will want to allow combined shipping in your account settings:
So, the simplest might be to create your fixed-price listing with a shipping rate for a single item so that if the buyer purchases more than one at a time, each one will carry the same full shipping cost. Then instruct the buyer to request an invoice, instead of paying, so that you can adjust shipping.
https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/posting-items/postage-rates/offering-combined-postage?id=4169
For all of the rest of these situations, where calcs don't accommodate, splitting into a second box, you could simply list as many as will fit in a reasonably sized box (let's say 4), and work with that one listing, replenishing the quantity after every sale.
One solution is to use the quantity discount option that appears at the bottom of your fixed-price listing form, so that each increment will decrease by some amount (or percentage) that would make up for the shipping overcharge when all are boxed together. That would be a bit of a guess for calculated shipping that could range from near to far. And then if the buyer ordered more than will fit in one box, there wouldn't be a clean way to indicate that a second box is required and that shipping costs start over again.
A more exact method might be to set shipping discount rules, but it is best to make sure what size box will result in an oversize charge, and stay below that, even if you have to split an order into multiple boxes.
Or determine how many do fit in a shipping box, and use shipping rate tables to adjust shipping per item, but it is a complex matter to set up a rate table if this will be your only shipment of this type.
https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/shipping-items/shipping-rates/shipping-discounts?id=4168
If you used Flat-Rate shipping, instead of Calculated shipping, there is an option on the listing form to price the first item and then add a per-item increase to shipping. You will still have a limit based on box size. And the problem with flat rate shipping, if you are on one edge of the country, is that it would be hard to pick that one rate, unless you chose the farthest location, or did so and offered a refund if it is less.
Another possibility is to use a variation listing to show quantity "1" and quantity "2", etc. They would both show the same shipping cost, so you might have to increase the price of quantity "2" a tad to cover the slightly higher shipping for 2 items vs the shipping for one item.
