determining shipping cost.. please help

[Anonymous]

Hi,  I want to determine shipping cost before I invest in inventory.... sorry for the lack of knowledge 😞

just did some random calculation on ebay shipping calculator for : A package sized 11x8x4 weighing 3 lbs from LA to DENVER... it says: $ 9.26 to ship via USPS priority mail, $ 9.06 to ship via parcel select ground. Just wondering to know if this is correct. I don't know if we can sent parcels via priority mail.. i think it is for envelops?

Also how is it possible to pay $9 to ship an item worth $18 at most? People are selling similar products at $14?? Am I doing it wrong? Please help.

[nobody*s_perfect]

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@Anonymous wrote: ... my items are fragile and already packed in boxes... can I paste shipping label to my boxes?
Or is it necessary to put them in USPS boxes 😞 maybe it's stupid to ask.. sorry again

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It's unlikely that those boxes are adequate for shipping.  Can you take the boxed item and throw it down the cellar stairs onto a concrete floor without wincing? If not, then it's not adequately packed.  

Also, if the box is from the manufacturer, then not only is it probably only intended for retail display, but also you might anger some buyers by defacing it by attaching the shipping label and subjecting it to shipping damage.

[slati_2013]

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@Anonymous wrote:

Hi,  I want to determine shipping cost before I invest in inventory.... sorry for the lack of knowledge 😞

just did some random calculation on ebay shipping calculator for : A package sized 11x8x4 weighing 3 lbs from LA to DENVER... it says: $ 9.26 to ship via USPS priority mail, $ 9.06 to ship via parcel select ground. Just wondering to know if this is correct. I don't know if we can sent parcels via priority mail.. i think it is for envelops?

Also how is it possible to pay $9 to ship an item worth $18 at most? People are selling similar products at $14?? Am I doing it wrong? Please help.

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Easy. Some sellers buy lots with tens of thousands of the same items. Lets say they pay $6000 for a lot of 200,000 mask, and I have seen it, even if they make just a 50 cent profit on each mask, they still walk away with a stunning profit. 

[Anonymous]

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@remote_controls_and_more wrote:

11x8x4 is a hair over .2 cubic feet. If you over estimated that box size slightly it might qualify for .2 cubic at pirateship.com and will the cheapest way to ship that box.

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wow.. they offer great price thank you 🙂

@moo*cow*corner and others advice on products:

I'm really grateful for the thoughts.. I'm yet to decide inventory will keep those suggestions in mind. BTW a friend of mine used to sell in UK.. same stuff I'm planning to do.. making good money and the vendor is also a mutual friend from India. All they suggest me to work out shipping cost coz shipping in here is much expensive than UK 😞

[Anonymous]

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@nobody*s_perfect wrote:

It's unlikely that those boxes are adequate for shipping.  Can you take the boxed item and throw it down the cellar stairs onto a concrete floor without wincing? If not, then it's not adequately packed.  

Also, if the box is from the manufacturer, then not only is it probably only intended for retail display, but also you might anger some buyers by defacing it by attaching the shipping label and subjecting it to shipping damage.

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Yes, the boxes are padded.. heavy duty brown boxes (they say corrugated?). The question is whether I've to put them in over sized USPS boxes anyway?

[Anonymous]

@remote_controls_and_more 

I tried applying "cubic" rates on all the products I'm possibly importing... they do offer great discounts but nothing beats MCF / FBA rates by the other one that must not be named 

Is there any 3rd party service that comes in competition? It's okay to pay 10 - 15% extra to some other...  coz THEY ship with THEIR branding