mail price hike,well i.m pretty much done selling Golf clubs or anything that can't go in a flat rat

[wildpitchsports]

Get estimates from UPS/Fedex, they will be cheaper probably

[newlifeforoldstuff2]

Remember to put correct measures on packages. There are additional fees and issues if you put on the wrong dimensions and try to get cheaper shipping. 

[wrong66]

Exactly. I sell vintage rods & reels, most of them for good money. The surcharge represents about an 80% hike in USPS shipping fees for rods, an increase we've simply never seen before. Ever. Not even close. In my case, I can adjust with the fees, but people selling low value rods are in big trouble. All rods are "eBay worthy", whatever the hell that's supposed to mean, but some are just not practical to sell online anymore. 

[katzrul15]

@buzzbaker 

We sell tennis racquets.  Now shipping them UPS ground vs USPS priority.  They are light, but long.  Have only a few left up - took the remainder down.  Disappointing.  Not everything is well-suited online.

[tigermoods]

i just don't think someone would pay $30.00 shipping for a single golf club. sure i can add $15.00 on a listing for something and offer free shipping but most people probably wouldn't buy it anyway unless it was a very good item and they really wanted it. i guess everyone will have to up their charges. it would probably cost $80.00 or more to ship a golf bag now. 

[tigermoods]

that's for sure.  and with a price that high it's usually free shipping on the listing. i sell a lot of used golf clubs for 19.99, but i would now have to charge about 25.00 for shipping. i don't think most people would buy them now.

[l5vw]

You can buy 4x4x36 boxes for approx $1.50 each and we just shipped a baseball bat in one from West coast to New York UPS for $13.56. So total shipping cost was approx $15.

[my-cottage-books-and-antiques]

@l5vw  Thanks for that tip! I've always used USPS....is that UPS Ground, I assume?  Do you have an account with UPS, or do you just use ebay labels?

[l5vw]

Yes ground. We just purchase through eBay due to the nice discount.  

[my-cottage-books-and-antiques]

I don't sell golf clubs, but I did remove 16 items that would have qualified for the $15 (or more) nonstandard fee. I'm going to review them and might put some back up. For me, it's an item by item sort of thing: Do I have sufficient margin to absorb the increased FVF? Given that many other sellers will continue to use USPS , do I think the item is one that a buyer---once buyers adjust to the new USPS prices---will be willing to pay the extra? (Is the item rare enough, or is the demand so high? And does the item price to shipping price ratio seem reasonable to the buyer? (I think there's some psychology here----a lot of buyers flinch when they see an item price of $40 and shipping of $70----even if the item price is very reasonable---and the shipping price is actual shipping.  For whatever reason, buyers want that shipping price to be a fraction of the item price, not the other way around LOL)

This weekend I bought an item that will require the $15 fee, but my preliminary research suggests might sell for over $200---I will go ahead and list it and see what happens....

[vikingsandpintos]

These increases are a killer to those of us that sell bulky items. 

I sell mostly car headlights and taillights. Don't weigh much, but are bulky. The last round of increases really hurt sales, and this is going to really put a stop to them. I have already been getting messages asking why I want more for shipping than the cost of the item.

Seems like more and more items aren't suited for small online sellers. Makes you wonder just how big a shipping discount volume sellers get? I can order wheels and other car parts from Summit Racing, free shipping for over $99 sales. If "I" was to try and send just 1 wheel somewhere, the price I would be charged is ginormous!! 

[yuzuha]

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@wildpitchsports wrote:

Get estimates from UPS/Fedex, they will be cheaper probably

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For large items, almost definitely. I have a large item I need to ship to a friend and even before the surcharge, UPS was significantly cheaper than USPS. USPS wanted nearly $40 for shipping and UPS was $20.

[sextons-sweet-deals]

it's a sad day for online sellers and USPS! I see another stamp increase coming by years end!

UPS and FedEx are possibly cheaper if you have an account with them and meet a certain shipping threshold. You have to be a big seller to get those shipping breaks!

I have my big items listed with weight / dims and some with pick up only. I also have "pick-up" checked as an option in many other listings but with gas prices right now, I don't think it helps much. 

It's going to come down with how bad the buyer wants it! 

As a seller shipping something big, I suggest taking photos of your packing process, over pack the item for safety if needed, add labels or mark in large color marker if package is fragile. If fragile, do not ship ground!  

[my-cottage-books-and-antiques]

@l5vw  Thanks! good to know!

[l5vw]

You can get the UPS and Fed Ex discounts when you purchase through eBay. No need for you own accounts.