How to ship padded envelopes via First Class USPS

[jeapre-0]

I am planning on listing jewelry and baseball cards. I would rather mail something so small and light with padded envelopes rather than a box.

How would I select to mail a padded envelope instead of a standard envelope or package? Also how would I enter the dimensions/weight for first class mail?

[nobody*s_perfect · Accepted solution]

Just call it a package and enter "1" as the thickness. Weight is measured in full ounces, and any fraction would round up (e.g., 2.1 ounces ships at the 3-ounce rate).

To make sure that it qualifies to be mailed as a package rather than as a letter or flat (AKA Large envelope), it must be either (1) over 3/4 inch thick or (2) over 1/4 inch thick and rigid or (3) over 1/4 inch thick and uneven thickness, which the USPS defines as a variation of more than 1/4 inch.  

In practical terms, this means adding either some corrugated cardboard or a lump (like a packing peanut) inside the envelope.  Postage cost is the same for any weight up to 4 ounces.

[buyselljack2016]

If you are trying to avoid using tracking to save buyer/seller $$ you need to be careful.

The difference in postage cost for an envelope,  and an "envelope/or package" is determined by the characteristics.

You can use the envelope rate (no tracking) if the item is not rigid, or not over 3/4" thick, or thickness does not vary by more than 1/4". Any of those make your envelope a package. 

You can not print eBay labels for envelopes (those without tracking)

[lex-talon]

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@jeapre-0 wrote:

I am planning on listing jewelry and baseball cards. I would rather mail something so small and light with padded envelopes rather than a box.

How would I select to mail a padded envelope instead of a standard envelope or package? Also how would I enter the dimensions/weight for first class mail?

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You would choose letter/package for FCM. I believe the max size for small packages is 18.00" width & 22.00" length.

As long as you're under 15.99 ounces, you're fine. 

[nobody*s_perfect]

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@buyselljack2016 wrote:

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... You can use the envelope rate (no tracking) if the item is not rigid, or not over 3/4" thick, or thickness does not vary by more than 1/4". Any of those make your envelope a package. ...

You can use the Large envelope rate (no tracking) if the item is not rigid, and not over 3/4" thick, and thickness does not vary by more than 1/4". Any of those make your envelope a package. 

[buyselljack2016]

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@nobody*s_perfect wrote:

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@buyselljack2016 wrote:

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... You can use the envelope rate (no tracking) if the item is not rigid, or not over 3/4" thick, or thickness does not vary by more than 1/4". Any of those make your envelope a package. ...

You can use the Large envelope rate (no tracking) if the item is not rigid, and not over 3/4" thick, and thickness does not vary by more than 1/4". Any of those make your envelope a package. 

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Pretty sure that is what I wrote

[dalo4242]

Jewelry needs to be wrapped in bubble wrap. Most pieces should ship for $4 or less

[juststuffisell]

Well, my advise to you as a seller and a buyer is don't use padded envelopes except for shipping books & maybe some clothing items.

Baseball cards can get bent and that is part of the value of a card - a bend or fold makes todays cards pretty worthless and people like their graded cases scratch free.

Nothing makes me more PO'd than getting a piece of jewelry in a bubble mailer and I buy a lot of jewelry every year. I have had piece arrived misshapened, with stones fallen out and broken in half using this shipping method - even when shipped inside a gift box.

You are inviting trouble using bubble mailers.

You can buy bulk 6x4x4 boxes at 125 count for about 30 bucks with free shipping - less than 25 cents each. You can buy 350' of small bubble for about 18 bucks free shipping. For jewelry items, you can buy 100 count 2"x3" jewelry boxs for about 38 bucks for a nice presentation. Work the cost into your transaction cost and package your items up properly.


Cheers

[gew6463]

I agree; I've seen lots of comments where buyers were unhappy about receiving jewelry in envelopes. You can ship in a small box for cheaper than the $4 mentioned by another poster here. The tiny boxes add hardly any weight at all (a few ounces or so). And customers often leave glowing feedback for such packaging. 

[jennieaa]

I have shipped 3,528 postcards in the past 4 years.  I have yet to have a buyer complain a card was bent in mailing.  In fact, I get lots of positive feedback for my packing.

1. I ship via bubble mailer.   I get them free with my store.  Before the store, I was paying 13 cents apiece for them (with free shipping).  I use the 'cd size'.

2.  My cards are shipped between 2 card board inserts cut in size to be larger (but no more than 1/2 inch larger) that are taped together.  (scotch tape each side but not the entire side).

3. A packing slip is included.

4.  I ship first class parcel (tracking is free).  Even up to 3 cards (inside one set of inserts) ships for the 4 oz rate.

I have several friends who save me their cardboard boxes.  All long as they are clean, they can be used for cutting up and creating inserts.  I sometimes get boxes at work. 

 I do free shipping (and will after the post office increase - I have that worked out I think)

If doing baseball cards, sports cards there are inserts used to protect the cards.  I do not know if they are firm enough by themselves but they shouldn't add too much weight.

Yes, I do get buyers who think postcards should be shipped in a plain white envelope with a couple of stamps. 

That doesn't sit well with me, having seen what the PO can do to a plain envelope.

I don't ship jewelry yet.  I have been reading and somewhat absorbing shipping methods for jewelry...nowhere near ready to start on that category so I'm not focusing on that yet.  I probably will have other items to list first.

[gew6463]

I did not mention cards at all in my comment; I clearly only said jewelry, and was agreeing (why I answered their comment directly) with what the other poster had said concerning shipping jewelry. 

I have sold many cards & VTG sticker packs as well over the years, and I regularly use 2 pieces of cardboard (usually try to recycle, but always clean & stiff cardboard) to protect them. I would never tell someone they needed to ship those in a box, but of course, someone else can have their own opinion on that. It would definitely not be cost effective for me to ship cards in a box. But there is a big difference between jewelry & cards. 

[berserkerplanet]

>>having seen what the PO can do to a plain envelope

Plain envelopes not designated and marked as non-machinable will go through high speed automated equipment and WILL be bent around drums

DMM 201.3.12.1   Machinability 
To ensure transport through automated mail processing machines, a mailpiece and its contents must
bend easily when subjected to a transport belt tension of 40 pounds around an 11-inch-diameter drum. 

Packages on the other hand just have to deal with USPS package handling equipment:

[john99501]

Did USPS change priority mail rates?

In 2018, I was shipping single coins (1-3 oz packages) thru eBay, printing the label and slapping on a bubble wrap.

Putting it in my mailbox for the post office to pick up.  

It came with a tracking number and was less than $3 total billed thru eBay to my PayPal account.

Now, I am listing some baseball cards and figured it would be the same shipping system and cost.

But it seems different, its like $7 or more for priority.  1-3 ounces.

So I did the eBay shipping calculator for package to go to First Class, which is $3-4. depending on city mailed to.

But does that include any tracking?

The baseball card will be in a rigid holder inside the bubble wrap envelope (6 inch by 4 inch by 1 inch). 

What about coins?  I can't ship them priority with tracking for $3 thru eBay anymore?

[nobody*s_perfect]

All USPS package postage includes tracking, including First Class packages. It has been many years since Priority Mail could be purchased for under $5.  Your shipping in 2018 was undoubtedly for First Class packages, which would have cost $2.66 for up to 3 ounces.

[inhawaii]

May i share my general rule of thumb when it comes to shipping in a padded envelope instead of a box?  If the item can be stepped without being damaged, then it's ok to ship it in a padded envelope.   Other than that, use a box. 

Too many sellers ship items in a padded envelope to save money when they shouldn't.  The item arrives crushed -or- the package the item is in is crushed.