How do I keep my shipping reasonable ?

[mirroroptics]

Hi everybody,
I mostly buy things on eBay because what I had to sell wasn't selling or I'd kick my self in the rear by offering free shipping. I don't want to start an account with any of the shipping services because my sales are so infrequent. I guess I'm wondering how sellers avoid high shipping costs. USPS is always pushing their white boxes which can get expensive, yet I've received a number of items in small brown boxes that say "First Class". What am I doing wrong. ....... Suggestions appreciated. Thank you. 🙂  AR

[orangehound]

There are a lot of sellers who sell unethically, doing things like shipping items through Media Mail when they don't qualify for Media Mail; or, underpaying for postage.

But, if one wants to stay ethical, some "tricks" might save you no more than 5-10%.  Things like:

• Using regional and flat-rate USPS boxes when it saves money, or using cubic weights.
• Cutting interior box flaps off to get the box down to a lower pound charge (it can knock about .4-.6 ounces off the package).
• Resizing boxes to get the box dimensions as small as possible.
• Rather than putting a retail box inside another box, wrap the retail box in a Mylar bag.
• Using FedEx 2-day shipping instead of USPS Priority Mail for 3-10 pound packages going to zones 5-8 (be extra diligent with FedEx, and learn their rules, because one mistake can incur a $13 fee).
• Use routing tables to narrow shipping to Zones 1-4, thus avoiding shipping to much higher rate Zones 5-9.

[parkersparrow]

Build your shipping & handling costs into the items sale price.

[hurryagain]

@mirroroptics 

Another flat rate option that many sellers here do know (and many others don't) is USPS flat rate bubble mailer bags. 

These bags are NOT readily available at the PO...you have to order it (for free) on the USPS website and it will arrive to you within about a week.

They are tough poly bubble mailers and a good size - 9.5 x 12.5 - bigger than the small flat rate box and less confining too since it's not a rigid box.  It's $8.00 to ship...

I save the ones that I get from other sellers and re-use them...

Anything to help USPS save some money (re-using their bags so they don't have to make more) and help our environment too. 😊

[7198dave]

I bought a hand tool on ebay that is for making boxes. I'm trying to find them on ebay but ebay has the search so screwed up it's hard to find.

[orangehound]

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@7198dave wrote:
I bought a hand tool on ebay that is for making boxes. I'm trying to find them on ebay but ebay has the search so screwed up it's hard to find.

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Search for "box sizer".