How to calculate shipping on large object

[alexna6040]

I'm a first time seller.  How do I calculate shipping for a large object (steel pedal guitar) without actually taking it to Post Office/FedEx/UPS ?  

[north40sales]

keep in mind that a large package will often incur a dimensional "Oversize" surcharge that can be rather substantial.  Rate calculators are published on USPS and UPS's websites.  I do not use Fed-Ex, so cannot comment on that.   Do not forget to purchase insurance to cover your item against damage or loss in transit and be sure to pack it well.   Also, if you are using UPS and its not packed in a cardboard container, there is another surcharge for that as well. 

[nobody*s_perfect]

You can use eBay's shipping calculator. I know it is accurate for USPS; no sure about UPS and FedEx. There are posts on here about back charges later, especially with FedEx. Note that you can choose for it to show either the retail (in store) rate or the online (eBay) rate.

http://www.ebay.com/shp/Calculator

USPS charges a "dimensional weight" for packages that are over 1 cubic foot (i.e., 1728 cubic inches). Their formula is the volume in cubic inches divided by 166.  So a package that's 20x20x20 inches would have a volume of 8,000 cubic inches.  Then 8000/166 = 48.2, so the package would ship at the 49-pound rate.