Mailing Items In Clasps Envelopes

[athleticavenue]

Dear All, I have recently sold some necklaces as well as bought a few off of eBay. When I received a necklace I bought, the buyer had only paid 60 cents, but when I shipped mine out it cost roughly 4 bucks. I use USPS first class, but is there a cheaper method you can use? I tried doing some research into using stamps on clasp envelopes but I found no clear answers. Each necklace when inside an envelope weighs 2 oz, if that helps at all. Any help will be greatly appreciated. Thank you 🙂

[nobody*s_perfect]

USPS has 3 types of First Class mail: letters, flats, and packages. Each category has its own specific requirements for dimensions (including thickness), flexibility, etc.  

A piece that is "Not more than 11-1/2 inches long, or more than 6-1/8 inches high, or more than 1/4-inch thick" can be mailed as a letter; current price is 63 cents for 1 ounce, 87 cents for up to 2 ounces.  If the envelope has a clasp, it's considered "nonmachinable" and there is a surcharge, currently 40 cents.

https://pe.usps.com/text/dmm300/101.htm#ep1047495

eBay does not sell postage for letters, probably because they want every piece to have tracking so they sold you postage for a First Class package. As you have seen, that can be a significant added expense.

[lamber9347]

You should always use tracking on your sold items and that will require you to ship first class package as a minimum. Keeping the weight under 4 oz will be approx. $4.00 to most states. That is the cost of selling online and using tracking to prove delivery. The person who mailed using only stamps ran the risk of that necklace not being scanned delivered, which would have allowed a buyer to open an item not received case. Always keep your selling account front of mind. Best of luck to you....

[athleticavenue]

Thank you so much for the response. The necklace that I received in the mail was about a half-inch thick, but it only cost him 60 cents. Also, where is the best place to buy the label if ebay doesn't offer it, just the USPS website? Thank you 🙂

[athleticavenue]

This is a very good think to keep it mind. Thank you so much for your response! 

[lamber9347]

You can purchase all shipping labels from www.pirateship.com. You can open a free account and also receive a discount for purchasing labels there. Just remember to always go back and add your tracking number in the order on eBay....

[nobody*s_perfect]

Does Pirateship somehow offer tracking for letters and flats?

[nobody*s_perfect]

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@athleticavenue wrote:

Thank you so much for the response. The necklace that I received in the mail was about a half-inch thick, but it only cost him 60 cents. Also, where is the best place to buy the label if ebay doesn't offer it, just the USPS website? Thank you 🙂

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You cannot purchase postage labels for letters or flats at usps.com.  If you ship via one of those methods, you could just use stamps, or sign up for an alternative online postage service; I have been told that Priateship offers postage for letters and flats.

An envelope that's 1/2 inch thick is too thick to be mailed as a letter so I don't know how that seller did that. Are you sure it was 60 cents? 

[athleticavenue]

Thats a great question😂

[ms.rodriguez*]

You need to charge the buyer for the shipping. It's hard to do business here without tracking.  Envelops do not protect the contents.  Do not ship pricey items in a thin envelop with a clasp.  They can open and they may split on the opposite side so make sure that you add tape on both ends.

[athleticavenue]

Yes, it says 60 cents on the package. it also says nonmachinable. How do I know how many stamps to use?

[athleticavenue]

Yes, envelopes are not the best, but the item going in is relatively cheap as well as I tape securely each end to prevent package from breaking. 

[buyselljack2016]

Last non-machinable lettersize that I sent cost me $1.39 

[12345jamesstamps]

Mailing a necklace in a .60 envelope you are taking a chance it might make it through the mailing system  or get returned or get lost. The one you got it was lucky. Its all about the city or town it might go through by a  machine or by hand. A metal clasp envelope usually will not go through a machine at .63. 

Its all about weight, size, bendable and such.

If envelope is bendable, a standard envelope(3 5/8 X 6 1/2) and under 1 1/4 inch thickness it should go through at .63. Tracking is for items that are expensive. I never really used an eBay mailing label yet. Guess I am old fashion as a young dude.

[athleticavenue]

How did you ship it out? In other words what system?