Mailing tiny figurines

[Anonymous]

Best way to ship miniature items...without flat rate usps box. Usps says 4x4x4 is too small and won’t accept.

[vanman1029]

Use 6x4x4 boxes, which are free with your store coupon.

[nobody*s_perfect]

Here's the extensive recent  thread about exactly this topic:

https://community.ebay.com/t5/Shipping/Mailing-tiny-figurines/m-p/33128687#M423882

[babsklassykloset]

I received a pair of earrings in what looked like a plastic case that looked as if it would fit a bar of soap (like something used for traveling).  The seller placed that in a mailer and was able to ship First Class as it all weighed less than 1 pound.

I thought it was very smart and certainly protected the item. Good luck

[fern*wood]

If you have trouble with the small box size at your post office, just place the box inside a larger poly mailer and ship. 

[fab_finds4u]

The minimum package size accepted is 6 inches in length, 4 inches in height, and 1/4 inch in thickness. If you want tracking it must be at least 3/4 inch in thickness.

[nobody*s_perfect]

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@fab_finds4u wrote:

The minimum package size accepted is 6 inches in length, 4 inches in height, and 1/4 inch in thickness. If you want tracking it must be at least 3/4 inch in thickness.

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Please cite USPS sources for those assertions. I can't find any. You might be thinking of the criteria for machinable parcels; those criteria are for bulk mailing and don't apply to pieces mailed at retail or through eBay.

The DMM section on physical standards for parcels does say, "For mailability, all pieces 1/4 inch thick or less must be a minimum of 5 inches in length, 3-1/2 inches in height ...."

https://pe.usps.com/text/dmm300/201.htm#ep1097220

[fab_finds4u]

Actually, we are both wrong. I made a typo, it's 6 x 3 x 0.25 (1/4") 

This is for a package. 

I thought the OP was mailing a package.

https://pe.usps.com/businessmail101?ViewName=Parcels

[mnmkoter]

When I ship small figures.  I pack the figure in a small box with the appropriate packing and then I put that box in a bubble mailer.  

[deserdog]

Here is something else from that same section:

Pieces are subject to the minimum standards in 7.5, and may be subject to other minimum dimensions, based on the standards for specific prices. All parcels must be large enough to hold the required delivery address, return address, mailing labels, postage, barcode, endorsements, and other mail markings on the address side of the parcel. For mailability, all pieces 1/4 inch thick or less must be a minimum of 5 inches in length, 3-1/2 inches in height, and 0.007 inch in thickness.

So it is saying that you cannot wrap a mailing label around a box, all the markings have to be on the address side of the parcel.

[deserdog · Accepted solution]

Also:

7.5.1 Criteria

A machinable parcel is any piece that is not a letter or a flat and that is (see Exhibit 7.5.1b😞

1. Not less than 6 inches long, 3 inches high, 1/4 inch thick, and 6 ounces in weight, except under 7.5.2. A mailpiece exactly 1/4 inch thick is subject to the 3 1/2-inch height minimum.
2. Not more than 27 inches long, or 17 inches high, or 17 inches thick. Parcels cannot weigh more than 25 pounds, except Parcel Select and Parcel Return parcels which have a maximum weight of 35 pounds, except for those containing books or other printed matter (25 pound maximum).

[lesegouts]

I've sent items a few times that were 4" x 2" x 2" via FCM with no problem. Clerks have no issue accepting them. They are old slide (remember them?) boxes from photo processing labs.

[a_c_green]

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@lesegouts wrote:

I've sent items a few times that were 4" x 2" x 2" via FCM with no problem. Clerks have no issue accepting them. They are old slide (remember them?) boxes from photo processing labs.

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I do remember those, but I wouldn't use that size for mailing. Too easy for the entire package to get lost, misplaced or pocketed, plus you have to either scale down the label to a tiny size or wrap it around the box.

The minimum size of box I would ship on its own (i.e. not stuck into a larger padded envelope) would be 6"x4"x2", which allows a full-size label to fit completely onto the large side. My most common shipments use the 6"x4"x4" size in side-opening form.