I need someone in the know...

[GibsonsCamp]

to tell me why is costs $1.50 to $2.00 to send a dime first class mail? Am I missing something like...wow a dime weighs a lot more than I think.

Oh, I have a scale I could weigh one! Ok, still why is it so much? A DVD is $1.90 and a dime has to weigh less than that.

[TiasTreasures]

It doesn't, but it's not actually that much out of line. I'm guessing this is a seller's shipping charge? The postage is 64 cents if it includes a piece of stiff cardboard to keep the coin from slipping and possibly tearing the envelope. The coin flip costs around 30 cents, and there's the cost of the envelope. Most sellers charge $1.00 right now, but we'll have to raise it if rates go up again.

[poppa501]

I charge $2.50 S&H on all my coins sold in US. I always use a padded mailer(0.50)-coin flip (0.20-0.25)-tape, labels, etc. I also use USPS Delivery Confirmation on each package(($0.80). Postage on a small pkg. of 2oz. is $1.39 + 0.80 confirmation =$2.19. Figure in the cost of everything else plus a 6mile round trip to PO and you see at $2.50 I'm losing money.
Not complaining, just wanted you to know. Could I ship it cheaper? Sure--but a padded mailer gives me more assurance and shipping anything without a delivery confirmation is just asking for trouble.

Love to all
Poppa

[GibsonsCamp]

I charge $2.50 S&H on all my coins sold in US. I always use a padded mailer(0.50)-coin flip (0.20-0.25)-tape, labels, etc. I also use USPS Delivery Confirmation on each package(($0.80). Postage on a small pkg. of 2oz. is $1.39 + 0.80 confirmation =$2.19. Figure in the cost of everything else plus a 6mile round trip to PO and you see at $2.50 I'm losing money.
Not complaining, just wanted you to know. Could I ship it cheaper? Sure--but a padded mailer gives me more assurance and shipping anything without a delivery confirmation is just asking for trouble.

Love to all
Poppa

Ok, I can understand that...

[deltadelta48]

I charge $2.50 S&H on all my coins sold in US. I always use a padded mailer(0.50)-coin flip (0.20-0.25)-tape, labels, etc. I also use USPS Delivery Confirmation on each package(($0.80). Postage on a small pkg. of 2oz. is $1.39 + 0.80 confirmation =$2.19. Figure in the cost of everything else plus a 6mile round trip to PO and you see at $2.50 I'm losing money.
Not complaining, just wanted you to know. Could I ship it cheaper? Sure--but a padded mailer gives me more assurance and shipping anything without a delivery confirmation is just asking for trouble.

Love to all
Poppa

Hi Poppa, call me cheap but here goes with my cost saving methods that will boost your profit and your sales too.

use plain brown heavyweight envelopes instead of padded. I pay 100 for $10 at Office Max (10x13" size) and cardboard etc. Pad with recycled cardboard and/or bubble, a thin recyled box, etc.

Do not add confirmation or insurance. For a cheap item, just write off the loss and save almost a $1 on each sale. Only about one in 500 packages gets lost anyway so you/customer save almost $500 bucks and have to reimburse like just a couple bucks or so for the one loss you will get (note: of course you insure/confirm expensive stuff). Customers buy more when you do not charge for these extras on your cheaper items.

Pass the above savings on to customer and go a bit further: lets say you decide to ship coins out for 99 cents, no fancy stuff you added some profit to your sale. THEN, because you have light stuff, add a tickler, offer FREE shipping on second item if they buy two! Suddenly you sell two items, don't really lose anything on the shipping (because your stuff is light), and you just make some money off the 2nd item. Have a sale and provide discount ONLY if they buy 2nd, 3rd 4th items. A percentage off 2nd items. Suddenly you are not selling one coin, you are ALWAYS selling two or more at a time.

I used to buy the expensive padded envelopes too, and after receiving numerous packages shiped only in heavy weight envelopes, I realized that I was wasting lots of money. I just make sure the envelope stays stiff so edges do not catch in PO machinery. Quite a cost savings to switch packaging, and when you pass it on to customers, you get more sales.

Yea, I am cheap and proud of it!!

[FBNeNotes]

Nice to see two sides of the fence.
Both make sense... it all depends on the seller.
Any item under $15.00 doesnt need a DC.. padded mailer? it all depends on fragility and bulkyness. Experience, common sense along with neatness will show to a caring buyer(or it should).
Item Price value is Key to this discussion.

[deltadelta48]

Nice to see two sides of the fence.
Both make sense... it all depends on the seller.
Any item under $15.00 doesnt need a DC.. padded mailer? it all depends on fragility and bulkyness. Experience, common sense along with neatness will show to a caring buyer(or it should).
Item Price value is Key to this discussion.

Exactly. I have seen new sellers run out and spend hundreds on professional tape holders, cases of bubblewrap, etc and then realize what they have done and charge every buyer and extra $2 for the wrapping. Like the buyer wanted to triple wrapped with expensive stuff.

Number of envelopes used makes a difference too. I switched to non padded when I was going thru 3 cases or more a week of padded ones (25 pcs each) and each was $15. That adds up. Maybe if I used one case a month, the padded was convenient, then it is ok.

[poppa501]

Hi Poppa, call me cheap but here goes with my cost saving methods that will boost your profit and your sales too.

use plain brown heavyweight envelopes instead of padded. I pay 100 for $10 at Office Max (10x13" size) and cardboard etc. Pad with recycled cardboard and/or bubble, a thin recyled box, etc.

Do not add confirmation or insurance. For a cheap item, just write off the loss and save almost a $1 on each sale. Only about one in 500 packages gets lost anyway so you/customer save almost $500 bucks and have to reimburse like just a couple bucks or so for the one loss you will get (note: of course you insure/confirm expensive stuff). Customers buy more when you do not charge for these extras on your cheaper items.

Pass the above savings on to customer and go a bit further: lets say you decide to ship coins out for 99 cents, no fancy stuff you added some profit to your sale. THEN, because you have light stuff, add a tickler, offer FREE shipping on second item if they buy two! Suddenly you sell two items, don't really lose anything on the shipping (because your stuff is light), and you just make some money off the 2nd item. Have a sale and provide discount ONLY if they buy 2nd, 3rd 4th items. A percentage off 2nd items. Suddenly you are not selling one coin, you are ALWAYS selling two or more at a time.

I used to buy the expensive padded envelopes too, and after receiving numerous packages shiped only in heavy weight envelopes, I realized that I was wasting lots of money. I just make sure the envelope stays stiff so edges do not catch in PO machinery. Quite a cost savings to switch packaging, and when you pass it on to customers, you get more sales.

Yea, I am cheap and proud of it!!

Thanks--Lots of great ideas here. Might have to try them. Have always been afraid to ship without a delivery confirmation because someone could always say they didn't receive the item. I suppose on cheap items though it wouldn't matter much.

Thanks again!
Poppa

[TiasTreasures]

We've never used delivery confirmation, and never had a problem. First Class Mail is a very safe method, both here and overseas. When we first started on GreedBay we shipped a vintage camera that sold for a LOT of money to South Africa. We did use Priority Mail, which is tracked and carries some insurance, but we didn't even think about insuring it for the full value. Yes, very naive, especially for a camera, which could get damaged no matter how well packed. It arrived safely and in good working order.

Judging by some of the posts I've read, we've been very lucky. Never had a bad-faith buyer, never had a lost shipment, never had anything damaged.

I ship coins in a regular envelope, with the coin flip between two pieces of cardboard (taped shut at the edges) to keep it from slipping and possibly tearing the envelope. It costs an extra 20 cents for the "rigid package", but that's still only 64 cents postage for two or three coins.

[marschenegger]

Anyone complaining about postage of $2 or less is being absolutely silly. Sure, a dime could be mailed more cheaply. I could tape it to a piece of paper and mail it with a 54-cent stamp (57 cents with GST). But then the buyer would complain about tape residue on the dime. Can't please everyone