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LEAST EXPENSIVE Ways To Ship On eBay...

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cardcop05

New member
Nov 15, 2018
64
0
NYC
THE BEST WAYS TO SHIP ON EBAY (to save YOU money as sellers- so you can pass it on to YOUR buyers):

To start with if you have NO PLANS to have TOP RATED SELLER STATUS (you must ship next day every time, you must ship with tracking every time, & you must offer 30-day returns), then you might as well ship single cards that sell for under $5.00 (or whatever you can afford to lose) in a CARDBOARD CD MAILER. With these postage is a .71 cent stamp (or a .69 cent FOREVER stamp) & these mailers cost less than .25 cents each. So $1.00 S&H is the MOST you should charge. This way many more of your cheap single cards will sell! NO ONE wants to pay $3.00+ S&H for a $4.99 OR LESS single card.

I'm trying to HELP everyone who sells & buys on eBay here...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NOW FOR PACKAGES THAT NEED TRACKING:

Did you know you can buy NEW Quality Kraft bubble envelopes (#000 or #00- the only 2-sizes you'll need for sports cards) on Amazon for less than .15 cents each (in lots of 50, or even just 25) with FREE 5-7 day Shipping without PRIME? I've bought (50) count #00, and #000 bubble envelopes MANY TIMES on Amazon for $6.00-$6.50 TOTAL (that's LESS than .15 cents each KRAFT QUALITY envelope).

I can't tell you how many newer eBay sellers use $1.69+ envelopes simply because they don't ask ANYONE where to get them cheaper. Some actually think buying them in the Post Office is a "patriotic" thing to do, when it's FACTUAL that the Post Office DOES NOT WANT YOU in their office buying anything!

Also if you have a printer, or buy an HP 1010 brand new for $35 at Best Buy (with free HP color & black ink which is worth more than $35 alone), you can print your own USPS labels with tracking for $2.66 postage (up to 3-ounces), or $2.87 (up to 5-ounces) using eBay's PRINT SHIPPING LABEL free service that ALL big eBay sellers use and small ones who are smart enough to have looked into- and use this service.

THE POST OFFICE DOES NOT WANT PEOPLE LINING UP AT P.O. WINDOWS WHERE THEY HAVE TO PAY EMPLOYEES $20.00 an HOUR TO PRINT YOUR LABELS, that's why it starts at $3.50 FOR POSTAGE AT P.O. WINDOWS! So they made a deal with eBay for FAR LESS COST to print your OWN labels; which is EASY. If you make a big mistake, you can CANCEL labels as long as you do not use them to ship. Then just reprint the label correctly. No one does new things exactly right the first time! But after a few tries, it's so easy children are doing it!

This way you don't have to charge $3.50-$4.50 to ship one card (even BGS graded cards!)! Charging over $3.25 S&H for up to a 5-OZ package also happens to be against eBay's Excessive S&H and FEE AVOIDANCE rules (especially anyone charging .25 cents to $1.00 for EACH ADDITIONAL single card won- THAT'S NOT ALLOWED ON EBAY for lightweight items under 6-ounces!).

I'm telling you all the best ways to ship inexpensively (for free), that took me ten years to learn one step at a time! eBay should be teaching you these things, BUT THEY DON'T! So stop HURTING your buyers, risking eBay suspension, and please learn from me...

Then use refurbished XL ink cartridges from Amazon (the ones that come in a box) for $20.00 ($25.00 MAXIMUM) for (2) TWO XL black (which has TWICE as much ink as standard HP ink cartridges!), or one color/one black (if you need color for personal use, but you'll NEVER NEED color for printing shipping
labels).

For eBay label printing you need to change the printer settings to BLACK INK ONLY & DRAFT QUALITY (which saves a GREAT DEAL of ink) and works just fine for all USPS labels. I printed thousands of shipping labels this way with three different company printers since 2001 & never once had any kind of problem.

You're best off using the original CD-ROM printer drivers as they NEVER BLOCK newer refurbished ink cartridges. Updated online drivers do NOTHING but sometimes cause ERROR messages when you use refurbished ink cartridges! However, if you use the refurbished ink I recommended from Amazon, they fixed the issue with ERROR pop-up boxes even with new HP 1010 printers & software!

As far as paper labels themselves: the best thing to do is use pre-glued printer sheets from Amazon (that have great buyer ratings for sticking very well) for under .10 cents per sheet (2 labels per sheet) or .05 cents per label. The time it takes you to tape a non-glued label to packages greatly justifies paying .05 cents for pre-glued labels, plus no cost for easy to use Scotch tape in a holder. You can buy lots of 50-sheets (100 labels) or 100-sheets (200 labels) with FREE (non-PRIME) Shipping also which usually takes 5-7 days to get to you.

All you need to package up to three single thin cards is a toploader for each card or one that fits all three cards (but put a penny sleeve on each card) with a SMALL piece of MASKING TAPE (blue or beige like painters use) which is the ONLY tape that is easily removable even in cold weather. If there's already
tape on the toploader you are using, that's fine; just don't think you can charge collectors for USED TOPLOADERS (that's just plain GREED)! I'm trying to keep sellers from destroying NEW toploaders that buyers get! Scotch Invisible tape is the WORST BY FAR.

You want collectors to get toploaders they can reuse, or use for the card they just bought. If they buy only .99 cent to under $5.00 cards, you can package them in alternative safe ways besides toploaders, but the cards must arrive in buyer's possession the same condition you sent them in! So please keep that in mind because eBay will FORCE a refund that sellers HAVE TO PAY FOR every time if cards are damaged
compared to the card described or pictured. They should have the right to a new toploader that is not DESTROYED with irremovable tape all over it!

Packing this way is ALL YOU HAVE TO DO! You don't need peanuts, extra paper inside, cardboard (unless
it's a $50.00+ card then I slide ONE loose piece of cardboard the length of the envelope to help prevent bending). But taping cards to a piece of cardboard then taping another piece of cardboard to sandwich the card IS TOTALLY UNNECESSARY, and a total waste of time which makes you want to charge MORE for S&H! ???

You should own a small -RED- DO NOT BEND stamp, or use a red Sharpie to write DO NOT BEND (neatly) on the front & back of each package. This covers you if the Post Office bends & damages cards you shipped. If you fight your Post Office hard enough; they refund you up to $20.00 (from petty cash) for packages they destroyed or lost IF YOU CAN PROVE IT! Having a great personal Mail Carrier is very helpful in situations like this! However, REPLACEMENT Mail Carriers are USELESS in almost any state and cause most Postal problems.

Using these tips may cost you some money up front (less than $50 total if you have to buy a printer), but then you are covered with all the supplies you'll ever need for sports cards to last a LONG TIME! These tips will save newer sellers a huge amount of money because just going to the Post Office for postage is $3.50 MINIMUM postage & $1.69 for one padded envelope (that's just DUMB)! So you are saving $2.25+ per package right there on every package using MY TIPS! If you are paying $1.69, or even 3/$1.00 bubble envelopes (which are very low quality), MY WAY costs less than .15 cents for KRAFT quality bubble envelopes (paper or poly), so what makes the most sense?

Use these tips and you'll have everything memorized in a few tries because of all the money & time you will save. You'll never have to go to the Post Office again (especially during HOLIDAYS & waiting on line for an hour+).
One last tip; if you ship just ONE package by Priority or Priority Express USPS mail, you can request a FREE NEXT DAY pick-up by a USPS Truck at your location, plus add all 1st Class packages to that pick-up as well. --- This is so INCREDIBLY HELPFUL during holidays!

I hope this helps everyone in at least one way or many, but I'm sure it will help many of you in a few ways if not all. You now can charge $3.25 S&H (no matter how many single cards are won) which will get you more repeat buyers, MORE BIDS whether they win or not (you still get more money!), more multiple items
bidders (remember you get more money when they bid whether they win OR NOT!), more buyers listing you as their FAVORITES, and you'll get much better feedback always!

Best of luck!!!
 

Letch77

Well-known member
Jan 28, 2018
1,608
353
Midwest
Excellent tips, cardcop! I'm getting ready to put my non-PC cards up for sale (ebay and/or on forums via Google Sheets) and definitely like to keep shipping costs low.
 

smapdi

Well-known member
Aug 7, 2008
4,397
221
I wish there was a way to get Ebay pricing on shipping for other venues. I've started selling on TCGplayer.com, the largest dedicated Magic site that allows anyone to sign up to sell, but their method for managing shipping costs is very weak, and needlessly costly for small dealers (and large, I suppose).

But yes, this is all good advice. It's amazing how hard it is for so many people to pack and ship things properly and timely.
 

DeliciousBacon

Well-known member
Apr 23, 2011
3,444
94
Warwick, RI
You're obviously wrong about most of what you're saying about the post office, but then again, you were also wrong when you told me that postal employees get discounts and/or free shipping. Remember, when you tried to give me 11 negatives when you bought a bunch of autos posing as a woman? And refused to pay? And ebay confirmed your identity to me and told me they have grounds to ban you but won't because they think you're mentally ill?
 

cgilmo

Well-known member
Administrator
Aug 6, 2008
37,213
35
Alpharetta, Georgia, United States
You're obviously wrong about most of what you're saying about the post office, but then again, you were also wrong when you told me that postal employees get discounts and/or free shipping. Remember, when you tried to give me 11 negatives when you bought a bunch of autos posing as a woman? And refused to pay? And ebay confirmed your identity to me and told me they have grounds to ban you but won't because they think you're mentally ill?

I can't speak for things he's said elsewhere but at least in this article he's factually correct.


edit. the $20 an hour comment is probably off.
 

djmilhaus

Member
Sep 8, 2014
142
0
Seattle
I wish there was a way to get Ebay pricing on shipping for other venues. I've started selling on TCGplayer.com, the largest dedicated Magic site that allows anyone to sign up to sell, but their method for managing shipping costs is very weak, and needlessly costly for small dealers (and large, I suppose).

But yes, this is all good advice. It's amazing how hard it is for so many people to pack and ship things properly and timely.

I've not used TCGplayer.com but do they force you to purchase postage on their site? If not, you can use PayPal and get that same discount on postage for tracked packages. There are not as many shipping options as eBay, but for first class package and a few priority rates, you can certainly use it for a discounted postage rate. I find the interface a little more difficult when first navigating it, but once you get it figured out, it's a money saving tool for shipping.
 

smapdi

Well-known member
Aug 7, 2008
4,397
221
No, you cannot buy postage through TCGplayer. On TCG, people pay TCG directly, then TCG distributes payment later minus their fees. Looking into the paypal shipping option, I think that'll be great, sparing me trips to the PO and saving some money. Thanks for that, I didn't realize you could do your own shipping that way off ebay. Of course, the one order I have to ship right now is to an APO, and it doesn't look like Paypal handles that.
 

rsmath

Active member
Nov 8, 2008
6,086
1
too bad a lot of these tips are useless starting January 27th! ;) USPS rate hike again - seems like the USPS who have made things so complicated even they can't figure out things are making things even complicated on themselves by zoning First Class Parcels now so the further that parcel has to go, the more it will cost so you can't charge flat rates anymore for bubble mailer shipping. Guess I'll have to figure out how to use the ebay shipping calculator that you get with each item listed so I don't screw buyers by assuming furthest zone shipping flat fee and it didn't cost me that much to ship it to them in closer zones.

as for paypal/ebay labels, why not outside of ebay? There is a URL to do that and I was doing that for first class parcels before I started selling on ebay.

the savings is not too great with Priority Mail on the ebay/paypal label printing. The big savings is first class parcel.

When I get around to selling larger lots or sets, I may have to look at flat rate mailer instead of flat rate padded mailer. Padded mailer is like an extra 50 cents than the flat rate mailer of the same size so it may be cheaper to use a flat rate mailer and spend a few cents on bubble wrap for the card storage box inside the mailer to get padded mailer protection for a slight savings.
 
Dec 4, 2008
607
3
No, you cannot buy postage through TCGplayer. On TCG, people pay TCG directly, then TCG distributes payment later minus their fees. Looking into the paypal shipping option, I think that'll be great, sparing me trips to the PO and saving some money. Thanks for that, I didn't realize you could do your own shipping that way off ebay. Of course, the one order I have to ship right now is to an APO, and it doesn't look like Paypal handles that.

Not certain but I think APO is doable too. Before finding out about the PayPal multi item ship feature I used to re use sold eBay items to ship labels to a different address. The prior buyer still gets a notice so it is a messy method but at least it works...so maybe try out both methods. Bummer there is a shipping cost increase. Still the cheapest game in town though.
 

Pinbreaker

Well-known member
Aug 7, 2008
10,129
281
Laguna Niguel, CA
Several years ago when I first started selling cards on Yahoo/EBAY, I signed up to UPS.com and they shipped me free labels at the time (2 per sheet) and I ordered a few boxes..

I am finally running out, and I need to see if they are still doing that.. but if they are.. you can get free labels.. You just have to trim the "UPS Shipping" on the edge or black it out on the label..

Also when I use the small bubble mailers, I print my label out at 80% and the label fits on great and I use the part of the label I trim off to seal the back side of the bubble mailer.
(where it reads "Cut Here" on the label)

Did I mention that it's good to get a digital scale from EBAY as well so you can see how much your package weighs..

Happy Friday!
 

cgilmo

Well-known member
Administrator
Aug 6, 2008
37,213
35
Alpharetta, Georgia, United States

rsmath

Active member
Nov 8, 2008
6,086
1
I can't speak for things he's said elsewhere but at least in this article he's factually correct.
edit. the $20 an hour comment is probably off.

yeah, it's probably $35/hour since it's a union job. ;)

Tips given in the article about supplies seem reasonable. I just purchased some label paper that has 2 labels to a page. I'm trying now to figure out how to use it effectively since every paypal/ebay label I print has the label on one side and the summary stuff on the other like where it's going to, tracking number, and a summary of what I paid for postage for that label. I normally print off, put label side on package, keep other half for my documentation of shipping expense but I don't want to do that with this double-label paper. How do you get it that only the label gets printed? Do I have to cut each page in half and run half a page through my printer to print just the label part?
 

cardcop05

New member
Nov 15, 2018
64
0
NYC
You're obviously wrong about most of what you're saying about the post office, but then again, you were also wrong when you told me that postal employees get discounts and/or free shipping. Remember, when you tried to give me 11 negatives when you bought a bunch of autos posing as a woman? And refused to pay? And ebay confirmed your identity to me and told me they have grounds to ban you but won't because they think you're mentally ill?

I don't know who you are talking about, but IT WASN'T ME. I never said anything about PO employee free shipping/or discounts (there is no such thing that I know of). My Mail Carrier has been a mail carrier for 30-years on MY ROUTE only. I have a link to the USPS Employee Message Boards from him (so I must be WRONG about most of what I say???), so I learn much directly from Postal Employees! So I get a lot of inside info from him.

When I lived in FL I was friends with the East Coast Regional Manager of the USPS (who made a fortune on Topps eCards) and I learned a lot from him as well.

Stop being a troll hater... it helps NON ONE!
 

cardcop05

New member
Nov 15, 2018
64
0
NYC
This post was for SINGLE CARD SELLERS. If you want to learn how to ship heavy items cheap (that I NEVER BUY), find someone else who will put as much FACTUAL info together for everyone FOR FREE!

LOL rsmath, my Post Office in Maspeth, NY found some way to FIRE most of the educated employees 3-5 years ago (maybe someone paid off the Union). So my window employees used to be $35 very smart employees (and I knew them all from 2003-2008; when I could still walk until 2009).
I had to get a friend drive me to fight with their DUMB Supervisor a few months back and NOT ONE employee was someone I ever saw before- including the Supervisor???
That's when I was told by my great regular mailman that they have a new Supervisor nearly every month. Unbelievable how AWFUL many states Post Offices have gotten.

So please don't jump right on sellers because you have a state with PERFECT Post Offices. Over 65% of the United States have AWFUL Post Offices now! First you need a state with a good Mayor & Governor. NYC & State hasn't had either since Mayor Giuliani (ended in 2001)! Mayor Di Bozo & Governor Cu-nomo (who all old people keep voting for because they think he is HIS FATHER who was a good man!) are the WORST Mayor & Governor NYC and State has had in 20-years! Mayor Bloomberg before Di Bozo was just as terrible (unless you are a millionaire with connections, same goes for Di Bozo)! If you FILL THEIR POCKETS, you can live a nice peaceful life in NYC. Otherwise you are screwed!!!

By the way my eBay PRINT SHIPPING LABEL service lightweight prices are current. When they raise prices again on 1/27/19, they very likely will hardly effect eBay Label postage just like it DID NOT in Jan. 2018 when they raised the 3-OZ packages to $3.50 IN THE POST OFFICE, yet 3-OZ to 5-OZ eBay PRINT SHIPPING LABEL PRICES stayed exactly the same.

To print ONE label on a two label sheet; DON'T USE PAYPAL! There's a choice using eBay to print one OR two labels per page on the PRINT SHIPPING LABEL page. Once you set it correctly, it WILL STAY SET CORRECTLY! If you choose TWO LABELS per page, it will not print the useless info below it.

As for Priority Mail savings, I'd rather save .70 cents per Priority package THAN NOTHING; which is the Post Office's choice. So I wouldn't complain about a BROKEN Government subsidized entity who can do whatever they want. If you still want to complain; walk into the Post Office yourself and COMPLAIN. Or file an online complaint at USPS.com. :)
 

rsmath

Active member
Nov 8, 2008
6,086
1
By the way my eBay PRINT SHIPPING LABEL service lightweight prices are current. When they raise prices again on 1/27/19, they very likely will hardly effect eBay Label postage just like it DID NOT in Jan. 2018 when they raised the 3-OZ packages to $3.50 IN THE POST OFFICE, yet 3-OZ to 5-OZ eBay PRINT SHIPPING LABEL PRICES stayed exactly the same.

To print ONE label on a two label sheet; DON'T USE PAYPAL! There's a choice using eBay to print one OR two labels per page on the PRINT SHIPPING LABEL page. Once you set it correctly, it WILL STAY SET CORRECTLY! If you choose TWO LABELS per page, it will not print the useless info below it.

Just looked at the "big book" of the USPS and here's the comparison of rate changes for our low weight bubbles:

First Class Parcel - Retail rates

Jan 2018 increased to 3.50 for 1-4 ounces
Jan 2019 - increases to 3.66 (zones 1/2) and goes up in cost through the various zones to a maximum of 4.06 (zone 9) for 1-4 ounces

First Class Parcel - Ebay/Paypal shipping

Jan 2018 increased to 2.66 for 1-4 ounces
Jan 2019 - zones 1/2 is 2.66, zone 3 is 2.68, zone 4 is 2.70, zone 5 is 2.76, zone 6 is 2.84, zone 7 is 2.96, zone 8 and 9 is 3.09 for 1-4 ounces

Guess we who use ebay/paypal shipping URL (even if not shipping an item sold on ebay) saves quite a bit of money still and don't get
socked too bad if we have to ship to zones 1,2,3,4, or 5 where rates are the same to only a dime more.


-------

I use the "print shipping label" facility on the ebay seller section and I get the label on one half, summary/receipt on the other half. Maybe I have to see if there is a setting on that page where you set up the label info and USPS service to use.
 

DeliciousBacon

Well-known member
Apr 23, 2011
3,444
94
Warwick, RI
I don't know who you are talking about, but IT WASN'T ME. I never said anything about PO employee free shipping/or discounts (there is no such thing that I know of). My Mail Carrier has been a mail carrier for 30-years on MY ROUTE only. I have a link to the USPS Employee Message Boards from him (so I must be WRONG about most of what I say???), so I learn much directly from Postal Employees! So I get a lot of inside info from him.

When I lived in FL I was friends with the East Coast Regional Manager of the USPS (who made a fortune on Topps eCards) and I learned a lot from him as well.

Stop being a troll hater... it helps NON ONE!

I'm a mail carrier, and you are mentally ill. But nice try.
 

Pinbreaker

Well-known member
Aug 7, 2008
10,129
281
Laguna Niguel, CA
Just looked at the "big book" of the USPS and here's the comparison of rate changes for our low weight bubbles:

First Class Parcel - Retail rates

Jan 2018 increased to 3.50 for 1-4 ounces
Jan 2019 - increases to 3.66 (zones 1/2) and goes up in cost through the various zones to a maximum of 4.06 (zone 9) for 1-4 ounces

First Class Parcel - Ebay/Paypal shipping

Jan 2018 increased to 2.66 for 1-4 ounces
Jan 2019 - zones 1/2 is 2.66, zone 3 is 2.68, zone 4 is 2.70, zone 5 is 2.76, zone 6 is 2.84, zone 7 is 2.96, zone 8 and 9 is 3.09 for 1-4 ounces

Guess we who use ebay/paypal shipping URL (even if not shipping an item sold on ebay) saves quite a bit of money still and don't get
socked too bad if we have to ship to zones 1,2,3,4, or 5 where rates are the same to only a dime more.


-------

I use the "print shipping label" facility on the ebay seller section and I get the label on one half, summary/receipt on the other half. Maybe I have to see if there is a setting on that page where you set up the label info and USPS service to use.

There is a Printer Settings on EBAY so that you only print the label and not the info..

I have been doing this for years.. also, I scale my label to 80% so it fits on the small bubble mailer..
 

rsmath

Active member
Nov 8, 2008
6,086
1
There is a Printer Settings on EBAY so that you only print the label and not the info..

I have been doing this for years.. also, I scale my label to 80% so it fits on the small bubble mailer..

Thanks for the info. I'll more carefully go through setings the next time I make a bubble mailer sale and see if I can find label only setting.

Flat rate priority mail mailer arrived today. It's like those easily tearable thicker paper mailers like what you might receive a ups or FedEx letter in. Kills my idea of saving like 50 cents by using this mailer and bubble wrapping a 300 CT box inside. I can see the mailer not be able to be legally sealed or a box easily punching thru the ripable mailer during handling/delivery. I'd only trust this mailer for letter size pages, books, magazines or comics.

I can see why people use padded flat rate mailers. I haven't received my order of those yet so may have to call USPS fulfillment on Monday if they don't show up as I ordered some of each and surprised they didn't come together

Finally, I think I can see why you don't see a lot of singles at 99 cents with free shipping. Guaranteed to lose money on one card. Some guy selling 'complete your set' cards at 99 cents each. I just needed one card so I bought the one I needed knowing it'd be cheaper than sportlots and seller would lose money on eBay. Card is past estimated delivery date and over a week since marked shipped so I doubt it was mailed as seller realizes he would lose like 25 cents in the sale. Seller would win pretty good in 2+ cards sold but lose in 1 card sold.
 

kryslarry

New member
May 19, 2010
399
0
Nor-Cal
I'm a mail carrier, and you are mentally ill. But nice try.

I am also a mail carrier, former manager (13 years until a rash of downsizing due to plant closures), and most of what was said is incorrect. The post office is NOT government subsidized in any way. We receive not one penny of tax dollars. It is all postage that pays for everything. PERIOD. Also, no window clerk makes $35 an hour. Most of the new clerks are now PSE employees that make around $16. Eventually they will make more, sure, and good for them, but not $35 at top step. (It was about $28 before the COLA)

It does not matter what mayor or governor you have in your state, they have nothing to do with the USPS. They have no say in anything since it is FEDERAL, and probably couldn't name the postmaster in their own city. Please stop saying things other people have heard as fact.
 

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