It just caught my eye that the Amazon price has dropped back down for the boxes I like to buy that fit inside the padded flat rate envelopes. (Previously mentioned HERE.)
(Affiliate link)
Quick Tip ~ Maximizing Padded Flat Rate Envelopes
Hopefully everyone already has a stack of the padded flat rate envelopes amongst their shipping supplies. (If you don’t, take a minute and order some HERE. They’re sooo handy!) As the name implies, anything you can get into this envelope ships for one flat rate, up to 70 pounds, as long as you have not altered the envelope. Last year I wrote a post about Capri Sun boxes fitting perfectly into the padded flat rate envelopes (you can read that post HERE). That was a great discovery, and I have shipped a bunch of items that way. More recently I have been buying most of my supplies to keep up with shipping demands, and I bought several different sizes of small boxes. (Is it just me, or is it always the small boxes you can’t get enough of?)
One day I was prepping a heavy-ish item that needed to be shipped in a box and thought I should try to see if I could get it into a padded flat rate envelope. And whaddya know? Another perfect fit! The box is 9x6x3. I buy them from Amazon, and they end up costing about a quarter each. (I haven’t done any shopping around, so it’s possible they could be found cheaper elsewhere.) I’ve gone through several orders of these boxes – they can be a lifesaver!
UPDATE: An (affiliate) link to the boxes I have bought in the past can be found below. As I type, the price for 25 boxes is over $12. The last time I bought some (in March) the price was under $7, so it might be worth waiting a beat to see if the price drops back down.
Does anybody buy air pillows?
I am looking for a recommendation as to where to buy them. I’ve looked a few places online and they seem SO expensive! As sales increase I can no longer really rely on my random mix of recycled packaging supplies, and I am now moving towards buying most of my supplies. I love using the air pillows, but jeez, they aren’t cheap!
Post Office ♥♥♥LOVE♥♥♥
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| THIS IS ME. |
Snow makes me grumpy, which makes me feel like a scrooge, but there it is. Our new house is at the top of a hill. I hate driving in snow and avoid it at all costs. And, I am a huge worrier, and have a husband with a 45-minute commute on a good day. Bah-humbug.
We’ve had several inches accumulate since yesterday morning, which is rare for the PNW. (We don’t have a fleet of snow plows or anything fancy like that here.) Thankfully we all knew it was coming and school was canceled yesterday even though no snow was sticking by the time school would have started. I pulled my kids out of bed at the normal early hour and made a quick dash to the PO and grocery store (along with the rest of our town – I’ve never seen it that busy before 8 a.m.!) My husband made it to work yesterday morning and stayed in a hotel near where he works last night, and is doing the same tonight, which is kind of sad but at the same time a HUGE relief. (Worry, worry, worry.)
So, last night I was packaging up my eBay sales from the day, and wondering how in the heck I was going to actually get them mailed. I scheduled a carrier pick-up and hoped for the best because there was no way in heck I was going to take my kids and venture out on the roads. Today, a couple hours before our normal PO delivery I planted myself in front of our big window that faces the street, determined that if our PO delivery gal did make it up our hill, that I would be sure not to miss her. And I watched more and more and more snow fall. But you know what? She just came!! I saw her coming and ran out as she pulled into our driveway.
PO gal: Thanks for bringing the packages out!
Me. Thank YOU for coming!! ♥♥♥
PO gal: I actually stopped by and honked yesterday just in case you had anything.
Me: You did? Wow – thanks! Since I hadn’t scheduled a pick-up I made a PO run first thing before the snow started sticking.
Our PO gal could not be nicer. She even gave me one of their package container/crate things to make our future swaps easier.
♥♥♥ ♥♥♥ ♥♥♥ ♥♥♥ ♥♥♥ ♥♥♥ ♥♥♥ ♥♥♥ ♥♥♥ ♥♥♥ ♥♥♥ ♥♥♥ ♥♥♥ ♥♥♥ ♥♥♥
A case is open: Please respond now
Uh oh. That doesn’t look good, does it? I opened the e-mail and saw the eBay message below:
buyerxxx let us know that “itemxxx” didn’t match the description and has requested a refund.
Which was followed by the buyer’s message:
Hi, I purchased a toy set of keys and I believe I was sent the wrong item. I got children’s toothpaste instead.
Face. Palm. I quickly sent her the following response:
Open the box! 🙂 I put the toy inside the toothpaste box to make sure that it made its way to you safely. If you have any additional questions or concerns though, please do not hesitate to contact me.
I “upcycle” my packaging often and have never, ever had a complaint. Apparently this was a packaging fail, however.
UPDATE:
I’ve already heard back from the buyer:
Got it! I didn’t want to open the box in case it was a mix up! Thanks!
Happy ending, yay.
A clever shipping tip
I didn’t come up with this one on my own, but I’ve been using it and I like it, so I thought I would pass it on. Earlier this month Lorraine @ We are: clamco blogged about flat rate shipping envelopes, and how when she receives packages shipped in them, they are often rather beat up. Someone commented that when they ship items in a flat rate mailer they always put the item in a polymailer first.
Brilliant! How had I never thought to do this?
I’ve used this method a couple times now, and I think it has multiple benefits.
#1) It gives your item extra protection as it goes through the mail, and
#2) if you have a bulky item, once it is in a polymailer it is more compact and it slides more easily into the flat rate mailer, which
#3) probably also looks better to the buyer on the other end.
A win/win/win!
Shark Week! And other reasons to shop on eBay.
As a courtesy I always send my buyers a quick e-mail to let them know that their item is in the mail, once it has actually been dropped off at the Post Office. Often I will get a quick thank you in response, but sometimes I get even more – the story of why they purchased the item.
I got the following e-mail this afternoon:
Thank you. it is shark week this week, so I got them for my wife! She loves shark week!
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| The timing was right! I bought these potholders just last weekend for 25¢/ea. |
Below are some other e-mails I’ve received:
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| my daughter is 8 and lost her turtle she sleeps with at girl scout camp and has been upset ever since thanks for fast ship maybe she can get a good night sleep soon |
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| I’m wondering if you would consider shipping to Australia for this item please ? I am trying to find a carebear costume for my baby to wear to my 30th birthday 80’s themed party and am having no luck locally. |
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| Thank you, I have an antique high chair that I keep a baby doll in. Our friends always tease us about not feeding our child, so my husband wanted baby dishes to go with the utensils we have. Our grandchildren are grown so I no longer have their plates….These were perfect. Thanks again |
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| Thank you! My preschool class is learning about insects at this time and we can’t wait to use the puppets. |
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| Thank you so much. My son lost his “lovie” a couple of months ago and this was the first time I have been able to find a replacement. He will be soooo happy. Thank you! |
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| thank you i had bought my grandfather one when i was small . then when he passed in 91 i keep it with me . after moving 3 times it was damaged so i was glad to find a replacement before i move for a last time thank you so much shelly |
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| Just wanted to send you a quick note that I received the reindeer family today, and I am so happy with their condition! They are perfect! Thank you so much! These have a lot of sentimental value to my family and we lost our original set in a house fire, and I am excited to show them what arrived today! You’ve made a family very happy 🙂 Thanks again!! |
Notes like these are just one of the reasons I love what we do!
Quick Tip: Shipping Magazines
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| Is anyone else super excited to see the new episodes of Arrested Development?! |
This is actually just a follow-up to my last tip about utilizing the flat rate shipping envelopes. I got a question specifically asking how I go about shipping magazines. Answer: First Class (if it’s light enough) or Flat Rate mailers.
Magazines, unfortunately, cannot be shipped via Media Mail. This is because magazines contain advertisements, which precludes them from being eligible for Media Mail. I found the following on the USPS website:
It [media mail] can’t contain advertising, video games, computer drives, or digital drives of any kind.
There are several sizes of Flat Rate mailers available for free from the Post Office. My PO only has the regular sized Flat Rate envelopes available at their location. The others I order online, and they are delivered to my house, for free.
These are the ones I like the most:
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| Padded Flat Rate Envelope Cost: $5.35 when shipped online via eBay |
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| Flat Rate Envelope Cost: $4.95 when shipped online via eBay |
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| Legal Flat Rate Envelope Cost: $4.99 when shipped online via eBay |
I wish I had a big list of magazine BOLOs to keep an eye out for, but I don’t. I’ve heard some craft magazines can do well, but I don’t know which ones. I mostly just cherry pick the best of my husband’s Entertainment Weekly stash when he is done with them. Anything that is especially popular at the moment can do well, like Twilight, Hunger Games, Justin Bieber, etc.
If you have a magazine BOLO though, please share!
Quick Tip: Maximizing Flat Rate Shipping
I like to offer free shipping, but there are times when it can take a huge bite out of the profit margin. If an item is too heavy to be shipped first class, whenever I can I will use Flat Rate Priority envelopes. They work especially well for flat-ish items. Things that are bigger or more square can pose a bit of a challenge.
I recently discovered that a Capri Sun box can sometimes be the answer.
The box fits perfectly into a padded flat rate envelope.
In fact, I tape one flap of the envelope down on the box and then stretch the other flap over to meet it and tape it down as well, to make sure it is enclosed in the space allowed. It is a perfect fit.
Ta-da!
I’ve successfully shipped a number of packages this way,
including toys, fragile(ish) plush, shoes, and misc household items.
I had a stockpile of the boxes after my oldest son’s birthday party a few months back, but I’ve gone through almost all of them now. It may be time to buy some more.
If you’ve got a shipping tip – please share!
No mail on Saturdays
I am sure you’ve already heard THE NEWS. As of August 5th, USPS will cease delivering first class mail on Saturdays. This isn’t a surprise. It seems like this has been in the works for ages (awaiting the approval of Congress . . . which still hasn’t happened). It’s a bummer, but it makes sense. If the money isn’t there, you have to make cuts somewhere. As a librarian I work for the city in which I reside, and have watched as some very difficult budgetary decisions have been made. The last few years have been incredibly rough economically, everywhere.
The USPS states that packages will continue to be disbursed six days per week, which also makes sense in its own way. First class mail (bills, letters, etc) has decreased dramatically, but the shipping of packages (due, in part, to online shipping a la eBay) has increased.
It will be interesting to see how this affects us as online sellers. Will it?
I sometimes joke that my “niche” is anything that can be shipped First Class. Cheap to ship, and usually small so easy to store. It makes me wonder . . . eBay packages that are shipped First Class with a tracking number . . . are they more “First Class” or more “package”? Hopefully the latter. We shall see.