[ARC5] R23A - Go Figure

[Bob Macklin]

Anyone checked the cost to have The UPS Store or FedEx (Kinko's) pack even a 
medium sized item.

A few years ago I shipped a Pawnee and Shawnee ( in separate shipments) and 
I packed them myself. It cost me over $% for the packing stuff and the both 
cost $30 to ship. Both were shipped FedEx.

But some of the eBay shipping charges are beyond reason. In these cases I 
let the seller know I am interested in the item but not at his shipping 
cost.

My Heath SB Twins only cost me a bout $30 each. And they were packed by the 
seller.

Bob Macklin
K5MYJ
Seattle, Wa.
"Real Radios Glow In The Dark"
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Lenox Carruth" <radios at sbcglobal.net>
To: "'Discussion of AN/ARC-5 military radio equipment.'" 
<arc5 at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Saturday, November 06, 2010 10:26 AM
Subject: Re: [ARC5] R23A - Go Figure


>
> It's probably not the weight or dimensions that jack up the shipping cost.
> eBay allows you to add handling charges which can be anything although 
> eBay
> can get unhappy with a seller if they are way out of line.  Of course it
> would be easy to lie about the weight too but that would be pretty 
> obvious.
> As I recall, the weight is printed on the shipping label although I could 
> be
> remembering wrong.
>
> I typically add a dollar on medium size items as I buy all of my shipping
> supplies and they are pretty expensive even at the cut-rate places. 
> Peanuts
> can really add up.  If it's a really small item, I just put it in a small
> Priority Mail box with no handling charge.  However, most USPS free boxes
> are too small for radios.
>
> I double box fragile items and add two or three dollars.  Medium size 
> boxes
> usually run around a dollar in small quantities and you can easily add a
> buck or two in peanuts.  Particularly if you use the ones that come in 
> small
> bags.  They are great because you leave them in the bags and they don't
> migrate throughout your house and garage!  Bubble wrap is also quite
> expensive unless you can find a place that has damaged rolls.  Then the 
> cost
> gets a little better.  I would never use it if I had to buy it at retail.
>
> A lot of stuff doesn't sell for enough for the seller to be able to eat 
> the
> shipping cost.  I have sold a lot of stuff where shipping was greater than
> the price of the item.  I might as well throw it in the trash can if I am
> going to lose money selling it. - - - Okay, I admit, I have lost a lot of
> money over the years collecting boatanchors and military radios.  Heh, 
> heh!
>
> USPS online shipping charges are less than what you pay at the Post 
> Office.
> I send almost everything Priority Mail as it is fast and I have had good
> luck with them not damaging things if they are packed correctly.  Remember
> that most shippers want stuff packed to survive a drop of two feet onto a
> concrete surface.  Not easy or cheap to do with many boatanchors.
>
> Last time I sold something on eBay, you could pick the shipping method
> including Media Mail. It's really easy since all of the buyer's 
> information
> is automatically entered on the shipping label.  Just point and click.  No
> typing.
>
> The biggest problem with eBay shipping is that they no longer let their
> shipping calculator figure insurance.  One of the stupidest things eBay 
> has
> done.  That means that a seller has to guess what his item might sell for
> and add the cost of insurance into the handling fee.  That can get very
> problematical and also quite expensive on collectible items.  I don't know
> how eBay could be so dumb with this move.  Maybe they need Meg Whitman 
> back,
> I hear she doesn't have a job!
>
> I try to insure everything that sells for over about twenty dollars.
>
> There are a lot of things that I don't like about eBay but their shipping
> does work and work well with the exception of the insurance problem.
>
> Lenox
>
>
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