First 4 Sets Sold On eBay - The Results

[Teeird]

Looks like USPS made their move, they saw a noobie seller, and they highballed their shipping rates, haha.

[Pirate]

You paid at least $50 more in shipping than you should have.

[StarCityBrickCompany]

You paid at least $50 more in shipping than you should have.

Yes - He used boxes (at least on the first 2) that were too big. If the box is over a certain size (even slightly) you get charged a 20lb rate.

[pickleboy]

Edit: Comment deleted due to being completely wrong Second edit: Below is what i was looking for... "Balloon and Oversized Prices for Parcels Some parcels may be subject to specialized prices. Priority Mail (zones 1-4) and Standard Post and Parcel Select packages that are large but very light (less than 20 pounds) are charged the postage for a 20 pound package. This is often referred to as a balloon price. Very large Standard Post or Parcel Select packages (over 108 inches but not more than 130 inches in combined length and girth) are charged an oversized price. " http://pe.usps.com/businessmail101/mailcharacteristics/parcels.htm

[Hansolo55]

You paid at least $50 more in shipping than you should have.

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Did you offer free shipping on your listing? I hope your buyers are paying some sort of shipping fee for these sets!!

[Darth Lego]

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Did you offer free shipping on your listing? I hope your buyers are paying some sort of shipping fee for these sets!!

He had free shipping.

[Wizkid23]

I use Fed Ex Ground mostly with the sets I have been selling on eBay. It tends to be alot cheaper than USPS Priority Mail, especially if your shipping larger boxes. Plus, the tracking is really good.

[Legodog]

You paid at least $50 more in shipping than you should have.

Thanks. Can you offer some advice then? What should have I done differently?

[littlenicky]

Good job breaking down the fees. That's the first thing to selling that everyone does not do. When you sell, you need to know all the fees, exact to the penny. Too many people just guesstimate and they almost always guess wrong. I would suggest looking into Fedex Ground. They are typically cheaper and provide you with a free $100 insurance. Their tracking also works a lot better than the USPS. Fedex is always going to be cheaper than UPS. You should probably keep your free shipping. Just bump your price. Free shipping listings get a little bit more exposure (vs. auctions w/ costs) with eBay's algorithm. While Paypal doesn't require you to get signature until you hit $250, if any of those $170 sales goes to addresses with apartments, I would suggest getting a signature. I've learned the hard way so just a way to make sure those people with apartments get their items. You wouldn't want them to leave it in front of a door or to some random neighbor, then lose your money when they file a claim against you. Just some stuff to think about.

[dschooley]

Thanks. Can you offer some advice then? What should have I done differently?

Another suggestion for boxes, depending on your volume, is Uline. I use them to get almost exactly the right size boxes, especially for the larger sets. Again, it depends on how much you will be selling, because they are a bulk seller.

[tigereyes5811]

What I like to do when I have HOT BIG TICKET ITEM is set a price for my shipping, depending on what the item is but for this one item in particular, I set the shipping for $24.99, But I also had the same set with FREE SHIPPING. I did a 7 day auction and started both auctions at .99 cents. They were approximately ending an hour in a half apart on a Sunday evening. On the exact same 2 items, I made approximately $18.00 more on the item I charged shipping with!!! WOW NICE!!!! GO FIGURE!!! To me...if you're in a rush to flip a set, set it for whatever shipping cost it is to ship the item and start it at .99 cents. The fact it started at .99 cents its gonna get bids and watchers guaranteed. If you are not in a rush, just set a shipping price and start the auction at the bare minimum price you are willing to sell it for. VERY IMPORTANT THOUGH...To set the price higher with all the fees. Remember Ebay charges 9% on your item and 9% on your shipping cost too. All the same!!! If you have free shipping it's 9% as a whole. If you break it up its 9% for the item and 9% for shipping so they get you either way. DON'T FORGET PAYPAL FEE'S, SHIPPING SUPPLY COST, AND ALL YOUR TIME AND LABOR!!! MY TIME IS MONEY BECAUSE I TAKE A LOT OF PRIDE IN MY SHIPPING AND PACKAGING. GETTING THE ITEM TO MY BUYERS FAST, AND IN PERFECT SHAPE IS SO IMPORTANT TO ME AS A EBAY SELLER. HOPE THIS HELPS ALL SELLERS!

[Ed Mack]

I receive a ton of stuff from Amazon, so I always have extra boxes. Small LEGO sets should be sent through the FLAT RATE box program at the USPS. Larger boxes should always be shipped by Fed Ex or UPS. The USPS destroys large boxes and is overpriced. That is not their specialty.