Polybags - general discussion

[2x4]

Thanks!

[Robb]

Am I required to get tracking for an Amazon sale of one minifigure? It's .91 cents vs. 1.90.

[holleman67]

Am I required to get tracking for an Amazon sale of one minifigure? It's .91 cents vs. 1.90.

Are you buying or selling?

The answer is no but if you are selling and ship through Amazon online then the tracking is free.

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[justapilgrim]

Yea I covered most of my stuff there, you may want to be the cheap guy and move volume, if anything you will learn to stream line your operations and find other areas you can improve

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[Robb]

Are you buying or selling?

The answer is no but if you are selling and ship through Amazon online then the tracking is free.

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I'm selling. I'm comparing Amazon shipping tool that the final cost was $2.00 in that end vs. the usps non-machine-able letter cost. I want to just put on two forever stamps and drop it in the mail to cut costs and I have a bunch of forever stamps. On and 5 to 10 dollar sale $1 difference is a lot. Edited January 17, 2015 by Robb

[Robb]

Also, what do you guys do for single minifigure FBA packaging and labeling?

[Jackson]

Also, what do you guys do for single minifigure FBA packaging and labeling?

 

I don't sell those, but put the minifigure in a Ziploc bag with an FBA label?

[Robb]

I don't sell those, but put the minifigure in a Ziploc bag with an FBA label?

at least, but I wonder if I should worry about the additional labeling that lego does for us on the lego boxes. Like choking warnings and such. You can find Amazon guides that tell you you have to do all sorts of things to some items, we just take it for granted because lego does it for us if you ship in a lego box.

[Jackson]

I think Amazon would want at least a choking-hazard warning on the product detail page.  As for the bag, Amazon says, "Poly bags with a 5-inch opening or larger (measured when flat) are required to have a suffocation warning, either printed on the bag itself, or attached as a label."

[Yinchuan]

Shipping a single minifigure

 

Can this be done with a regular envelope and .49 stamp? Does the thickness disqualify it from a regular envelope?

[stephen_rockefeller]

Shipping a single minifigure

Can this be done with a regular envelope and .49 stamp? Does the thickness disqualify it from a regular envelope?

Just a bit of advice, I and many other buyers wouldn't be happy if a minifig was shipped like that. Put it in a bubble mailer.

[ISO8T0]

Just a bit of advice, I and many other buyers wouldn't be happy if a minifig was shipped like that. Put it in a bubble mailer.

Not to mention that the envelope would be returned to sender

[comicblast]

Shipping a single minifigure

 

Can this be done with a regular envelope and .49 stamp? Does the thickness disqualify it from a regular envelope?

 

No and yes. Thickness is one of many reasons why you shouldn't ship minifigures/pieces in a normal envelope (they also supposedly run envelopes through rollers that flatten everything, crushing any Lego). I did this when I started out, and I got sent back 3/6 I sent out, and had to resolve another with a buyer, which required additional shipping costs that were covered by the buyer (but I reimbursed him). Just messy and needless situation that was an awful experience.

Edited January 27, 2015 by comicblast

[Robb]

Shipping a single minifigure

Can this be done with a regular envelope and .49 stamp? Does the thickness disqualify it from a regular envelope?

bubble mailer + 2 stamps works, but most customers will pay the extra ~$1 for the tracking that comes with first class parcel if you offer it.

[Agsimpson13]

Bottom Line. Not worth the risk!!!

[ravenb99]

Just a bit of advice, I and many other buyers wouldn't be happy if a minifig was shipped like that. Put it in a bubble mailer.

I'm not happy when there shipped in bubble mailers.  They can still get crushed and mangled.  I only box them for delivery.  Costs more but don't care.  They arrive safe and sound and we sell a lot for that reason.

 

Had bought some polys off Bricklink awhile back and they literally squeezed all the air out of the poly and folded it up to fit in a 000.  Not very presentable.

[legodelorean]

Not to mention that the envelope would be returned to sender

With a hole in it and the minifigure missing.

[holleman67]

With a hole in it and the minifigure missing.

Happened to me once and that was the last time I did that. Now I am guilty of squeezing polys into small bubble mailers.

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[PurpleSnurple]

I'm not happy when there shipped in bubble mailers.  They can still get crushed and mangled.  I only box them for delivery.  Costs more but don't care.  They arrive safe and sound and we sell a lot for that reason.

 

Had bought some polys off Bricklink awhile back and they literally squeezed all the air out of the poly and folded it up to fit in a 000.  Not very presentable.

 

I only ship in boxes as well. I haven't sold anything small like a poly or minifig yet, can I ask what size boxes you're using for these tiny items and where you're getting them from?

[No More Monkeys]

Happened to me once and that was the last time I did that. Now I am guilty of squeezing polys into small bubble mailers.

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I was tempted to squeeze Furno XL in #0... ended up using Amazon's A1 box, came out at exactly 13 oz, thankfully

[justafrog]

I wouldn't want to just drop them in a padded mailer, but the following method works very well for us - over 400 figures shipped last year, no damage. We use a similar method for most of our parts shipments, another several hundred shipments last year, no damage.

 

1. We use plastic/poly bubble mailers, not paper bubble mailers. The USPS has a far better track record shredding paper mailers and losing their contents, poly is much harder for them.

 

2. We use a single sheet (12" by 12") of 3/8 bubble wrap to protect the fig from everything up to nuclear war (or the USPS) AND to add a lot of thickness to the mailer so it won't begin to fit through the machined mail-slot and will instead be treated by the machines as a package. We roll the fig up (it's in its own small zip lock 4 mil bag) in the sheet of bubble wrap, and then fold over the ends of the long roll in both directions, like a "z" shape, and run a length of tape around the whole thing. We end up with about a 3 inch thick densely padded fist-sized impenetrable block, which then goes in the bubble mailer. It can be thrown, punched, submerged, sat on, and have heavy boxes stacked on it, all without detriment.

[ravenb99]

I only ship in boxes as well. I haven't sold anything small like a poly or minifig yet, can I ask what size boxes you're using for these tiny items and where you're getting them from?

http://www.uline.com/Product/Detail/S-156/Literature-Mailers/7-3-8-x-7-3-8-x-1-3-8-White-Literature-Mailers?keywords=s-156

 

I order them by the pallet which is 2400 for this box as I have other items we use these for other than LEGO so they go quick.    Gets them down to 29 cents per. 

[sflv]

I've sold probably 300+ polys without issue. Almost all of these were shipped just using a light poly bag (non padded) depending on size 6x9 for 3 cents  cost up to 9 cents for the larger ones. Never had a single issue. Single minifigs I send the same way but use similar bubble wrap technique as justafrog. Never more than 2oz for those. Unless its a high value poly or minifig, box is overkill and adds to the weight.

[Agsimpson13]

I make sure my margins are high enough that I can afford to use boxes or bubble mailers.  I order in bulk from U-line. Proper packaging is a cost of business.  I have recieved and returned crushed items in polybags and have had the seller respond "I've shipped dozens like this and never had a problem."  What is a person thinking when they put a fragile box in a poly mailer...that they are making an extra buck or two...that the USPS is responsible to take good care of a poorly packaged item.  If  I sell something that is boxed...I ship it in a box...with padding.  I am past the point of being "greedy" by compromising quality shipping.  If i cannot afford to ship it properly...I don't sell it.

[ravenb99]

Yes the box does add weight and cost.  I stated it costs more above.  I disagree it is overkill when it brings back repeat customers and also can bring a higher sale price to the item.

 

Sold 942 polybags and 400 mixels the last 60 days so it does seem to help with buyer confidence on buying them.

 

Didn't say there was a right or wrong way, just the way I do it.

 

As a buyer myself I've seen the quality that polybags are sent to me and if you don't think that leaves an impression in your buyers head than you might want to order some and see what they look like when they get to you and figure if that is something you would want to receive.  They don't look they way you sent them most of the time.  

 

With little margins on most polys I'd rather ship it right the first time and not have to resend a $10 polybag and wipe out a few sales profit in the process.

 

I know 90%+ probably ship them in mailers and will continue to do so.  Was just throwing some reasons in there why it can help.