Guys,A roll of bubble wrap is bought once and used many times before its gone-its not like you’re buying a new roll with every shipment.Pennies worth is used at best. A large roll of shipping tape seals many boxes.A large bag of shipping peanuts is several shipments worth.
I didn’t fall off the hay wagon yesterday well,maybe the day before.[;)]
I have ship a lot of models and received a lot of models and I am well aware some recycle the shipping peanuts and bubble wrap that comes in their packages.
You can ship a PS4 or XBOX one for $9.95-12.95 tops why should a HO freight car or brass or plastic engine cost more to ship even with insurance?
Flat rate shipping is your friend.
What about those decals with $14.95 shipping? Video game(s) is much heavier in their case then a pack of Microscale decals and still three can ship for $1.99-2.49 in a padded envelope…
Oh well, what is the point of discussing this any further?
Those of us who sell locomotives and rolling stock know what it costs to ship. And I am not referring to “handling charges” or bubble wrap or peanuts. I am talking about the sheer cost of shipping, namely via USPS which is invariably cheaper than UPS or Fed Ex.
Let’s face it, when we list on eBay, we want to sell, so it is only self-defeating to overcharge for shipping.
For those of you who are convinced that private sellers of used model railroading items are out to make a profit through excessive shipping charges, continue to fool yourselves and miss out on some great opportunities.
Rich,I too have shipped several dozen engines and dozens of freight cars so,I am experienced in that area and know over changed shipping when I see it.
It does not cost $14.95 to ship a single car or locomotive or a pack of decals.
One more point about cross-border purchases through eBay: Ebay has instituted something called ‘The Global Shipping Program’. This setup charges an import fee based on the selling price of the item. Even before currency exchange, this often DOUBLES the price with shipping.
The criminal point about this is that thanks to NAFTA, there are NO ‘import fees’ payable on used toys, which is what most of our purchases are classified under. So none of that collected money ever goes to Canadian Border Services or Canada Customs, but only into the pockets of eBay & Pitney-Bowes, the company engaged to run this little scam.
I have asked a couple of legislators on this side of the border to challenge the legality of this ‘program’ & will keep everyone posted on the outcome…
High shipping charges were a way to avoid higher seller’s fees. But, then, eBay caught on and began to charge a seller’s fee on the shipping cost as well.
That said, eBay provides a nationwide audience of potential buyers, so a 10% seller’s fee is not that big a deal.
Quote Rich: “High shipping charges were a way to avoid higher seller’s fees.”
It was also a way that sellers could list an item with a teaser price, say 99¢, then tack on a $500.00 shipping charge. I don’t see that anymore but it used to be somewhat common.
I hope that your making our legislators aware of the problem with the Global Shipping Program (GSP) has some effect. I have long lamented the GSP charges. Like you suggest, they are a total scam for those of us who live north of the border.
When I see an item that I want which uses the GSP, I contact the seller to see if they will ship via USPS First Class. In many cases they have agreed to do so, especially when I explain what is actually happening with the money being collected by the GSP. In fact, I’m not sure the sellers even see the amounts that we are being charged when they check off that they want to use GSP as the shipping method.
In some cases they will not change the shipping method because they have had bad experiences in the past with people claiming non-delivery. In that case you really can’t blame them for wanting to verify that the shipment actually arrived, but they could do the same thing with USPS Priority Mail for somewhat less than the GSP charges.
Also, I believe the shipping process is simpler from the sellers’ point of view.
There is one other factor which may preclude shipping via USPS First Class and that is weight and size. I believe there is a limit on how big and how heavy a package can be for First Class. I’m not sure what the limit is.
How many ho brass models have you ever shipped? Proper packing involves a few inches of those recycled peanuts all around or if one doesn’t have them a couple rolls of bubble wrap at nearly 4 dollars per roll. The USPS bubble wrap is best but not cheapest.
I have shipped nearly 100 brass models with no damage. How many have you ever shipped?
I don’t think I would trust you to ship to me.
The largest and most well known brass dealer in the US now charges a $40 minimum to ship a brass model with signature required and full insurance as a must.
With respect, I’m not sure that you are comparing apples to apples. Certainly, if I was buying an expensive brass engine (or even a cheap one for that matter) I wouldn’t question paying for proper shipping, including appropriate packaging and insurance. I don’t think many people would disagree with that.
However, when I want to buy an Athearn BB for $6 or $8 I won’t spend $30 on Priority shipping. Even First Class, which now costs about $20 Cdn, causes me to pause most times. I have to really want the particular model to pay even the First Class shipping price.
Like I said in a previous post, the whole situation is saving me a lot of money. I hardly look at eBay anymore at all.
John,I’m yet to receive a complaint about something being broken in transit. Your item will arrive safe and sound… I don’t gouge on shipping charges.I use flat rate priority shipping just like the the dealers I buy from.
I don’t ship brass because I don’t buy brass and if I did buy brass those would be keepers not excess.
It still doesn’t take $14.95 to ship a single car or locomotive safely.
I wouldn’t pay $40.00 for shipping even if they was shipping a wing Pegasus.
I buy a large roll of bubble wrap and it works just as well as the USPS wrap.A large size bag of shipping peanuts last a long time plus the peanuts I recycle…You can recycle bubble wrap as well.
But the fact remains that it can cost more than $14.95 to ship a locomotive.
I use USPS Priority Mail because it is almost always less expensive than UPS or Fed Ex. I don’t buy peanuts or bubble wrap because we recycle what we get when we purchase items that are shipped to us.
Using the USPS Postage Calculator on the web site, I calculated the cost to ship a typical loco in its original box from Chicago to Los Angeles, as an example. The shipping charge is $14.10. From NYC to LA, the shipping charge is $16.65.
Because prices are high on USPS Priority service, I have switched to USPS First Class, which gets the item to the buyer in about 2 to 3 more days. Not sure why Priority is used so much. Who needs model trains so quickly?
As far as shipping brass, I assume the dealer who charges $40 for shipping, because it includes inurance and requires a signature, has probably either been ripped off by a buyer claiming they never received the item, or the shipping service lost it. That $40, which requires a signature by the buyer, is not really about shipping costs but more about theft prevention, IMO. And its probably a smart requirement on the part of the dealer.
Rich,Something funny about those prices-is USPS that foul up or is flat rate priority better?
Why such a gap in shipping? One seller wants $14.95 to ship from Califorinia and another in the same state was $6.95 to ship (say) one freight car.
Is it because one is a private seller and the other a e-Bay store and they get commerical rates then we have the “free” shipping-we know that’s more then likely added to the price but,in more cases then not the free shipping price is still less then the seller with the $14.95 shipping…
With respect to shipping materials, I always save boxes and peanuts from items I purchase and have shipped. I have never needed to buy one box or one peanut ever. If any thing I have a surplus of both.
Commercial rates are definitely part of the reason. I know that applies to MB Klein shipping, for example. And some large eBay sellers benefit from commercial rates as well.
Also, eBay does discount USPS charges as part of the deal it has with USPS. Trouble is, the eBay calculator posts the undiscounted rate along with the item for sale. Only after the item is sold and the buyer’s zip code known can eBay calculate the discount. Then, it is up to the seller to decide whether or not to pass on the discount to the buyer.
As far as USPS Flat Rate Shipping, it is hit and miss depending upon the size of the box to be shipped. The USPS Medium Flat Rate Box is roughly 14"x12"x4", and the flat rate is $13.45. The USPS Large Flat Rate Box is roughly 24"x12"x3", but the flat rate is $18.75.