[78-L] Help Requested For Foreign Shipping Rates

Tue Nov 4 14:16:33 PST 2008

Hello everyone - as many of you know, I have been working on a multi-seller online auction (specific to 78s & cylinders) to rival the ever-worsening eboy site.

If you have not yet heard of the project, there is more information here - http://www.venerablemusic.com/auction.htm

In the past few weeks we have changed programmers and the project has gone from moving at a snails pace to somewhat briskly. I have even been quoted that the target date for having the site ready as soon as 6-weeks away (but I'll believe it when I see it)!

One of the stipulations of selling on the site will be agreeing to set shipping rates that are a standard cost of supplies plus shipping. Since everyone has different methods & ideas on the best way to ship, I was hoping to get some feedback from both the selling and buying perspective.

First off, does anyone routinely prefer to pay extra for Priority shipping? The problem with set rates on Priority Mail is that the price increases quickly depending on distance (especially from record traveling coast to coast). So then, set rates either are too high for say a package moving only a short distance (and the buyer is screwed) or the rates are too low for a package moving across the country (and the seller is screwed). Media Mail pricing is much more liberal & does not increase with the same ferocity, so my gut wants to set the shipping rates to err with the seller (and screw the buyer) if the buyer chooses a Priority option rather than a Media Mail option? I do want to prompt this by stating that my goal is to benefit the seller whenever possible as they are the ones that will end up ultimately paying for the service. I believe the buyers will go where ever the records are being sold, so the goal is to create a better atmosphere for the sellers.

This will be a global system, so where I will really need help is shipping rates for UK to UK sales as well as well as -

UK to US

UK to Japan

UK to Australia

UK to Africa

UK to South America

The prices will be set in the following manner -

1-2 records

3-5 records

6-10 records

& 10 +

As an example (these are not the actual set rates that will apply - just a guess). These will be rates for First Class Air Mail - as I feel it would be best to use the lowest common denominator.

US to UK sales

1-2 records - $17

3-5 records - $25

6-10 records - $38

10 + records - $50

So, if any of our UK, Australian or Japanese members can help out with what they feel a good, round, generic shipping rate would be (again, from either a buyer or seller perspective) it would truly be appreciated. Especially costs within ones country - UK to UK, Japan to Japan (or Asia included), Australia to Australia - as I am having a hard time figuring shipping prices for countries other than my own.

Please, feel free to reply to me privately or via the 78-l group!
Thanks,

Malcolm (in Georgia)

Venerable Music - http://www.venerablemusic.com
Venerable Radio - http://www.venerablemusic.com/samphpweb/index.html
On Myspace - http://www.myspace.com/venerablemusic