[78-L] Hoo-Ha shipping costs and wacko buyers

[Roger Wade]

Cary,

After years of thinking about it I finally took the time to figure  
out eflay's shipping calculator.  If you use calculated shipping you  
can add a handling fee so that you can receive an adequate shipping  
charge.  It took some trial and error but it was worth it.  You have  
to experiment with the package weight and the handling charge until  
you consistently get the charge you need.

You are welcome to contact me off list if you have questions since  
this is a bit off topic for 78-l.

Roger Wade
Really Old Records

http://www.reallyoldrecords.com

http://stores.ebay.com/Really-Old-Records?RefID=store

http://www.amazon.com/shops/reallyoldrecords

http://astore.amazon.com/discographiesplus-20

http://www.myspace.com/reallyoldrecords



On Jan 3, 2010, at 7:32 PM, Cary Ginell wrote:

>
> Domestic shipping costs are limited to $4.00. When I send a 78 out,  
> it generally costs me $2.77 in postage. The box and packing  
> materials probably are about $1.40 total so I just about break  
> even. One way around this is to just start the bidding a little  
> higher - say $10.99 or $11.50 instead of $9.99. You'll have to pay  
> another dime for the listing fee, but that should cover your extra  
> shipping costs. As for international shipping - I would say that at  
> least half of my eBay sales are from out of the U.S. I had charged  
> a flat rate of $16.00 for shipping, with the usual postage rate for  
> sending one 78 being $14.20. For some countries - Germany, France,  
> or Australia, for example, the charge is somewhat higher, but  
> eBay's "Turbo Lister" allows you to specify particular rates for  
> specific countries. All in all, it works out well, but I'm still  
> ticked that eBay gets you coming and going: they hit you for the  
> initial listing fee, a percentage of the final selling price, plus  
> another
>   hit when paid through PayPal. Despite the constant nipping at my  
> profits, I still consider eBay the best and fastest way to reach  
> the greatest amount of people. And think about this - if the  
> reputable dealers get fed up with eBay, all that will be left will  
> be the miscreants, thieves, and amateurs. Someone has to keep them  
> honest!
>