Mike's Guide to Shipping:
by Mike Wittman
This guide will talk about
how to ship cards, card lots, and boxes. Shipping is an important part of the
trading and selling process, so it is important that you do it correctly to
avoid losing money. I will also talk about a good idea I have on how to send
cash in the mail.
OK, lets begin
One to five cards
Your most common situation will be this one. This is a common occurrence when
you are trading or selling on eBay. You have 1-5 cards that need to get from
your trade box to someone else's collection across the country. How do you do
it? Well, there are several ways.
ENVELOPE METHOD:
If you are sending commons or similar cards, and both parties agree with it, an
envelope could be the way to go for the cheapest way to send cards. First, put
the card(s) in a penny sleeve and top loader, or whatever protection you use.
I'm just going to say top-loader throughout the guide, so if you use something
else, just substitute that one in.
Here comes a step that is really important for me and guarantees the safety of
the cards. A TEAM BAG IS THE MOST USEFUL AND MOST IMPORTANT PART OF SHIPPING.
I cannot stress that enough. For people who don't know what a team bag is, it is
a small plastic "sleeve" that usually holds team sets and has a sealable and
resealable top. You can get these from your card shop for about $2 a bag of 100,
and it will take a while to use them up. Team bag are so useful because of the
sealing feature. No need to put messy tape on your top loaders, just get a team
bag and the cards WILL NOT fall out of the loader, no matter how much bumping
and bruising it goes through in the post office machines. It also makes things a
lot more organized than just a bunch of cards in random places in an envelope,
and it cuts down the need for tape. Go out and buy some team bags at your next
visit to the card store. I will attach a picture about what they look like and
what they do below. Put the team bag with the cards in it in the envelope. You
may want to put a piece of cardboard in, but if there is at least one card with
a top loader, then that should provide adequate protection. Seal the back and
attach tape, and write the address and DO NOT BEND on the front and you're good
to go. It should cost you .49 to .60 cents.
BUBBLE MAILER METHOD:
Bubble mailers are beige mailers with bubble wrap inside. You can buy them at
Staples or your local office or stationary store. They normally cost around $6
for 12 mailers. I like to use size #00. Bubble mailers offer the best protection
and value. Prepare your card as before, and put it inside the mailer, perhaps
with a "thanks for the trade" note or something. Seal the bubble mailer, and put
a piece of clear shipping tape on the back. It should cost you .60 to .83 cents.
I'll go into the different ways to ship now, and then on to boxes and cash TTM.
First Class
This is the type of mail you will usually use to ship things. It is the
standard, stamped or metered, mail type of the USPS. It costs .37 cents for the
first once and .23 for each additional. Your mailers will probably cost .60. I
should probably put a note here that the following methods are how my post
office work but not necessarily how all work. The following tips work for my
office, so adjust them to how you see fit. ALWAYS FOR THE SAFETY OF YOUR
PACKAGES TAKE THEM TO THE COUNTER!! I assume that each post office has someone
working at a counter who sells stamps and weighs packages to be shipped. Take it
to this person so that you can be sure A. You are paying the right postage and
B. Your package was successfully shipped. It gives a better sense of security
then dropping them in the mailbox with a .60 cent stamp on it. Also, the person
will give you a receipt. KEEP THE RECEIPT!! The post office receipt is a sure
fire way to show you mailed something. I will also attach a picture of a post
office receipt. It tells you the zip code of the person you sent it to. THINGS
RARELY GET LOST IN THE MAIL. The USPS' job is to deliver things, and they do it
pretty well with a few minor lapses. If you want to make sure that the other
person knows you sent it, keep the receipt in case any problem comes up. That's
another reason to take it to the counter. Also, you may want to consider
delivery confirmation. This is a service that allows you to check and make sure
that delivery was made. It costs .55 cents and you need to have a package that
is more than 3/4 inches thick to get the service. Use cardboard or decoys to
increase the height of you package. Make sure to keep the delivery confirmation
receipt too.
Priority mail
The only advantages to shipping priority are the fact that it gets there quicker
(2 days usually), and that you get free supplies. Any package can be sent
priority, but the USPS gives away free supplies for Priority Mail service. This
can be good, but the $3.85 charge makes it almost not worth it.
Shipping boxes; FedEx
When you think of packages, the first thing you think of is UPS. WRONG. UPS is
always more expensive than another form of delivery; FedEx. FedEx home delivery
is around $5 for a 2 or 3 pound box, and comes with $100 of insurance and a free
tracking number. FedEx is the way to go for heavier packages.
Cash through the mail
Cash is one of the most dangerous payments to send. Anyone can use it if they
intercept it. So, to discourage thieves, I came up with an idea. STICK YOUR CASH
IN A TOP LOADER, and either PUT COMMONS OR DECOYS IN THE TOP LOADER or WRAP IT
WITH PAPER. It wont feel or look like cash, so people wont think its cash.
I hope I was helpful to you, and now you can start shipping better than ever.