The gloves are off now.... discuss anything and everything!
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boredg Posts: 1
5/8/2018
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What's the best way to ship your comics and how much does it cost usually to ship
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solarno Posts: 164
5/8/2018
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The best option may depend on what you are shipping. How many books at a time? How often? Where are they going? What is the value?
- Regardless of the value I want to make sure that what I'm shipping arrives in exactly the same condition I sent it in. This means using a box when possible. I found some great adjustable boxes on Amazon that will work for one book (with a couple pieces of filler chipboard) and all the way up to 20 or so books. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BT5JDE4/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 You have to buy 50 at a time though, so that could be cost prohibitive if you're not mailing very often.
- I almost always use USPS Priority Mail. It's fast and includes a tracking number along with small amount of insurance. If you're entire package weights less than 16oz. you can use USPS First Class Mail, but you don't get the insurance or tracking.
- If you don't have boxes, USPS Priority Mail Flat-Rate envelopes are a great way to go. They're free at your local post office, and you can stuff them with as much that will fit and it will ship for $6.70 to anywhere in the US. (If you are selling through eBay, they offer discounted USPS rates) If you are using envelopes you really should reinforce with sheets of cardboard to stiffen the envelope. There's nothing worse than getting a comic in the mail and having it all bent up.
- Media Mail - Technically you cannot use Media Mail to ship comics as they contain ads. It doesn't happen often, but the USPS has the right to open Media Mail packages to confirm they meet the rather strict standards. Plus, media mail can take considerably longer to arrive. Personally, I don't find the small savings worth the hassle from a customer service standpoint.
- When possible I will also put the books I'm shipping in a sealed plastic bag before putting them in the box/envelope. This offer another layer of protection to the books in case of moisture damage to the outer packaging. I do this even if the the books are already bagged and boarded as comic bags are not fully sealed.
- I've found that my actual shipping costs will range from right around $3-4 for a first class mailing, depending on how far it must travel; $6.70 for Flat Rate Service; and regular Priority Mail will range between $7 to $13 depending on the weight and distance.
- Packaging costs can range anywhere from free to up to $2 per shipment.
- I recommend against just basic manila envelopes, or even cheap "padded" envelopes as they can be damaged very easily during shipping.
This is all moot if you are shipping internationally, or not based in the US.
Hope this helps,
Cheers!
Jim
edited by solarno on 6/4/2018
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