Going to start selling soon, shipping questions, etc.

[radu_lykan]

Hello, 

I'm going to start selling my rather large sized video game and DVD collection soon and I've been digging and digging about information related to selling on eBay, shipping etc. I think I have most of the information I need covered, but I'd like some clarification on a few things from some poeple with experience.

I'm going to be listing my items mostly with free shipping, and including it in the starting auction price. I've got #1 paper bubble mailers on order. I plan to ship exclusively to Canada (I've got the Buyer block option ticked to only countries I allow shipping to) unless I get something cleared up below. I have a postage scale at work so I can package, weigh and get price here, I plan to affix my own stamps to the items and ship lettermail oversized and put the items in the mailbox myself due to the tolerance being higher than the post office slots.

I'm wondering if I can ship lettermail to the USA by affixing my own postage stamps to the items, as i understand goods can't go that way across the border but it may slide just fine if I submit through a mailbox?

I'm also wondering, due to having various sized cases and cartridges, cords, etc, if it would make sense for me to cut my larger #1 bubble mailers to fit the object better and use the scraps and tape for smaller items? I mean a GBA cart is going to be very small, whereas a DVD is larger and I don't really want them shaking around in the loose packaging.

Other than those two points, any tips or suggestions based on what I've said above?

I've honestly been digging and digging and somehow many many people sell things through eBay just fine but I'm anxious!

[radu_lykan]

I'll also quickly note that I'll be taking my own pictures of all my items.

[radu_lykan]

Sorry for the bump, but anyone? Trying to put my mind at ease!

[pierrelebel · Accepted solution]

"Other than those two points, any tips or suggestions based on what I've said above?"

Check what your competitors are doing. Both Canadians and Americans.  Seriously and critically. Being based in Canada you generally face much higher shipping costs than your competitors based in the USA. How will that affect your competitiveness?

For example, if your selling price must be $20 on an item to allow you to make a profit on your time and investment, and it will cost you $12 on average to get the products to your North American buyers, is $32.00 competitive or not? (The other day I was looking for a specific DVD.  I found 135 offered on eBay.ca, not one of them was located in Canada.)

Next question: why should potential buyers buy from you, a new seller without visible experience or reputation (low feedback rating)?  What can you offer that will make buyers look at your listings and click the BUY button? Being honest and a nice guy does not count as potential buyers cannot appreciate that!

PS - Letter-post to the USA is for documents only, not merchandise.  For goods (other than documents) the rules require using Small Packet or Light Packet (generally costs a little bit more than letter-post).  In Canada you can use lettermail even for merchandise IF the weight does not exceed 500g and thickness is no more than 20mm.  Find a friendly postal clerk at your local post office or postal station to guide you.

[radu_lykan]

Thanks for your words.

I'll research pricing and shipping costs more looking at the 'Sold Auctions', but other than a few higher priced items I'll likely keep it Canadian only to minimize shipping costs.

I need to stop stalling and take the dang plunge...

Cheers

[pierrelebel]

"I'll likely keep it Canadian only"

Here is the danger: if you list on eBay.ca and offer shipping within Canada only, you will miss all those postential Canadian buyers who browse and shop on eBay.com

To be viewed on eBay.com, you may list on eBay.ca (in Cdn$ or US$) but must offer shipping to the USA and provide a shipping cost to the USA in your listings.  Otherwise your listings will not appear on eBay.com

[pierrelebel]

"looking at the 'Sold Auctions"

Keep looking at all the unsold listings (a vast majority on eBay) and ask yourself the question: why did it not sell?

Check both auction listings and fixed price listings.

[radu_lykan]

Ah! Now that's an interesting piece of information that I wasn't aware of. Over the years I've always used both sites interchangeably myself.

So in that case, I'll check some quotes for USA Small Packet and leave it up to the buyer to decide if shipping is outrageous? I can't really compete with USA Media Mail and the availability of some of my items compared to Canada, but the option should be open in order to allow for the Canadians, as you said.

Thanks for that, really, that was probably the best thing you could have informed me of.

Cheers 🙂

(I've also never really browsed the unsold listings, so I'll take a peek too)

[mr.elmwood]

It is hard to add intelligent thought when Pierre has already been here. Mostly, you are competing against yourself. There are a whole host of things UNsuccesfull sellers are very good at. Basically, they sabotage themselves. Free shipping only to Canada? The most expensive place to ship to in many cases?

Offer free shipping to the USA as sometimes it may be cheaper.

Pay very close attention to weight. 0-250 grams goes for $7.80 to anywhere in the USA and possessions. That is cheaper than a lot of Americans pay, depending upon destination. 0-250 in Canada can range from $8.50 to about $15.00 depending on how many times it is handled. I just got hit with Whitehorse, Yellowknife, off the beaten ox-cart trail on Vancouver Island, Corner Brook Newfoundland. Those will dig a hole in yer Cdn free shipping faster than you can say Gordie Howe Hat Trick.

For high search placement eBay likes newer listings and they let aged ones sink. eBay best practises include:

- great description

- great pictures

- one day handling

- international shipping with prices

- 30 day return policy

"Great" is their word and I really do not know what it means in their context. These are the things eBay wants to see you do to be a professional seller. They do not want the garage sale aspect anymore.

I have three parcels going out today, for $131, to Chile, Germany, and Israel. All three cheaper than going from Belleville to Churchill.

Make up a listing, come back and ask our opinion.  Wear yer thick skin and keep a supply of tin foil hats on hand.

There are a lot of scary smart people here.

[radu_lykan]

Hmm, I thought that US had the Media Mail service to ship to themselves domestically? I should add that I'm Canadian, so I think that for most places up to a certain gram weight should be $3.20 for me to to use lettermail service without tracking. If I ship to the USA then it's quite a bit more than an American selling the same game domestically. Which is why it'd be easier for me to toss Free Shipping in for my Canadian comrades than shooting myself in the foot for the USAians.

You both have been fantastic, thank you so much 😄

[mr.elmwood]

Sorry, I think in terms of parcels. What you have, wrapped up, fits easily through the 20mm slot?

[radu_lykan]

I believe most DVD and game cartridges should fit through without much issue. I've read through other threads that the Post Office is tight when it comes to cramming things through the slot whereas just putting items that are slightly too big with correct stamp postage affixed into a mailbox should be too much of an issue as they don't really check at the sorting offices. I have a postage scale at work that I can use to ensure correct pricing for most items, that's a great boon for convenience on my end.

[mr.elmwood]

The 20mm is not just for the retail post office, it is for the machinery the parcel goes through. If it is over-sized and sent as under 20mm, it will get caught and either shredded, sent with postage due, or returned to you.

[rose-dee]

Do what I did and make yourself up a 2cm slot in a piece of cardboard, then make sure everything you're planning to send off by letterpost will fit through easily (also for Light Packet Air for the U.S. and international).  

Also, a decent little postal scale can be purchased for under $25 at any department or drug store (the type with flat tops that you can pile things on top of, not the kind used to measure food).  Before I used mine, I double-checked an item weight against the "official" scale at my local Post Office to be sure it was accurate.  

Don't forget that offering free shipping to Canada will lower your FVFs (final value fees) on shipping to other destinations, so if the majority of your sales are outside Canada, those pennies can add up. 

[onlygoodthingscanada]

Good idea to start with DVDs, I did same years ago, minimum loss to build feedback and experience. Best place to buy scale would be Canadian Tire I am sure. If bubble envelope makes package heavier and thicker, use regular one. Try to indicate existance of minor scratches on discs and cases to be honest with buyers.

At post office ask them to affix printed shipping label (meter impression) and not a stamp. Label has date and some other info on it. They will try to resist because they want to sell as many stamps as possible, and to create shipping label they have to enter postal code into the system, but hey I have never had a loss of lettermail within last 12 months. When shipping label is used, maybe mail is being treated a bit differently. I don't think a stamp would give a buyer idea that you are a serious business.

OMG, I just wish you good luck, less years to learn, and don't forget to keep your other job or options.

[radu_lykan]

Thank you all so much for your help!

[tobyshitzu]

op you have it right, stamps into the mailbox and no need to worry about "the slot".  If it has to go through a slot to tell if it fits or not, its not coming back .  you are correct you won't sell much to the usa unless you've got rare games or movies, or price things too low. Dvds other then very recent ones might not even be worth listing now, you could sell them as a big lot

[reallynicestamps]

They will try to resist because they want to sell as many stamps as possible, and to create shipping label they have to enter postal code into the system,

The postal outlets I use don't like to sell stamps because they have to buy them and hope they can sell them, while the labels are generated only when they are purchased by the outlet's customer. Also unused stamps cannot be returned by the outlet when rates change.

Another reason why the "P" stamps are becoming prevalent.

Keep in mind that the postal clerks may not be vigilant about the 2cm thickness, but the machinery at the terminal is. It's a mechanical need, not just a postal clerk's fetish.