Ridiculous

[amethyst1415]

I lose money (sometimes) on my listings BUT HOW can I compete with the person who is selling their PS3 games for $1.29? I price mine to include free shipping which means that I can take $13 off the money I get (shipping in Canada) and the rest is mine. It's still not profit as my husband paid 40-60 for these games. Why do people sell them for that? There is no way they are making money when they have to ship.

[amethyst1415]

Exactly. So how do I know how many stamps to put on? If it qualifies as letter mail and a letter gets one stamp then it should be one. But then you have weight. If I end up putting close to what I pay the post office then what is the point?

[amethyst1415]

I would charge for shipping except if people had to pay what I have to pay to ship they would never buy. Canada Post is a rip off.

[pierrelebel]

"If it qualifies as letter mail and a letter gets one stamp then it should be one"

Domestic (within Canada) lettermail rates are as follows:

0-30 grams - $0.85 (or one "P" stamp)

31-50 grams - $1.20

51-100 grams - $1.80

101-200 grams - $2.95

etc...

[amethyst1415]

Thanks. I do not have a scale. Do you know how much a PS3 game might weigh? If I can figure this out I can lower my prices (as I am not paying $13 for shipping)

[amethyst1415]

Okay, I looked up the weight of a PS3 game in case and it said 5 ounces. 5 ounces converted to grams is 141.75g...so 5 stamps? I thought stamps were $1 each now?

[pierrelebel]

Two options:

1) buy a scale.  They are not that expensive and you will need it if you continue selling on eBay.

2) package one game and take it to the post office to get the actual weight (including packing).

[pierrelebel]

I do not know where you get "5 stamps"

From earlier post: 101-200 grams - $2.95

[pierrelebel]

"I thought stamps were $1 each now?"

You can purchase stamps with a denomination of one cent to eight dollars.

If you are referring to the "P" stamps, Canada Post sells them for $0.85 each (plus tax) when purchased in booklets.

If you purchase only one stamp at the time, then Canada Post charges $1.00 plus tax.

However, there is no point in using "P" stamps exclusively and overpaying when you need $2.95 in postage.

[mr.elmwood]

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@spendmoneyhere2014 wrote:
Okay, I looked up the weight of a PS3 game in case and it said 5 ounces. 5 ounces converted to grams is 141.75g...so 5 stamps? I thought stamps were $1 each now?

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A scale is your friend. With a scale you can under the next weight category and save money on every parcel. With a scale and Paypal shipping, you can do all the work at home.

[mr.elmwood]

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@pierrelebel wrote:

I do not know where you get "5 stamps"

From earlier post: 101-200 grams - $2.95

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Is is possible she could buy bulk Cdn stamps at a discount? From any of the fine Cdn stamp sellers here? Save money on postage and always have the correct denominations on hand?

Is that possible and productive in this busy modern world?

[tobyshitzu]

Ps3 game could be in 3 different categories, under 100 gram, under 150 gram, or under 200 gram.  Might be a few older ones still sealed with large french and english booklets over 200 grams

[dinomitesales · Accepted solution]

Here are Canada Post's rates for Lettermail:

http://www.canadapost.ca/cpo/mc/personal/ratesprices/postalprices.jsf

I suggest printing this out and keeping it for reference. Since video games are thicker than 5 mm (the cutoff for "Standard Lettermail"), they need to be sent by "Oversized Lettermail" - you can see the corresponding row in the above chart.

0-100 g:       $1.80

101-200 g:   $2.95

201-300 g:   $4.10

301-400 g:   $4.70

401-500 g:   $5.05

Over 500 g it needs to be sent as a parcel, but I have yet to come across a standard video game that exceeds 500 g.

Note that of the five weight classifications above, only one of them has it's own 'dedicated stamp' with the exact value - $1.80. For all the other weight classes you will need several stamps, usually about four, to make up the required denominations. The most common stamp values I use are $0.05, $0.10, $0.25, $1.00, $1.80, and $2.50.

You need a scale if you're going to do this regularly. There's no way to get around it, just buy a scale. Even a cheap kitchen food scale will work - that's all I use for video games/media since they aren't that big or heavy. The savings from sending a couple of your items Lettermail over Regular Parcel will more than pay for the cost of a shipping scale.

[amethyst1415]

I was looking around on Canada Post and it said this:

Note: Items containing goods or anything of value cannot be sent as letters to U.S. or international destinations.

So does that mean anything other than a letter HAS to be sent the other way? If Pierre is sending his items letter mail to Canada and the States how are they not sending it back as it is goods that are being sent.

[amethyst1415]

Thank you.

[dinomitesales]

"Well, for one thing, eBay gives you stock photos to use and fills in all the information."

Video Games (for whatever reason) are one of the only categories on eBay that let you use a stock photograph for a Used condition item. I have no idea why, and disagree with that, but that's beyond the point. People want to see what they are getting.

"I don't know if you actually clicked on my listing but each one has a condition...so you know exactly what you are getting."

Yes, I did look at your listings. You haven't given any details about the condition of your items, you've just selected an appropriate condition specific from eBay's choices.

For example, you have several video games listed as 'Good'. This is eBay's description of a 'good' video game (emphasis mine):

An item in used but good condition. May have minor damage to jewel case including scuffs or cracks, or to the item cover including scuffs, scratches, or cracks. The cover art and liner notes are included for a CD. VHS or DVD box is included. Video game instructions are included. No skipping on CD/DVD. No fuzzy/snowy frames on VHS tape. See the seller’s listing for full details and description of any imperfections.

One person's definition of 'Good' is definitely not going to be the same as another persons. Based on 'Good' I could be receiving a game with a cracked case, scuffed case, a scratched disc, a damaged manual, or any of the above combinations.

At the very minimum, for video games, you should be commenting briefly on the condition of the case, the liner, the manual, and the disc itself (noting any scratches/scuffs). State that the game has been tested and is in good working condition. If the case or manual is missing then you had better make sure that's specified, or you are likely to have an unhappy buyer.

[dinomitesales]

"Note: Items containing goods or anything of value cannot be sent as letters to U.S. or international destinations."

This is correct. Anything with a value (i.e. merchandise sold on eBay) can not be sent to the U.S. or internationally as 'Lettermail'. Rather, it needs to be sent as 'Light Packet' - you can research that on the Canada Post website. 'Light Packet' is basically the international version of 'Lettermail'. Same dimensions/weights/lack of tracking, but slightly more money (still cheaper than a parcel) and requires a customs declaration. 'Light Packet' labels can be printed directly from PayPal (you will receive a small discount this way, too).

[pierrelebel]

"So does that mean anything other than a letter HAS to be sent the other way?"

Shipping within Canada can go lettermail as shown above.

Shipping outside Canada, if not exceeding 20mm thickness, can be sent as Light Packet.

I suggest you spend a few minutes at the Post Office to get information from them as to the rates applicable to the USA and overseas.

They have a nice little brochure outlining the rates.  With a bit of luck someone will explain it to you.

You will find most posters here willing to help.  However, you will have to put some time, and invest some money (scale) to better understand your many shipping options.

[pierrelebel]

"printed directly from PayPal (you will receive a small discount this way, too)."

????

When did PayPal start discounting Light Packet?

[mr.elmwood]

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@pierrelebel wrote:

"printed directly from PayPal (you will receive a small discount this way, too)."

????

When did PayPal start discounting Light Packet?

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They do not. Discount is only on the value added services such as Tracked Packet, Expedited, Xpresspost.

Basic services are the same price as across the counter.

[dinomitesales]

Sorry, my mistake then. Haven't printed a 'Light Packet' label in a while, must have been confusing it with another service. Regardless, 'Light Packet' can still be printed from PayPal, which is an added convenience.