Seller profitability

[hotdealtech01]

Hello Guys,

Happy New Year! I was wondering how some eBayers are able to sell screen protectors and still turn a profit? The item in question is a iPhone 6 tempered glass screen protector for example. 

Most of the prices I have seen have been between $3.50-4.00 not including tax. Now I'm wondering how someone can sell something like that and make any money if shipping alone for the item is $2.05 and eBay and PayPal fees are another 13% plus $ 0.30. This doesn't even include the price of the item and any customs or shipping charges, which if you bought say 200 pieces from China would probably cost $0.75 a piece including customs and shipping. That's not even with retail packaging either. And still, we're not even going to include the envelopes, or bubble mailers that I assume these things are getting mailed out in.

Am I missing something here? Are people paying less than $2.05 for shipping or less in fees or something? Does the scale of selling a lot of them make it profitable? Are these items lost leaders?

If anyone can please advise that would be great.

Thank you.

[momcqueen]

Oh good gracious.

Now I have to show you mine, despite the embarrassment this will cause to me.

Some of you may find it amusing. I was a bit punchy from being overtired the day I created it.

But it works, I use it all the time.

My only warning is that if you make it from bendy cardboard, be sure you're not manipulating the passage to be wider than it is when you pass it through. 

[dollargoose]

Thanks for the pictures. Recreating that slot does seem pretty helpful. Do any of you guys know where I can get thin cardboard? All the cardboard boxes I have lying around are really thick stuff. Should I be buying something like this to wrap the screen protectors in or can I just do it with some free cardboard at the local grocery store?

https://www.uline.ca/BL_1852/Chipboard-Pads

[musicyouneed]

Go to a shoe store, I find that the cardboard they use for the shoe boxes is perfect.

[musicyouneed]

Hi Rose, that isn't mine.  I have a real one from the post office but they are difficult to obtain now.  They sometimes sell them on ebay.  

Someone had made that one up and posted it to the boards and I copied it to use as an example for others who want to make one themselves.  

[pjcdn2005]

i got a plastic one from the postal outlet here. I asked if I could buy one and they gave me their old one. 

[maggiebvintage2010]

[maggiebvintage2010]

Apparently it is available again online at CP, also on another online venue, I found a plastic one made on a 3D printer.  Last summer I bought a quite beautiful wooden one, which unfortunately is not available right now.

[cumos55]

It was way back when I started selling on eBay.....

Local postal outlet that I was using had an "old" Canada Post measuring plate for lettermail/letterpost

and... They ... gave ... it to me.

 Works well for me.....

One thing I found was that I would place a length of tape...  across the longest length of the envelope ... The presence of the tape helped a tight fit envelope slip through more easily....  somewhat like running on a railway track....

[chanchanshop]

Profit is low these days due to ever increasing fee and costs,

It get worse when some foreign post office lost your item.

[reallynicestamps]

Has anyone ever made one of corplast?

[momcqueen]

Making one from corrugated plastic sheets is a really good idea. I might grab a sheet of poster board -- the kind with bristol board on the outside and foam inside -- the next time I'm at the dollar store to make a fresh one for myself. When the Big Mouth of Truth finally succumbs to overuse. Of course, buying a new shiny one from Canada Post is a nice thought too.