Yes,
You can sort the selection cheapest to most expensive for the cost of the item and shipping. It helps you to find the cheapest alternative
Or, you could just pick it up in person.
Dave
Just be glad you don't have to press "2" for English.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQ_ALEdDUB8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hqFS1GZL4s
http://s73.photobucket.com/user/steemtrayn/media/MovingcoalontheDCM.mp4.html?sort=3&o=27
Sometimes the shipping is wrong, but you must consider shipping in the total price you want to pay and many vendors combine shipping.
there's an option on the left side to only report items that ship free as well as only from north america (although most items from china are not only less expensive but ship free. may take a few weeks).
greg - Philadelphia & Reading / Reading
Sometimes when I want a freight car at that price $15. The shipping maybe $11-23, which I believe is out right robbery than $7.
Most of all the time I forget about and find something cheaper.
Amtrak America, 1971-Present.
I have not sold anything on Ebay in over seven years. Ebay used to be more friendly to the small-time seller.
I understand that Ebay now takes a cut of the sellers' shipping charges in addition to seller and listing fees resulting in the added cost being, you guessed it, passed on to the buyer.
As mentioned above, the shipping cost is more than just the postage. Labels, ink, packaging material, it all adds up.
Like others, I look at the total cost before I commit to any purchase.
Ed
Greg
Thanks for that. I will look.
To the others
I dont mind paying shipping and some handling. What I do object to is the shipping costing 50% of the cost of the product. I have mailed stuff before and it doesnt cost 50% of the price of the product. I did not know EBAY was taking a slice also.
Thanks all
YGW
Modeling BNSF and Milwaukee Road in SW Wisconsin
Hello YGW,
Not trying to be presumptuous, but I understand your sentiments. But once you get used to it and learn the routines, it becomes a breeze (imho), and you'll become a smart ebayer.
When shopping on ebay, take your time and read EVERY detail of the listing you're targeting, including the shipping options. A lot of us select USPS, which is often the cheapest in most cases for shipping within the US mainland.
If you're not certain about shipping or the item itself, go to the right side of the screen where you'll see the words: Seller information. Just below it, click on the seller's highlighted name. You will be redirected to another page where on the right side you'll see the icon for "Contact" highlighted in blue. Send him/her your question. Good sellers usually respond within the same day.
Don't ever hesitate to contact sellers if you have questions. I've done this many times and sellers have been good about answering.
Side note: Something that happens often that can catch beginners off guard is that you may bid on an item that may be a sweet deal, but then the shipping cost is a shocker.
I've actually seen identical "Buy it Now", New-In-The-Box model railroad items where, for example, one seller has a unit going for $70, and another seller has an identical unit for $78. An excited modeler clicks on the $70 item while a seasoned one snags the $78 model. The rookie discovers that shipping for his $70 unit is $25 while the veteran buyer's shipping cost is $12.
Again, the importance of reading all details and asking questions if you're uncertain.
"I like my Pullman Standards & Budds in Stainless Steel flavors, thank you!"
I think many of the sellers offer items at reasonable shipping costs, but some I believe, maybe if starting price is low or buy-it-now priced, add hefty shipping compared to others to make the item appear relatively cheap, so put some of their hoped for profit in the shipping. As others have noted, it's critical to take note of the shipping before deciding.
One mistake I've made is to look for a type item (e.g., HO vehicle) and then order & pay for one I like. But then continue and find another I want from the same vendor. If I had put them both in my cart, then ordered both, then paid I'd get the combined shipping savings if offerred. I believe if I order the first immediately, then find and order the second, it's hard if not impossible to obtain the combined shipping savings.
Paul
Modeling HO with a transition era UP bent
yougottawanta Greg Thanks for that. I will look. To the others I dont mind paying shipping and some handling. What I do object to is the shipping costing 50% of the cost of the product. I have mailed stuff before and it doesn't cost 50% of the price of the product. I did not know EBAY was taking a slice also. Thanks all YGW
I dont mind paying shipping and some handling. What I do object to is the shipping costing 50% of the cost of the product. I have mailed stuff before and it doesn't cost 50% of the price of the product. I did not know EBAY was taking a slice also.
As a option you might wish to consider.
There are several great e-Bay stores that offer combined shipping.I usually use BIN-if the price is within reason-and buy several items and usually the shipping is about the same as it was for one item.
USPS has flat rate shipping and that's how that works.
BTW..Shop around I've gotten better BIN prices with free shipping by looking through 3 or 4 pages of the same item.
As a example I bought a LL P2K SCL GP9 for $55.00 with free shipping..The going prices on the previous pages varied from $79.00-99.00 plus shipping.
Larry
Conductor.
Summerset Ry.
"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt Safety First!"
If you think $7.50 is expensive then be glad as the same item to post to the UK might cost you $40-50. which makes no sense to buy the item. I sold an item to a customer in USA and the shipping cost $2 for packaging and $7 for postage so unfortunately for me I cannot purchase anything from US.
Hello All,
Caveat Emptor! Or...Be an informed consumer in today's market!
I was just perusing eBay and thinking to myself, "Are you kidding...you're asking that price for that item!?!"
As an example: I purchased a MOW Track Weight car for less than $10.00. Shipping was about $3.00. Great deal for a great item through eBay!
Then I was recently searching eBay and found a listing for a similar MOW Track weight car for $90.00 (with "Free" shipping)!!! I put it in my Watch List- -to see what people would be willing to pay for this item. I received a message from eBay saying that this item had been re-listed at a "Discounted" price. I went to the new listing it was $79.00! Plus $13.00 shipping!! Some discount!!!
I also sell on eBay. When I list an item I ship via USPS at the Priority Mail shipping rate. Yes, it's expensive, but the item is guaranteed to arrive in 2-working days and is insured up to $50.00 with a tracking number. If I go through the eBay/USPS shipping service I, as a seller, get a 10% kick-back (sorry eBay for letting the proverbial "cat out of the bag").
As a buyer; knowing what I know as a seller, I will contact the seller and ask for a different shipping method. Yes, I can save a few $$ at the expense of faster shipping and no tracking number. Some sellers will work with you and some won't. But, hey it's worth a chance! Also, look for "Free Shipping" on items, this might be the tipping point between similar items listed.
There is also what's known as "Combined Shipping." If you are purchasing multiple items from the same seller some will ship all your items in the same package. This will save some money on shipping costs but beware, I have had some sellers cram all the items into too small a package and damage the items I ordered, all for the sake of saving a few bucks.
My current projets are re-motoring some inexpensive (great deal on eBay) locomotives. I looked at some parts on eBay and then went to the manufacturers website and found that the initial cost of the parts were a few pennies cheaper on eBay than the OEMs. The eBay shipping costs, versus the manufacturers, were two to three times higher- -for the exact same part! I'll be ordering through the manufacturer for these specific items.
Nothing against eBay. I sometimes feel like the popular TV shows about pawn shops..."Yeah, you want to get that much for your item but that's not it's real market value."
There are some great deals to be had on eBay. You, as the consumer need to know the difference.
By the way...I've got an MOW Track Weight car for sale for the "Discounted Price" of $49.99! (Shipping is negotiable.)
Hope this helps.
"Uhh...I didn’t know it was 'impossible' I just made it work...sorry"
eBay is most definately not for the small seller anymore. As a frequent seller and shipper on eBay since 1998 thay have made it harder and harder for the little guy (the individual) to make a few dollars. The fees that they charge are sometimes outrageous and the fact that a seller cannot leave a negative feedback for a buyer that stiffs them on a sale that they bid on and won and never pay is just wrong. As of right now eBay charges the seller 9% of the shipping rate charged unless the seller offers free shipping. Free shipping is the way eBay seems to want every seller to go these days.
Most sellers, definately not all, only charge what the US Post Office charges them to ship an item. Postal rates are always going up and it has to be paid by someone. If you bought something from Amazon or a private vendor, the shipping would probably be about the same. One option would be to buy more than one item if you need them from the same seller, or to ask the seller if there is a different shipping option than the one posted on the sale page.
Just thought I would throw in my 2 cents worth. ( less the eBay fees)
yougottawanta With the demise of the LHS I have had to resort to something I absoluetly detest. Buying on line. So I opened an EBAY account and made several purchases. I was SHOCKED at the shipping rate/robbery with out a gun !For instance one purchase for $15 the shgpping rate was $7.50 ! Half the cost of the merchandise ! Is there another way to select cheaper shipping ? I was not able to figure out any other choices other than premuim. Thanks YGW
With the demise of the LHS I have had to resort to something I absoluetly detest. Buying on line. So I opened an EBAY account and made several purchases. I was SHOCKED at the shipping rate/robbery with out a gun !For instance one purchase for $15 the shgpping rate was $7.50 ! Half the cost of the merchandise ! Is there another way to select cheaper shipping ? I was not able to figure out any other choices other than premuim.
Thanks
The shipping rate does not seem out of line. Most sellers pass along the actual cost of shipping.
Neither FedEx, USPS, or UPS will ship hardly anything of bulk for 99 cents. And the cost of shipping is not based upon the value of the item, but the weight and size of the item.
A $15 Athearn boxcar may actually cost $7.50 to ship. But a same size item, say an Athearn Genesis Locomotive with DCC & Sound that costs $220, may also cost $7.50 to ship.
Most people factor in stated shipping costs into the total price of the item, then use that total when comparing with other sellers.
And most sellers will combine shipping on multiple purchases since the cost to ship does not go up much after you've paid for the initial carriers overhead. So two $15 dollar items may only cost $9 to ship.
Yes, buying inexpensive items on ebay will cause the shipping costs to be a high percentage of your total expense, but that's neither the seller's or Ebays fault. Its just the reality that a carrier has to bear the same initial overhead costs regardless of the value of the item being shipped.
- Douglas
I simply don't bother when I see "Global shipping".They don't want to ship by mail,I pass on......
Longtime buyer and seller on ebay. Things are always changing, but several things mentioned already should be brought together to help clarify things some.
Yes, ebay now gets a cut of shipping. The default is up to the seller to a certain degree. USPS Priority Mail is typical. Probably for the same reason I use it: easy to buy postage and track things, as well as convenient for drop-off. Priority Mail gives you tracking and $50 of insurance and that covers things for the majority of sales I make.
Tracking helps with the buyer's guarantees that ebay offers, also. I'm not sure of the fine print on that and never needed to resort to it. The couple of times I had an issue, the seller took care of me without the need to resort to it.
Priority Mail is a flat rate for anything up to a pound and less. This is good if you close to a pound, but you do feel a bit shorted on a 3 oz item. I note in my auctions that other shipping options are available, First Class being the go to cheap option (there are limits on the weight and size of 1st Class, so doesn't apply to everything) but only rarely do people ask. Mainly, I use this for international shipments, including to Canada. Never had a problem, despite the lack of tracking, and buyers overseas really appreciate the price break on shipping it allows. This is an individual decision by the seller, though, and would impact a claim made under the buyer's guranatees that ebay offers, so use it eyes wide open.
Ebay and the USPS shipping cost calculations have gotten much better over the years, although they can still be somewhat arcane. Just in case, I also note it's my policy to refund any excess shipping I receive if the difference is more than $1. You do have to be pretty good at estimating packed weight of an item, prepack it to be certain of the weight, or pad the stated weight by a pound or so -- all strategies I've seen used. I just try to be as accurate as possible in my estimates, buy there's been a couple of times I should've listed the weight somewhat higher. Oh well.
With alternative shipping options, as well as combined shipping, it's best to contact the seller before payment to confirm things. The seller can make adjustments after payment, but its more of a PITA than it used to be and easier to just be right to start with.
Ebay has also been pushing the concept of "free shipping." That can sound attractive, but it's rolled into the price somehow, because somebody has to pay. Doesn't work for me, as the PO is never free for me and no one else AFAIK.
Ultimately, the value in any deal on ebay is based on the combined cost of the item and shipping. Don't fool yourself that something is cheap by ignoring the stated shipping costs. What matters is the total. If it's too high, then maybe not such a good deal after all, but that's a decision, you, the buyer has to make. I make nothing on shipping and only avoid substantial costs for supplies like boxes and padding by my commitment to recycling. I still have to buy tape. In the end, the buyer should not blame the seller or ebay for the facts of life that shipping isn't cheap, but is almost always part of the transaction.
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
FIND ANOTHER LHS!!!
HZ
Let me add my observations to this discussion.
If a seller is purposely trying to make extra money on a transaction, he will state an inflated fixed shipping cost. For example, the seller may know that he can ship an item for no more than $12, yet he states the shipping charge as $20.
However, most sellers are not interested in ripping off their buyers, and this is particularly true with used items from private sellers. Not knowing any better, a seller will use eBay's default shipping charge which will vary by the size and weight of the package and the buyer's zip code. Here is the where the problem occurs. eBay recently changed its default shipping method to Expedited Shipping which often results in a whopping shipping charge.
I am a frequent seller/buyer on eBay and I found out the hard way when I set up some auctions on collectible ceramic houses. I wasn't getting many Views, and I wasn't getting any bids. So, I took a closer look at how a bidder was viewing my auction. I was shocked. Using my kids zip codes as examples, I was finding that a "normal" shipping charge of, say, $12, was showing up as $36, for example. I wound up re-listing, using USPS Parcel Post rates and sold everything - - - with reasonable shipping charges.
My advice? If the shipping charge seems excessive, contact the seller before bidding and ask what it would cost to ship to your zip code.
Rich
Alton Junction
I forgot to mention another issue about shipping. If a seller uses the eBay/PayPal arrangement for payment, discounts of over 50 percent can be obtained on shipping charges due to eBay's agreement with USPS. So, a $12 shipping charge to the average USPS customer can cost the eBay seller just over $5. Often, a seller doesn't even realize this until the invoice is sent to the buyer showing the undiscounted shipping charge, and then PayPal charges the seller the lower, discounted, shipping fee.
Howard Zane FIND ANOTHER LHS!!! HZ
Yeah,right even if its several miles away in another city with stock that is decades old or very limited stock at full MSRP with employees more knowledgeable in R/C then model trains?
Finding a LHS or not so local hobby shop that is worth visiting is getting harder every year.
I've already been told by one shop I visited last month..I carry a limited stock of model trains as you can see..My money maker is R/C and gaming supplies not model trains..I can order anything for you through Walthers or Horizon though..
My thoughts? So can I buddy,so can I.
richhotrain I forgot to mention another issue about shipping. If a seller uses the eBay/PayPal arrangement for payment, discounts of over 50 percent can be obtained on shipping charges due to eBay's agreement with USPS. So, a $12 shipping charge to the average USPS customer can cost the eBay seller just over $5. Often, a seller doesn't even realize this until the invoice is sent to the buyer showing the undiscounted shipping charge, and then PayPal charges the seller the lower, discounted, shipping fee. Rich
Rich,
I'd like to hear more about this. Must be a volume thing. I'd like to offer even cheaper shipping, as that's what most irritates buyers and discourages them -- as this thread proves.
As someone else mentioned, there is a 10% IIRC discount on USPS that is common. I use it, but the bar must be low to qualify as I'm far from a power seller. I don't recall tracking exactly how this 10% shows up, although I always use the "Print Price on Postage" option anyway, so everyone knows what it costs.
mlehman richhotrain I forgot to mention another issue about shipping. If a seller uses the eBay/PayPal arrangement for payment, discounts of over 50 percent can be obtained on shipping charges due to eBay's agreement with USPS. So, a $12 shipping charge to the average USPS customer can cost the eBay seller just over $5. Often, a seller doesn't even realize this until the invoice is sent to the buyer showing the undiscounted shipping charge, and then PayPal charges the seller the lower, discounted, shipping fee. Rich Rich, I'd like to hear more about this. Must be a volume thing.
I'd like to hear more about this. Must be a volume thing.
In this link, eBay mentions discounts up to 37 percent, but I have experienced discounts up to 54 percent. If you spend some time Googling, you will find commentaries about this.
http://pages.ebay.com/sellerinformation/ship-smart/advanced-shipping/shipping-best-practices.html
That is exactly what I found. There is One decent train shop and guess what he sells ? Lionel O gauge. Almost no HO. The next closest LHS the owner actually put up a sign "no more trains" and guess what he sells RC and gaming supplies. Plus the guy seems to be slimy. I dont trust him. There are no more LHS any where near me. Believe me I would shop there if I could.
yougottawanta Believe me I would shop there if I could.
If I had a LHS I would shop there 90% of the time but,I don't like having to make a 52 mile round trip and still may not find what I need.
There's some good shops in Columbus (Oh) but,that's a 126 mile round trip and that's not much of a option..
Larry:
I'm in the same boat. There is a really good model railway shop about 45 minutes from my home. However, by the time I pay for the gas and the toll road I may as well pay the eBay shipping fees, assuming that they are reasonable. I can avoid the toll road if I want to spend another hour or more in traffic, but I prefer to avoid the stop and go. I would order from them but their shipping fees are out to lunch! They are higher than USPS First Class from the US. On the other hand, I order regularly from Hobby Wholesale in Edmonton, Alberta 2/3rds of the way across the country. They ship most small packages for $6.00.
As a couple of fellow Canadians have already pointed out, shipping to Canada from the US can be very pricey. If I see something that interests me where the quoted shipping is too high I send a message to the seller and in most cases they are willing to ship via cheaper methods. Some sellers are not. They don't get my business.
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
We sell hand made soap on line from our own web site. I use PayPal as the credit card/shipping source. We charge shipping based on exactly the quoted price by USPS on the PayPal site. We get our boxes for free from the post office, and we make daily trips to the bank and post office anyway, so there is no trouble to drop something off.
Still shipping is high. Most online purchases that I make (computer, medical, and hobby) tend to run in the 7 - 15 dollar range, and bigger shipment would of course cost more.
LION has hundreds of back issues of MR in boxes, but shipping of these would cost about $35.00 each.
Monks ship wine to churches. Cannot go by USPS or UPS nor by FedEx et al. Must go by freight. Freight is billed on "Hundred weight" ergo 1# or 100# is same price. 200# or 300# is just a fraction more. Average shipping costs for wine might be $70.00 for 100 - 200# of wine.
It costs us $4000.00 to ship 20 pallets of wine (Legal Load Limit) from California to North Dakota.
Shipping is expensive. Get over it.!
ROAR
The Route of the Broadway Lion The Largest Subway Layout in North Dakota.
Here there be cats. LIONS with CAMERAS
richhotrainMIke, it's not a volume thing. From my own experience, I can tell you that it applies to single auctions by low volume sellers as well. In this link, eBay mentions discounts up to 37 percent, but I have experienced discounts up to 54 percent. If you spend some time Googling, you will find commentaries about this. http://pages.ebay.com/sellerinformation/ship-smart/advanced-shipping/shipping-best-practices.html Rich
OK, that's useful. I did see the 35% discount. I'm definitely not 2,500 transactions. I guess my "above standard" status is not "top-rated" quite yet. I don't offer "free shipping" which may be holding me back there, too, as that seems somehow linked?
I start most of my auctions at 99 cents, so the "free shipping" thing is just too risky with my low volume. I'd never be able to cover the losses on auctions that don't go much of anywhere with profits that might be gained from "free shipping" -- which I'd have to pay for regardless.
I should take advantage of Regional Rates for Priority Mail when I can, as that looks easy enough.
This is a good page for buyers to note also, as it lets you know what options are available -- potentially.
Lion ! "Get over it. !" ? That is a very unusual comment from you. Gotta a thotnj stuck in the ole paw ?
YGW,
First....shipping costs have gone up considerably in recent years and the seller needs to recoup his costs for boxes, packing and tape. Some folks even have to pay someone to take shipments to the PO and have to get that money back too.
Second...feebay dictates the shipping costs and they are unreasonably low sometimes and high at times. I tried getting around the stupid cost structure and couldn't so just decided to not sell using feebay and concentrate on several Yahoo Groups. I had an auction for an S scale Overland N&W class A 2-6-6-4 and aux tender I was listing and the automatic feebay shipping calculator listed it with a $7.50 shipping cost. I was unable to change it and my phone call resulted in a comment that was not acceptable to me or the potential buyers. The actual USPS Priority Mail shipping cost for these items was about $54+insurance. They would not let me change it as they "didn't think it was a fair price". I've found USPS PM efficient and fairly cheap.
If you see an item listed you are interested in bidding on contact the seller and ask about working out something better as far as shipping. Most sellers will work with you as they really want to sell their stuff.
Happy hunting!
Roger Huber
Deer Creek Locomotive Works
mlehman richhotrain MIke, it's not a volume thing. From my own experience, I can tell you that it applies to single auctions by low volume sellers as well. In this link, eBay mentions discounts up to 37 percent, but I have experienced discounts up to 54 percent. If you spend some time Googling, you will find commentaries about this. http://pages.ebay.com/sellerinformation/ship-smart/advanced-shipping/shipping-best-practices.html Rich OK, that's useful. I did see the 35% discount. I'm definitely not 2,500 transactions. I guess my "above standard" status is not "top-rated" quite yet. I don't offer "free shipping" which may be holding me back there, too, as that seems somehow linked?
richhotrain MIke, it's not a volume thing. From my own experience, I can tell you that it applies to single auctions by low volume sellers as well. In this link, eBay mentions discounts up to 37 percent, but I have experienced discounts up to 54 percent. If you spend some time Googling, you will find commentaries about this. http://pages.ebay.com/sellerinformation/ship-smart/advanced-shipping/shipping-best-practices.html Rich
I never offer Free Shipping. It is too risky.
The big problem with shipping charges on eBay transactions is that you don't know beforehand where the seller lives (i.e., zip code). Except for USPS Flat Rate, which is a tough way to ship because of the limited box sizes (most are too small), you have to ship in customized boxes, so I keep every cardboard box that we receive in our household.
When I sell an item, I package it beforehand so that I know the size and weight of the box. Living here in Illinois, it will be cheaper to ship to Missouri or Wisconsin or Michigan than to ship to New York, Texas, or California.
But, if you use eBay's default shipping arrangement, it will automatically state a shipping charge based upon the bidder's zip code. But, as I pointed out earlier, the shipping charge is grossly overstated compared to what the seller will eventually be billed for by PayPal. So, this excessive shipping charge tends to discourage a lot of would-be bidders.
Blame eBay, not the seller. A relatively inexperienced seller, selling a used piece of MR equipment, is not going to wind up offering the least expensive shipping charge because he doesn't know better.
YGW ...
Sellers pay big fees to Ebay and PayPal ..... It is 15% or more of your total payment including Shipping and Handling.
Your example.
Item Price: $15.00
Shipping and Handling: $7.50
Total .... $22.50.
Estimated fees paid by seller ... 15% X $22.50 = $3.38.
Add that to postage, and you can see that is a reason why sellers must charge so much for Shipping & Handling
GARRY
HEARTLAND DIVISION, CB&Q RR
EVERYWHERE LOST; WE HUSTLE OUR CABOOSE FOR YOU
Heartland Division CB&Q YGW ... Sellers pay big fees to Ebay and PayPal ..... It is 15% or more of your total payment including Shipping and Handling. Your example. Item Price: $15.00 Shipping and Handling: $7.50 Total .... $22.50. Estimated fees paid by seller ... 15% X $22.50 = $3.38. Add that to postage, and you can see that is a reason why sellers must charge so much for Shipping & Handling
Small point, but the seller's fees are closer to 13 percent than 15 percent.
One other point. As a seller, I take eBay/PayPal fees into account when I price the starting bid. I do not try to recover my fees as part of the shipping charge.
Of course, either way, the buyer still pays the cost including the winning bid and the shipping charge. But, it rightfully appears more equitable to the buyer to see a fair shipping charge based upon what the seller will actually incur.
Another thing that I take into account as a seller is the fair market value of what I am selling. This is somewhat subjective of course. But say that I bought a locomotive for $150 and now wish to sell it in good condition, believing it to be worth $75 to a buyer. I will set that price as the starting bid without regard to the 13% fee that I will incur as a seller. To me, the eBay/PayPal fee is a cost of doing business with a nationwide set of interested buyers. Where else can I get such a widespread audience?
Rich .. I won't argue with your 13% ... My wife sells other stuff on ebay and her experience is 15% or more, but it is not model railroad items.
In either case, it is a big part of S&H.
Perhaps I do things too simply, since I'm having a difficult time following some of the comments.
I type in the amount of the shipping I will charge when I fill in the form that describes the item...the listing screen. It asks for "shipping". I type in anything from $5.95 to $9.95 depending upon the size of the item I'm selling, knowing that larger boxes take up more mail-truck space and size of box determines shipping price more so than weight (I think).
I usually make about 2 bucks on shipping, because most buyers just pay the reasonable stated shiiping charges right away and don't bother asking for an invoice. The few bucks I make on most of the transactions pay for the few dollars of shipping costs I lose when I have to ship an item to a buyer in CA, (which costs $14.00) and I've only collected $9.95 on shipping.
Most items that I sell can fit into a $12.35 Medium Flat Rate box, so I have a few of those laying around for when I need to ship to the west coast and just eat the few dollars difference.
Of course, I always sell with a high starting bid close to the items market value, so I don't get burned on selling something way underpriced, then have to eat shipping charges because I listed the item with a $7.95 shipping charge and someone from CA buys it.
No matter the buyers' locoation, old Proto locos with the huge bluish box take a medium sized USPS box to ship. If I'm selling one of those, I always list shipping as $11.95 knowing that I'll use one of the Medium Flat Rate boxes at $12.35, then just eat the 40 cents.
Doughless, you are using your own estimates to quote shipping charges, and that is fine. What I am talking about is using eBay's shipping calculator which almost universally overcharges the shipping cost as its default option.
As far as the USPS Medium Flat Rate shipping box is concerned, it is too small for items such as locomotives, set of passenger cars, etc., especially if it is to be packed and insulated properly.
Heartland Division CB&Q Rich .. I won't argue with your 13% ... My wife sells other stuff on ebay and her experience is 15% or more, but it is not model railroad items.
richhotrain As far as the USPS Medium Flat Rate shipping box is concerned, it is too small for items such as locomotives, set of passenger cars, etc., especially if it is to be packed and insulated properly. Rich
Doughless Circling back to the OPs issue, if that loco and set of passenger cars being sold are Tycos worth about $50, the shipping charge will still be the same as if they are a $400 Walthers set.
Circling back to the OPs issue, if that loco and set of passenger cars being sold are Tycos worth about $50, the shipping charge will still be the same as if they are a $400 Walthers set.
Yeah, that's what I meant. A $20 shipping charge isn't a big deal if you're buying a $400 item...its about the price of sales tax or lower. But if shipping is the same $20 for a $50 item, that's way more expensive than the sales tax you'd pay at the LHS.
I think the OP was complaining about paying $7.50 to have his $15 item shipped. The price of the item really has nothing to do with it's shipping costs.
I think ebay and online shops work best for expensive items...not so much for inexpensive items.
I am also a ebay seller as well as a buyer. I dont sell much now on ebay, but from 2005 to 2008 I sould alot. With ebay they want you to use paypal whenever possible which is most of the time. Beside the fee ebay takes (just sold something and ebay took 10% for their cut, but can be as high as 13% to 15%). Paypal also takes about .5% in addition for themselves of the total. Sellers have to be able to make something on the items they are selling.
On a side note, some ov the stuff for sale on ebay is way over priced. I like athearn cars and engines. Someone had 2 athearn cars (part of tropican orange juice train thing) 57 foot cars with a buy it now for $90 plus $7.15 for shipping. The shipping is ok, but the cars to me are high. It has a piece of paper stating they are limited edition, but still.
love any kind of train
richhotrainThe big problem with shipping charges on eBay transactions is that you don't know beforehand where the seller lives (i.e., zip code). Except for USPS Flat Rate, which is a tough way to ship because of the limited box sizes (most are too small), you have to ship in customized boxes, so I keep every cardboard box that we receive in our household
Rick,I hate to disagree but,90% of my e-Bay purchases for locomotive or freight cars comes in a USPS flat rate box and those that don't is either free or the majority being around $6.95.
The 11" x 8-1/2" x 5-1/2" flat rate Priority box is what my MBK orders comes in.
Several of my cars and locomotives I bought off e-Bay came in 11-7/8" x 3-3/8" x 13-5/8" flat rate Priority boxes wraped in bubble wrap.
Larry, a few months back, I made two separate purchases of new BLI steam engines, and each came in a BLI box measuring 13" x 7" x 3", too big to fit into a USPS Medium Flat Rate box which, as you point out, measures only 11 inches.
Those Flat Rate boxes are just not big enough for a lot of MR-related items.
yougottawa...
Here is the deal with shipping. You just have to check shipping on a case by case basis and decide if it's too much or not. That's it. Why get mad really? Just decide what you are willing to tolerate and ignore the rest. It's that way with many things out in the world isn't it? The Corvette is so expensive it makes you mad, so move on and buy a Toyota, or whatever. There, problem solved.
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
richhotrainThose Flat Rate boxes are just not big enough for a lot of MR-related items. Rich
True dat but,as we know some manufacturers' boxes seems to be oversize for their content and there are larger flat rate boxes available.
Is that a advertising thing? Perhaps, since those big boxes are eye catchers-you can't miss a Genesis box since its large and colorful as is BLI boxes. .
richhotrain I have under 200 eBay transactions, total, as buyer and seller, so it is not linked to volume.
OK, I believe that, I've just never seen anything close to 35% discount on shipping. Then again, since ebay regularly changes policies and the wbesite, it's pretty hard to keep up with things. Not doubting it may be true, just that if there's a way to do it it's not obvious, so I would caution buyers to not get in a huff if a seller says he or she hasn't a clue about that deep a discount, because how one goes about enabling that is far from obvious.
richhotrainBlame eBay, not the seller. A relatively inexperienced seller, selling a used piece of MR equipment, is not going to wind up offering the least expensive shipping charge because he doesn't know better.
I wouldn't say I'm inexperienced since I've been on ebay since 2000 IIRC and have over 500 feedbacks (100% positive BTW). If ebay wanted people to use this, they could easily make it easy, like the way they started taking a cut of shipping, too...which may be why it's not at all clear how it works.
BTW, I actually have found the shipping calculator to be relatively accurate in the last couple of years after it being all over the place previously. But that's just for the standard 10% discount shipping.
As for them forcing everything onto paypal, I suspect that will change, given they two companies are no longer tied together as they used to be.
mlehman richhotrain I have under 200 eBay transactions, total, as buyer and seller, so it is not linked to volume. OK, I believe that, I've just never seen anything close to 35% discount on shipping. Then again, since ebay regularly changes policies and the wbesite, it's pretty hard to keep up with things. Not doubting it may be true, just that if there's a way to do it it's not obvious, so I would caution buyers to not get in a huff if a seller says he or she hasn't a clue about that deep a discount, because how one goes about enabling that is far from obvious. richhotrain Blame eBay, not the seller. A relatively inexperienced seller, selling a used piece of MR equipment, is not going to wind up offering the least expensive shipping charge because he doesn't know better. I wouldn't say I'm inexperienced since I've been on ebay since 2000 IIRC and have over 500 feedbacks (100% positive BTW). If ebay wanted people to use this, they could easily make it easy, like the way they started taking a cut of shipping, too...which may be why it's not at all clear how it works. BTW, I actually have found the shipping calculator to be relatively accurate in the last couple of years after it being all over the place previously. But that's just for the standard 10% discount shipping. As for them forcing everything onto paypal, I suspect that will change, given they two companies are no longer tied together as they used to be.
richhotrain Blame eBay, not the seller. A relatively inexperienced seller, selling a used piece of MR equipment, is not going to wind up offering the least expensive shipping charge because he doesn't know better.
As to the shipping charge discount of as much as 54 percent, I just checked with my wife who is my packer and shipper. She reminded me that to get the deep discount you have to create your shipping label through eBay and the discount is automatically applied. So, that is the key. Create your shipping label through eBay.
richhotrainhave to create your shipping label through eBay and the discount is automatically applied. So, that is the key. Create your shipping label through eBay.
Yup..Today is July 4th..My order that I bought last night has "shipped" according to e-Bay..What e-Bay should say is your shipping label was printed today..
I like that idea of being notified my order was shipped with the tracking number even though it hasn't been shipped.Very nice touch IMHO..
As someone who both buys and sells on Ebay, I can offer my experience that since I am not a store, packing economically can be difficult. My packing materials are limited to what I can scrounge from work, and what I save from my own purchases.
Also, you must consider the items being sold. I try to combine like items into a lot to save on shipping, but for some items, they are better off by themselves. My experience is that quickest shipping is worth the extra $, and I compensate by starting my auctions low (in some cases ridiculously low).
When you buy, a quick glance through the seller's other items will tell you about why the shipping costs are what they are. Most are also willing to combine shipping when you buy multiple items.
My two cents.
Modeling whatever I can make out of that stash of kits that takes up half my apartment's spare bedroom.
richhotrainMike, I wasn't suggesting that you were an inexperienced eBay seller. I meant that as a general comment. As to the shipping charge discount of as much as 54 percent, I just checked with my wife who is my packer and shipper. She reminded me that to get the deep discount you have to create your shipping label through eBay and the discount is automatically applied. So, that is the key. Create your shipping label through eBay. Rich
Nah, didn't take it that way at all. I just wanted to note that, while I make not representations to being big time on ebay, I've been around long enough the obvious should be, well, obvious.
And it's not in this case, which is far from the first time for me to miss things. They're always coming up with new things, but the implementation for the user can range from EZ to Say What?!?
I do create all my postage through ebay, but there's no option at that point to fiddle with the discounts. You have to define what your shipping rules are beforehand is how I undertsand it. Since mine seem to work well enough, never dealt too deeply in that. I suspect that's what your wife meant in terms of how they're enumerated, as they will show when you print the label with postage unless you suppress actual cost on the label.
I suspect the really deep shipping discounts are tied to the regional rates you mentioned earlier when combined with the deepest USPS discounts. I can see those rates going that low and will definitely be looking into them when I make my next auction. The problem will be that these would only apply to packages sent to nearby buyers. Stuff sent from the Midwest to the coasts probably wouldn't benefit, for instance.
I looked at the language on USPS discounts.
USPS discounts for qualified eBay sellers. eBay Top-rated sellers and any seller with an average of 2,500 or more transactions per month now get Commercial Plus Pricing—savings of up to 35%—on domestic Priority Mail and Priority Mail Express shipments. No enrollment is necessary—qualified sellers automatically receive the discount when you pay for postage and print your shipping labels with eBay Labels.
So quantity is a qualifier for the 35%. Or being a Top-Rated Seller. I ship within 1 day of payment, which seems to be the qualifying metric. I suspect my intermittent use may be what's holding things back, no matter how good you are, I suspect doing that every week remains important. Wish I had enough stuff to sell to do that, could use the $$, but I don't.
But the bottom line is "qualified sellers automatically receive the discount" and ebay decides that. No box to check or info to enter.
Buyers of model RR items should keep this in mind, because what they usually care about, once they've decided ebay has assessed you won't rip them off, is the particular item they're bidding on. There is a lot of that out here in the hands of individual sellers who won't be able to offer such substantial discounts, but still offer good value. Sorry about the shipping, but drop them a note and, if like me, they'll see what they can do.
Mike, when using eBay to create the shipping label, I always choose to suppress the shipping charge, not because I am cheating the buyer but rather because you don't know the final discount until the shipping label is printed. In some cases, I have actually refunded a portion of the shipping charge to the buyer if the difference between what the buyer paid and the amount that I incurred is substantial.
As an example, I sold a collectible late last year to a buyer in Atlanta GA, and I live in the Chicago area. When I first listed the item using the eBay default shipping method (Expedited Shipping), the shipping charge appeared in the listing as $33.90. Yikes, that was more than 50 percent of the starting bid for the item. So, I took the listing down and then re-listed using USPS Economy Shipping. At that point, the shipping charge appeared in the listing as $22.80. When I eventually sold the item to the high bidder, I used eBay to print the shipping label. The shipping charge was $10.98. What more can I say?
Yeah, people really should do that when the shipping calculator delivers such a irregualr result. My policy is to refund the difference on shipping if it exceeds $1.
Thing is that most model RR stuff comes in under $50 (excluding high value items like locos, craftsman style kits, etc.) Shipping is going to be at least $5, so right there it's at least 10% of the purchase price, sometimes 20% or more. Older out of production, rare, collectible kits or stuff just unlikely to be found at a LHS any more are big reasons why people shop ebay. It's virtually impossible to find some things any other way. So customers do want what you have IF they're not scared off by shipping costs under those terms.
Guys,I thank those e-Bay sellers that places the real shipping charges in the auctions instead of trumped up shipping you are seeing with e-Bay's shipping costs..
Why is it 99% of the sellers (e-Bay stores) I use places the real shipping costs in their auction or they have you to use the USPS shipping calculator for the real cost.
The hidden dark side is some sellers tries to improve their profit by overcharging shipping costs--we all seen that.Only a fool would pay $12-15.00 for shipping on a single boxcar or locomotive yet there are those that try to charge that while other sellers charge the more realistic $6.95 shipping.. Guess who gets my business?
I'm no stranger to shipping and know it doesn't cost a small fortune to ship a 2-3 cars or 1 or 2 locomotives by using the flat rate boxes..
BRAKIE Guys,I thank those e-Bay sellers that places the real shipping charges in the auctions instead of trumped up shipping you are seeing with e-Bay's shipping costs.. Why is it 99% of the sellers (e-Bay stores) I use places the real shipping costs in their auction or they have you to use the USPS shipping calculator for the real cost.
The one exception is the USPS Flat Rate box, assuming that the item will fit in the box.
When an online retailer like MB Klein posts a fixed shipping charge like $8.99 for example, that may or may not be its real shipping cost. How can it be when the size and dimension, the wieght, and the destination of the shipping box varies by customer? MB Klein either eats some of the cost on larger, heavier packages or it has an agreement with one of the major shippers (Fed Ex, UPS, or USPS) to pay $8.99 on each and every shipment.
Lastly, yes, some sellers quote a fixed shipping charge that is unrealistically large as their way of protecting their profit margin or even making a little extra on the sale.
Rich,Again I'm no stranger to shipping and I know how to double check shipping charges against inflated shipping and why use a large box when a medium or large flat rate box can be used?
I don't want a large cardboard box stuffed with shipping peanuts protecting a bubble wrap car or locomotive that results in higher shipping charges.Use a flat rate box with minimal shipping and the seller with get my money.
Thankfully I never found the need to pay more then $7.95 shipping-exception being a large switch and flex track order from MBK and that was around $12.00.
Larry, the problem here is that you are looking at it from a buyer's perspective, and I am trying to present the issue from a seller's perspective.
Essentially, when a private seller is auctioning used MR stuff on eBay, and is not out to rip off a buyer, he has three options regarding shipping charges.
1. He can offer Free Shipping and try to recover his cost by building it into the starting bid.
2. He can offer a fixed shipping charge and pray that the law of averages will work to his benefit, depending upon the destination of the auctioned item.
3. He can use eBay's automated shipping calculator and hope that potential bidders do not get put off by the stated shipping charge for that bidder's zip code.
It is a real dilemma for the seller when using eBay.
If you have never paid more than $7.95 in shipping charges to buy used MR equipment from a private seller on eBay, then you may have passed up a lot of good deals because the average shipping cost in those instances is certainly higher than $7.95.
As a side note, sometimes it is the way they pack things! I recently got an item from ebay, Preiser figures, a whopping 1/2"x 5"x1" and it came in a 4"x6"x8" box and this is by far not the most the biggest box I have gotten for a small item.
A larger box happens for a lot of reasons, but it rarely contributes to additional postage, at least it shouldn't.
First, Priority Mail is one price up to a pound. You don't save anything by shorting on packing material to cut it substantially under a pound. More packing means greater likelihood that your stuff will arrive OK. A seller who errs on the side of caution here is much better than one who just plops the thing in a box to rattle around until it gets to you.
There may be discounts for those who qualify for smaller increments, but the pricing seems to be in one pound increments after the first pound for the postal calculator. As with the first pound, so long as it doesn't push the total weight into the next pound, it costs nothing more.
Often, a seller will have a few boxes to choose from and exact fit ain't gonna happen. Especially for small items, a somewhat bigger box that is well padded is the result.
In my experience MB Klein and others I've bought from are generous with the packing peanuts or other cushioning material. The item package is rarely designed for shipping strength except when boxed with multiples of the like at the factory. If there's nothing to cushion an item and it's closely packed, then it's crunch time if the outer carton is dinged. Lots of packing virtually eliminates this problem and makes for satisfied customers.
mlehman Often, a seller will have a few boxes to choose from and exact fit ain't gonna happen. Especially for small items, a somewhat bigger box that is well padded is the result.
Waddya gonna do?
Experience and observation goes a long way too. I live in the midwest and generally buy/sell midwestern/eastern/southeastern roadnames. The people who buy my roadnames generally do not live on the west coast. I rarely pay even $10 to ship one item, and usually add about $4 for each additional item packed into the same box. The buyers seem happy and that estimate pays my shipping costs.
The oddball west coast buyer usually buys the oddball western roadname I've picked up for some reason. That's the time I have to spend $15 on shipping.
richhotrainLarry, the problem here is that you are looking at it from a buyer's perspective, and I am trying to present the issue from a seller's perspective.
Rich,I have sold and shipped several models over the past 5 years..I know flat rate may not be popular with some sellers but,its a good option for anybody to use unless one is using inflated shipping in order to compensate some of their e-Bay/Paypal fees then of course its a bad choice to make.
To the point and I think you will agree..$12-15.00 to ship one engine or car is over the top since it can be shipped at a lower cost.
There's no way anybody can justify that high shipping cost unless the item being shipped by UPS or FEDEX which I will not use...
As far as private sellers no,I only use e-Bay stores since most private sellers has a as is/no return policies and high prices with higher shipping which is a turn off.
As a example $15.00 for a BB or Roundhouse car kit with $12.00 shipping? LOL..Noooo deal! If you think I'm pulling your leg grab your favorite refreshment and look over the prices plus shipping.
Here's another example of the shipping quandary...
I listed a "Mint In Box" MRC powerpack on eBay for $15.00. This item fit perfectly in a USPS Priority Mail, medium Flat Rate Box; shipping cost $12.65. I knew this shipping rate might scare some buyers off.
In my listing I offered alternate shipping. Because of the weight of this item the alternate shipping costs, depending on zip code, was between $25.00 to $35.00 in the exact same size box! I explained that the cheapest way to ship this item would be via Priority Mail Flat Rate Box.
There were quite a few views but in the end no one bought this item. I can't prove it but I suspect the shipping cost versus the cost of the item differential (which has been talked about) had a lot to do with this item not selling.
If I dropped the price on this item then the cost versus shipping becomes more skewed. If I raise the price of this item, to lower the cost to shipping rate, I'm over valuing this item.
Where my other analog items sold quickly; because the shipping costs were perceived as "reasonable" versus the asking price, this item is now just gathering dust.
When I sell on Fleabay I use USPS Parcel Post based on weight which gives the buyer the best price for shipping, but alot of sellers, and I mean ALOT, prefer to use the Flat Rate boxes with prepaid labels, then its a simple drop off at the PO, no waiting in line.
But some sellers are either completely DILLUSIONAL or outright CROOKS! Charging 2 to 3 times normal shipping with "handling" fees, but every now and then comes along some joker who's shipping fee is so outrageous that beggers the mind. Recently one jokers shipping fee was $123 for an item I knew could be shipped for $15, when I inquired whether it was a typo or if it was being mailed from Antarctica, he tartly replied "Not Nice!"
Have fun with your trains
BRAKIEAs far as private sellers no,I only use e-Bay stores since most private sellers has a as is/no return policies and high prices with higher shipping which is a turn off.
Larry,
A transaction happens between a willing seller and a willing buyer. It's your privilege to shop where you're comfortable.
Not being a store, my stock is all pretty much one of a kind. I can't offer a replacement, because I don't have one. Ebay's protection policy still means that the buyer is guarateed the item is as described and I go to great effort to exactly state what it is I offer. That's another reason for my great care in packing things, as it must arrive unscathed.
On the other hand, as an individual seller I'm not here to serve the impulse buyer. While I know it's not you I'm talking about here, it is the case that people often can't decide what they want to spend their money on and this generates returns, because a return generates more money when you change your mind this week about money you already spent last week.
I say this to explain there are reasons other than a desire to cheat people for not offering returns. There's also the feedback score. Despite my policy, people who buy stuff I have to sell seem to get along OK with it. 100% seems like a low risk endeavor to me, but YMMV.
This all leads up to what people who use only the ebay stores might miss. You can generally find current and recent production items at these well enough. But my entrance to using ebay was to find relatively rare things I was having trouble finding any other way, rather than things that were essentially commodities.
My first purchase was a Jonan GE SP #1 HOn3 diesel. I had exhausted all my resources in trying to track down one of these after several years trying. Then I decided to take a chance on this new ebay thing. Sure enough, found one, in Australia. Never would have come across it without ebay and never would have bought it if I'd already written off private inidviduals.
You're just more likely to find such things with indivdiual sellers, although there are stores that specialize in new old stock (NOS) items. So this is something to consider, depending on what it is you're searching for.
mlehmanYou're just more likely to find such things with indivdiual sellers, although there are stores that specialize in new old stock (NOS) items. So this is something to consider, depending on what it is you're searching for.
I look for odd things and I have 2 stores that stock detail parts from Atlas and Athearn at reasonable prices-last month I stocked up on some Atlas detailing parts that can be used with any brand like horns,mu cables,antennas,sunshades etc.
You may recall I collect IPD short line boxcars and most e-Bay stores I visit turns up several (usually the ones I already have in my collection) but,I have found some including a Berlin Mills and a light blue Aberdeen & Rockfish 50' boxcar.Whoever painted and decaled that A&R car did a excellent job.IMHO $12.00 with free shipping was a steal.
A real oddity I found several years on e-Bay was a Manufacturers Railway SW1500(Athearn BB).I haven't seen one since.
I would not hesitate to buy from you,Rick and other forum members I grown trust over the years.
Even on line retailers such as Walthers , Trainworld ,Toy Train Heaven and Model Train Stuff charage shipping that does not vary that much wether you but one box car or six. Some times there is a lesser charge for small parts.They best thing to do is have a quanity of purchases to cut the per item cost of shipping.
Ebay is great to find older or rare and out of stock items that you might be willing to pay their shipping fee.But for new or commonly stocked items if you can't buy local the best bet is some of the online retailers.
Ron High
Ron High.But for new or commonly stocked items if you can't buy local the best bet is some of the online retailers.
Ron,I agree..I use three different on line stores as well as e-Bay stores and have no problems filling my needs.
However..
I really miss going to the LHS every Saturday morning even if it was nothing more then looking over the new stock and shooting the breeze and having coffee with modelers I've met during these Saturday morning pilgrimages...
If life could be as enjoyable as that again.
see stuff at: the Willoughby Line Site
As a buyer and seller on ebay of train related items. You get some folks trying to make a profit from the price to mail an item. But as others have said - it depends on the size/shape of the package. Look first at the shipping not the item price. Then make a decision.
I got stuff off Ebay you can't find anywhere else. I think that a lot of dealers/sellers know this and so Ebay is a good place to go. If you can find a bargain or a rare item you cannot source anywhere else - then why bother about the shipping price?
Just my 10 cents worth.
Chris.
Loco Guy - is a state of mind - not an affinity to locomotives.
Sit back and enjoy your track...
OK, got an update on the largish sounding discounts that Rich noted were available. It's been a month or so since I sold anything -- you can tell how big an operator on ebay I am -- so I was surprised when the heavier of the two items I had to ship showed up with what was listed as a "48% discount."
I entered the weight originally as 7 lbs. I tend to estimate higher these days to be sure I have packing weights covered. I do a rough weighing of the item and the most likely box it will go in to avoid any big surprises, but I don't otherwise prepack things. IIRC, you don't actually see a shipping cost as a seller, just the weight and dimensions.
The buyer used the calculated price to pay me for 7 lbs, but when I had it packed I was able to get it down to 5 lb, 5 oz, so I knew there was going to be a refund. I went to buy the label through ebay and paypal and was surprised to see that the shipping cost for the original 7 lb weight was listed as $22.80! But the buyer only paid $11.82, which was exactly what the calculated cost was for 7 lb. Nonetheless, the webpage bragged that this was a "48% discount."
And maybe it is if I had to walk into the PO and buy the postage. But since the buyer never saw or paid for a number so high, there was no opportunity to profit off of the difference, presuming I could have presented him with the "list price" and he had paid it. The ebay shipping calculator sure didn't do this.
Of course, I had no intention of doing such a thing, just wanted to note there's no obvious way here for a seller to take advantage and rake in the difference the discount seems to promise if I was greedy. It basically makes shipping more affordable for the buyer. I'm hestitant to promote the discount in my auctions, because that would create expectations shipping should be even cheaper than the displayed cost of the calculator.
And I have no control over the discount itself, which was demonstrated when I revised the label to reflect the lower shipped weight I was able to create. My 5 lb, 5 oz actual package weight would cost only $8.55 to ship. However, the discount went down to only 29%! Sure doesn't sound as good as a 48% discount, but since I wasn't pocketing any of the money it doesn't really matter. I went ahead and refunded the $3.27 differnce per my policy of doing that when the difference is a $1 or more between cost and what the buyer paid.
Thus, these may sound like deep discounts and they probably are vs street rates at the PO. However, they're unlikely to be a profit center for the seller unless they're better at chicanery with ebay than I can think of in the way this is implemented. At least buyers should know that they do get a discount.
mlehman The buyer used the calculated price to pay me for 7 lbs, but when I had it packed I was able to get it down to 5 lb, 5 oz, so I knew there was going to be a refund. I went to buy the label through ebay and paypal and was surprised to see that the shipping cost for the original 7 lb weight was listed as $22.80! But the buyer only paid $11.82, which was exactly what the calculated cost was for 7 lb. Nonetheless, the webpage bragged that this was a "48% discount."
If the buyer pays the invoice before you create the shipping label, or if the buyer pays for the item before an invoice is issued (this happens when the winning bidder immediately pays upon completion of the auction), he will be paying the higher, undiscounted, shipping charge.
Mike,7 pounds is a lot of model trains..
When I sell a engine or car I use a flate rate box for the best shipping price.
As I mention $15.00 for a BB or Roundhouse car kit with $12.00 shipping?
Nuts at best.I can ship that same car by using a flat rate box for 1/2 the cost.
=============================
Rich,I always wait for the sellers invoice before paying-some times I need to request a invoice for combined shipping.
I went back through my paperwork and found the data on four HO scale locomotives that I sold on eBay back in January. Here is that data:
Listed Actual Shipping
Shipping Shipping Discount
$15.99 $ 7.36 53.97%
$14.99 $10.81 27.89%
$ 9.99 $ 5.44 45.55%
$12.99 $ 5.84 55.04%
In every case, the buyer paid the listed shipping charge, and I refunded the difference.
richhotrainIf the buyer pays the invoice before you create the shipping label, or if the buyer pays for the item before an invoice is issued (this happens when the winning bidder immediately pays upon completion of the auction), he will be paying the higher, undiscounted, shipping charge. Rich
Which is why many sellers ask you to wait for an invoice prior to paying. It gives the seller time to calculate the correct rate.
Jim
BRAKIEMike,7 pounds is a lot of model trains.. When I sell a engine or car I use a flate rate box for the best shipping price.
In this particular case, it was one of the rare times I sold something not related to trains on Ebay. It was a set of wheel weights for an old Troy-Bilt tiller I sold several years ago. Now, how are wheel weights so light and still do you any good? They're plastic containers you can fill with sand or concrete, then they bolt to the wheel. Not sure if they're even made any more like this, so a discontinued item (they were an attic find when cleaning up there a few weeks ago.) They were relatively bulky for the weight nonetheless.
Why no flat rate box? Too large and odd shaped to fit into those, so no relief there. Besides, I think $8.55 is cheaper than all but the smallest flat rate box anyway, so I think the buyer got the best deal possible here. And there are a substantial number of model RR items that face the same problem. If all you buy are cars and locos in HO scale, then flat rate can save your some money, but once it doesn't fit into one of those, then you have to rely on the ingenuity of the seller to keep shipping low.
Certainly for a single car (maybe 2), not going flat rate can be even cheaper, because most would fall below the 1 lb threshold for the cheapest Priority Mail rate. I think the cheapest small flat rate box is 20 cents more than the 1 lb Priority Mail rate, for instance, at retail price without any discount. A loco would likely be more than a pound, so then you are money ahead with flat rate assuming it fits the small flat rate box.
Soo Line fan richhotrain If the buyer pays the invoice before you create the shipping label, or if the buyer pays for the item before an invoice is issued (this happens when the winning bidder immediately pays upon completion of the auction), he will be paying the higher, undiscounted, shipping charge. Rich Which is why many sellers ask you to wait for an invoice prior to paying. It gives the seller time to calculate the correct rate.
richhotrain If the buyer pays the invoice before you create the shipping label, or if the buyer pays for the item before an invoice is issued (this happens when the winning bidder immediately pays upon completion of the auction), he will be paying the higher, undiscounted, shipping charge. Rich
The listed weight is your estimate I think. But I think even if you ended up with a package that did weigh that much, the buyer would still see a discount, only it would be for the higher weight. It might be a larger discount than at the smaller weight, if my experience of last night is an indication.
Now, you did end up shipping lighter than the estimate and a discount was given. But the discount would've been there anyway in some form I believe.
Where I think you really may be on to something is the wait until invoiced payer getting it. I typically just let the buyer have a few hours to decide whether to pay and they often do without invoicing. I have used invoicing as a reminder to pay after the first 12 hours or so. But if that's how the buyer actually get the discount, maybe I need to start automatically invoicing. I may experiment with that or look into it further. It's not obvious that's how this is happening to me or at least I've never seen anything that said words to that effect, but that wouldn't be the first time that's happened to me with the complexities of ebay.
richhotrain Jim wrote: "Which is why many sellers ask you to wait for an invoice prior to paying. It gives the seller time to calculate the correct rate." Exactly
Exactly
Well, maybe. All the calculating for the rate is done when I enter the auction. I may end up shipping cheaper than my estimate when things get packed, but there's no calculating on rates, just on weight. And as my experience yesterday shows, this may even lessen the discount that ebay offers because it was less for my example at the lower weight (48% vs 29%).
mlehman Rich, The listed weight is your estimate I think. But I think even if you ended up with a package that did weigh that much, the buyer would still see a discount, only it would be for the higher weight. It might be a larger discount than at the smaller weight, if my experience of last night is an indication. Now, you did end up shipping lighter than the estimate and a discount was given. But the discount would've been there anyway in some form I believe.
I will go back and add dollars signs.
mlehman All the calculating for the rate is done when I enter the auction. I may end up shipping cheaper than my estimate when things get packed, but there's no calculating on rates, just on weight. And as my experience yesterday shows, this may even lessen the discount that ebay offers because it was less for my example at the lower weight (48% vs 29%).
All the calculating for the rate is done when I enter the auction. I may end up shipping cheaper than my estimate when things get packed, but there's no calculating on rates, just on weight. And as my experience yesterday shows, this may even lessen the discount that ebay offers because it was less for my example at the lower weight (48% vs 29%).
richhotrainMike, those are dollar amounts, not weights. I will go back and add dollars signs. Rich
OK, then you're NOT using the postal calculator, but manually estimating the cost?
That could certainly be a place where there is room for those who wanted to make money on shipping to put their finger on the scale. Not that you are at all, just that I can see where that could happen with that approach to things.
mlehman richhotrain Mike, those are dollar amounts, not weights. I will go back and add dollars signs. Rich
richhotrain Mike, those are dollar amounts, not weights. I will go back and add dollars signs. Rich
LOL Just kidding.
No, I am not estimating the cost. I am using the ebay shipping calculator, selecting UPSP Economy shipping. But the shipping charge that eBay calculates based upon the dimensions and weight that I enter is higher than the final discounted shipping charge billed to me as seller by PayPal.
[stupid quote thingy not working again...need to upgrade my box, I guess]
Rich wrote:
arrrrggghh, this is getting frustrating. When you use the automatic calculator provided by eBay, it does ask for the dimensions and weight of the box to provide its stated shipping charge which will vary by zip code. But, the stated shipping charge will not necessarily be the final shipping charge billed to the seller by PayPal. It will be discounted by as much as 53%, but that discount will not be known with certainty until the seller prepares the eBay shipping label.
Thanks everyone this has been very enlightening discussion. Amazing the amount of details in such a subject. I certainly understand the condition better. I seem to be hearing that there may be a few crooks out there but mostly it is an issue with the whole system. It seems to have improved from the past but could still use some refinement.
Thanks YGW
yougottawantaI seem to be hearing that there may be a few crooks out there but mostly it is an issue with the whole system.
Yeah, I think that sums it up well. The seller has some limited control over shipping. More often, when they make an error, it'll result in them not charging enough for shipping and having to eat the extra charges. As a seller, you can't bump things up after the fact if your estimates and weights are off.
About the only way someone can take advantage of a buyer is to not print the postage cost on the label. But the weight will be there and the labeling is set up so there's no way to charge more than the standard quoted stret price from the PO.* The discounting can help reduce that and someone could pocket the difference and the buyer may not notice that if the price isn't printed on the label. In my mind, that just hurts you as a seller. Sure, you may already have the guy's money if they somehow didn't get a discounted price on shipping, but your feedback is far more likely to be appreciative if you send them back a couple of bucks than put it in your own pocket.
There is a line where one can add a handling charge over and above actual shipping cost. However, I believe that's obvious to the bidder and can't be hidden, so that should be a red flag unless justified. One case where that could legitimately apply with model RR is shipping flextrack, where a tube might need to be purchased since boxes can be iffy if long and thin.
The key for bidder/buyers is to look at the S&H breakdown and get an estimated shipping charge before you bid to avoid irritating surprises.
* A seller could inflate the actual weight and charge you for more weight than they shipped, but they'd still have to pay the PO for it. If they were trying to shave off the discount, yeah, this might gain them a bit more. But it could also expose them to easy discovery, since the buyer could weigh the package and find it weighs 2 pounds less then the stated postage paid on it, for example. Thing is, that might just constitute postal fraud and it's generally a losing battle to poke sticks in the eyes of Uncle Sam. It could more easily get you negative feedback or even being kicked off ebay if someone found this and filed a complaint about it.
mlehman About the only way someone can take advantage of a buyer is to not print the postage cost on the label.
About the only way someone can take advantage of a buyer is to not print the postage cost on the label.
richhotrainIs that really taking advantage of the buyer by not printing the postage cost on the label?
No, I said that's how it could happen, not that it's that way necessarily. People have lots of good reasons for doing things like that, too. People shouldn't jump to conclusions based on a single metric in any case. This is something that, like my no returns policy, has to be taken in context by the buyer in making decisions.
I guess the reason I do it most is transparency. The more you know, the easier it is to understand things. That's why I find this discount business so irritating, because it's not at all clear to the seller how this works and it may not be to the buyer, either. Sure, it's a good thing to get cheaper shipping, but if this is done so murkily as it is right now, then it's hard for the buyer to clearly see the benefit, which I think it is.
Ebay is likely pushing these to help it seem more affordable to the buyer. Why go to the trouble if you're not at all clear about how this works? Someone there is still working on this, I hope, because I can really see it helping if people were more aware of it. As it is, I learned about it here, from you but it's probably because I ignored this one important tidbit among the mountain of other verbiage we're inudated with from them. Such is modern life.
richhotrain refund the excess all of the time and never once has a buyer thanked me or mentioned it in his feedback. Rich
Makes you stop and wonder..A honest gesture of a partial shipping refund by a seller--hear the crickets?
Let them find they was overcharged and they can't wait to give the seller a bad rating..
I think that is (unfortunately) human nature. "What have you done for me lately" attitude.
yougottawantaI think that is (unfortunately) human nature. "What have you done for me lately" attitude.
Yeah, that's why when I do that, it's not necessarily because I'm fishing for compliments. I'm not giving someone more than what they expected, just exactly what they expected, so it may not get much direct credit from others.
I do it because it's my way of "being square" as we used to say back in Boy Scouts. It's what leaves me comfortable with it being a straightforward transaction. So despite all the policy changes I can't keep up with, it's helped me keep my 100% batting average, but that's sorta incidental to why I;m doing it, for myself.
Buying from eBay is a breeze. It's selling where you really get ripped off.
Paying too much for shipping is nothing, wait 'til you get hit with seller's fees.
Metro Red Line Buying from eBay is a breeze. It's selling where you really get ripped off. Paying too much for shipping is nothing, wait 'til you get hit with seller's fees.
In my case, I sell 100% of my used items at an average sale price ranging between 50% and 70% of my original purchase price, and the buyer pays shipping charges.
If you try to sell locally, with a classified ad in the newspaper, you pay the insertion fee, appeal to a much more limited audience and then any and all interested buyers have to come to your home to inspect the item.
I'll stick with eBay. 13 percent is a small price to pay for universal success.
Paying too much for shipping is nothing, wait 'til you get hit with seller's fees
What are seller fees ? I saw a bunch of boxes for sale and it had a 19% fee associated with it. Is that the "buyers fee" what the heck is that ?
Sellers fees are charged to the seller. They vary, depending on initial price, etc (why I generally start at 99 cents, b/c it's free) and final value. Rich's cite of 13% is about right, although it will vary up and down (mostly up) depending on the factors I mentioned.
I agree with Rich here. Things usually sell if priced right. Ebay opens up a worldwide market (although some choose to restrict their sales to just the domestic market, for example) that there is no equivalent to.
For our purposes here, I generally think that you get as good if not a better deal on new items coming on the market through your LHS or a trusted online dealer. That because many of the sellers are LHS or other dealers leveraging their stock by posting it to ebay. Since they have to pay the seller fees, there's really no way they can cut you too much of a better deal than if you dealt with them through the usual means.
Where ebay shines for me is old stock and discontinued items I need, brass (on the rare occassions I need and can afford it), and the specialized world of narrowgauge, which you don't stumble over everyday at the LHS. The pricing is generally much more favorable with this stuff for the buyer than on recently released items.
As for my sales, it's generally stuff I don't need or acquired too much of. I stick 99 cents on it and a week later it's turned into some amount of cash, usually less than I dreamed, but always more than I had to start with.
There are a number of myths that seems to permeate shipping discussions.
First the sellers choice to use a flat rate box. The breakeven between priority and flat rate priority is somewhere in the neighborhood of 3 to 4 pounds depending on where it's going so it's almost always cheaper to ship straight priority.
most train items should never be shipped priority at all. Anything under 13 ounces should ship first-class.
Second, international shipping should be first class international unless it's over 4 pounds yes the tracking is limited, but you can pay for a lot of insurance for the cost to ship priority.
Third, the eBay discount on shipping is really available on at the post office website for anybody. It is their incentive to have you buy online. You also get the same discount from Stamps Inc.
Finally a good rule of thumb while not precise is that eBay's fees are 10% for the item and 10% for the shipping this is particularly true for train items. They are very open and and do not hide their fees you just need to look and see what they are. They are really encouraging buy it now fixed price listings so those insert for free. You can read into it what you want.
www.llxlocomotives.com
So many trains, so little time,
Just a couple of things to add here. One, I have had sellers give me refunds on shipping misquotes, so it does happen.Also, that eBay's Global Shipping Program is just a way for Pitney-Bowes, eBay's brokerage, to make money from the unsuspecting international buyer. According to the North American Free Trade Agreement, there is no duty payable on the purchase or import of used toys, which is what model trains fall under. Yet here's the Global Program, listing an 'Import Fee' at least matching but usually exceeding the price of the item. This 'fee' does not go to the seller or eBay but it certainly goes into someone's pocket.My usual action at this point is to contact the buyer directly to see if he will use USPS First Class International Mail, many will; if not, I thank him for his time & move on.
bigpianoguy According to the North American Free Trade Agreement, there is no duty payable on the purchase or import of used toys, which is what model trains fall under. Yet here's the Global Program, listing an 'Import Fee' at least matching but usually exceeding the price of the item. This 'fee' does not go to the seller or eBay but it certainly goes into someone's pocket. My usual action at this point is to contact the buyer directly to see if he will use USPS First Class International Mail, many will; if not, I thank him for his time & move on.
According to the North American Free Trade Agreement, there is no duty payable on the purchase or import of used toys, which is what model trains fall under. Yet here's the Global Program, listing an 'Import Fee' at least matching but usually exceeding the price of the item. This 'fee' does not go to the seller or eBay but it certainly goes into someone's pocket.
My usual action at this point is to contact the buyer directly to see if he will use USPS First Class International Mail, many will; if not, I thank him for his time & move on.
That's a good point. But it also might be the case where New-In-Box items and New-Old- Stock items, no matter how old, might not qualify as "used", so that "import fee" may be a legit expense that someone has to pay.
It might make a difference in transportation costs between new and used items, and the buyer might be able to make that distinction. Perhaps ebay is being conservative (to their advantage) by charging it on everything when only a segment of the items sold are subject to the fee.
Even if new in box, etc, once an item is sold at retail, it's used as far as customs, taxes, etc is concerned. Ebay puts up a very conservative and inclusive rendering of what custom duties apply to because they don't want hassles from the gov't, but use your best judgment here. Many countries don't sweat the small stuff, so your average car or kit will likely just go on through and they won't even both to ask for any import duty. An expensive loco, maybe not. This of course varies widely, depending on where you live, the current gov't in power, had badly hard up it is for revenue, etc.
My advice is be as honest as possible with labeling, while saying as little as possible to be honest when it comes to customs forms. I was aksed once if I was willing to wildly misstate the value of a piece of brass I was selling and I indicated I would not, so that person did not bid, item sold anyway, that's cool, but not for me to do. Just remember that once it gets to where you filling out the customs form you've already sold the item. No need for verbiage that makes it sound impressive or very valuable, rare, etc, as that will only attract unneeded attention.
I will say, may have said earlier, that I use First Class International to Canada and other international destinations with 100% success as a shipping option. No tracking, but nothing I've sent was particularly valuable except one brass caboose where I made it clear they were accepting the shipping risk in exchange for the price savings if they did not want to use Int'l Priority Mail. In the other caes, I would have simply refunded as part of the cost of doing business, but a lost brass item is just not in the cards. Use your best judgment in cases like that.
I buy a fair amount of items from China and the USA, I have no idea what the particualrs are but many items I buy from China are shipped to me in Canada postage free. I do not know if this is something that China Post only offers to new merchants or what the criteria for who is elegible.
Sometimes the item is offered at a inflated price so the total paid is not a good deal at all.
However, many times the price is very close to what vendors are charging in the USA and with the free postage, it is indeed a great deal.
In dealing with USA vendors in many instances First Class Postage arrives within a day or two of items sent Priority Post. Also many times I have watched as parcels shipped Priority Post sit in Canada Customs for days, even weeks while most First Class is sent right through the system. Go Figure.
As to the E-Bay Global Post, this is no doubt a kickback to E-bay. It is a partnership agreement of sorts between Pitney Bowes, E-Bay and the US Postal Service. The vendor sends the item to a Pitney Bowes warehouse where it is relabeled for shipment to the purchaser. It takes more time than Priority Post and the fee is based on the sales price. There is a payment made to Canada Customs representing Federal Sales tax. At least that is supposed to happen but even though it is somewhat documented I would need to see proof it is really paid or not.
I just sold a used set of golf clubs on eBay, so I decided to add an update to this thread regarding shipping charge discounts.
The calculated USPS charge was $26.90, but when I ordered up the eBay shipping label, the actual USPS shipping charge was $15.93, a 40.8% discount.
Well I have not said anything in this thread...but I hope everyone is aware of the fact that shipping charges have gone up considerably over the past three months. I don't sell anything on E-bay...but have bought a lot. I am still waiting on a shipment from Beijing that was inspected and shipped on 7-08-15, has a tracking number and it continues to say ''in Transit'' was to be here in 8-15 days, it was supposed to be shipped air....but I think it's on a slow boat. I paid 43.00+ for shipping on a 400.00 item, that was discounted to 150.00...still waiting.
Take Care!
Frank
I don't think you can evaluate shipping cost based on the cost of the item you purchased. Any one single item can be small, very small, large or very large and that plus the weight (in most cases unless shipping Flat Rate) results in the shipping cost. I don't care if an item I am purchasing on Ebay or other Internet stores costs $2.00 or $50.00, the shipping cost is not tied to the item cost, unless they offer free shipping on orders over a specific dollar amount. As others have mentioned, when buying online, I try to combine items from one seller to get the best 'per item' shipping cost. Just my opinion, I have been buying/selling on Ebay for over 10 years now and it is just a form of business that has evolved. You can barely ship anything for less than $5 or $6 today.
-Bob
Life is what happens while you are making other plans!
farrellaa You can barely ship anything for less than $5 or $6 today. -Bob
You can barely ship anything for less than $5 or $6 today.
You can barely buy the box to put the thing in in the first place for $5!
Several months ago, I shipped a small flat rate USPS box to the UK..the cost was 12.65 usd....that same box today...is 26.50 usd.
I also checked UPS...They want 94.50 usd for the same size box. The contents was not even close to the amount they wanted to ship it.
As I said in My other post...shipping rates have gone up considerably.
Life Go's On, if You have the $$$$ I guess.
Btw: The pkg from China I am waiting for is considerably large and heavy....contents value is no way related to cost to ship. After going through different shipping methods and carriers today on-line, I believe I must have got a deal...for 43.00+, if I ever get it. LOL.
the issue is shipping one item. If your going to ship a continuous number, you need to buy the supplies in bulk. If I go to the local office supply store, the want to charge me $30 for 24 shipping labels that you can print and stick on. You can get 1000 on Amazon delivered for less than that. Boxes are the same.
The real trick is to ship in the right sized box. If the item is less than 13 oz including box, it will ship anywhere in the U.S. For under $4. 8 oz is less than $3. I have yet to find the case where flat rate is cheaper. It generally adds cost and nobody wins. All you save is the time it takes to weigh the package.
In over seas shipping, customs is the issue. Depending on the threat level, the time of day and other ambiguous issues, your package can be delayed. I've seen 30 - 45 days. If they decide to return to sender, which I've also see, it goes by the slowest method. I had the same package returned twice over a period of six months. The label and customs firms were printed through eBay. The third time it arrived at the destination in less than a week.
NittanyLion farrellaa You can barely ship anything for less than $5 or $6 today. -Bob You can barely buy the box to put the thing in in the first place for $5!
Why buy the box when USPS furnishes priority boxes free and your carrier will drop them off at your door and if you schedule a pickup your carrier will pick your shipment up?
I stop paying inflated shipping/handling prices 30-40 years ago.
yougottawanta Greg Thanks for that. I will look. To the others I dont mind paying shipping and some handling. What I do object to is the shipping costing 50% of the cost of the product. I have mailed stuff before and it doesnt cost 50% of the price of the product. I did not know EBAY was taking a slice also. Thanks all YGW
Shipping is getting more expensive all the time, and is highly dependant on the size of the box and what zone it's heading to. The difference can be surprisingly high for what seem to be very small differences, and I've been stung on the shipping end more than once.
The other problem is ebay/paypal charge a total of about 13% of the grand total. If a store is getting something at 40% off and has to cut 20% off the top to be competitive, there's no incentive to sell on there at all if another 13% disappears.
I think the trick is to make larger purchases.
I have bought and sold on eBay for the past 16 years. I live on the east coast and shipping anything west of the Mississippi is getting very expensive. I usually ship priority mail on small packages but never to the west coast. The cheapest to the west coast is fedex ground.
I shipped a O scale steam locomotive to Santa Ana, California and it cost the buyer $72.00 plus insurance. I have also shipped a similar item it to Australia this past year for $82.00 plus insurance via USPS priority intl. it is faster to Australia 4 days then to the west coast which is 5 days. I have done it several times so I know it is only 4 days to Woy, woy Australia.
When shipping smaller packages the percentage of the cost versus shipping cost will be high. The further you ship the more it will be. As somebody posted if ordering smaller items order more to get the weight up and the shipping cost will be more reasonable.
If you order one HO car be prepared to to pay between 30% to 50% of the cost of the car for shipping.
DAVID FORTNEYIf you order one HO car be prepared to to pay between 30% to 50% of the cost of the car for shipping.
Or like I was charged this morning.. I bought two Atlas tank cars from the same dealer and the shipping cost was $5.95 combined for priority for the total of $39.95 including shipping.
One really needs to look at various sellers to get the best price and lowest shipping--if not well,good luck!
Milepost 266.2The other problem is ebay/paypal charge a total of about 13% of the grand total. If a store is getting something at 40% off and has to cut 20% off the top to be competitive, there's no incentive to sell on there at all if another 13% disappears.
Keep in mind that a lot of stuff on Ebay was not purchased at wholesale for resale there. Some is, no doubt, and much of that pricing aims to just undercut brick & mortar retailers.
On the other hand, thinking this applies to private individuals and their sales is not really a good assessemnt. Many people think of something they bought at retail long ago as an "investment." It could be, I suppose, if you happened to buy something failry cheap that turned into a high demand item now with little or no supply. Sure, I've had a handful of deals like that.
But most stuff I sell are items I no longer need. It would be silly to expect to "make money" along with all the talk of percentages, etc that Milepost 266.2 listed for me. And this is what sticks people up from selling on ebay. They want to "make money" off of that piles of stuff under the layout over and above what they paid at retail.
That is difficult or impossible to do.
If you think of your sales this way, don't even bother going through the motions, as you will just be disappointed in the "returns on investment." Fact of the matter is, if bought at retail, unless one plans to hold it for a half-century or more you'll be lucky to gte what you paid for it. very lucky. In fact, you'd have done much better putting the money in the stock market or something under the theory of lost "opporttunity cost."
How you should think of the value of all that stuff is "What happens if I die tomorrow?" Unless wife or other kin will be thrilled to inherit, it will end up in some kind of estate sale. There it will most likely attract pennies on the dollar. Sometimes a model railroader will be involved, and recognizing the value, your survivors might eke out a few pennies more. They will be very unlikely to get more than 25% of the retail value.
With ebay, you'll often but not always do better than that. It's up to you what you decided to liquidate and how. I simply decide that a kit or other item no longer fits my future plans, and often biting my tongue looking at the price I paid, I list it at 99 cents and let the market decide. Do I seel some things for 99 cents? Sure do and even more for little more than that. But it's all money that I did NOT have before, after fees, etc, of course.
And it is what the market is paying, not what I imagine it must be worth because I paid $X years ago.
If you really want to sell stuff, that's how you do it. That's what sets private individuals apart from a store, which can't afford it's current inventory to be sold like that. True, some private sellers think they can act like a store, because they're on ebay, but the starting price is a good clue to deciding between what someone intends to sell and those perpetual optimists who think they'll eventually make big bucks off an item.
For buyers, consider that starting price a clue to how the auction will go. I think we've already discussed most of the ins and outs of all that.If an item is priced at 75% of the current list, there's not much headroom for bidding before it makes more sense to visit or order from your favorite hobby shop. At 99 cents, it's painless to jump in with a bid that reflects a good deal for you, so that if stick to and you win you may get a bargain.
But the percentages don't really mean much to me. I want to maximize what I get, but I'd just be beating my head bloody against the wall by thinking about needing to get out of it what I paid at retail years ago.
mlehmanBut the percentages don't really mean much to me. I want to maximize what I get, but I'd just be beating my head bloody against the wall by thinking about needing to get out of it what I paid at retail years ago.
That happen to me twice..I sold 2 duplicate road name and number Bev-Bel/Athearn 50' boxcars and got three times the price I paid at the hobby shop several years ago. Needless to say I was to shock to laugh at the way to the bank as they say.
BRAKIEThat happen to me twice..I sold 2 duplicate road name and number Bev-Bel/Athearn 50' boxcars and got three times the price I paid at the hobby shop several years ago. Needless to say I was to shock to laugh at the way to the bank as they say.
Yes, you get lucky like that every once in awhile. Being in narrowgauge has helped me a time or two and that stuff tends to hold its value a little better.
Most of the time, one must do one's best to not think of it as disappointing but as cash you didn't have before. There may be other segments of ebay where folks rake in the bucks,. but probably not in the model railroad dept. It costs more to shipp most thing I sell than what I get from them. But someone needs them and I don't.
What would we have done before ebay? Well, that's why so many have those giant stocks of stuff stuck under the layout when they die. There was no easy alternative before. Now the only thing holding back disposing of the stuff that you no longer need is getting over the fact that you're going to take a big hit on what you have in it. That ~13% ebay gets is the least of it.
I am curious, for you guys who also ship a lot, and are talking about how much it costs you to ship items, is there a reason that you don't use USPS flat rate priority boxes? No weight limits, set prices, free boxes, free tracking. Unless your shipping a lot of oversized boxes, why would you ship somthing in your own box for $30 if you can pack it in a large flat rate box for $17? Or even sign up for an account on stamps.com, or equivilent discount site, and ship that same box for $12?
I ask this because I make my living selling on the internet, though only about 1% of my business is ebay, as they ban what I manufacture and sell. I use USPS for everything except for what I have to ship by UPS due to federal law, and anything that can fit in a flat rate box goes in one. If you arent utilizing all your options to lower your shipping costs, that amounts to ripping off your buyers. When I am on ebay these days, whether professionaly or personally, shipping charges are what I scrutinize the most and I simply don't buy from folks who overcharge for shipping.
for HO flat prate does not make much sense. A 2 pound engine will ship regular priority for less than $10. You do have to be careful and think about what your shipping. This week I had a situation where 3 HO cars shipped separately for a dollar less than if they were in one box. When it goes priority weight and distance matters. If it can go first class it is only by weight. O gauge stuff would fall in a different category.
ggnlarsfor HO flat prate does not make much sense.
For the most part here, Larry is right. Flat rate makes a big difference if you need to ship a lot of weight over distance. Otherwise, it's often more expensive than it needs to be. Packing typically adds between a 1/4 and a 1/2 lb to an item, depending on how big a box you need. The packing peanuts or bubble wrap are at best a couple of ounces even in large quantity, but cardboard adds up fast.
There are a few things were flat rate makes sense in the smaller scales. Ballast can be heavy if it's real rock. Tools, weights, or brass stock can also be heavy enough to rate flat weight. Plaster, too. But it needs to be dense weight. Even most brass locos wouldn't be cheaper. Then there's the problem most flat rate boxes have less than ideal proportions for model RR stuff. They REALLY need a somewhat narrower and longer medium flat rate box to deal with locos, passenger cards, and even many modern freight cars. Many people would love it if the PO had a meter long flat rate tube, since that would make track easy to ship -- but perhaps not cheaper than other solutions, as it, too, is not very dense.
In fact, sticking to flat rate boxes when selling stuff in the smaller scales is liable to discourage customers, as it will lead tohigher than necessary shipping costs in many cases. The exception, as I mentioned, are the longer distances. I do keep a few flat rate boxes around should it become obvious that's the cheapest shipping solution, but I rarely need them.
mlehmanFor the most part here, Larry is right. Flat rate makes a big difference if you need to ship a lot of weight over distance. Otherwise, it's often more expensive than it needs to be. Packing typically adds between a 1/4 and a 1/2 lb to an item, depending on how big a box you need. The packing peanuts or bubble wrap are at best a couple of ounces even in large quantity, but cardboard adds up fast.
If I may and I suspect there is a reason..98% of my engines and cars come in USPS flat rate boxes for around $6.95-the lowest was a Roundhouse covered hopper kit that was shipped for $2.95 from Indiana..
If a seller thinks he will get ridiculous shipping from he's only fooling his or her self. I know it doesn't take $9-14.00 to ship a engine or a freight car.
I have shipped 2 engines for less by using USPS pirority flat rate.
Well, there's a one pound minimum for Priority Mail. It's priced differently, but essentially the first pound costs the same whether an ounce or 15.99 oz. Right now it costs about $5.35 from ebay and that's what I charge my customers, period. It's not "free shipping" but it's realistic. I pay for everything except the magic ride and do it in a timely manner.
So whatever the seller can squeeze in and sell you in that first pound is to his/her advantage. It doesn't pay to send packing past that, but you also don't want stuff broken. You can often get two HO car kits in that first pound, but it's close and often doesn't work. Overseas buyers will sometimes tell you to ditch the weights, as it both saves on postage and, they fear, damage, although I always pack internally unless a sealed kit to minimize internal shaking damage.
Really the smallest practical box to send locos and large cars in is the Medium Flat Rate if you're using PO boxes, thus my comment about needing a better box to suit our trade.
What it does is greatly simplify shipping. Don't forget time is money for most large shippers. It takes labor to give the best postage everytime. The Flat Rate box makes things simple. If it fits, it goes. And really for the buck or two, as a vendor I sympathize, especially if they're paying folks to do the work. Me, I just do it because it's my thing. But it does take a lot of time.
There is another thing that's coming into use that reduces costs, the Regional Priority Mail Box in several sizes, available only by mail IIRC someone already mentioned. This depends on having a lot of relaitively local customers and several people have noted it being used. I've received them several times and it is a pretty good savings.
In all cases, if someone wants to try for cheaper than stated postage, it's usually noted in the shipping policies. Mine is like most in that I ask for that to be done prior to payment in any event, but prefrably before the end of the auction itself if it will be a show stopper for someone's budget. Don't make things difficult for someone after the fact and you may find you get exactly what you want. But it really is poor manners to start quibbling with things when they're all clearly stated only when you're ready to pay for a closed auction.
mlehmanBut it really is poor manners to start quibbling with things when they're all clearly stated only when you're ready to pay for a closed auction.
As I mention earlier one would be wise to shop for the better prices and best posted shipping. I seldom use e-Bays shipping calculator since the sellers I normally buy from has the shipping cost posted.
A seller that goes that extra step will get me to look over his auction or BIN.
As far as BIN plus shipping there is a formula I use when using the BIN option.
I haven't been on the buyer end of the calculator lately, but it has gotten noticeably more accurate lately based on my input. So part of it is the algorithmn and part of it may just be me doing better estimating of shipped weight. Since I ship random stuff that varies widely, I have to be good at that.
Someone shipping pretty much all the same size stuff, for example locos and cars, can probably tell pretty closely without sizing each item up like I do how much something will weigh.
And if they're using Flat Rate Boxes, of course they know the cost -- but that may not be absolute lowest cost, which in a case like that may actually be produced by the calculator. So if a site offers both, I would definitely try both and I would not skip the calculator without checking it first if it is the only choice. You might be pleasantly surprized.
Remember when Rich and I had the discussion about discounts on shipping? The claculator is where/how they are applied. With the Flat Rate boxes, I suspect there is a discount, but the vendor may be able to capture that, I'm just not sure. If the postage value is printed, it is accurate, so that might be a way to check.
Ultimately, the shipping servuice dictates most of the cost and that choice is up to the buyer. The shipper may or may not receive a discount, and may or may not pass it along, although it's usually less than people imagine until I think it was something like 3,000 transactions a month. I'm going on 15 years on ebay and I haven't reached that many total transactions
I believe a lot of people are quoting prices in amounts that were in force months ago....what I tried to say in My post, is that all USPS shipping costs have gone up considerably, especially International shipping, which can only be shipped now Priority Mail, no first class, only letter's. Take a look at the cost to ship a small Priority Flat rate box to the UK.....Months ago it was 12.65, for the same size box.
richhotrain I just sold a used set of golf clubs on eBay, so I decided to add an update to this thread regarding shipping charge discounts. The calculated USPS charge was $26.90, but when I ordered up the eBay shipping label, the actual USPS shipping charge was $15.93, a 40.8% discount. Rich
Until the seller creates an eBay shipping label, via USPS, the final discounted shipping charge is not known with certainty. This is not necessarily true for UPS or FedEx shipping in which the actual shipping charge can be determined once the buyer's zip code is known. However, because of the arrangement between eBay and USPS, discounts of up to 50% or more are available for shipping charges, but these discounts are not initially taken into account in the eBay auction setup process.
This situation is not the seller's fault because the seller cannot control the amount of the shipping charge shown by eBay for USPS shipping when a potential buyer clicks on the item for sale or auction. The first time that the seller sees the actual discounted USPS shipping charge is when the seller prepares the eBay-provided shipping label. If the seller unwittingly prepares a shipping label through the USPS web site, the shipping charge will be the higher, undiscounted amount.
Mike,Now we come to "free" shipping that some of the sellers I buy from uses..Of course we know there is no such animal and its figured into the price but,still some prices is less then some prices and shipping combined.
A example I found while searching for a LL P2K SCL GP9 #1025-mate to my 1027.Both was listed as used.
e-Bay store A: LL P2K SCL GP9 1025 for BIN $69.95 plus $8.55 shipping.
e-Bay store B: LL P2K SCL GP9 1025 for BIN $55.00 with free shipping.
Store B listing was a "new" listing according to the store's auction information and I grab it without blinking a eye.
I've seen the opposite of my example many times too.
Again buyers need to go beyond the first few pages for the better prices and shipping..Using B&M hobby shops with e-bay stores helps finding missed models at reasonable prices and shipping cost..
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Frank,The current shipping prices I use can be varified with a simple check on e-Bay and is in line with what I been paying for years..
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In recent years, all my purchases on Ebay have been "Buy It Now" when I think the price is fair. I use the "Price + Shipping: lowest first" sort option.
I know that I may not be getting the lowest price by not bidding on Auctions, but in most cases (I do check) my total cost has only been a little higher than the for cost that an Auction item from another seller sold for, and in a few cases my costs have actually been lower. And it's a lot less hastle.
I tried to sell my two cents worth, but no one would give me a plug nickel for it.
I don't have a leg to stand on.
DSchmittI know that I may not be getting the lowest price by not bidding on Auctions, but in most cases (I do check) my total cost has only been a little higher than the for cost that an Auction item from another seller sold for, and in a few cases my costs have actually been lower. And it's a lot less hastle.
Yeah, if done close to halfway right, even if shipping is not the absolute rock bottom price, then you're only talking a dollar or two.
But when shipping is twice as much as would be typical, that's when you definitely walk away. Even 50% more than what is expected would have me asking questions. Gotta be careful on Buy It Now to check the shipping first, pull trigger second.
mlehmanEven 50% more than what is expected would have me asking questions. Gotta be careful on Buy It Now to check the shipping first, pull trigger second.
Mike,With most BIN shipping is already shown or in some cases free.
Some use the shipping calculator to get shipping before you buy.
One would foolish to buy without seeing the shipping costs and I'm yet to see a auction without posted shipping or the shipping calculator.