Shipping Books

goatfarmer

What's the cheapest way to ship book (tpb)? Should you buy insurance, tracking, or confirmation? When does the cost of extras out way the benefit?

goatfarmer

I am selling stuff on Amazon and Ebay, and selling it cheap just to get rid of it. However, after shipping (first class) and insurance ( under $10) I walk away with pennies. There has to be a cheaper shipping method, otherwise it's donation and garage sale time. How do you ship books?

dubbat138

Media Mail is the cheapest way to ship books. I just shipped 2 trades and about 50 comics to Washington for under 4 bucks.

goatfarmer

The postal employee told me first class was cheapest. Thanks for the info. Media mail might make this doable. Then again I just found the selling thread, maybe I can skip amazon and eBay and their wicked fees. Thanks again dubbat138.

dubbat138

Not a problem @goatfarmer.

CourtOfOwls

goatfarmer said:

What's the cheapest way to ship book (tpb)? Should you buy insurance, tracking, or confirmation? When does the cost of extras out way the benefit?

You have to be very careful about shipping comic books via media mail. TPBs & comics do not meet the USPS criteria for media mail. You can go their website to view what meets the criteria. Books without ads - ie, graphic novels - can be shipped media mail but single issue comics can't for example.

In terms of insurance, it depends on if you are selling and shipping to a buyer, or just wanting to mail some books to friends. If I am just sending books to people I know, I do not get insurance unless the item being shipped is particularly valuable in some way. If I am selling on Ebay and need to ship to a customer, I offer the customer the option of insuring the package at an additional cost.

If you ship via UPS, the shipping includes $100.00 insurance at no extra cost. When I sell on Ebay, I always ship via USPS flat rate priority mail. This includes free delivery confirmation tracking if you pay for & print out your label online from home. To me, the ability to prove delivery is far more important than insurance, as there are always scammers on Ebay who try to say they never got your package.

Hope this helps.

goatfarmer

Good info, thanks.

dubbat138

CourtOfOwls said:

goatfarmer said:

What's the cheapest way to ship book (tpb)? Should you buy insurance, tracking, or confirmation? When does the cost of extras out way the benefit?

You have to be very careful about shipping comic books via media mail. TPBs & comics do not meet the USPS criteria for media mail. You can go their website to view what meets the criteria. Books without ads - ie, graphic novels - can be shipped media mail but single issue comics can't for example.

In terms of insurance, it depends on if you are selling and shipping to a buyer, or just wanting to mail some books to friends. If I am just sending books to people I know, I do not get insurance unless the item being shipped is particularly valuable in some way. If I am selling on Ebay and need to ship to a customer, I offer the customer the option of insuring the package at an additional cost.

If you ship via UPS, the shipping includes $100.00 insurance at no extra cost. When I sell on Ebay, I always ship via USPS flat rate priority mail. This includes free delivery confirmation tracking if you pay for & print out your label online from home. To me, the ability to prove delivery is far more important than insurance, as there are always scammers on Ebay who try to say they never got your package.

Hope this helps.

Yeah comics aren't suppose to count as media. But I have never had an issue shipping them through media mail. When I am selling something I ship it whatever way the buyer want's it shipped. Since they are paying for shipping. But the package I just sent was just a gift to a friend. It got there in 4 days which blew my mind. But at the post office the clerk said it should get there pretty fast since I was using a Priority box. The box was one someone had shipped me over 1000 Garbage pail kid stickers in earlier. So I reused the box.

Miraclemet

best bet is to just ask your local post office person if the individual comics are eligible. I've heard it both ways. I know what their rules state (which would make current comics not eligible for media) but since their employees don't apply the rules consistently its best to ask.

TPBs & Graphic Novels should ALWAYS be eligible, if they say they arent ask for an explination.

I always argue that older comics should also be eligible since the ads from 20 years ago dont really act as advertisements any more... but that gets into a slippery slope.

I sell lots of trades, always go media mail with delivery confirmation (just so Im kinda covered if a buyer opens an complaint) I pass on insurance unless the totals get over $100 for the value of the shipment.

luke52

dubbat138 said:

CourtOfOwls said:

goatfarmer said:

What's the cheapest way to ship book (tpb)? Should you buy insurance, tracking, or confirmation? When does the cost of extras out way the benefit?

You have to be very careful about shipping comic books via media mail. TPBs & comics do not meet the USPS criteria for media mail. You can go their website to view what meets the criteria. Books without ads - ie, graphic novels - can be shipped media mail but single issue comics can't for example.

In terms of insurance, it depends on if you are selling and shipping to a buyer, or just wanting to mail some books to friends. If I am just sending books to people I know, I do not get insurance unless the item being shipped is particularly valuable in some way. If I am selling on Ebay and need to ship to a customer, I offer the customer the option of insuring the package at an additional cost.

If you ship via UPS, the shipping includes $100.00 insurance at no extra cost. When I sell on Ebay, I always ship via USPS flat rate priority mail. This includes free delivery confirmation tracking if you pay for & print out your label online from home. To me, the ability to prove delivery is far more important than insurance, as there are always scammers on Ebay who try to say they never got your package.

Hope this helps.

The box was one someone had shipped me over 1000 Garbage pail kid stickers in earlier. So I reused the box.

I loved Garbage Pail Kids! Was one of my first sticker album collections!

dubbat138

luke52 said:

dubbat138 said:

CourtOfOwls said:

goatfarmer said:

What's the cheapest way to ship book (tpb)? Should you buy insurance, tracking, or confirmation? When does the cost of extras out way the benefit?

You have to be very careful about shipping comic books via media mail. TPBs & comics do not meet the USPS criteria for media mail. You can go their website to view what meets the criteria. Books without ads - ie, graphic novels - can be shipped media mail but single issue comics can't for example.

In terms of insurance, it depends on if you are selling and shipping to a buyer, or just wanting to mail some books to friends. If I am just sending books to people I know, I do not get insurance unless the item being shipped is particularly valuable in some way. If I am selling on Ebay and need to ship to a customer, I offer the customer the option of insuring the package at an additional cost.

If you ship via UPS, the shipping includes $100.00 insurance at no extra cost. When I sell on Ebay, I always ship via USPS flat rate priority mail. This includes free delivery confirmation tracking if you pay for & print out your label online from home. To me, the ability to prove delivery is far more important than insurance, as there are always scammers on Ebay who try to say they never got your package.

Hope this helps.

The box was one someone had shipped me over 1000 Garbage pail kid stickers in earlier. So I reused the box.

I loved Garbage Pail Kids! Was one of my first sticker album collections!

Me too. I have been slowly trying to collect all the original series. There is supposedly a new series out right now.

luke52

dubbat138 said:

luke52 said:

dubbat138 said:

CourtOfOwls said:

goatfarmer said:

What's the cheapest way to ship book (tpb)? Should you buy insurance, tracking, or confirmation? When does the cost of extras out way the benefit?

You have to be very careful about shipping comic books via media mail. TPBs & comics do not meet the USPS criteria for media mail. You can go their website to view what meets the criteria. Books without ads - ie, graphic novels - can be shipped media mail but single issue comics can't for example.

In terms of insurance, it depends on if you are selling and shipping to a buyer, or just wanting to mail some books to friends. If I am just sending books to people I know, I do not get insurance unless the item being shipped is particularly valuable in some way. If I am selling on Ebay and need to ship to a customer, I offer the customer the option of insuring the package at an additional cost.

If you ship via UPS, the shipping includes $100.00 insurance at no extra cost. When I sell on Ebay, I always ship via USPS flat rate priority mail. This includes free delivery confirmation tracking if you pay for & print out your label online from home. To me, the ability to prove delivery is far more important than insurance, as there are always scammers on Ebay who try to say they never got your package.

Hope this helps.

The box was one someone had shipped me over 1000 Garbage pail kid stickers in earlier. So I reused the box.

I loved Garbage Pail Kids! Was one of my first sticker album collections!

Me too. I have been slowly trying to collect all the original series. There is supposedly a new series out right now.

Awesome. I'm going to have to keep an eye out for those.

dubbat138

luke52 said:

dubbat138 said:

luke52 said:

dubbat138 said:

CourtOfOwls said:

goatfarmer said:

What's the cheapest way to ship book (tpb)? Should you buy insurance, tracking, or confirmation? When does the cost of extras out way the benefit?

You have to be very careful about shipping comic books via media mail. TPBs & comics do not meet the USPS criteria for media mail. You can go their website to view what meets the criteria. Books without ads - ie, graphic novels - can be shipped media mail but single issue comics can't for example.

In terms of insurance, it depends on if you are selling and shipping to a buyer, or just wanting to mail some books to friends. If I am just sending books to people I know, I do not get insurance unless the item being shipped is particularly valuable in some way. If I am selling on Ebay and need to ship to a customer, I offer the customer the option of insuring the package at an additional cost.

If you ship via UPS, the shipping includes $100.00 insurance at no extra cost. When I sell on Ebay, I always ship via USPS flat rate priority mail. This includes free delivery confirmation tracking if you pay for & print out your label online from home. To me, the ability to prove delivery is far more important than insurance, as there are always scammers on Ebay who try to say they never got your package.

Hope this helps.

The box was one someone had shipped me over 1000 Garbage pail kid stickers in earlier. So I reused the box.

I loved Garbage Pail Kids! Was one of my first sticker album collections!

Me too. I have been slowly trying to collect all the original series. There is supposedly a new series out right now.

Awesome. I'm going to have to keep an eye out for those.

I keep hearing that Walmart and Target have them. My local Walmart carries no trading cards. But I need to check the one south of me.