Applying to join this forum, you HAVE to activate your membership in YOUR email in the notice you recieve after completing application process. No activation on your part, no membership.

Lapidaryforum.net

Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
Advanced search  

News:

Welcome new members & old from the Lapidary/Gemstone Community Forum. Please join up. You will be approved after spam check & you must manually activate your acct with the link in your email

Congratulations to Bobby1 and his Brazilian Agate Cab!

 www.lapidaryforum.net

Another cabochon contest coming soon!

Pages: [1]   Go Down

Author Topic: shipping cabochons, any advice ?  (Read 1187 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

55fossil

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 849
shipping cabochons, any advice ?
« on: January 01, 2020, 07:31:39 AM »

   I am currently shipping my cabochons in bubble wrap mailers. The cost of the mailers is okay but the USPS cost is usually $3.00.
Why?  Well, the USPS does not allow stiff material in automation mail. The machines rip up the envelopes and your cabochon is lost. The rules state thick / hard objects must ship in packages that are not sorted with letter mail.

Just wondering how others are shipping their cabochons and are they surviving the USPS automation machines???
Logged

Stonemon

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 591
Re: shipping cabochons, any advice ?
« Reply #1 on: January 01, 2020, 08:39:58 AM »

I ship in 5x8 bubble mailers. I wrap the stones in foam also and have never had a problem with damage. The cost is $3:00 or more if I insure the stone. Not a great price but they get there...
Logged


Bill

yukonjade

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 176
Re: shipping cabochons, any advice ?
« Reply #2 on: January 01, 2020, 09:52:14 AM »

  I shipped my last two orders in a plain 5x8 mailer cut in half with cab wrapped in bubble wrap,
 with no insurance the cost was 70 cents.   :headbang:
Logged

rocks2dust

  • Guest
Re: shipping cabochons, any advice ?
« Reply #3 on: January 01, 2020, 10:24:44 AM »

Agree. Most cabs that make it through the cabbing process do fine shipped in a bubble mailer surrounded with a bit of extra bubble wrap. Delicate items that might snap (e.g., some natural-edge/druzy pieces) can go in a box or stiff cardboard insert).

You do pay the "Package" rate, though, as these envelopes seldom pass the USPS guidelines for envelopes (bendable, no variation more than 1/4" in thickness, etc.). Treating them like letter mail is just asking for trouble - both in damage to your piece and the sorting machinery.
Logged

55fossil

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 849
Re: shipping cabochons, any advice ?
« Reply #4 on: January 01, 2020, 06:01:08 PM »

   Yukon...    I was wondering about your shipping method to get such a great rate. The PO here says anything over 1/4 inch thick is non-machinable mail and gets the higher rate. Also, I am very familiar with postal automation and those machines really tear up mail that is thick or has items inside the envelope that do not bend. Guess I would worry too much on most of my stones due to their cost.  good for you though.....


  I shipped my last two orders in a plain 5x8 mailer cut in half with cab wrapped in bubble wrap,
 with no insurance the cost was 70 cents.   :headbang:
[/quote]
Logged

yukonjade

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 176
Re: shipping cabochons, any advice ?
« Reply #5 on: January 02, 2020, 09:45:05 AM »


  55fossil--- My sales were abysmal last year so I tried free shipping to generate some interest
 to no avail,most of my cabs range from $10.00 to $50.00.I did get a couple of orders but I do'nt know if
 free shipping was the reason,to save $ on mailing I tried what I described in post and they both made the
trip.   :dontknow:

   ( The 5x8 envelopes do not have the foam pad in them )
Logged

55fossil

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 849
Re: shipping cabochons, any advice ?
« Reply #6 on: January 02, 2020, 02:02:09 PM »

Yukon;

    I revved up my Etsy store and did $1500 in sales last month. Now, this was with sale prices with 10 to 15 % off as well as free shipping. The sales and free shipping were a huge help. I can tell by how many visits and total sales that it works. My prices range from $20 to $200 but average about $40. Most of my customers have bought multiple items, many repeat orders and those always welcome custom orders....
   Etsy fees and shipping kill me.  I only ship in bubble wrap ($3 USPS ) or flat rate box for larger orders ($7.50 ). Still much better than selling at boutiques with 30% fees or higher. My Go Daddy store is floundering due to my lack of Social Media, as in I do not do any social media. I shall post more info if someone wants to start a thread about on-line selling.  PS:  it takes a huge amount of time to run the store properly and keep a good inventory of Hand Made by Seller items. I do not load my store up with cheap stuff or re-sale cabochons. I see tons of cheap re-sale stuff disguised as hand made by seller, etc.....   smart shoppers see it to and go to the handmade by artist (seller) stuff if they can afford it.
Logged
Pages: [1]   Go Up
 

Page created in 0.121 seconds with 39 queries.