Cheapest way to ship small items!!!

[TechTro]

Hello everyone.

I hope everyone is doing well and their businesses are booming.

I recently started selling cell phone accessories. These are very small items and I wonder if there are cheaper ways to ship the items than using USPS first class mail?

Does anyone have any suggestions?

I appreciate any advice and thank you!

[JJGold]

Doesn't get any cheaper than USPS First Class Mail with delivery confirmation. Pretty hard to imagine the USPS could even break even only charging ~$1.68 for < 3oz with delivery confirmation.

[TechTro]

Yea you are most likely right. Do you know if there is a way to print smaller labels from PayPal shipping to save on packaging and ink?

[yotano211]

Use smaller shipping labels instead of the normal 4x6 labels. Then configure your printer to print to the size label you want. Very easy thing to do. Best part is that you get more labels for the price of the 4x6 labels.

Ink??, whats that, use a thermal printer.

[bruceuk]

Think yourself lucky ..
cheapest in uk is around £3 with delivery confirmation thats about $5

[slim jim]

there is a cheaper way, stamps. won't work for ebay though. i wouldn't ship anything without tracking no matter what the cost of the item is. if you want to save on labels, get a zebra thermal printer. it'll make life a lot cheaper and easier

[goldfish]

How much does first class 3 OZ costs on stamps?

[sommer33]

i added tracking at the beginning but now abandoned it, as right now i'm selling used personal cheapie to build up account. i know there might be 1 or 2 non-receipt whatever cases down the road, but you just refund and try to settle, when your item is not expensive.

back then when i was selling items around 50-80$, i calculated and decided not to pay more for tracking and priority mail, for 1000 shipping i lost maybe 10? 20?, anywhere no more than 50, i can easily cover the lost with the money and specially work i saved from go priority and add tracking number. i sold 3 yrs without anything affect my ebay performance this way.

but happy to hear the con opinion. so why would you never ship anything without tracking, because to save the hassle of cases and discussions right? thanks!

Originally Posted by slim jim

there is a cheaper way, stamps. won't work for ebay though. i wouldn't ship anything without tracking no matter what the cost of the item is. if you want to save on labels, get a zebra thermal printer. it'll make life a lot cheaper and easier

[AmazonStealth]

I use small birds, as you simply attach the item to their feet, and they always return. After a few months the birds pay for themselves and you saves thousands on postage. You can get them for around $2 a bird for 5,000 birds. So after shipping 5,952 packages all the ones shipped after that are free.

[slim jim]

Originally Posted by AmazonStealth

I use small birds, as you simply attach the item to their feet, and they always return. After a few months the birds pay for themselves and you saves thousands on postage. You can get them for around $2 a bird for 5,000 birds. So after shipping 5,952 packages all the ones shipped after that are free.

if you buy parrots instead you can have audible delivery confirmation

[TechTro]

I use TROLLS! They get the job done

[TechTro]

What model Zebra Thermal would you recommend and what is a reasonable price for it?

Thank you

[TechTro]

Are you able to print labels as small as 2" x 3" with this Zebra Thermal Printer or are you limited to 4" x 6"? I am happy that you told me about this, ive been using a laser printer for a minute now and the thermal printer seems way more efficient!

[AmazonStealth]

Once you get on the thermal printer game, its like driving a 2013 Corvette compared to a 1990 Camry

[TechTro]

Lol, minus the fact that corvette is way more expensive eats way more gas and is a lot more to maintain........

[rsot]

But OP seems to like the 1990 Camry...

Anyhow - USPS First Class Mail - no tracking though

[bjf5051]

Have you tried a 6x8 rigid mailer, this would allow you to ship for $.86. I am in a similar boat but my item is sitting right on the .25" thickness mark.

I am trying to ship a small penny sized item that is .25" thick in a 6"x8" cardboard mailer. Restrictions at the post office say that the "letter" must be <.25" thick. If I take my .25" thick part and add in the thickness of the cardboard mailer, I am just over (by <1/16"). Does anyone have insight into how strick they are when it comes to this rule?

Shipping an envelop that is <1/4" thick is $.80 and one that is over 1/4" thick is $2.80 so it really could have an effect after shipping out hundreds of my item.

What other shipping methods have people tried that have ended up working for them?

[bluegrass1]

Originally Posted by goldfish

How much does first class 3 OZ costs on stamps?

Well you can ship 3oz for .49 for the first stamp then .21 for ea oz after so .91 cents to ship 3oz . This must be flat like a letter to work , Also you have to ask for the .21 stamps at the po they are for a added oz on letters .
Hope this helps .. I was using .49 cent stamps per oz for the longest time till i found out about the added oz stamps for only .21 haha save a little bit here and there