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Shipping baseball caps
 

Anyone have experience with shipping baseball caps or any hats? I don't want it being crushed or anything while it is being shipped. What kind of packages do you use and how do you package them? Any help would be great, thanks.

Re: Shipping baseball caps
 

I would look on valuemailers.com. they also have an EB store, and see what all they have to offer. I like their shipping supplies.

Re: Shipping baseball caps
 

Depends really on how much you're willing to spend on packaging. I used to sell caps/hats in Australia and just used a basic satchel for postage. Never had a single complaint about the hats being crushed.

Some customers would request that the hats would be send out in a box, but it was a very low percentage. But when I was sending items internationally I would post them in a box. You'll notice if you order a hat from a Chinese supplier that they usually send it in a box.

Re: Shipping baseball caps
 

Got a link for that "satchel"? That's a new word for me lol. Could I just type satchel on google and that's the package I can use? Thx

Re: Shipping baseball caps
 

Another term for them maybe courier bags, or postal bags. I suppose different countries have different lingo.

They're just a basic bag. If you're going down the route of boxing each hat, i'd mention it in your listing as it's a good selling point.

Here's a picture of the satchel:

http://www.bigredpackaging.com.au/Si...chel-Bag-L.jpg

Re: Shipping baseball caps
 

Ahh I see. So boxing each hat carries a certain premium? I think it should be light enough to send it through first class mail in the states. It's the cheapest form of sending under 12 ounces and fastest. Thanks for the suggestions guys.

Re: Shipping baseball caps
 

As someone who also buys a lots of hats personally, I am not sure that i'd pay a premium for a box. But if the seller is advertising boxed packaging it's definitely a plus for me.

Curved brim hats - I don't really mind how it's packaged.

Flat brim hats - I want it packed in a box so it has the least chance of bending.

Re: Shipping baseball caps
 

People love their hats.

Re: Shipping baseball caps
 

There corrugated boxes aren't that great from valuemailers I am looking for a different source once I run out of these I have on stock. I sell lots of baseball style hats. Always use 8x8x5 corrugated boxes. I just put each hat in a plastic bag like you would get from the grocery store. They usually end up weighing about 9 or 10 oz. I don't even stuff with news paper or anything else. Just put the hat in a bag then in the corrugated box.

Sometimes if it is just over 9 oz you can trim a flap and get under the weight.

They are somewhat expensive compared to bubble mailers. Like .40 or .50 cents. I can't remember. But 10 oz first class mail + the box is still cheaper than any for of priority mail.

I buy bubble mailers from Value Mailers and I bought several hundred corrugated boxes a few months ago. I was not impressed on the quality of the boxes the bubble mailers have been fine.

Re: Shipping baseball caps
 

That is good to know. I have used the bubble mailers and poly bags, but only flirted with buying their boxes. Now I won't. Thank you Vogeltron!

Re: Shipping baseball caps
 

Never been sure if it was a bad batch, but those boxes last season especially were not the better standard they had been.

:pout:

Re: Shipping baseball caps
 

You might want to try pkging.com for any type of boxes. They are inexpensive AND you can even have your logo printed for a small fee. They are much cheaper than sources such as uline. I'm not sure how they would compare to valuemailers. I love valuemailers for bubble mailers and shipping labels (for the Zebra LP2844), but not for their boxes or mailing tubes.

Re: Shipping baseball caps
 

Yea, there weren't great. To revise what I said before. Been buying the Poly Bubble Mailers. Not the yellow generic ones. They have been a pretty good source thus far.

Looking for a good place to buy Corrugated boxes. Unfortunately don't live close enough to a Uline center to pick em up and I don't need an entire Pallet to the math doesn't pencil out.

Re: Shipping baseball caps
 

Bubblewrap considered?

Re: Shipping baseball caps
 

Not on Hats. If you have a good corrugated box. You can usually just put the hat in a plastic bag if it does not already come with one. Sometimes trim a flap and get it just under 9 or 10 oz. Depending on size etc.

I will say learning over the past two years makes me feel like and idiot. I use to ship Priority for US hats. Put them in the shoe boxes over pay for shipping even considering the cost of a corrugated box which ain't cheap. I was to dumb and cheap to figure out the most cost effective way. I guess money was easier back then so I didn't care. :shhh:

Re: Shipping baseball caps
 

I shipped very few hats way back - nothing like wholesale, just getting rid of old gear (some of the sales for which I regret - oh well) - I would just bag and wrap - no complains /shrug

Re: Shipping baseball caps
 

I ship a ton of new and vintage hats and send them in a good bubble mailer most of the time.

If it is a vintage hat and I make large profits on it I will make sure to put it into a box.

Never an issue with a good bubble mailer. Dont go cheap as they will get crushed.

Re: Shipping baseball caps
 

Friend ordered a cap from Cali to Montreal - was crushed to hell - she was annoyed.

Re: Shipping baseball caps
 

File a claim or get a refund.

Fact of online shopping.

Deal with it.

Dont go cheap or risk damage.

Re: Shipping baseball caps
 

Preaching to the choir Madam :) you're spot on

Re: Shipping baseball caps
 

@sandy d

What bubble mailer do you mean? Do you mean this type of mailer:

Attachment 785

Also, what size box do you use? I want to use the minimum size possible. Walmart or those types of stores don't have a sample size box for me to eyeball the size, so I have to rely on pics on the Internet, so I can't eyeball that.

Can a box be shipped first class mail cheaply? I know a hat and an empty box should be less than 13 ounces and usually those are really cheap to ship first class. Thanks.

Re: Shipping baseball caps
 

If you are shipping baseball hats. New ones fitted or even snap backs. 8x8x5 corrugated boxes are the way to go. You can ship first class mail. They usually end up being 9 or 10 ounces in weight. I have seen one person use 8x7x5 its a bit tight might not fit all hats.

I would never ever ship a baseball hat in a bubble mailer. You would have to be insane. Possible some other hat might be fine. But the original post was about Baseball hats/caps. I sell about a thousand caps a year. 8X8X5 Corrugated box and USPS Frist Class mail. I use to be cheap and ship priority because I didn't want to buy the boxes it cost me about a $1-1.50 more in the end. I am sure the difference is even more now.

Re: Shipping baseball caps
 

@vogeltron

Isn't priority mail pretty darn expensive by itself? I guess I am thinking flat rate. I'm also thinking those priority mail boxes you get for free, the stamp on that ought to be quite expensive compared with first class that is less than 13 ounces. My experience with 13 ounces or less, usually first class is cheapest even compared with the super slow media mail. But I could be wrong.

Re: Shipping baseball caps
 

Flat rate or not shipping first class is cheaper for hats. 10 oz first class label on eBay is $2.93. 1lb or less Priority is $5 or more. Don't matter flat rate. Even if you pay .45-.60 cents for a corrugated box it ends up costing less. Maybe a day or so difference in shipping time to the majority of the U.S. With hats you have to go first class now. Years ago it wasn't such a difference in price. Sucks cause the Corrugated boxes seem expensive compared to bubble/poly mailers. But it pencils out.

Re: Shipping baseball caps
 

I looked at uline for some 8x8x5, selected the 25 boxes at .51 per box. When I got to the checkout, they wanted to charge 15 bucks for shipping on a 12 dollar order! Is this normal?

Re: Shipping baseball caps
 

Yea , they are good if you are buying large quantities

Try VALUEMAILERS

Re: Shipping baseball caps
 

Valuemailers is does not have very good Corrugated boxes. I buy all my poly bubble mailers from them but would not buy Corrugated boxes from them again. I would check eBay. Uline unless you buy a pallet of items or pick them up at one of the locations. The shipping kills the deals most of the time.

Re: Shipping baseball caps
 

I use to buy a specific size box from Uline but always picked it up, I figured if it cost me $5 in gas then it was well worth it but they do charge too much on shipping.

Re: Shipping baseball caps
 

MM78 has a good way of avoiding the shipping charge

Re: Shipping baseball caps
 

The thing is I live 400 miles away from uline :-(

Re: Shipping baseball caps
 

Not sure if I should start a new thread, but does anyone have any suggestions on how to straighten out the wrinkles on a hat? My baseball caps is a bit crushed and wrinkled. I used a ball cap buddy straightener, and applied some steam while it was in the ball cup buddy. Rubbed it out with my fingers. It's not perfect. Right now I tried to soak another hat in some corn starch water and putting it in a ball cap buddy. Any new suggestions would be very helpful. Thx.

Re: Shipping baseball caps
 

I don't mess with China stuff anymore. But 10 years ago I use to buy some caps from them. They would come all crushed in flimsy boxes. I would just lie them out on a big table all together and after a few days it seems like they would regain their shape. All the hats I come from now are sourced in the states and if they are damaged I get credited.