Newbie slowing going insane....

[Former_Member]

I apologize as I am sure there is probably a thread somewhere with the info I am looking for, but wading through everything is just making it all seem even more overwhelming.

I am going to be shipping small items, jewelery, that weighs around 90g from Canada, and will fit through the 'slot of doom'.

I understand the risk of not tracking, but feel its not worth adding the extra cost to my customers.

My questions - Is paypal still a better option for this size of packet ?? I have read through numerous threads and it appears its better for larger items only ??

Also advice on estimated shipping when I dont have the sellers postal code ? zipcode??

I dont want to give up cause of shipping but I am feeling incredibly overwhelmed by trying to figure out how to do this when figuring cost of shipping? not to mention everything else about setting up a shop.. there is a lot of information.

thanks in advance...

[EightMileVintage]

Don't go insane - head over to this thread:

https://www.etsy.com/teams/7654/etsy-international/discuss/6779956/page/224

on the International Team. There is tons of good advice there on shipping for Canadian Etsy sellers. Someone created an index which you should be able to find a reference to within the first few pages.

I believe that there is no discount in Paypal for Light Packet which is what you would be using for your items if going to the US or for the regular lettermail if shipping within Canada. But in that thread, if you ask, you'll get a definitive answer.

If I don't have a postal code, I just use one that I can find for the same city. For zips I just use the state farthest from me. But again, there's a ton of info in that thread about estimating shipping.

And welcome to Etsy, newbie!

[SmallbonesStudio]

What eight mile said. :)

Keesa, I love your "About" page (check your spelling and that's, not thats).

Let us know when your shop is open! I'll give it some love!

[Former_Member]

For postal codes that I post on listings, I live in Toronto, so I look at one postal code in Nova Scotia and one in Vancouver because those will be more because they are further away. I let the buyers know that I will refund any overages over $2.

If someone is asking for an estimate and you know their city, you can just google their city hall or a hotel or something for a sample of a postal/ zip code in the area.

I use paypal shipping labels for small parcels because I don't have to wait in line at the post office and also if the buyer pays with paypal, then the money comes out of that account and I'm not paying out of pocket for postage and repaying myself later. Mostly though it's because I don't like waiting around at the post office!

[JacquieVintage]

Keesa,
Don't get discouraged! All of us know what you're going through :) I host the Canadian shipping thread that Eightmile mentioned above. As you go along with your shop, you can post any and all your questions there.

For the type of items you'll be shipping (Oversize Lettermail within Canada, Light Packet for USA/Int'l), you can buy Light Packet postage on Paypal but not Oversize Lettermail. There's no difference in price for Light Packet -- you'll pay the same on Paypal as you would at the post office. On Paypal, the discount you get only applies to services that have tracking (Regular/Expedited Domestic Parcel, Tracked Packet, Xpresspost).

For estimating parcel rates within Canada, take a few postal codes from different cities and plug your parcel weight/dimensions into the Find A Rate function on the CP website. For example, if you live in Toronto, use a postal code in Toronto, Winnipeg, Calgary, Vancouver, Montreal and Halifax (you find them with a google search). Play around with it for an hour or so, using different weights/dimensions. You'll start to see the pattern of rates which you can use to start pricing the shipping for your items.