HELP!!!: I Need Advice

[SweetlyVersatile]

Good Evening fellow Etsy Success members. I need some advice on cost effective label making and shipping.

Please post whatever advice you may have. These posts can include links to websites, your experiences and what works best for you, etc.

Thank You and Have a Blessed Day!!! :)

[Former_Member]

Are you talking about labels for shipping? If so, I simply print out on paper. Trim it down and use clear packing tape on the edges. I've never had anyone complain about it. I take a little extra time to make sure my item is nicely wrapped too.

[SweetlyVersatile]

Ok thanks

[Anthropologeek]

I buy the half page double sticky labels from Amazon and they fit nicely when you print them out from Etsy. My packaging is handmade and it was quite tricky to get regular labels to stick, but the half page mailing labels I purchased are quite nice.

[maydaylabels]

we use a dymo

I lurve it

[KiltedWoman]

Etsy shipping labels and packing tape here. Most economical way to go.

[LeedsRadio]

This question gets asked once a month.

For generating label use USPS' Click-N-Ship or Etsy shipping labels

For printing get self adhesive labels unless you value your time at than minimum wage.
For years I used paper and tape but I had to find a way to save time. Since I already had a laser printer I bought Avery self-adhesive labels. They cost around 12 cents each and save an enormous amount of time - in the time it takes you to cut your first piece of tape to secure a piece of paper, a self-adhesive label will be on the box and ready to go

A bunch of tape at the edges of a piece of paper looks pretty poor in comparison.

[RomaMiaTradingCo]

I have sticky labels from Avery. No problems and they look more professional.

[BrushStrokeOrnaments]

I agree that adhesive labels do look a bit more professional....so I'm tempted. But I've shipped thousands of packages with the "print a table and tape it to the package" approach. I've already got the tape dispenser in my hand when packaging my item...so it really doesn't take any extra time to tape on the label.

[Former_Member]

I use Avery labels for shipping, return address, thank you and handle w/care. They are easy to use and very professional looking. You can download DesignPro software from Avery.com to customize any Avery label.

[RomaMiaTradingCo]

I honestly will go with professional every time.

Plus, if you are in the US, buy your shipping from Etsy. Not only will that save you time (from standing in line at the post office, etc), will save you money cause Etsy will discount your postage.

The avery labels for the postage stamps were relatively cheap. And all you have to do with the labels is print and peel.

[Former_Member]

Dymo 4xl
not necessarily cheap but you will never have to buy tape or paper, or ink cartridges. Just a couple roles of labels and you're set. I think it's so worth the price. I adore it <3

[LeedsRadio]

Kelly -

I said the same thing from 1994 until about 2 years ago.

cut paper with utility knife or scissor = 3 seconds
apply 4 pieces of tape - one on each each of edge of label 4 x 3 seconds = 12

vs
peel label off - its already die cut so knife or scissors is needed and stick on - 3 seconds

And labels have the advantage that entire surface is adhered to the box. Remember that USPS says not to tape over the barcodes, if you do SOME readers won't be able to read them and this can cause delay.

But the biggest reason is the look. It's customer first tangible impression of your shop. How do you feel when you sit down in a restaurant and the silverware isn't spotless?

I just mockedup the same package with tape vs. adhesive labels. Tape takes more time than I though. You can see what both packages look like. I posted a photo of them side by side on my website. Tape looks pretty low rent. Makes me even more sorry that I waited so long.
http://leedsradio.com/images/tapevslabels.JPG

[RomaMiaTradingCo]

^^ What Richard said.

So many times, Etsy sellers want to be so economical as to not to pass the prices onto the customers, but really, at what cost?

Its one thing to keep things low in price. But we also harp on, "Make sure your photos are perfect," "Keep your store looking clean and concise," etc. But if you get a package from a store that looks fantastic, but the package looks mediocre, how would feel as a customer getting it? Having professional packaging is part of making your shop look nice and concise.

That's why I broke down and figured out how to do the Etsy shipping and print my shipping from home.

[BrushStrokeOrnaments]

Richard - I love your rationale detailing the pros of adhesive labels - your assessment works well with my engineering mind. Thank you. I'm almost convinced. :) You may be surprised at how quick I am with my tape dispenser... 4 horizontal swipes completely across the label (but not covering the bar code), fast!, but you are completely right about the time to cut the label out. It's a pain.

I still question the importance of "the look" of the package. I don't think the address label will ever cause someone to purchase/not purchase (which is the ultimate bottom line). But a nicer label, of course, does add to the overall aesthetics/professional look.

I will give those labels a try at some point. I'm typically overwhelmed with business Oct-Dec. So ANY time savings may be worth the extra expense.

Thanks again to all. I do love a good discussion!

[RayOfLightJewels]

I have never received a package and thought "oh that address label looks unprofessional!" I rip it open and am so excited to see what's inside i do not notice the outside unless it's damaged. In over 1,000 packages (in my kiltedwoman shop) I've never had a one that was delayed due to tape over the bar code ( that I know of.) Paper and tape is probably more economical, I haven't run the numbers, and is certainly just fine. Sometimes I HANDWRITE the address if I'm not using etsy shipping for whatever reason. Still looks just fine. No one is judging us on our shipping labels, guaranteed.

[LeedsRadio]

Lori-

Not trying to convince you or anyone else who wants to stay stuck in 1990.
I'd like to help people who ask and give them ways to save money and time.
I'd like to point out a few things
When I see a hand-written or tape attached labels on packages that arrive I DO judge them.
If you are handwriting addresses you must not be using electronically generated postage, and so you are paying more for postage.
"Paper and tape is probably more economical' - If you look at materials only this is true. For me the additional 11 cents a labels costs is offset by fact that I can generate, print, attach a self adhesive faster than the time it take me to just write an address on a box or piece of paper. I also use a scan form. When the USPS picks up, or I drop off they only have to scan that one barcode and all the package are in the system automatically. More time saved + higher security (once the scan sheet is scanned they can't say that a package wasn't dropped off or picked up)

I wish I had an accurate total number of packages I have shipped over the last 20 years. I do know that volume-wise the biggest year was the year 2000 when at least 5000 left my shop. In those days I did what you do now hand address. Assuming it took only one minute to address and put postage on a package, I used 83+ HOURS not including time at the post office (or doing tedious labels + custom forms). Two full 40 hour weeks. And that's just in one year. Imagine if I had that time to do other things?

People say that land is the only thing that you can't make more of, but this is not true: It's time.

You're not still using a fax machine, are you?

[maydaylabels]

For that matter, a dymo is much faster than printing manually on adhesive stickers through your laser or inkjet.

I used to hand address as well, and if my volume were low and revenue per sale high I probably still would; I think a hand-addressed package (for the Handmade section of Etsy) is actually more appropriate to the venue than the sticker labels.

I certainly am not put off by a taped label or a handwritten address; when I buy something from Etsy, I am explicitly supporting a small (usually one person) business, so that kind of thing is part of the charm in a way that it isn't on say Ebay or Amazon.


But the dymo saves a lot of time, if you don't have time to spare :)

[Former_Member]

Sara - Did you get your dymo used or new? I think I've heard they are sold through Ebay a lot??

[maydaylabels]

We got the dymo new with some sort of Etsy promotion, I think it was around $200 but I don't remember exactly.

We buy off-brand stickers from Amazon; they're just as good and much cheaper.

[NataBurgos]

I handwrite the address when I send my orders. I do not have etsy shipping labels and I don´t have any special kind of tool from my local postal service.

My local postal service does not pick up the packages. In the states you have a lot of good points. Every time I send an order I have to go to the post office, I can't leave the packages like you do.

[LeedsRadio]

Matthew and Sara

Which Dymo printer do you have?
The only one I looked at that did large labels was the 4XL. That does 53 labels a minute. My laser printer does 30 pages a minute every page has two labels so that's wash.

If there's another faster one I would like to try it out.

[ZeeBestCelebrations]

We print our labels thru PayPal on white typing paper and cut out and adhere to the mailer with packing tape. After reading these threads we are ready to print on labels. We think the Dymo is too expensive and want to use the laser labels from Avery. We can then print on our laser printer. Can someone tell me what label I need to purchase? Assuming there are more than 1 label to a sheet, how do you indicate what label to print on? Once you print one, need to print on the second, Once the second is used, need to print on the third label. Thanks in advance.

[RomaMiaTradingCo]

I use the avery labels that have two stickers per sheet. I'm not sure how shipping works on paypal, but on etsy they ask you what labels you are using.

[maydaylabels]

Hmm, the way we package 53 a minute is more than fast enough. (we have the 4xl). We can only package about 53 packages in an hour - we have to look up the customer's order, type in the weight, buy the postage, download the postage, print the postage, put the item in the package, seal the package, put the sticker on the package. Because we package items one at a time (it seems to be the fastest way) a one-at-a-time printer is fast and easy. Plus the dymo is small :)

I suppose printing on a laser printer or something would be more or less the same? I've never tried it, we went from handwriting addresses to the dymo.