Let's talk about mailing

[SewMuchLoveQuilting]

Good morning. So mailing things confuses me just a bit. So far, I have been able to mail all of my purchases in a large envelope using etsy mail system.

But... do you all buy things for mailing or do you go to the post office for packaging?

I make quilts (as well as smaller items) and I am just wondering how to go about mailing those at the best cost....

Does the etsy mailing system let us use different size packaging and/or boxes?

Do you order mailing supplies from uline or other companies?

[SpangGangDesigns]

You can do a search within the threads here and find lots of info on shipping and supplies. I use priority mail from USPS, which comes with free supplies. It does cost more if you are mailing lightweight first class eligible items, though

[LittlebCottonShoppe]

Good morning Jamie,

I just used Etsy's mailing system and found it to work wonderfully!
There is a drop down tab that lists all the size options as far as package size. Plus the option to choose first class or Priority etc.

Best of all Etsy prices are lower than if I went into the post office.

I do go to the post office to pick up free shipping boxes! The USPS web site offers free shipping boxes to be delivered to your home or office :-)

Best wishes!

[heathercashart]

The padded mailers and boxes at USPS or UPS are really marked up!! I buy all my packaging stuff from Walmart. They have padded mailers in bulk packs for like 50 cents each or so (depending on the size) and you can get really big padded mailers for like $2 each.

Then I do the shipping payment stuff through etsy (I have a postal scale, got it through Amazon for pretty cheap).

[heartsabustin]

I buy my mailers in bulk at Sam's Club - MUCH cheaper than even Wal-mart is, and I only get what I need. Shipping quilts is a bit more of a problem, because I imagine the boxes need to be good sized. Wal-mart is a good place to get boxes, though - I keep small 6 x 6 x 6 boxes in stock for shipping larger quantities of soaps and lotions in my soap shop.

Etsy Shipping will allow you to edit the box size - when you click on Parcel Select to ship something over 13 ounces, you have to put a package size in anyway, before it will calculate the shipping.

[Former_Member]

Maybe if you're shipping a larger item you might try USPS flat rate? Their boxes and packaging are free. I love flat rate shipping - it's so fast!

[Former_Member]

I buy my mailing stuff through Amazon. Most of my items are small enough for FC shipping though.

[SewMuchLoveQuilting]

Thank you to all of you. This helps. I mailed a quilt a few weeks ago and paid $15!! (Only charged $7). Quite a shock... so I decided I might need to learn more.

Happy selling day, hopefully, for all of you! Jeanie

[SpangGangDesigns]

USPS has variety kits that you can order online. They include various boxes or many of their sizes. They are free and delivered to your door. Your post office has free boxes too, but online carries more. Create a profile at USPS and look around at their free supplies. Surely something would jump out at you. Consider Regional boxes, too - they are nearly the same size as flat rate, but have a slightly lower weight allowance, but can save a lot on shipping!

[Former_Member]

I needed this info to and have to say thanks everyone.

[BowsBellissima]

I would say, in general, to avoid USPS flat-rate boxes unless you are shipping something that is both small and heavy. You can still get priority shipping on your own packaging, and you can fit much more for less money (up to 13oz I think for $5.10 if you buy on Etsy). I can't even come close to getting 13 oz of my products into a small flat rate shipping box. :\

If you have enough sales volume, I would say definitely consider purchasing boxes in bulk. I have purchased from Papermart.com, which is pretty cheap per unit. I'm finding that the corners don't necessarily line up nicely, so I'm going to try another vendor next time. Uline is more expensive than several other places I've priced. TheBoxery.com seems to have very good prices, particularly on certain standard sizes. I haven't purchased from them yet, but my next box purchase, I will. I learned about them from someone else's recommendation in a forum discussion. :)

I'm not sure how bulky your quilts are - another thing to watch out for is the box dimensions. Once any side goes over 12", the prices go up significantly.

Good luck with your shipping!

[Former_Member]

I order my USPS shipping supplies directly from USPS.com and they deliver right to the door at no charge.

They also pick up my outgoing packages at the same time (as long as i remember to schedule the pickup the night before).

For all other shipping supplies, I'll order in bulk from Royalmailers.com or Uline.com depending on what I'm needing at the time.

I also keep certain sized boxes that my supplies come in as many are just the right size for certain packages.

[CozyDawg]

I buy poly mailers from Amazon. Since my items are not fragile I don't need bubble wrap or other stuffing material, which helps keep costs down. That's where I've found the best price for the quantities I want to buy. I also buy packing tape and shipping labels on amazon.

[Former_Member]

I use poly mailer bags that I buy in bulk from amazon. I can get 50-100 of them in various sizes for usually $10-$15 dollars. When I do need boxes (for priority mail or otherwise) i order them on the USPS website and get them sent to my house for free.

[StoneyCreekKnitters]

I use poly mailers for the majority of my items for both of my shops, I buy them in bulk from paper mart.

HOWEVER, the only items I do not use them for is quilts. I just don't want to take a chance of something happening (i.e torn packaging) so I use boxes and I wrap the quilts really well inside to make secure. I live in Canada and I charge $15 within Canada and $18 to the US. That includes tracking and insurance up to $100. Our mail system is a little different here, we don't have tracking on everything and we have to pay an arm and a leg for it so it isn't worth it on less expensive items.

[PrairiePrimitives]

I sell antique quilts from time to time and I ship them in "poly mailers." They come in sizes from itty bitty to really big. They're available here on Etsy, but compare prices with eBay or Amazon to find the best price. I buy most of my shipping supplies from corijennin on eBay; what I like about this seller is that you pay shipping for ONE item and everything else ships for free! Bubble wrap is usually free shipping, even if that's all you're buying!

Most boxes large enough for even a baby quilt (which is what I'm assuming you're talking about shipping based on your shop name), are going to weigh the better part of a pound EMPTY. Poly mailers, on the other hand, weigh an ounce or two when empty!

Jeanie, it sounds like the first thing you need is a postage scale. You can get one many places. I think someone recommended Amazon earlier; I bought mine on eBay more than a decade ago and it's still going strong! (brand is Royal EX2)

Katherine, have you ever tried to tear a poly mailer? I sure can't do it. That's not to say they couldn't get punctured, but I've never had any complaints ... and, as I said earlier, I ship antique quilts in them ... even to Australia!

I keep a variety of Priority Mail boxes and envelopes on hand all the time. You'll learn which sizes you use most often. Check out Regional Rate Priority Mail boxes if you're sending things just a few states away; sometimes this is cheaper than "regular" Priority Mail!

Hope this info is helpful! :-)