What's a fair shipping charge for movies and music?

While $4 or $5 is not an uncommon domestic shipping and handling charge for CDs, DVDs and VHS tapes, it might not be justified - unless it's for USPS Priority Mail.

Let's examine what it really takes, dollar-wise, to get such an item from a seller's door to yours.
Single CDs and DVDs ship via USPS First Class at around $1.35.  Heavier , single VHS tapes are often shipped USPS Media Mail, at $1.59.  Standard  delivery confirmation is  60 cents, but most volume sellers purchase their postage from online sources, where delivery confirmation is often steeply discounted.  Add a bulk-purchased bubble envelope (25 cents), the cost of the mailing label (about 5 cents), a piece of tape to double-seal that envelope (a sliver of a penny), and you have much much less than $4.00.

Then there is the value of time - time is indeed money.  Thankfully, music and movies are some of the easiest things to ship on eBay,  there really isn't much to it.  Using an online postage program, we've timed the whole process at under a minute per item once the materials are on the table.  Of course, there is the online postage subscription fee and the cost of a scale, but these expenses are essentially shared by dozens or thousands of items sold per month.  The same concept applies to the exorbitant price of gas - most sellers do not ship one item at a time, and often a trip to the post office can be combined with other errands.

One exception/variation to these formulas is the huge-volume seller, who might employ shipping clerks, a third-party shipping service or direct-ship from a separate, wholesale warehouse.

As 8+ year eBay sellers and shoppers who ship dozens of items per week, we simply feel $4 - $5 is a bit excessive for movies and music — unless the package is TWO DVDs or CDs shipped Priority (at $4.05, plus the delivery confirmation is often free...the little Priority box is free, as well).

It is our opinion that setting reasonable s & h fees is part of good customer service, and a policy that pays off in a variety of ways — including repeat business.

With shipping charges often included on the search pages, eBay has made it easier for consumers to make choices.  It takes just a few moments to calculate the total cost — price+shipping (and don't forget to check that feedback score).

After all, saving a dollar here and a dollar there can add up, especially at holiday time!