I am not a Power Seller or a big business, but in selling on Ebay over the past 6 years, I have picked up some tips and ideas about saving on shipping costs, so thought I’d share them.

The first thing you can do, if at all possible, begin printing your own postage online. I have used USPS Click-n-Ship, however with them, you can only print Priority Mail postage. I know there are several online postage services out there, but I prefer to use Paypal shipping services. You simply buy yourself a postage scale (about $20), weigh the item yourself, fill in the blanks on the Paypal form and it gives you the postage. (And the interface between your “My Ebay” and Paypal is pretty much seamless. It works great. ) You print it out on your own printer and you’re done! You don’t need any special forms or stickers for this, you can print the postage on a regular piece of paper than tape it to your box. But you can order the self-sticking labels from a seller on Ebay to make life easier if you choose to. In doing it yourself, you are able to see the difference that even a fraction of an ounce can make in shipping costs. A fraction of an ounce can make a difference between being able to ship First Class vs. Priority Mail and save about half the cost.

Use First Class whenever you can. You can use first class for items up to 13 ounces. This is where packaging materials make a big difference. I started using Polymailer Bags about 6 months ago and am in love with them! They are extremely light and very affordable. The seller I buy from offers combo packs of different sizes, which I think is great. The benefits of Polymailers is that they are light, very durable, water-resistant, and self-sealing, so you use less tape. And they seal tight, practically impossible to get open once they’re sealed shut. This is where you have to think “out of the box.” I have shipped a large variety of items this way and here are some examples: Books, Videos, Clothing, Stuffed Animals or dolls, Smaller board games, and even skateboards. Of course, you have to use common sense and pad the items appropriately either with bubble wrap or packing foam. You really won’t have to use a whole lot more of these materials than you would if you packaged the item in a box. I have actually had a small item packaged up, weighed it, and realized it was 13.6 ounces, rounded up to 14 ounces, disqualifying it for First Class Mail. So I removed some of the packaging, just a tiny bit, and brought it down to 13.4 ounces, rounded down to 13 ounces. If I had left it as is and gone with Priority Instead, it would’ve cost me $4.05. Instead it cost me around $2.00. Big difference.

Same goes for Priority Mail. The boxes are great, but they are heavy. Use the Tyvek bag whenever you can. Again, very durable and big enough to hold a variety of items. I have even at times used two bags together to ship a larger item. There is sort of a middle range in there where Parcel Post isn’t any cheaper than Priority. Items that are just slighting too heavy for First Class are best shipped Priority. You really don’t start saving using Parcel Post until you get up over a pound and a half and up. You are able to check estimates on the different classes of mail by going to the USPS website and getting a quote based on your package weight. You also have the capability of change shipping methods on Paypal in order to compare one method versus another. It warrants mentioning, though, that the Priority Mail Flat Rate envelopes and boxes are a great deal in some circumstances if you have a small, heavy item.

Then there’s Media Mail. Use it whenever you can, as long as the item being shipped is qualified for it. This includes books, videos, CDs, DVDs, etc…you can find a list on the USPS website if you aren’t sure. The main thing I wanted to point out is that some lighter books or even DVD may be better shipped First Class Mail. It is actually cheaper to ship an item 6 ounces and less via First Class Mail vs. Media Mail. Keep that in mind, because many times I have automatically used Media Mail because it was a book, then went back and looked and realized First Class would’ve been cheaper. Live and learn.

Lastly, I wanted to mention packing materials. I used to use Bubble wrap exclusively, then at some point switched to packing foam and it has worked well for me. Just as well as bubble wrap and I find it to be cheaper. And it is as light as bubble wrap. Peanuts are nice if you can get them for free because they are light and provide great protection. Shredded newspaper works well, but is much heavier and could raise your shipping costs. Of course if it is a fragile item, use common sense: Sturdy box, wrap the item in bubble wrap, surround it with peanuts filling the box, and tape securely. When it comes to fragile or every expensive items, I don’t skimp on shipping materials, I pay whatever it costs to get it there safely. And I almost always opt for insurance on fragile and expensive items, whether the buyer opts for it or not. In these cases, it provides me protection and peace of mind as I wait to hear that the item has arrived safely.

Happy Shipping!