Action Figure...Shipping?

[Icetron]

I decided to list some Build-a-Droid pieces for sale and some of my random GI Joes.

Usually I would be fine with just charging the $2+tax it would cost but I just realized that since the BAD parts weigh next to nothing (They're not even 30g), would it be possible to just stick it in a regular mailing envelope and I slap a $0.98c stamp on it? I know it's just a random piece but it doesn't seem fair to ask the buyer for an extra $2 to ship it...

As for the Joes I think I'd have to mail it in a bubble envelope for $2 since they weigh about 40-50g...

Just wondering if anyone's ever mailed out such minor pieces before and how you went about doing that.

Thanks!

[pud333]

I decided to list some Build-a-Droid pieces for sale and some of my random GI Joes.

Usually I would be fine with just charging the $2+tax it would cost but I just realized that since the BAD parts weigh next to nothing (They're not even 30g), would it be possible to just stick it in a regular mailing envelope and I slap a $0.98c stamp on it? I know it's just a random piece but it doesn't seem fair to ask the buyer for an extra $2 to ship it...

As for the Joes I think I'd have to mail it in a bubble envelope for $2 since they weigh about 40-50g...

Just wondering if anyone's ever mailed out such minor pieces before and how you went about doing that.

Thanks!

You have to be careful when mailing in a regular envelope. Even though the pieces are small, the envelope can potentially rip open. I've had someone ship me accessories only to have canada post give it to me torn open with pieces missing.

In this case, you might want to give the buyer the option to either pay the $2, or take the chance, and if something happens, it's on him. Maybe wrap the droid piece in a piece of paper before putting it in the envelope.

As for Joes, I tried to mail them in the bouble mailer before, but depending on who you get, Canada Post can be a real anal. They have this measurement for envelopes: if it doesn't fit through the slot, you have to pay parcel prices. Every time I've tried this, the Joes just don't quite fit due to the thickness of the bubble mailer.

[Icetron]

Actually I've even mailed out 6" figs using the bubble envelope...no problems so far.

This guide is about mailing games but the info applies to figures as well unless it's extremely obvious that the width is more than 5cm. http://www.goozex.com/community/forums/t/19506.aspx

And yeah I think you're right, I asked for $3.00 shipped for the droid piece but I think I'll give him the option of just paying $3.50 to get it in a bubble envelope and I cover the 50c. :cool:

[VIT]

I have had A LOT of experience will Canada Post and I have grown to despise them, not the actual post office employees but the business itself. The rates when compared to USPS are unfair.

Ya, if you can't get the package thru that 2cm slot the rates get ridiculous for sending across Canada. I live on Vancouver Island and it can cost $9 to send a 4 inch figure into Ontario.

$2.11 to send a package anywhere into the US if you can get it thru the slot and it weights less than 200g. If it can't fit thru the slot you pay $5.25 and it can't weight more than 250g.

Paper envelopes rip easy and if you get an employee that doesn't try to put it thru the slot and it actually won't fit but you paid as if it did fit, it won't get thru the sorting machines properly and it gets shredded and/or it gets sent back to you. Bubble envelopes are best but they are more bulky. Also, don't pay the rip off price for a Canada Post plastic bubble mailer. Get cheap paper covered bubble mailers.

I recently found out that international parcel surface, which is the cheapest option for sending outside of north america with a tracking number got changed and now the tracking number is useless when the package gets out of Canada.
WTF! I hate Canada Post sooooooooo much

[Tkim87]

I work at a canada post outlet..and I do agree that it sucks..the prices, already high, rises every year while the service quality falls.

pretty much what everyone stated is true. if it cant get thru a 5mm slot, then it would be considered an oversized mail, which costs 1.18 by default and hops to 1.96 if it weighs over 100 grams, then 2.36 to 3.90 if it goes over 200grams.

Now, if the package is light but cant get through the 2cm slot they have for oversized mails, they will be counted as parcels and costs about 6-7 bucks within the same province and over 10 bucks if mailed outside of the province.

The services themselves, as well as the prices for them are pretty stupid.
eg, the regular sized xpresspost envelopes(prepaid courier service envelopes) used to cost 6~9 bucks depending on which province it went to. the price jumped twice this year making it 9~14 bucks now, and their bubble prepaid envelopes(used to be nice, durable and flexible plastic mailer) is now replaced by this POS thick, paper mailer that can fit alot less than it used to with the old one.

Oh, and they charge around 40-50 bucks extra for international parcel services with tracking system that doesnt even work.

Prices will keep on rising, and the only real reason they will stay in business is because it is a monoply and is run by the government.

sorry, kinda venting.

[Icetron]

That's pretty lame, so it'll get harder and harder for us to sell stuff as Canadians. I'm stuck with a few toys because the shipping outside of Canada is so expensive for them and it makes people not want to buy.

[pud333]

Yeah, I generally don't both shipping outside of Canada unless the figure is sought after enough to warrant the high shipping prices. If I can't sell to a fellow collector, I normally put it up on Craig's list and generally some mom or dad comes across it and takes it off my hands. I got rid of a lot of my TFTM figures that way a couple years ago after I got bored with them and by then everyone on Cybertron.ca already had all the figures. Sold them to some dude who wanted to save money on gifts for his kids.

[JTCh]

Tell me about it! I got a TFU Inferno for a buddy in Singapore, and it cost $40 by sea with tracking just for the shipping! The only cost effective way is to go by sea without tracking which cost $15.