Best way to ship jewelry..

This is kind of a follow up to my green czech glass brooch thread....
Will be listing it soon...and I always ship items priority w/DC and of course the included insurance. Since not a jewelry seller..not sure how buyers would react to cost of priority, should I be using 1st class instead ? Can still get DC and insurance? Still print labels at home ?
I have just always used Priority for everything..just so much easier for me..

 

I pretty much use Priority for everything too. It is insured to $50, and one can add if necessary.

You can insure FC too, but I'm unsure if DC is included.

Your buyer will know up front if you only choose Priority, and many times it's the same cost as FC with added insurance. Priority is more Seller friendly IMHO.

 

Thanks Judy !!!

 

You're welcome.

Would like to hear how others ship also.

 

A lot of people on the old ebay boards used to ship FC in a jewelry box in a padded envelope. No insurance/no tracking on low end items.

When I sell off bits of the junk pile, that's what I do. Or it was, been a bit since I parted with anything.

 

In my ebay time I sold 40,000 items, which must have been at least 10,000 packages, and nothing was sent any other way than basic airmail, or first class inland post, loss rates were trivial, around 1 in 500, and I think the customers appreciated that they could get something sent from England cheaper than local sellers would ship domestically.
I think as an outsider I may have trusted the USPS more than its native users, but the trust was justified.

 

I only ship USPS and I have NEVER had a problem. Knock on wood.

I feel I'm better protecting myself using Priority when shipping ebay sales....especially since I know DC is provided and it is insured up to $50.

If I'm shipping to a relative or friend, if FC is cheaper, I use it.

 

The few items I've purchased or sold (mostly through ebay) have gone FC with no problems (boxed & padded envelope.) Obviously, heavier items or multiple items go better Priority, since they often weigh over 16 oz. If you use ebay and plan to do a lot of selling or the PO is not convenient, purchase your postage through ebay. You get a discount that can add up over time, and can place in your mailbox (although you won't get a receipt, I've never had a problem.) The tracking info is automatically put into ebay, so discount & less effort on your part. Good luck!

THE USPS is a funny nut. I've had media mail get somewhere in literally 1 day, and Priority take over a week. At least with tracking, you and the seller/buyer know where the package is. (Cited from: https://www.antiquers.com/threads/best-way-to-ship-jewelry.40161/)

 

I generally use PP to print my postage. A receipt is printed at the same time of the shipping label.

Cheaper price than at the PO.

I either take it to the PO (very close by) or I leave it out for the Mail deliverer.

 

As both a buyer and seller of jewelry, I almost always prefer First Class. It comes with tracking and for a lightweight package is several dollars less than Priority. I ship jewelry in a small jewelry box inside a padded envelope, and have had no problems. For items of higher value, I may purchase Insurance and/or ship in a regular shipping box instead of the padded envelope, and once in a while I will use Priority for high dollar items.

 

On Ebay I always use first class for shipping if the item is 16 oz or less. A buyer probably has a dollar amount in their head for what they are willing to spend with everything added in, and if shipping is less, they will have some room to bid higher on the item. If you are offering free shipping, it will save you a few dollars per sale to use first class. Delivery time is almost the same.

I think the main advantage of Priority is that $50 insurance and free box if you use the small flat rate. For some folks that might be attractive, but you are probably paying $2-4 more per shipment.

 

It is good to know that shipping FC does include DC.

 

FC does include DC does IF you are shipping through Ebay shipping or a similar service.

As a side note, if you just walked into the post office and paid for FC it would include DC.

 

Thanks everyone !! As I said, I normally do not ship anything under 1 lb, so appreciate all the input!!

 

I am with the ship first class group.

Anything, & that would include glass, porcelain or any other breakable item, that weighs 16 ounces or less, I will give the buyer the option to ship first class.

FYI for anyone who may not be aware, USPS will even ship a 16 oz item first class.

I pack it up the same regardless of how it will be shipped & considering how many items I have shipped have had very little breakage over the years.

As far as jewelry, I put stuff in a tiny Ziploc bag if it has any stones (that way they are contained if one happens to come loose) wrap it in a piece of tissue paper & put it in a small jewelry gift box. The box is secured closed with a couple of rubber bands & then slipped into a bubble lined envelope.

 

I'm known to use Easter Eggs and tissue for small items. Pack the item in tissue and snap the egg shut. Tape the egg closed all the way around, and make sure one end is folded in to make a pull tab. They weigh next to nothing and work great, and customers love them. Better yet, bigger boxes can't sit on them squarely, since eggs is eggs. Larger items to into a small box and the box goes in a bubble mailer. USPS first class purchased through Eboo so I get the discount. You can always add insurance if needed. I offer Priority on most things but it's rarely used. One buyer in Italy did opt for it, but they were trying to protect themselves from the Italian postal system.

 

I am in the FC camp also. I pack the item in a cardboard jewelry box, wrap it in a piece of bubble wrap to keep it closed (I don't use tape in case the buyer wants to give it as a gift) and put it in a padded envelope.

I self insure anything under $50, I find my rates more reasonable. I just drop a $1 bill in a jar for anything I self insure.

FC printed through Pay Pal (and I think eBay though I use PP) has tracking. If I have an international package I print it through eBay for anything under $50. There is tracking for international but often once the package leaves the US there is no additional information.

 

Ack replying to my own post with a clarification. Meant to write: "If you just walked into the post office and paid for FC it would not include DC." Somehow forgot the word "not". Oops.

You can get it for an extra charge with FC at the post office though.

Luckily purchasing on Ebay/Paypal you do get DC with FC for no extra charge.

 

That's weird; they always add it here.