joemagiera
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Do you ship a lot of smaller, but heavier parts (e.g., joysticks, small PCBs, trackballs, power supply PCBs (with the big heavy heat sync), type stuff)? Want to save your buyers some shipping costs?
Do you buy a lot of smaller parts? Want to save some on shipping?
Most of us know about USPS Small, Medium and Large Flat Rate Boxes. They are nice - if you can get it in a Small. USPS sends you those for free. Small is $7.20, Medium is $13.65 and Large is $18.90. So if you can get it in a Small Flat Rate, great, but the price goes up pretty quickly after a Small.
Here's the tip. Use USPS Regional Rate A & Regional Rate B boxes. Both the A & B come in 2 different sizes. And of course USPS will send you them free. To give you an idea on size, the A box can fit an Atari Audio Reg I with some room left over. The other size A box can fit a medium size track ball assembly. The B box can fit 4 Atari Audio Regs II's. (I don't have any of the other size B boxes). The trick is you have to order them online. The post offices do not carry them. And to use them, you have to register for an account with USPS (which is free). If you don't have an account, you won't even see the Regional Rate box rates on USPS.gov. And then you have to print the label yourself and stick it on the box. You can't get the Regional Rate rates at a live post office, you have to do it online. You can get stick-on label paper (that's what I do), or get stick-on mailing pouches and print the label and put it in the pouch, or print the label and tape it on the box. The only part that could present a problem on this is that you need a reasonably accurate scale. I got a really nice one on Amazon for I think it was $45. There are cheaper ones out there (and more expensive too).
Sounds like a bit of a hassle, but it's totally worth it. Besides the cheaper prices (which I'll show below), at this point, you NEVER HAVE TO WAIT IN LINE AT THE POST OFFICE! Once your box has the label on it, you can just leave it on the counter without waiting through the line. I use several different post offices depending on where I might be that day and every one of them has a drop off point. It's so awesome seeing a line of a dozen people and just walking in dropping on the counter and leaving.
Now, how much savings? Well, they aren't flat rate, but here are a few example comparisons. All are from my house in the Chicago area (Evanston, Illinois, zip, 60203). All are for USPS priority mail service, with tracking and $50 of insurance.
5 pounds to Aldie Virginia (zip 20105)
Your own box: $11.95
Regional Rate A: $7.40
Regional Rate B: $9.37
Let's up the weight...
10 pounds to Aldie Virginia (zip 20105)
Your own box: $18.95
Regional Rate A: $7.40
Regional Rate B: $9.37
Yes, you read that right, your own box is 58% more and the A & B are still the same price! Let's up the weight again...
15 pounds to Aldie Virginia (zip 20105)
Your own box: $25.95
Regional Rate A: $7.40
Regional Rate B: $9.37
I just used my most recent shipping address here, but it is relatively the same no matter where I send in the USA.
So if you sell a lot of small (and relatively heavy) parts, the more you can save your buyers on shipping, the more they might buy from you.
And if you buy, if you can get your seller to use a Regional Rate box, you should be able to save a good chunk on shipping.
Hopes this helps some people.
Do you buy a lot of smaller parts? Want to save some on shipping?
Most of us know about USPS Small, Medium and Large Flat Rate Boxes. They are nice - if you can get it in a Small. USPS sends you those for free. Small is $7.20, Medium is $13.65 and Large is $18.90. So if you can get it in a Small Flat Rate, great, but the price goes up pretty quickly after a Small.
Here's the tip. Use USPS Regional Rate A & Regional Rate B boxes. Both the A & B come in 2 different sizes. And of course USPS will send you them free. To give you an idea on size, the A box can fit an Atari Audio Reg I with some room left over. The other size A box can fit a medium size track ball assembly. The B box can fit 4 Atari Audio Regs II's. (I don't have any of the other size B boxes). The trick is you have to order them online. The post offices do not carry them. And to use them, you have to register for an account with USPS (which is free). If you don't have an account, you won't even see the Regional Rate box rates on USPS.gov. And then you have to print the label yourself and stick it on the box. You can't get the Regional Rate rates at a live post office, you have to do it online. You can get stick-on label paper (that's what I do), or get stick-on mailing pouches and print the label and put it in the pouch, or print the label and tape it on the box. The only part that could present a problem on this is that you need a reasonably accurate scale. I got a really nice one on Amazon for I think it was $45. There are cheaper ones out there (and more expensive too).
Sounds like a bit of a hassle, but it's totally worth it. Besides the cheaper prices (which I'll show below), at this point, you NEVER HAVE TO WAIT IN LINE AT THE POST OFFICE! Once your box has the label on it, you can just leave it on the counter without waiting through the line. I use several different post offices depending on where I might be that day and every one of them has a drop off point. It's so awesome seeing a line of a dozen people and just walking in dropping on the counter and leaving.
Now, how much savings? Well, they aren't flat rate, but here are a few example comparisons. All are from my house in the Chicago area (Evanston, Illinois, zip, 60203). All are for USPS priority mail service, with tracking and $50 of insurance.
5 pounds to Aldie Virginia (zip 20105)
Your own box: $11.95
Regional Rate A: $7.40
Regional Rate B: $9.37
Let's up the weight...
10 pounds to Aldie Virginia (zip 20105)
Your own box: $18.95
Regional Rate A: $7.40
Regional Rate B: $9.37
Yes, you read that right, your own box is 58% more and the A & B are still the same price! Let's up the weight again...
15 pounds to Aldie Virginia (zip 20105)
Your own box: $25.95
Regional Rate A: $7.40
Regional Rate B: $9.37
I just used my most recent shipping address here, but it is relatively the same no matter where I send in the USA.
So if you sell a lot of small (and relatively heavy) parts, the more you can save your buyers on shipping, the more they might buy from you.
And if you buy, if you can get your seller to use a Regional Rate box, you should be able to save a good chunk on shipping.
Hopes this helps some people.



