How do you ship?

I detest going to my local post office to ship pins. No matter what time of day I go, there is always a line out the door. Unfortunately, this location does not have an automated machine either.

I've looked at Stamps dot com but they want $15.99 per month. I can see if I owned a business and did a lot of shipping but I'm just talking about sending out trades, ZAPs and the occasional sale.

Can I do it through Paypal or Ebay somehow?

TIA,
Christine

PayPal.com/shipnow for first class, priority and international large envelopes (if your package doesn't exceed 3/4" in thickness, then it can ship as an international large envelope.

HOWEVER, I still suggest if you use these means to stand in line at the post office to get the packages scanned into the system and get a receipt (yes, I know, it defeats the purpose of not wanting to stand in line). So, uf you work in an office with regular mail delivery, see if you can drop off at the front desk and have the postal carrier scan them into the system.

And, via PayPal, it's only $1.93 to ship up to 3 ounces, $2.01 to ship up to 4 ounces, etc. It's an extra 8-12 cents for each extra ounce (that's with tracking). The post office charges $3.37 for up to 3 ounces and an extra 17-22 cents for each extra ounce so there is a savings there (that's with tracking)

It took me awhile to figure out the "how to" on Paypal, but holy cow, once you get the hang of it, it is way cheaper than actually going into the post office and with paypal the tracking is free. I place the LBE in my mailbox and so far, the mailman has scanned the labels and when you follow the tracking, it shows the exact time they have picked it up and then the transit locations from point A to point B.

I've also printed priority labels via PayPal and then stood in line to mail them at the post office since the boxes won't fit in my mailbox. However, our local mailmen are pretty cool and have assured me that if I can catch them while en route, they will accept the boxes that way, too.

starry_solo said:

PayPal.com/shipnow for first class, priority and international large envelopes (if your package doesn't exceed 3/4" in thickness, then it can ship as an international large envelope.

HOWEVER, I still suggest if you use these means to stand in line at the post office to get the packages scanned into the system and get a receipt (yes, I know, it defeats the purpose of not wanting to stand in line). So, uf you work in an office with regular mail delivery, see if you can drop off at the front desk and have the postal carrier scan them into the system.

And, via PayPal, it's only $1.93 to ship up to 3 ounces, $2.01 to ship up to 4 ounces, etc. It's an extra 8-12 cents for each extra ounce (that's with tracking). The post office charges $3.37 for up to 3 ounces and an extra 17-22 cents for each extra ounce so there is a savings there (that's with tracking)

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Agree with Starry Solo - if you are shipping a pin that is either rare enough or would be expensive to replace, getting a receipt is definitely worthwhile!

Happy Trading!

I ship international quite a bit. For me to not have to deal with our bozo post office it is worth the 16 dollars to use stamps.com. Plus if you are sending multiple pins overseas you can use fractions of ounces whereas paypal each item is an ounce. So if you are sending 5 pins that way a half ounce each by using paypal you have to count them as a full ounce and then the weight is higher then the actual weight. So if your package really weighs 3 ounces you would have to claim the package as 5 ounces because you can not use fractional ounces. I hope that makes sense. Even if I only make one overseas trade it is worth the 16 dollars for me to not have to stand in line.

This is extremely valuable information. (I say that because I've just been using USPS for all my trades.) But question: If you use paypal, how do you get the correct measurement of your size? I do not have a scale at my residence, so would it make sense to go to the post office, weigh the package there, go home and process it via paypal, then return to the post office to drop it off?

I mail directly from the post office this way I give the buyer an expected delivery date along with the tracking.

What are the paypal international rates like compared to the post office?

twintraders said:

What are the paypal international rates like compared to the post office?

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If you can ship as an international large envelope (12" length, 12" width, 3/4" thickness), it ranges from $3-4 for up to 3 ounces. If it's a box and has to be shipped as a package, use USPS.com and you get about 10-20% off USPS retail prices.

starry_solo said:

If you can ship as an international large envelope (12" length, 12" width, 3/4" thickness), it ranges from $3-4 for up to 3 ounces. If it's a box and has to be shipped as a package, use USPS.com and you get about 10-20% off USPS retail prices.

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Awesome, thanks!

I'd like to take this opportunity to thank docfish2u and starry_solo for turning me on to stamps.com. OH MY GOD IT IS SO WORTH IT. Seriously my love for it knows no bounds.

At my work, the postal carrier comes to the front door every day to pick up my outgoing mail. This means I can hand him pin packages-- but only if I have a SCAN form. (It's a document with a bar code for the package, which the carrier scans.) The SCAN form via paypal/shipnow constantly had problems printing, and you could only print one at a time. Stamps.com lets me print one SCAN form for all the packages I've entered that day.

Also, international packages: I can do either large envelope/flat (if it's flat enough) or package (if it isn't) and fill out the customs form right there in the app. It's even e-signed. This combined with my office's postal carrier means I never have to go to the post office for international pin trading again.

(Now, if your carrier isn't picking it up in person, you still have to go to the post office-- but when it's already pre-paid via stamps.com, you just need to drop it at the counter. At my post office this means you don't have to wait in line.)

Plus there is an actual working tracking number on the international packages.

AND there is the option to email the recipient directly with their tracking info, if you happen to have their email address. (Which you always do for pinpics trades, at least.)

I buy self-adhesive mailing labels (two labels per 8 1/2" x 11" sheet) but you don't have to; you can print it on plain paper and tape it on (I recommend clear packing tape).

It is absolutely the BEST. It has a monthly fee but the benefits are worth it to me! (And most hobbies cost money, after all; I just chalk it up to that.)

In-person at my local USPS branch.

Paypal.com/shipnow is the way to go.

Vixy, I love stamps.com for international packages. It is the easiest way to go. I still use paypal for US packages because I can do a bunch at one time. For me, 16 dollars a month to not have to go to the post office and mail international packages is the best thing I pay for every month.