Shipping cards on Ebay

[xxcujoxx]

Posted this in Baseball earlier lol didn't realize there was a forum for this sort of question...

Hi guys I have not sold cards on Ebay before and would like to start. I would appreciate any help in the matter. I want to know from americans in particular. If you were buying a card from Canada, what kind of delivery would you want?
Or what kind of delivery would make it the most desirable in general?

When I'm listing cards or card lots that don't have much value- say 30 dollars or less, I picked the most basic mail, through Canada Post- it costs between 3 and 5 dollars (depending on weight)... Would that be preferable? Or would they rather pay for the Express Post which comes with Delivery Confirmation? I myself would prefer the delivery confirmation but maybe for a card worth a couple bucks I would probably rather just the basic?

Do any of you guys have experience using basic USA letter mail from Canada Post? Have they gotten lost?

And where would you guys draw the line, price range-wise? Being in Canada I can't see anyone wanting to pay the crazy shipping prices for a card without significant value... Please anyone with experience, ESPECIALLY canadian sellers that sell to the U.S. I would appreciate any input...

I've read some of these horror stories on here and I put integrity before all else so I would be a valuable asset to the community... I apologize for having somewhat high prices I'm now realizing as I am just getting into it, I don't mean to offend anyone. And most importantly, I don't want anything I send getting lost or ANYTHING that could negatively impact someone wanting to do business with me in the future...

And for the pricier cards, of course I would list expediated/tracked mail, anyone who is dropping a couple hundred or more on a card should not have a problem spending 20-40 dollars to make sure they actually receive it...

Please advise, I have found you guys to be really helpful... Thanks

But also yes, even on the express/tracked services please tell me what is most desirable as an american buying a card from Canada... Thanks!

[checkoutmydeals]

My preference would be to buy from an American seller first. International mail is slower and more expensive. When there's a snag, the US post office will blame the International post office, the International post office will blame the US post office, and everyone will also blame customs.

If I buy from an international seller, it's because the item was not available at all from an American seller, or the total price (including postage) from the American seller was much much higher than the total price (including postage) from the International seller.

If you're going to have to charge a minimum of $5 or $6 for postage, then you would be better off grouping smaller items into larger lots. So, instead of listing one card for $2, you might list 10 similar $2 cards as one lot for $20. Then, you're looking at $25 delivered for 10 cards rather than $7 delivered for one card. That's a much more attractive deal.

On any item where you're willing to eat the loss, you can offer the cheapest shipping option. However, I would also offer the more expensive shipping option. If the item does get lost or delayed, you can at least point to the fact that the buyer could have had better tracking if they paid an extra $20 or whatever. This invests them into the lower postage option and some will let you off the hook or at least meet you halfway (which still counts as a 'defect' under the new eBay system, but it's something).

For $1 to $5 type stuff, you might consider selling on COMC rather than eBay. With COMC you can ship your items to a Canadian address and not have to worry about international postage.

[benshobbies]

I've done a number of purchases from Canada. For higher end products, its best to have tracking (I don't know what Ebay Canada shipping guidelines for tracking are, you might want to stick to them).

I have received Canada Post Letters with no tracking just fine, usually takes me 1-2 weeks to get my packages from canada. 3-4 weeks from Edmonton/Vancouver area.

Just my only advice is package it well & securely. Cards get tossed around like crazy & I've had some Canada Post packages that were walked on & dinged up but the cards survived because the seller packaged them well.

Think its $14.00 for tracking in a bubble mailer from what most are charging.

[Kane1]

xxcujoxx, the fact depend on the type of item. Also it isn't always the shipping method that make buyers "happy". It is how good you package the items. For example as buyer I paid a seller more than $30 in S&H. I was expecting something more. Not just the items throw inside a USPS Medium Flat Rate box.

If I buy from an international seller, it's because the item was not available at all from an American seller, or the total price (including postage) from the American seller was much much higher than the total price (including postage) from the International seller.

Agree. As buyer I had that issue.