Quote:
Originally Posted by premium1981
Both are silly IMO. Boxes are a wasted expense for small orders and cutting cardboard is a waste of labor IMO. I'm assuming when people are talking about cutting cardboard its for single card sales, or very few cards. I will put the card in a toploader, and place a stack of freebie cards on either side. Usually 10-20 free cards, depending on the thickness and into a team bag all together. Keeps you from needing other cardboard, and keeps you from spending extra on boxes that are not needed. Boxes don't even cross my mind until I get to the 50+ card range. Never had a issue/complaint from this type of shipping in however many tens of thousands of transactions.
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Boxes are cheap and efficient. You can get them for free with eBay credit or buy them wholesale for ~$0.25/each. They take up less space than bubble mailers and stack neatly without slipping so your workspace can always be clean, organized, and efficient.
They’re practical but also a branding play. They communicate to your customers that you care and that you’re a professional. People buying $20+ singles aren’t usually the type to want/appreciate bulk but they do appreciate boxed shipping to protect their card, especially when it’s easy to unbox. If you like adding freebies, a new One Touch is a nice touch (ba-dum-tschhh) and it’s something they’ll appreciate and use.
I’m all for minimizing costs as much as possible. But when saving a few cents detracts from the customer experience and their perceived value of the brand, then you’re stepping over a dollar to save a nickel.
Think of all the cards you’ve purchased and how incompetent the typical card seller is. Receiving a bubble mailer for my cards makes me nervous—I have to open it wondering if the corners are all going to be screwed up or if I’m going have to waste time dissecting a monstrosity made of cereal boxes, paper towels, and scotch tape. A box that rattles inspires the same fear of dinged corners. But a silent box that is easy to open, that’s a unicorn. Those are the sellers I save and make repeat purchases from.