# Shipping Packaging?



## Hardfahrer (Mar 15, 2006)

Hey Yall'
What is the best shipping container to use when shipping a shirt? What is the Cheapest?...the most durable? Should I bag the shirt before I ship? If yes where do I get the bags, and the shipping containers for that matter. What are the range of prices on the containers. Who do you recommend I use UPS? USPS? You will save me a million hours of running around and figuring this out myself. Thanks so Much!


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## jdr8271 (Jun 16, 2005)

*Re: Shipping Containers ???*

The best bags for shipping t-shirts are probably the tyvek bags. Priority mail gives them to you for free. If you want to ship by firstclass or airmail, you will have to buy packaging. The cheapest is the paper envelopes. The most expensive is the tyvek at about .55 each. In the middle are the poly envelopes, which you can get for about .18. The paper are ok, but are a bit flimsy. The poly work well, and the tyvek are great.


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## monkeylantern (Oct 16, 2005)

*Re: Shipping Containers ???*

eBay is always good for packaging materials (and better still if you make a contact with a big stationary store there, and make subsequent purchases offeBay).


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## statc (Mar 31, 2006)

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I think the best is USPS priority Tyrex envelopes. Free packaging and shipping can be flat fee..


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## monkeylantern (Oct 16, 2005)

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Yup, if you have a postal service that provides materials, that's almost always the best bet


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## jdr8271 (Jun 16, 2005)

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Priority mail is too expensive anymore. $4.05, compared to about $2 with firstclass...You save a couple of dollars on each package by using firstclass, that money ads up over time.


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## monkeylantern (Oct 16, 2005)

*Re: Shipping Containers ???*

I've found that, at least in Australia (and I'm guessing western postal systems can't be *radically* different) prepaid is often false economy. Certainly in the UK and Oz, the business discount you get from registering as someone who sends out in excess of 70 parcels a week is way in excess of standard prepay. And usually free pickup.

If you're making a living off this, then chances are you qualify for special business rates.


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## Solmu (Aug 15, 2005)

*Re: Shipping Containers ???*



monkeylantern said:


> I've found that, at least in Australia (and I'm guessing western postal systems can't be *radically* different) prepaid is often false economy.


In Australia you just need to be very aware of how the postal rate system works and what your options are. It's somewhat complicated at first, but extremely simple once it clicks.

Basically prepaid is very economical in some circumstances, and a poor choice in others. It's always convenient though, which is sometimes worth the revenue loss.

In the US prepaid Global Priority is much the same. I've had people insist on using it when Airmail would have been less than half the cost, and others fail to use it when the prepaid would have been a quarter of the cost. Again, the important thing is that you actually read your countries postal charts and understand how they work.

I've found that too often people just don't understand their post office, and since that occasionally includes the postal employees themselves one really can't afford to stay in the dark.


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## Rodney (Nov 3, 2004)

*Re: Shipping Containers ???*



jdr8271 said:


> Priority mail is too expensive anymore. $4.05, compared to about $2 with firstclass...You save a couple of dollars on each package by using firstclass, that money ads up over time.


I've always charged a flat rate of $4.95 for shipping, so the Priority Mail doesn't seem too bad. Especially when you throw in the free tracking and free postal supplies (and faster delivery).

That being said, I'm getting ready to setup a local site selling shirts to locals (withing a few miles of each other) and the extra $2 bucks for Priority wouldn't make sense. First class for $2.10 will work just fine


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## TeeShirtSamurai (Feb 8, 2006)

*Re: Shipping Containers ???*

Rodney, do they not give you a tracking number when you use first class?


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## Rodney (Nov 3, 2004)

*Re: Shipping Containers ???*



ph0yce said:


> Rodney, do they not give you a tracking number when you use first class?


You have to pay a little extra to get delivery confirmation with first class, but I'm pretty sure it's an option.

For getting a package from California to New York in 2-3 days (vs 5-7 days), I just think Priority Mail is the better way to go. The handling seems to be better for Priority packages as well.


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## jdr8271 (Jun 16, 2005)

*Re: Shipping Containers ???*

Priority mail says that it will take an *average* of 2-3 days. Through my observations of when people ask me when their packages will be delivered, Priority mail generally takes 3-4 business days. First class takes about 5-6 business days. For me, shipping by first class mail means thousands of $$ more profit a year. Its a no brainer to me. I have never had a problem with handling on priority mail packages or first class mail.


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## Rodney (Nov 3, 2004)

*Re: Shipping Containers ???*



> For me, shipping by first class mail means thousands of $$ more profit a year.


How does that mean thousands more profit per year? Are you profiting that much off shipping? 

I try not to make shipping a profit center for my shop, but I can see how making close to $3 per package could add to the bottom line.


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## TeeShirtSamurai (Feb 8, 2006)

*Re: Shipping Containers ???*

Yeh, it seems like Priority Mail is what I'm going to go with.

1. Your customers get their orders delivered to them sooner. In our society of instant gratification it seems like this would help with getting people to come back to your shop.

2. You get a tracking number which is a feature people love. Everyone I know that orders something online loves to be able to see where their package is and will check it 100 times a day.

3. The price is really no big deal since everyone these days assumes the magic number of $4.95 for shipping -- people simply don't pay attention to it, at least not the majority (and the majority is who you cater to).

4. Like Rodney said, free postal supplies. My website isn't even done yet but I have 300 Tyvek envelopes and 300 boxes sitting in my apartment ready to go -- which I received for free.


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## jdr8271 (Jun 16, 2005)

*Re: Shipping Containers ???*

There is an accepted shipping price (about $5), that people are used to paying for t-shirts. Customers will pay that price, no matter what method of shipping you are using. Since I sell thousands of t-shirts a year, and use first class mail, I make thousands of dollars more by shipping by first class rather than priority mail.


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## TeeShirtSamurai (Feb 8, 2006)

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jdr8271 said:


> There is an accepted shipping price (about $5), that people are used to paying for t-shirts. Customers will pay that price, no matter what method of shipping you are using. Since I sell thousands of t-shirts a year, and use first class mail, I make thousands of dollars more by shipping by first class rather than priority mail.


Yeh but you have to buy your own shipping supplies, right? Also, I'm sure there are some customers who are turned off by the longer delivery times and you fail to make them repeat buyers. Once you factor these things in is it really still worth it? Am I totally wrong?


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## CoolHandLuke (Oct 27, 2005)

*Re: Shipping Containers ???*

Most of my online orders are overseas at $54 per order and they all CHOOSE to increase the shipping to $25 for Global Express!

Different market… different people, but it’s C-O-O-L! If they like what you’re about… cost is not a factor!


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## Rodney (Nov 3, 2004)

*Re: Shipping Containers ???*



jdr8271 said:


> There is an accepted shipping price (about $5), that people are used to paying for t-shirts. Customers will pay that price, no matter what method of shipping you are using. Since I sell thousands of t-shirts a year, and use first class mail, I make thousands of dollars more by shipping by first class rather than priority mail.


Do you think you could sell more t-shirts if you lowered your shipping price to be closer to what you actually pay? 

I've always heard that shipping is one of the main deterrents for people not shopping online. I would think that a lower shipping cost would encourage more orders?

I might try a switch to first class for a while as a test. I'm thinking about getting some custom tyvek envelopes printed. Any places you know of that custom print tyvek envelopes?


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## TeeShirtSamurai (Feb 8, 2006)

*Re: Shipping Containers ???*



Rodney said:


> Any places you know of that custom print tyvek envelopes?


Rodney,

I only looked for about 20 minutes. Most sites want you to provide information about your font and graphics to go on the envelope and they'll get back to you with a quote.

However, I did find this site that lists some pretty damn good prices.
http://www.smartresolution.com/print_services/envelopes/mailing_detail.asp?p=789

100 - $100
250 - $203
500 - $351 
1000 - $554

Once I get more established I think I'm going to get some of these.


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## Rodney (Nov 3, 2004)

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Cool...thanks for the link. 

I was actually looking for more of an all over type print (something that I could make really colorful that would stand out...like the USPS Priority envelopes are printed in the red/white/blue eagle design), but that link gives me a good starting point.


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