O/T Selling/Shipping efficiently

[Cory]

I know this isn't the right thread for this technically, but it is the right thread. I assume everyone checks this one religiously, like I do? Delete or Move if necessary.

I have bought cards from many of you over the past couple of years, and sold cards to many of you more recently.

Two things that have made selling infinitely easier for me -

Using a postal service - I use Pirateship - where I can buy discounted postage and print labels. - This is especially efficient when you sell to the same person repeatedly as their address is stored. If there is a better/cheaper option out there, please share!

Buying a thermal label printer. I bought a Jadens thermal printer off Amazon - currently around $90, but there are cheaper options (cheapest around $55) - it bluetooths to my phone - so I input the address on pirateship and it prints off a 4x6 sticker to attach to my packages.

These two things have made selling/trading cards much easier - and I have noticed the postage that some of you are paying (too much!), and that a lot of the labels are hand written. It works out to about $4 to ship a 5x7 bubble mailer to roughly anywhere in the US. This forum has been amazing for me and hopefully this can help make life a little easier for a few of you.

One other little tidbit on scanning that I learned - if you want to get good scanned images of slabbed cards you have to use a CCD scanner like the Epson V600. The cheaper Canon Lide works great for raw cards, but something with the slabs makes them look blurry.

Again sorry for posting in the "wrong" place, but I figure this would be most likely to be read by the ones that would get the most benefit from it here.

[StraightRaceCards]

Cory,

Great advice. I did not know about the pirateship for shipping.

I think this would be a better main feed post, but it’s all good.

Thanks!

[Bkrum]

Great advice! I’m one of those guys who will often handwrite labels and I know there are more efficient ways. Thanks for the tips

[Luke]

If you use paypal you can just print labels from there. You save $1 or $2 per first class package v.s. going into post office, not to mention the gas and time. A basic black and white printer with a long toner cartridge life can pay for itself over time.

[Cory]

Does printing labels work if you use paypal F&F or just G&S?

Also one other thing that mainly benefits buyers - PLEASE DON'T TAPE STUFF UP WITH SCOTCH TAPE - USE PAINTERS TAPE. Way easier to unwrap, less likely to damage cards, and generally no sticky residue.

[Luke]

Either

[bnorth]

Originally Posted by Luke

If you use paypal you can just print labels from there. You save $1 or $2 per first class package v.s. going into post office, not to mention the gas and time. A basic black and white printer with a long toner cartridge life can pay for itself over time.

Thanks I will have to check that out.

I have recently been selling some stuff on eBay. I just started buying the postage from eBay using the money from the sale. It has made stuff way easier and cheaper on there.

[Leon]

This was moved to the front page as I am sure it can help more than a few members.

Originally Posted by Cory

I know this isn't the right thread for this technically, but it is the right thread. I assume everyone checks this one religiously, like I do? Delete or Move if necessary.

I have bought cards from many of you over the past couple of years, and sold cards to many of you more recently.

Two things that have made selling infinitely easier for me -

Using a postal service - I use Pirateship - where I can buy discounted postage and print labels. - This is especially efficient when you sell to the same person repeatedly as their address is stored. If there is a better/cheaper option out there, please share!

Buying a thermal label printer. I bought a Jadens thermal printer off Amazon - currently around $90, but there are cheaper options (cheapest around $55) - it bluetooths to my phone - so I input the address on pirateship and it prints off a 4x6 sticker to attach to my packages.

These two things have made selling/trading cards much easier - and I have noticed the postage that some of you are paying (too much!), and that a lot of the labels are hand written. It works out to about $4 to ship a 5x7 bubble mailer to roughly anywhere in the US. This forum has been amazing for me and hopefully this can help make life a little easier for a few of you.

One other little tidbit on scanning that I learned - if you want to get good scanned images of slabbed cards you have to use a CCD scanner like the Epson V600. The cheaper Canon Lide works great for raw cards, but something with the slabs makes them look blurry.

Again sorry for posting in the "wrong" place, but I figure this would be most likely to be read by the ones that would get the most benefit from it here.

[Snowman]

All great tips. I also use a thermal label printer. If you don't have one, you need one. I use the Zebra LP2844. I like mine so much that I even bought one for my brother for Christmas last year.

Another good option for shipping:

https://www.paypal.com/shiplabel/create/

Also, get yourself some rigid envelopes and use eBay's "standard envelope" shipping option for cards that are less than $20. It's only 63¢ to ship.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/374188929453