advice on shipping razors

[jsmith]

I am thinking of getting rid of some of the razors I bought earlier in the venture into wetshaving to make room for new ones, and since I can't sell them here (don't have enough posts) I was going to sell them on ebay. I thought about shipping them in the small flat rate box, but to stay competitive with wholesale sellers I don't really want to charge 6 bucks shipping.

What are some of the ways that you have heard of razors being shipped that is more cost effective. I thought about bubble mailers, but it seems like it might not be very protective. has anyone seen these used before. also bubble wrap costs a small fortune, so im trying to stay away from that.

 

[morganjg]

You can package them in small boxes and send them USPS first class. The secret to saving is using a small digital scale to get the weight after packaging and then paying the postage on USPS website. Much of the time however, I find the flat rate box is a very competitive price. I have not ever shipped any razors in bubble mailers, nor would I personally be willing to take the risk. Any damage upon arrival in the current eBay environment will more than likely mean a loss on the sellers end.

 

[dpm802]

I have received plenty of razors in bubble mailer envelopes, and most were double-bubbled inside of that. Never had a problem.

I think the USPS flat-rate boxes are your best bet, though not necessarily the cheapest. In place of expensive bubble-wrap, just cram the box with plenty of wadded up newspaper, enough so that the razor doesn't slide around inside the box.

 

[Iceberg168]

+1 to a box. I've bought a few razors on eBay and I would be pretty miffed if it came in an envelope. The box protects the razor from damage and the buyer pays anyways. I don't mind paying for $6 shipping. But I would be miffed if someone tried to charge $20+ for 1 razor for shipping which I've seen before.

 

[facetime]

I cringe every time a razor arrives in an envelope - tho' knock on wood I've been lucky so far to avoid damage. Box is definitely the way to go. USPS 1st class is surprisingly affordable.

 

[mistercitizen]

I've shipped and received quite a few in the bubble wrap mailers with no problems but I'm convinced that the best way to go is a small box and newspaper or bubble wrap inside to keep the razor from moving around. Usually costs me just under $2 to ship USPS.

Ben

 

[mmack66]

I usually ship first class in whatever appropriate sized box I have laying around, though I sometimes I splurge and go with the flat rate Priority boxes. Whatever method I use, I just figure in the shipping cost with the razor price.

If you don't have any, small boxes can be purchased for about a dollar at Dollar General.

 

[the beav]

I've probably shipped over 60-80 razors since 2008, and most have been in bubble-lined envelopes. I did this by buying the 10"x14" envelopes, then cutting them in half and sealing them accordingly. The razor itself was wrapped in bubble wrap as well.

Anyway, I have never had a razor lost or damaged in shipment, nor has anyone ever complained about the way that they were packaged. And think about it--it would be almost impossible to damage a metal razor that is wrapped adequately in bubble wrap.

The exception to the above is when I have to mail a cased razor. I ALWAYS wrap both separately and mail them in a box, since the razor rattling around in the case can damage the interior of the case and even put scratches on the razor.

 

[rxonmymind]

As has been brought first buy a scale. If you plan on being in this hobby any length of time this will more than pay you back. For a while I would go to the post office and pay separately for tracking to the tune of $1 each. Now with online printing via ebay or post office this is free so you can see how a $20 scale will pay for itself. Additionally ebay will allow for further savings by allowing you to ship many items First class vs Priority mail. The USPS website will not go as low as First class.
I've mailed plenty of single razors in bubble mailers with additional bubble wrap around the razor which offers enough protection. I also recently went to Walmart and was very happy to see that they had the perfect box to mail cased razors for. 50 cents! This box with the right padding will ship cased razors for First class. Sweet.

Also forgot to add. When shipping cased razors be sure to "pad" the inside of the razor/case. I've now gotten into the habbit of wrapping the head of the razor with either tissue wrap and making a small square cut out of bubble wrap to fit inside the case. This helps with the razor from bouncing around and further scratching the case.

 

[DEGuy]

I now ship in a small box via USPS 1st Class with Delivery Confirmation for under $3.50 throughout the CONUS.

 

[amishmotorboat]

Things I have shipped razors in:
Inner carboard tubes from carpet rolls cut for length
Blocks of styrofoam
Boxes
Tupperware
Eyeglass cases
Soap cases

Things I avoid shipping razors in:
Bubble mailers (unless it is also encased in one of the above).

 

[chado006]

I've shipped a few in bubble envelopes but when I do, I actually make a small box from a hunk of cardboard to fit the razor and put that box in the envelope. As for affordability, as above mentioned, the kitchen scale is a must and I always use Paypal to print USPS First Class labels for under $3. Using Paypal is free for you and it gets you a small savings from going to the Post Office. For some reason, it's a bit of a pain to find, but just Google "Paypal shipping label" and you should find it.

 

[BBrad]

Every damaged razor I have ever received came in a bubble envelope. Every boxed razor I've received arrived undamaged. I vote for boxes!

I buy 7x4x2 corrugated mailers (in bulk) for under .50 including shipping. CONUUS First Class is between $2 and $2.50 depending on the exact razor/case. Add another dollar for Canada. International First Class to Europe or Australasia is about $7.

While the USPS web site doesn't do First Class packages, eBay and PayPal shipping does them with free tracking for domestic shipments.

 

[knlgskr]

Purchase insurance and you won't have any problem(s).

 

[amishmotorboat]

Insurance covers you after the fact, but only if the shipment was adequately packed to begin with.
A bubble mailer isn't going to cut it for damage claims, it will only cover you in the event that the post office loses the package.

 

[Foyle]

If you pack it in a small box you can ship it for just a couple of bucks if you choose first class mail. Even with delivery confirmation, it should cost less than $3.00.

 

[ThePatrician]

It won't take you long at all to get above the post requirement to sell through the BST.

But still, get an inexpensive kitchen scale from Bed, Bath & Beyond.

 

[KingGordon]

this: http://www.harborfreight.com/1000-gram-digital-scale-97920.html

It's insanely accurate and easy to use, plus it's small to store and use your 20% off coupon to get it for less than $10.

 

[ras120]

+

+

= no worries


All at Dollar Tree. Tissue paper is 35 sheets/$1.00 (about .03¢/sheet) and both food savers and heavy bubble mailers are 2/$1.00. Food savers are large enough to hold cased razors. Using 3 sheets of tissue paper, my total packaging cost per razor is about $1.10. Total weight of packaging is about 2.6 ounces. This packaging is light, yet very sturdy. I have shipped many razors this way and I have received several compliments on it, but not a single complaint.

 

[Toothpick]

I've received razors in bubble mailers before. If you take care to package them correctly/safely they will arrive safe. bubble wrap is expensive but its effective. I recently mailed off a razor in a bubble mailer. I wrapped the razor in bubble wrap and put it in the mailer. the shipping cost was around $2.00. the cheapest available. CONUS.