USPS Box Issue, Looking for some input.

[The Boots]

Wow, wished I had a decent USPS mail carrier.

 

[Atlanta Mi Dave]

I have found the use of a large paper grocery bag, cut and turned inside out makes a good box cover for mailing, and generally can be free for the asking.

My wife does this also to ship her dog outfits that she sells. I use the smaller lunch bags for shipping coins, cheap rings, etc. I cut the bottom of the sack out. I roll the item in bubble wrap to make it thick enough to qualify for a package and tape all edges of the bag for added strength. $1.93, and I have shipped 100's like this with never a problem.

 

[Joe777Cool]

My wife does this also to ship her dog outfits that she sells. I use the smaller lunch bags for shipping coins, cheap rings, etc. I cut the bottom of the sack out. I roll the item in bubble wrap to make it thick enough to qualify for a package and tape all edges of the bag for added strength. $1.93, and I have shipped 100's like this with never a problem.

To me that sounds like a lot of extra work, extra tape, and bubble wrap - which is surprisingly not very cheap. These: (Amazon.com: 25 #000 4x8 KRAFT BUBBLE MAILERS PADDED ENVELOPES 4 x 8: Office Products) are less than 17 cents each and no work at all!

 

[NHBandit]

The PO is getting picky about what they allow. Using Priority Boxes for things other than Priority is a given since the cost of the "free" box is figured into the price to mail it. I ran into a situation the other day that kind of baffled me though but since my little one employee post office is really good to me I didn't question it. Had a package that fit perfectly in a medium Priority Flat Rate box and I keep a complete assortment of them in stock at home. But it was pretty light so I figured it would ship for $6-$7. So I stuck Priority Mail stickers over all the places that said "flat rate". Simple right ? Weigh it and ship it out regular Priority Mail. Nope... The lady tells me I can't use flat rate boxes for anything other than flat rate, even if I'm using the for regular "pay by weight" Priority Mail.. Go figure

 

[Atlanta Mi Dave]

To me that sounds like a lot of extra work, extra tape, and bubble wrap - which is surprisingly not very cheap. These: (Amazon.com: 25 #000 4x8 KRAFT BUBBLE MAILERS PADDED ENVELOPES 4 x 8: Office Products) are less than 17 cents each and no work at all!

Takes me about 45 seconds to make a bag, bubble wrap is a 3" x 12" piece and I get the tape at Big Lots 220 yards for $5.00. I use about 2 feet total counting the label. I bought a case of lunch bags at a garage sale -500-Bags for a dollar, so my cost is pretty cheap.

 

[Joe777Cool]

Takes me about 45 seconds to make a bag, bubble wrap is a 3" x 12" piece and I get the tape at Big Lots 220 yards for $5.00. I use about 2 feet total counting the label. I bought a case of lunch bags at a garage sale -500-Bags for a dollar, so my cost is pretty cheap.

I am not calling you a liar, by any means, but 220 yards of bubble wrap for $5? That doesn't sound right for a few reasons. The box of wrap I have is pretty big and it only contains 175'. yours would contain 660' or 3.75 times more and 3.75 times bigger. How wide is the wrap? I dont think I could fit a box that big through my front door. Plus the 175' roll costs about $20, but yours cost $5?

 

[silverwing]

I am not calling you a liar, by any means, but 220 yards of bubble wrap for $5? That doesn't sound right for a few reasons. The box of wrap I have is pretty big and it only contains 175'. yours would contain 660' or 3.75 times more and 3.75 times bigger. How wide is the wrap? I dont think I could fit a box that big through my front door. Plus the 175' roll costs about $20, but yours cost $5?

Read again... he was talking about about the tape at that price...

 

[silverwing]

I am not calling you a liar, by any means, but 220 yards of bubble wrap for $5? That doesn't sound right for a few reasons. The box of wrap I have is pretty big and it only contains 175'. yours would contain 660' or 3.75 times more and 3.75 times bigger. How wide is the wrap? I dont think I could fit a box that big through my front door. Plus the 175' roll costs about $20, but yours cost $5?

Read again... he was talking about the tape at that price...

 

[Joe777Cool]

Read again... he was talking about about the tape at that price...

yup I missed that part. thanks. sorry for my mistake.

 

[Baltimore]

Wow, I leave for a few days and this thread blows up! Thanks for the input everyone, I think I'm just going to buy a bunch of 7x7x7 boxes, it makes the most sense. My volume isn't huge, but with etsy and ebay combined it just doesn't make sense to go hunting for boxes all the time, especially because small ones are annoyingly hard to find. I sometimes end up having to use an unnecessarily large box for a small item, which makes shipping go up. The items that I ship shouldn't be crushed, so that why i don't use envelopes. I totally agree with whoever suggested regular mailers and bubble wrap though, I bought a box of 100 9x12 clasp envelopes at staples for $7 or so, I use them every so often. They are way cheaper and lighter than bubble mailers.

 

[Tallone]

I scavenge boxes as much as possible but, once in a while, I need to buy some. Uline.com offers some very good deals and all types of shipping materials (boxes, padded mailers, tape, etc.) and they have an every imaginable size of box. If you buy a large number the price/unit gets very cheap for most items. They also deliver very promptly.

 

[cyberdan]

I do not know how many locations there are, their website only gives one address.
I use Packaging Supplies, Gift Boxes, Cardboard Boxes | Paper Mart a lot more than uline. A real good selection of shipping supplies and the best part is I work less than 10 miles away. Order in the AM and go to willcall at lunch.

Bubble mailers are fine but they do tend to increase your postage rate. I bought bubble mailers to to ship me e-books on CD. I didn't like the postage rate so I talked to my postal teller and she said get a certain size cardboard mailer and the rate will go down.

 

[mugsisme]

Yea, I think I'm going to have to start buying boxes. My items are usually only 6-8 oz, and I'd feel like I'm ripping someone off if I had to charge like $6.00 to send something to California when first class it only costs $2.75. Thanks for the input everyone!

Do you take insurance? I find that for me, first class with insurance runs about $3.63, going from East Coast to West Coast, and probably for under $100. If the item is too heavy for 1st class, then I tell them to suck it up and pay for priority. Or I jack the price up six bucks and say free shipping.

Finished reading all the comments. I HATE USPS WITH A PASSION! They suck. They are the worst, and I rant and rant all the time. That said, where I live, we rank at the bottom of US Post Offices. I can't tell you the number of horror stories I have had. I sent one priority mail at xmas, and it just got stuck at the sorting facility. No one could find it. Until I opened a case when enough time went by. Magically, they found it that day. My mail carrier carries his mail under his arm. In the summer, with 100 degrees and humidity, my magazines have to be tossed in the garbage. When I complained to the manager, he said he was following PO regulations. He is allowed to get his arm pit sweat all over my mail. (I have pictures.) He wouldn't answer me if he would read it with someone else's bodily fluids on it. And he ended the conversation when I told him I was going to pee on the mail and leave it out for the carrier. (Hey, bodily fluids are bodily fluids .. doubt he would want to touch it if I spit on it.)

Yeah. I hate USPS, and they probably have it out for me for all my complaining. I bet they do it now just to get me. (OH, 5 years ago, took the kids for passports. 4 kids. 3 passports arrive, one doesn't. No one knows where it is. They end up overnighting me the passport. The first batch arrived in Jan. The missing passport showed up at my door IN JULY! WHERE WAS IT FOR 6 MONTHS No one seems to know. Yes, I really, really hate USPS.)

 

[deserdog]

I didn't like the postage rate so I talked to my postal teller and she said get a certain size cardboard mailer and the rate will go down.

1st class compared to first class parcel?

 

[deserdog]

I didn't like the postage rate so I talked to my postal teller and she said get a certain size cardboard mailer and the rate will go down.

1st class compared to first class parcel?

 

[jeff of pa]

you already mentioned paint but this is what I use NIFTY tan mask

 

[Bassmaster96]

As long as it doesn't make the box sticky, it should work fine.

 

[NJcigarman]

I usually troll on here but I have been shipping daily for years for my eBay business. Now I have some choices with Post Offices that many of you don't have. For instance I use tons of the regional A & B priority boxes. You save huge with these boxes depending where your destination is located. You have to order these boxes through the USPS website. You won't find them in the post office. Naturally I use med and large flat rate boxes, along with the large and small priority boxes too.
Some things I do to avoid clerk issues. One PO I go to being I sell candy and snacks I ply the clerk with candy. She goes the extra mile for me. A few times I messed up the weight on a large mailing box and even though my weight was wrong she pushed it through. So a little gift for the person you see everyday is well worth it.
Now when doing the box switches I go to the regional sectional center near me. Here is an example I was selling a product that did not fit in the small 7x7 box. So it fit in the regional A box but that would cost me more. But when I weighed the box it was less to send it straight priority. I would use the A box then take priority stickers (free from the PO) and covered up the Regional A markings. And don't forget the bottom of the box too. Now at the Regional Sectional Center if I took those boxes to the counter the clerks would flag it immediately for using the wrong box. But they have a Giant bin that you pull open and the packages drop into the back of the PO. Those guys in the back remove them and send them on their way. But again depending on how far something has to travel don't be afraid to use the regional A or B box when shipping. You will save a ton if $$$$$$$

 

[Bassmaster96]

Yeah, I recently found the regional rates and they are very helpful.

 

[Joe777Cool]

would love to hear more info on the regional rates.....