This guide will cover domestic shipping methods, give a few international shipping tips, & give a broad overview of shipping rates from both Japan and China. ( Hopefully it will help. )
Usually First-class Mail is the cheapest, BUT there is a weight limit of up to 13oz.
I don't know. Most of the time, Media Mail is cheapest option in my experience unless it's (1) a very light package (like say around 4-5 ounces) and/or (2) the shipping location is pretty close between the two points (I live in the NY Tri-State area, I usually ship it First Class if my buyers live in that area because it usually ends up cheaper, especially if we live in the same city).
Personally I've use media mail and it can take anywhere from 2 weeks - 1.5 months.
I have little problem with this. I could see it topping 2 weeks if (1) someone doesn't live in the continental area of the US (Alaska, Hawaii, the US territories) and/or (2) it's a very heavy package, but it usually takes a week at the very most barring the seller's schedule.
Ah well I use paperback swap and media mail usually takes ages to reach me, while I lived in CA, NV, and VA. I don't want to underestimate the shipping time. But certainly it could reach the buyer in a decent amount of time.
There are also peak mail times like Christmas, where packages are likely to be mislaid/lost/backlogged. Even using priority.
I personally like first-class since the rates don't vary so much in the US for lighter packages as you said & most buyers tend to want their items quickly for b-day presents. :3
& Thanks I just thought it'd be nice to have a small guide so that buyers and sellers can be more informed.
Oh, in my experience, it usually took a week tops for any of my packages to reach California and I live in the opposite coast.
Of course it doesn't count the Christmas havoc because any one should know it's better to mail early to avoid all of that.
Yeah, it gets insane when you can shave down two whole days just for paying 30 cents more to upgrade to First Class than sticking with Media Mail, and I usually note that to my customers.
I might have the times skewed because some buyers forget to tell me that they received the items too. Doesn't media mail only apply to cds/dvds/book/doujins? I thought parcel post was the other slower & cheaper method for everything else. :3
Shipping to Italy is really funny. Sometimes people who buy from me and I ship to Italy, their packages get stuck forever in customs. A lot of people from a community I'm on flat-out refuse to ship there because it's proven to either take too long
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I don't know. Most of the time, Media Mail is cheapest option in my experience unless it's (1) a very light package (like say around 4-5 ounces) and/or (2) the shipping location is pretty close between the two points (I live in the NY Tri-State area, I usually ship it First Class if my buyers live in that area because it usually ends up cheaper, especially if we live in the same city).
Personally I've use media mail and it can take anywhere from 2 weeks - 1.5 months.
I have little problem with this. I could see it topping 2 weeks if (1) someone doesn't live in the continental area of the US (Alaska, Hawaii, the US territories) and/or (2) it's a very heavy package, but it usually takes a week at the very most barring the seller's schedule.
But this is a pretty usual resource post!
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There are also peak mail times like Christmas, where packages are likely to be mislaid/lost/backlogged. Even using priority.
I personally like first-class since the rates don't vary so much in the US for lighter packages as you said & most buyers tend to want their items quickly for b-day presents. :3
& Thanks I just thought it'd be nice to have a small guide so that buyers and sellers can be more informed.
Reply
Of course it doesn't count the Christmas havoc because any one should know it's better to mail early to avoid all of that.
Yeah, it gets insane when you can shave down two whole days just for paying 30 cents more to upgrade to First Class than sticking with Media Mail, and I usually note that to my customers.
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Yeah I know about that. I usually just let people pay however they want. :3
Did you still want to buy that England special one-coin?
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Oh, shoot. Man I've been ditzy. @.@ Yeah, I still want it. PayPal address? :3 I'll send the money your way today~
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