Excellent! You are at the last step and almost ready to get paid from eBay. But first you have the critical step of how to ship items to your buyer so that they arrive exactly as photographed. Keep reading to learn tips on how to spend as little as possible to safely ship items.
Getting Started: What Do You Need?
- Box, poly mailer bag, or some other container suitable to ship your item
- Packing material to prevent movement during shipping
- Packaging tape
- Printer for your shipping label
- A convenient way to drop off your package with USPS, UPS or FedEx
- Some other “nice to haves”:
- Scale to weigh your final package weight
- Tape measurer to measure your final package size
Quick Tips to Ship Items
Choosing a Box
- Save your incoming boxes (flatten them to save space). Most casual sellers will never need to buy a box
- Remove all prior shipping labels or barcodes from the outside
- Aim for around 2″ of space around your item with the box size. Too little risks damage, and too much space requires a lot of packing material!
Packing Your Item
- Packing material should be appropriate for the item’s weight: light items can use brown packing paper, heavier items need cardboard or foam
- Use a quality tape that doesn’t come easily un-stuck after applying
- Give your box the “shake test” to ensure it will withstand rough couriers
Shipping Your Item
- Always pre-purchase a label (eBay offers discounted labels)
- Dimensions don’t need to be exact for most small items, feel free to “eyeball it”
- Experiment with mailing locations and list your items accordingly. Hate your local FedEx store? Don’t offer it!
- USPS is generally cheapest for buyers and usually has self-serve drop offs for small packages. Don’t wait in line!
Pro Tips for Shipping a Lot of Items
- Ship in bulk when possible. Listing multiple items at once for fair prices (see how to price your item) will increase your chances
- Always use “calculated shipping” for buyers to avoid surprise shipping costs
- Aim to keep shipping/packaging costs as low as possible by repurposing material and getting creative
- Keep reading for specific recommendations:
Boxes
Save your Amazon and other small delivery boxes, but ideally store them in a garage or away from clothes/food.
If in a pinch, scrounge for extra discarded boxes at work or school!
Poly Mailers
Poly mailers come in a variety of sizes and colors. These are lightweight (cheap to ship), strong and perfect for apparel.
Bonus tip: Stick an ugly box (or free USPS box!) inside a poly mailer for extra protection and a professional look
Packing Paper
Brown kraft paper is sold in large rolls for a reasonable price and will last for dozens of shipments, if not more!
Tape
Look to use specific “packaging tape” as opposed to other types. Brand name is usually better.
Most tape is sold with a cheap plastic roll. Start with that, but switch to bulk packs of tape once you invest in a tape gun.
Tape Gun
A high quality tape gun should last for years and will make your life so much easier. Try to buy in-person, as designs and grips can vary and you want something comfortable.
Postal Scale
Following the tips on this site means most items you ship will be under 5 pounds. Each pound can make a big difference in price, so it’s important to be accurate
Note: USPS is now charging corrective fees if your label weight is too low!
Label Printer
A dedicated label printer may not make sense for occasional sales. Instead, label sheets for a standard printer can be a good compromise – it saves on tape too!
Note: Be sure to set your label printer settings accordingly, and don’t leave label sheets in your printer unless only printing labels
USPS Pickups
For most areas, USPS will allow you to schedule free daily pickups online for your outbound packages. Unfortunately, this is mostly beneficial for homes with a large mailbox or a front porch where you can trust leaving packages unattended.