20 replies to this topic

[louie]

First, Dupes, feel free to move to a more appropriate section if you feel it will not get enough traffic here.

 

Decided to make a thread and share some experiences on shipping to help cut down on shipping prices for everyone.  It's not cheap shipping to our members not in the USA and likewise for all of friends north of the border and globally.

 

Here are some ways to make shipping cheaper for everyone and examples.

 

Contractor Garbage Bags Are Your Friend

https://www.amazon.c...or garbage bags

 

These are the same or better as a tyvek bag and the best part is, if you cut them in half that's two pairs of pants you can ship with one bag.  Using a bag like this cuts the cost and weight of a parcel down significantly.  Finding a box that fits a pair of hockey pants is almost impossible to do and oft leading to a balloon charge for the size of the parcel.  I've used these to ship gloves and shells also, especially internationally.

 

Free USPS Bubble Mailers

https://store.usps.c...ductId=P_EP14PE

 

I love these and they're great to ship a variety of things: 9K shells, shells, speedwicks, socks.  Best part it's a flat rate envelope so $6.80 coast-to-coast in the USA, no-hassle, no BS.

 

Below, I have attached some images of shipping costs (domestic to follow):

Two Pairs of Bauer pants to Quebec

 

CCM PP10 Shell to The Netherlands:

 

Two Pairs of Bauer pants to Ontario:

 

One95 Bauer Pants to BC:

 

Bauer Hockey Pants to Canada:

 

[WheelSnipe]

What do you do exactly? Put the pants in the bag, then tape it all up?

How do you ensure pants wont get scuffed from being thrown into the packaging lines with other boxes?

[louie]

Yup, I'll post a picture the next time I ship a pair.

 

I've never had one person complain about this method.  The contractor bags are very heavy.

[cthockey]

We use the black trash bags when shipping goalie pads and pants everywhere. Putting them in a box gets the goalie pads tagged with a balloon rate, but the bags get the regular rate. Makes shipping pants a little cheaper.

We usually stock pile the 12x12x8 boxes that are free from the post office. Its amazing what you can fit in them when you tape 2, 3, 4 boxes together. 

Flat rate envelopes are good for socks, t-shirts, tape, and other small misc items. 

The trick is to find a post office that is laid back and won't measure every single item you bring to them. I use a post office 4 towns away because Ive been using them for 15 years and they don't measure anything we bring to them. Nothing worse then bringing a prepaid package to a post office and the clerk tells you that you owe more postage!

[antoineh9]

Whats the best method to ship elbow pads? With the contractor bags?

[Mapleleafs-13]

Going

Whats the best method to ship elbow pads? With the contractor bags?

Going to where? USA or Canada. Your location says Montreal so to the USA they should weigh 0.5 - 1kg. you should be able to ship to USA for $22 with tracking or $16 without tracking by packet air from Canada.

If by miracle they are under 500 grams you can ship small packet air for $12

[Mapleleafs-13]

nice thread louie, good to know this to keep costs down for us Canadian buyers

[wobblypops]

What do you do exactly? Put the pants in the bag, then tape it all up?

How do you ensure pants wont get scuffed from being thrown into the packaging lines with other boxes?

 

Yeah, can you please explain with some detail how you package them? 

I ask because I went to get a shipping estimate today with my pants in an indusrial garbage bag and the lady argued with me that the ouside of the bag is too slippery (lol) and that the labels will fall off it.

I still got her to estimate shipping and it was significantly cheaper so I still want to use this method. 
 

[Gr8erade]

Maybe if the buyer is concerned about the condition of the pants, they should spring a few extra bucks to pay for the slightly added weight of a box?
It constantly amazes me how some people will pay $150 for something, then cheap out on shipping in order to save 5 bucks.

[louie]

I've probably shipped 50+ pairs of pants, lowers and gloves this way all over the world and never once had someone pm or email me and say the condition of their new pants was unsatisfactory. I suppose if you were really concerned you could use bags.

[Gr8erade]

I've probably shipped 50+ pairs of pants, lowers and gloves this way all over the world and never once had someone pm or email me and say the condition of their new pants was unsatisfactory. I suppose if you were really concerned you could use bags.

I wasn't really referring to you, just making a general statement about the complaining about shipping costs.

Personally, if I'm paying good money for an item, I'd want it to get to me safely. I've had people ship gloves I've paid $250 for sent in plastic grocery bags. I can guarantee that I wasn't passed along the shipping savings on that deal, and if I were asked, I'd have rather not have my gloves arriving looking like they were wrapped in garbage.

Looking at your receipts, I'm seeing only very minor savings using the bags, so all things being close to equal, I'll use a box, thank you.

[louie]

No, no I know you weren't!

[sharks_throwaway]

How about shipping sticks?  I have a bunch I'd like to offload but am terrified of the costs associated with shipping them individually...

[Golden Gate Sharpening]

How about shipping sticks?  I have a bunch I'd like to offload but am terrified of the costs associated with shipping them individually...

 

Wrap the stick in bubble wrap and seal it with packing tape. Double wrap the blade and affix the label to the back of the blade. I've sent tons of sticks (via priority mail) this way with no issues and never spent more than $15 each. 

[sharks_throwaway]

Makes sense.  Thanks Jake!

[sharks_throwaway]

Bought a Grit Sumo goalie bag off of a guy on Sideline Swap, and he's telling me he's having trouble finding a box to ship it in.  

 

I already suggested taking it to the UPS Store for shipping / packing options, and also asked if there was an LHS nearby that might have spare boxes he could use.  Any other suggestions?

[Monty22]

Tell him to go to any retail store and ask if they have any boxes out back.

[louie]

Garbage bag

[sharks_throwaway]

Thanks guys... I got notification it shipped, so in a few days we'll see what he came up with....

[sharks_throwaway]

Anyone else gotten recent notifications from USPS and / or eBay re: discrepancies in the weight of some packages?  I've gotten a few... interestingly enough, a couple of them were on Flat Rate packages.  

 

I finally caved and got a postal scale, something I probably should have done a long time ago.