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How to Ship Sticks


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15 replies to this topic

#1 Fielder07

Fielder07
  • LocationNew Hampshire

Posted 07 July 2020 - 07:13 PM

I've avoided selling sticks in the past because it seems like a pain, but I have some I need to get rid of.  From what I've read, the best method is to just bubble-wrap them with two layers on the blade and cover with something like a trash bag.

 

My plan was to do the bubble wrap and then cover it all in the plastic wrap that is usually used to hold material on a pallet together since I have some laying around.  

 

1.  Anyone else ship like this, and have you had any drama with damaged sticks or problems with USPS?

 

2.  How do you figure the dimensions since I would like to prepay for these and print my own labels.  Use the total length of the stick and determine the girth using the blade?

 

3.  In general, what does it cost to ship a stick domestically via USPS in the US?  I'm not planning on asking a lot for them, so I don't want to bother if the shipping cost is outrageous.

 

Thanks!


Looking for new CCM HPTK pants - Black - Size XL


#2 Mdwsta4

Mdwsta4

Posted 07 July 2020 - 08:59 PM

Bubble wrap and tape. Never needed to put a bag over them or anything like that. Never had an issue from a buyer and never had an issue when I’ve received a stick like that.

Can’t speak to prepaying as I’ve never done that.


It’s been a minute but I think it was less than $10 for priority shipping. If you sell through sideline swap they provide a prepaid shipping label so it’s one less thing for you to worry about

#3 Chow_hound

Chow_hound

Posted 08 July 2020 - 11:20 AM

I’ve bought and sold sticks but am from Canada so I can’t speak to the cost for USPS. I can add commentary around the packaging though. I’ve had both extremes when receiving sticks. One was packaged between 2 sheets of hand cut plywood to match the stick outline. It was insanely overkill and the weight of the package made the cost double what it should have been. Seller was paranoid about a composite 2 piece stick snapping in the mail....

Second was literally a stick thrown into a rectangular cardboard box without any packaging. That also arrived completely unscathed.

I personally use the bubble wrap/package tape method. Just wrap the stick using the bubble wrap like you would tape a stick blade and then use packing tape to secure it down in the same method.

Shipped probably 5-10 like that without any issues. Variety of wood 1 piece, 2 piece and modern composite/graphite. The dimensions were always from the top of the knob to the toe of the blade for length and then width was the heel of the blade to the toe of the blade (widest point).

Hope that helps a bit. Never heard of a stick breaking in transport as it would have to be pretty deliberate (blades would be more susceptible)

#4 Fielder07

Fielder07
  • LocationNew Hampshire

Posted 08 July 2020 - 09:24 PM

Sounds good, thanks!

Looking for new CCM HPTK pants - Black - Size XL


#5 x-axis

x-axis
  • LocationCalifornia

Posted 07 March 2023 - 12:56 PM

Selling off a bunch of sticks this week.

 

Anyone who's shipped lately...

Could you give me a guesstimate on price from within the United States, from US to Canada, and from the US to Australia using the bubble wrap and cardboard method. 

 

Or how or where to find this info. Thank you. Couldn't find updated info. 


Old Buyer/Seller Feedback-http://www.sports2k....axis/?hl=x-axis

 

Want to buy:

Small Shells

 

Large Edge Practice Socks White with navy stripe 

Large Edge Practice Socks Burgundy with white stripe 

 

 

 

 


#6 x-axis

x-axis
  • LocationCalifornia

Posted 07 March 2023 - 01:37 PM

Forget it, I think I figured within the United States. Getting an error and no USPS shipping services available for Canada though.


Old Buyer/Seller Feedback-http://www.sports2k....axis/?hl=x-axis

 

Want to buy:

Small Shells

 

Large Edge Practice Socks White with navy stripe 

Large Edge Practice Socks Burgundy with white stripe 

 

 

 

 


#7 Miller55

Miller55

Posted 07 March 2023 - 02:05 PM

For Canada you have to take it to the post office, probably the same for Australia

#8 Mdwsta4

Mdwsta4

Posted 07 March 2023 - 02:30 PM

I just bubble wrap my sticks. Boxes add too much to the cost and are harder to find. Costs about $30 to ship within the US now. Add $25-ish on top of that for Canada. Australia?!? That person would have to be desperate for a stick to pay whatever those costs would be

#9 Miller55

Miller55

Posted 07 March 2023 - 02:53 PM

It's crazy. I used to pay about 8 bucks to send a stick to Cali, now it's 30

#10 xstartxtodayx

xstartxtodayx
  • LocationLong Island, NY

Posted 07 March 2023 - 04:31 PM

I just sent out some sticks.  Both were packs of two, each set went into a box (I had kept a handful of boxes when I got sticks from PSH or Pure, I'm sure you can even go to your local hockey shop and ask for old boxes and they might have some).  Cost for 2 sticks in a box (with some bubble wrap around them inside the box) was just under $30 for Priority Mail from eastern LI, NY to MI and DC, that was with additional insurance as well.  I avoided selling sticks for so long b/c I was afraid of the hassle of shipping but it wasn't as bad as I expected.


- Jon


#11 Mdwsta4

Mdwsta4

Posted 07 March 2023 - 04:31 PM

Yeah, that extra $13-15 they started charging for 'oversized' items last year killed deals



#12 x-axis

x-axis
  • LocationCalifornia

Posted 08 March 2023 - 08:01 PM

Anyone have issues with the stick length. I type in 67 for length and it won't allow me to continue. It gives me a red question mark.


Old Buyer/Seller Feedback-http://www.sports2k....axis/?hl=x-axis

 

Want to buy:

Small Shells

 

Large Edge Practice Socks White with navy stripe 

Large Edge Practice Socks Burgundy with white stripe 

 

 

 

 


#13 Golden Gate Sharpening

Golden Gate Sharpening
  • LocationNorthern California

Posted 24 March 2023 - 07:10 PM

Make sure to print the label large enough for the barcode reader to scan. I've had a few issues with sticks not being scanned because I made the shipping label too small. I suggest printing a normal-sized label, then wrapping it around the blade. 


"What is your lowest/best price?" is NOT an offer. 


#14 cthockey

cthockey

Posted 15 April 2023 - 05:07 PM

We ship a few hundred sticks a month. Use to order custom card board boxes (9x2x68) that cost around $3-4 each when buying in qty's of 300+. At one point I looked into rolls of black poly tubing and it came out to around $.25 per stick so we went that route. I have a few manufacturers that mail us sticks this way so I figured we'd do it too. We experienced just as much breakage using the custom cardboard boxes as we do the black poly tubing, whether its a pissed off USPS worker or the stick getting stuck on the conveyer belts at the sort facilities, we could never figure out how they were exactly breaking. We have stuck with the black poly tubing for years now and most customers are fine with it. Every once in a while you'll get "that customer" that'll complain about the packaging but they are far and few. 

As far as pricing goes USPS now has their "ballon fee" for anything over 40" combined dimensions or somewhere around that, which ends up being $15 on top of the normal shipping fee. $25 is pretty much the standard fee to ship a stick close to you. For us to ship a stick from CT to Cali could cost around $35-40 now. 

One loop hole you can try is to print your own label at home and fudge the dimensions of the stick so it comes out under the 40" combined. Depending how intense your USPS employee is it will usually just get scanned in and be on its way. However I've received a few shipping dimension audits lately from USPS charging us more due to under weighted packages or under sized dimensions of packages. Not sure if they've updated their computer scan system so they're similar to UPS/Fedex but we have definitely received more audits then normal this past year. 



#15 xstartxtodayx

xstartxtodayx
  • LocationLong Island, NY

Posted 19 May 2023 - 01:39 PM

ok, just rec'd a stick from a seller on SLS and this is how NOT to ship a stick.  Luckily it arrived undamaged but come on this is pathetic, even my mail lady was laughing at this... like 4 kitchen garbage bags barely taped on:

 

52909321442_cb574b2175_c.jpgUntitled by Jon Schusteritsch, on Flickr


- Jon


#16 Mdwsta4

Mdwsta4

Posted 19 May 2023 - 01:44 PM

That is a joke, but at the same time, I've had sticks shipped from legit companies in nothing more than a vacuum sealed mylar bag which really does nothing but protect the stick from scuffs. Thankfully, never had an issue