jchrisf Posted July 14, 2020 Share Posted July 14, 2020 So I won a Revell Davy Allison Nascar for $13 shipped. It arrived quickly and well packed in excellent condition in a USPS Priority shipping box. I noticed on the shipping label that the shipping price was $12.90? Is this actual shipping cost? How did the guy make a profit? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spruslayer Posted July 14, 2020 Share Posted July 14, 2020 First,congratz on the deal! If this was some individual and not a major corporation,and unless he scored the model for free he likely took a poors mans bath.If this was a major online retailer they could be getting a preferred customer deal from USPS,but i agree that is unusual! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Husky1943 Posted July 14, 2020 Share Posted July 14, 2020 Congrats Chris! I'm with you both.....kind of like, what????? Hey, who knows, but you got a good deal. My wife runs a mail order business, and shipping kills her. The heavier and further away just pushes the cost up and up. Oh well. Enjoy the kit! Ciao for now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jchrisf Posted July 14, 2020 Author Share Posted July 14, 2020 (edited) 23 minutes ago, Husky1943 said: Congrats Chris! I'm with you both.....kind of like, what????? Hey, who knows, but you got a good deal. My wife runs a mail order business, and shipping kills her. The heavier and further away just pushes the cost up and up. Oh well. Enjoy the kit! Ciao for now 29 minutes ago, Spruslayer said: First,congratz on the deal! If this was some individual and not a major corporation,and unless he scored the model for free he likely took a poors mans bath.If this was a major online retailer they could be getting a preferred customer deal from USPS,but i agree that is unusual! Hey thanks for the congrats! ? This was an individual that was selling a few kits (I checked his other items). I wish I would have gotten more because they were a great price and looked like they were brand new. The decals were in great shape and he had the glass in a sandwich baggie. A Bobby Allison Golden Miller car went for $23. He had the shipping price in the action at around $7 so I assumed this would cover his shipping cost.. I hope he wasn't surprised when he went to ship. Last night I won a Morgan Shepard Citgo car, still in shrink wrap, for $10 shipped. I hope it is in great condition too. The seller had something like $5.50 for shipping figured into the auction. Most of these cars are way over priced IMO but there are some deals out there. Maybe they were hoping the bid war would get them more money. I haven't shipped anything in a while but if I sell one of these I'm going to figure $13 into the shipping price for sure. Edited July 14, 2020 by jchrisf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike999 Posted July 14, 2020 Share Posted July 14, 2020 (edited) 59 minutes ago, jchrisf said: So I won a Revell Davy Allison Nascar for $13 shipped. It arrived quickly and well packed in excellent condition in a USPS Priority shipping box. I noticed on the shipping label that the shipping price was $12.90? Is this actual shipping cost? How did the guy make a profit? Thanks, another eBay seller as stupid as me! I have an eBay sale up right now. When kits aren't moving and don't have anybody "Watching," I do one of 2 things: drop the price or offer free shipping. Sometimes both. When I offer free shipping, I'm hoping the buyer lives fairly close to me. Sometimes that works out, sometimes not. I live on the East Coast, and 2 recent buyers who got free shipping were in CA and OR. I'd guess your seller is like me, an individual and not a shop or hobby business. Sometimes it's not about "making a profit," but more about getting rid of stuff that no longer interests you and making room. For new kits! I only ship with Priority Mail. Prices keep going up but it's still a good deal, with $50 insurance and a Tracking Number included. I don't use any eBay "shipping programs." I print my own labels and take the boxes to the Post Office myself. As for the "well-packed and in excellent condition," that's just good business practice. If I send somebody a kit wrapped in napkins and duct tape, they probably won't buy from me again. And for me, that part is personal. I don't like to get badly packed kits that are crushed/damaged, and won't do that to anybody else. It violates my Atheist Work Ethic. ? Edited July 14, 2020 by Mike999 omit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Van Posted July 14, 2020 Share Posted July 14, 2020 Shipping is horrible today. A normal kit costs me about $13 to ship west coast....one of many reasons I no longer sell on ebay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snake45 Posted July 14, 2020 Share Posted July 14, 2020 Not long ago I bought a diecast worth at least $40 for $19.95, buy-it-now, shipping included! The model turned out to be missing a couple of VERY minor parts, nothing I couldn't fix or replace, otherwise in near-perfect condition. I can't imagine the seller made a nickel on the deal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peteski Posted July 14, 2020 Share Posted July 14, 2020 7 hours ago, jchrisf said: So I won a Revell Davy Allison Nascar for $13 shipped. It arrived quickly and well packed in excellent condition in a USPS Priority shipping box. I noticed on the shipping label that the shipping price was $12.90? Is this actual shipping cost? How did the guy make a profit? Shipping costs have been slowly going up last few years and with the pandemic, they have even gone higher. If the USPS label shows $12.90 then that is what they paid the USPS to ship it. If you doubt it, go to the USPS website and use a shipping cost calculator to figure out the price. It sicks, but it is what it is. Kind of makes you wish that local hobby stores were still around, so no shipping was required. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bucky Posted July 14, 2020 Share Posted July 14, 2020 I started selling last year on eBay. Shipping set at $7.00. USPS kept going up, so I raised mine, unwillingly. I think the last one I sent out was set at $10.00 shipping, and it cost me more than that to send it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Geiger Posted July 14, 2020 Share Posted July 14, 2020 1 hour ago, peteski said:If the USPS label shows $12.90 then that is what they paid the USPS to ship it. Agreed. Companies with special deals don’t show costs on the label. Back in the good old days I had a thriving business on eBay selling auto memorabilia.. car brochures and manuals. Then the market got crowded with idiots who didn’t understand business and the costs, sold stuff at a loss for a few weeks and then moved on. Repeat cycle with new numpties enough to ruin the market. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Posted July 14, 2020 Share Posted July 14, 2020 You may have bought from a beginner. Or perhaps someone who starts everything at a low initial bid taking a gamble, and lost this time around. Think of it this way: the seller held up his/her end and packed the item without trying to cut corners or offset the loss. The seller might do enough business to take the occasional loss in stride. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vamach1 Posted July 14, 2020 Share Posted July 14, 2020 7 hours ago, Dave Van said: Shipping is horrible today. A normal kit costs me about $13 to ship west coast....one of many reasons I no longer sell on ebay. It’s not Ebay but the USPS that makes you ship any package over 14 ounces by priority mail. I asked the clerk but sometimes if you use the self service it will not give you that option if the box is over a certain size but not weight. I have underpriced shipping too by mistake but many things I have sold cost me next to nothing so if the buyer is happy it’s one less thing cluttering up my house. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Van Posted July 14, 2020 Share Posted July 14, 2020 (edited) 19 minutes ago, vamach1 said: It’s not Ebay but the USPS that makes you ship any package over 14 ounces by priority mail. I asked the clerk but sometimes if you use the self service it will not give you that option if the box is over a certain size but not weight. I have underpriced shipping too by mistake but many things I have sold cost me next to nothing so if the buyer is happy it’s one less thing cluttering up my house. You do realize that ebay takes a percentage of the shipping costs...right??? Let's say you sell a kit on ebay for $20 with shipping to buyer costing you $10. (keeping things simple) The total is $30 which is what ebay uses to calculate their fees. So in the end YOU lose money on shipping!!!! Because I don't sell on ebay any longer, if I do sell between ebay and Paypal they take 10%.......so I lose a dollar on shipping alone!!!! I sell outside ebay all the rime so I have a very good idea of shipping cost alone. I got a box of 5 kits I bought online and USPS charged my seller $26 to ship 300 miles.....which I had to pay.....more than $5 a kit......yes USPS is out of control. Edited July 14, 2020 by Dave Van Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bucky Posted July 15, 2020 Share Posted July 15, 2020 I just got two kits from the same seller. He had $15.00 shipping on each listing. Both of them should fit in the same box, and be less than $30.00 for the shipping. I'll know what he paid when I get the kits. He hasn't offered a partial refund, yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Van Posted July 15, 2020 Share Posted July 15, 2020 1 hour ago, Bucky said: I just got two kits from the same seller. He had $15.00 shipping on each listing. Both of them should fit in the same box, and be less than $30.00 for the shipping. I'll know what he paid when I get the kits. He hasn't offered a partial refund, yet. If the seller uses ebay shipping the total postage will not be on the label. Ebay gets a slight discount so they MOST times do not print the cost......but the seller can force it to print the cost on the label. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smellyfatdude Posted July 15, 2020 Share Posted July 15, 2020 I once bought an AMT ' 57 Chevy Pro Shop kit from fleabay, the one with the yellow car on the box still sealed for $0.99. Definitely worth the $12 or so for shipping. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peteski Posted July 15, 2020 Share Posted July 15, 2020 3 hours ago, Bucky said: I just got two kits from the same seller. He had $15.00 shipping on each listing. Both of them should fit in the same box, and be less than $30.00 for the shipping. I'll know what he paid when I get the kits. He hasn't offered a partial refund, yet. Whenever I am planning on bidding on multiple items from any seller, I first look at their shipping policies (those are part of the listing), If no combined shipping is mentioned I then contact the seller, and simply ask if they offer combined shipping costs. That way I know what to expect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bucky Posted July 15, 2020 Share Posted July 15, 2020 Yeah, I should have done that. I have so much other stuff going on, that I didn't follow through on that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slusher Posted July 15, 2020 Share Posted July 15, 2020 17 hours ago, jchrisf said: So I won a Revell Davy Allison Nascar for $13 shipped. It arrived quickly and well packed in excellent condition in a USPS Priority shipping box. I noticed on the shipping label that the shipping price was $12.90? Is this actual shipping cost? How did the guy make a profit? You got a deal and the seller didn’t make anything... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RSchnell Posted July 15, 2020 Share Posted July 15, 2020 9 hours ago, Tom Geiger said: Agreed. Companies with special deals don’t show costs on the label. Back in the good old days I had a thriving business on eBay selling auto memorabilia.. car brochures and manuals. Then the market got crowded with idiots who didn’t understand business and the costs, sold stuff at a loss for a few weeks and then moved on. Repeat cycle with new numpties enough to ruin the market. I owned a restoration shop doing nothing but pre-1965 stuff. I accumulated quite bit of literature & manuals etc. Over the years I'd put a little on ebay here & there. I finally got tired of messing with it and what didn't sell I gave away. Vintage car parts used to be a good seller as well, but it's nothing like it used to be. The whole thing with shipping can be a real profit sniper and it's usually on items you least expect. I don't use any ebay shipping program either. I box the sold items and still write the addresses out with a marker & take them to the post office. I suspect at some point the price of shipping is going to make buying off sites like ebay untenable. I did have a ebay seller message me tonight saying he'd refund me $2 for overcharging shipping on a kit. a holy grail kit at that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike999 Posted July 15, 2020 Share Posted July 15, 2020 5 hours ago, RSchnell said: I did have a ebay seller message me tonight saying he'd refund me $2 for overcharging shipping on a kit. a holy grail kit at that! In my latest eBay sale, one buyer bought 2 kits and eBay charged him $20.80 for shipping. The real shipping price at the Post Office was $9.90, so I refunded him $10.90 thru PayPal. I always do that. eBay buyers, especially new ones, need to be aware of that Stupid eBay Trick with shipping: if you win more than one item and pay instantly, you will be charged the full shipping price for EACH item. I warn buyers about that in my eBay listings. If you win more than 1 item at an eBay auction, or do "Buy It Now" for more than 1 kit, don't pay for the items immediately. Put them in the "Cart," then send the seller a message and ask for combined shipping. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Geiger Posted July 15, 2020 Share Posted July 15, 2020 34 minutes ago, Mike999 said: eBay buyers, especially new ones, need to be aware of that Stupid eBay Trick with shipping: if you win more than one item and pay instantly, you will be charged the full shipping price for EACH item. I warn buyers about that in my eBay listings. If you win more than 1 item at an eBay auction, or do "Buy It Now" for more than 1 kit, don't pay for the items immediately. Put them in the "Cart," then send the seller a message and ask for combined shipping. I believe there is a seller setting to combine shipping. You do need to put items in the cart, and sometimes it will charge full shipping for first item and a small amount for each additional item. Other times it calculates full shipping cost for each item. That’s when you need to contact seller to recalculate. It’s not fair to seller to do so after paying, as they have already been charged fees on that amount. I don’t believe PayPal or eBay refund fees for this. Sellers get screwed when newbies hit the Buy It Now and pay for each item one at a time. Seller gets charged individual transaction fees for each item. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
randyc Posted July 15, 2020 Share Posted July 15, 2020 To reply to the OP, you got a good deal. Seller either gambled and lost or made a mistake. I've made so many mistakes over the years, it's ridiculous. I am not making any real money on ebay. however, I am liquidating decades of stuff. I just post it, price it and live with it. I am not brave enough to start an auction at 99 cents. Usually I just put my stuf on BIN with calculated shipping. It can sit there for months so long as it stays on free listing. Kinda like being on the shelf at a store. it will sell for a price someday. maybe. Or I'll lower it down to get rid of it. I know they (Ebay, PP) are going to get their money eventually and I just don't think about it. I know it's not the best way or smartest way and I may get flamed. But I have to move stuff and this works for me. My stuff never seems to be worth anything much so auctions are a bust. And yes, I would prefer if you are buying multiples that you wait til I can calculate combined shipping and send you an invoice. Easier than having to refund. And sometimes, you just don't have a box that will hold everything someone will buy. I can't keep collecting boxes for "someday" either. This week, I've put a good car load in the recycle pile at work. Have to figure it out later if I need a box. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jchrisf Posted July 17, 2020 Author Share Posted July 17, 2020 Thanks for all the info everyone. The second kit I won for $10 arrived today. Citgo Ford Nascar. It was still factory sealed in the box and when I opened it everything was in great condition... not a scratch on the glass. But the seller didn't put it in a box, just wrapped it with the paper from a paper grocery bag.. we were both luck the USPS didn't damage it. The price was not listed on the shipping label so I have no clue what he paid but he saved money on the box LOL. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peteski Posted July 18, 2020 Share Posted July 18, 2020 What type of service was it? First Class Mail? Priority Mail? Parcel Post (if that is still an option)? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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