Shipping fossils via USPS, a tip

[NickG]

For auctions, people may want to consider that with shipping using flat rate containers the following:

 

A small flat rate box will ship for $10.20 and has inside dimensions of 8 5/8" x 5 3/8" x 1 5/8" (or 21.91 cm x 13.65 cm x 4.13 cm).

 

A medium flat rate box will ship for $17.10 and has inside dimensions of 11" x 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" (or 27.94 cm x 21.59 cm x  13.97 cm).

This is what my recent auction items to Balance were shipped using and it was $0.90 cheaper than if I would have had to have mailed without a flat rate mailer to user:Balance in Florida based on the weight of items.

 

A large flat rate box will ship for $22.80 and has inside dimensions of 12" x 12" x 5 1/2" (or 30.48 cm x 30.48 cm x 13.97 cm).

 

You may want to then price accordingly to recoup shipping costs from the get go.

 

all prices are as of 11/04/2023.

[FB003]

Insure everything

[connorp]

If you purchase labels online via the USPS's new "Enhanced Click-N-Ship" (available to everyone), you now receive commercial rates which are a couple dollars lower than what you pay at the counter in the post office.

[NickG]

5 hours ago, FB003 said:

Insure everything

First class starts with $100 insurance baked in.

[FB003]

Not enough for many fossils but yes it does.

[hadrosauridae]

7 hours ago, FB003 said:

Insure everything

 

Good luck ever collecting after you file a claim and they want you to provide receipt or some other method to "prove" the value.

[FB003]

1 minute ago, hadrosauridae said:

 

Good luck ever collecting after you file a claim and they want you to provide receipt or some other method to "prove" the value.

Not a problem if you bought it.  If you dug it, fair point.

[Nimravis]

The above prices are for US only.

 

I mailed a Small Priority box of fossils to France today and the cost was $43.60 versus the $10.20 in the US.

Edited December 1, 2023 by Nimravis