Learn your shipping options <story>

I ordered a new thermos off of ebay.  Didn't really get a deal but cheaper than store.   $18 with shipping rather than $24.99+tax.   Guy had "maker offer" option.   Tried $5, $6,$7.....nope.

Figured out why.  Guy doesn't know how to ship!   Little thermos, he stuck into a medium flate rate box. $15.25 to ship.

Would have been $3-$4 if he had just wrapped in brown paper then taped the sh*t out of it.  He probably could have shoved it in a flat rate envelope!   


But I got my thermos.  Now I can have real oatmeal or wheat berries for breakfast.
Before bed put in with boiling water.   By morning its done and have a hot breakfast all ready!

Before bed put in with boiling water.   By morning its done and have a hot breakfast all ready!

Does that kill any germs or bacteria that might exist in the food?

Yeah, your pouring boiling water on it and it stays that temp for hours.  Temp goes down over night but still hot in morning.

Hikers/campers and people living on small boats use it.  Saves energy (cooking gas).
Make soups and stews even.  Tho, you want to brown meat first.  Good way to cook dry beans too.

It does takes some trial and error on time and water level.

Google "Thermos Cooking".    Lots of recipes.

years ago before i even really got serious about storage auctions id occasionally sell stuff. i never really looked into printing shipping through ebay thought it seemd complicated so would go to post office and use the automated machine. i was selling tshirts and light stuff and paying $5 for shipping. I realized way down the road that if you print online you can send first class but thats not an option at the machine so where I could have been sending stuff for like $1.40 i was paying $5 even for somehting that only weighed an ounce or two.

I realized way down the road that if you print online you can send first class but thats not an option at the machine so where I could have been sending stuff for like $1.40 i was paying $5 even for something that only weighed an ounce or two.

I agree, I use the eBay labels all the time. I also bought one of those label printers that prints 4 inch by a 6 inch sticky labels and then peel it off and stick it right on the package. It has the address, barcode, and everything right on the label.

I LOVE those thermal labels where you get two to a sheet. i was hesitant to switch over but so glad I did. I used to print on regular paper and put like three strips of packing tape over it. not only is packing tape expensive but when your packing lots of orders everyday its time consuming. made the switch those thingss are awesome. i find good quality for cheap on ebay 200 labels for like $8-$10 with free 2 day shipping if you got prime. some are upwards of $26 but if you look around you can find the deals. read reviews b/c some cheap copycats sell them and people say the corners fray, hard to peel etc.

I can't figure how to change the printing is I could print 2 per page. 
Can only print the label and the receipt for same.

Lol - always check your options on shipping.  For small stuff the first class, ebay labels are perfect.  Even in the flat rate items - sometimes a Region flat rate is cheaper than the small / mid / large flat rate depending on where the item is going.  I sold some new cast iron gas stove grills on ebay.  First class due to weight was more expensive than the flat rate box.  Then one of the people was only 180 miles away.  The regional box was even cheaper.

I had my own account with UPS, and used that to print shipping online, after I stopped selling stuff on Ebay for a year or so, UPS cancelled my account. When I started selling again, I decided to try Ebays shipping option, I was surprised to find that there rates are better than the rates I was paying.

As for shipping, I try to use a flat rate when selling. I try to pick the farthest point to ship to and quote that price, if they are closer, I pocket the difference.  However, free shipping has yielded some results as well.

It amaze me how some Ebay sellers can offer free shipping, I can't understand how they are turning a profit, if I were to ship the same item, it would cost me more than the item cost to do so. I suspect they are using someone else's shipping account (like the company they work for) without there knowledge. I still know the log on for the Fedex account for the FAA, but I would never use there account to ship personal items. The consequences of getting caught make it too risky to do.
     

It amaze me how some Ebay sellers can offer free shipping, I can't understand how they are turning a profit,

Location, location, location! Someone situated in the central USA only has to ship something half as far as someone on one coast or the other. Then there's those in a city versus rural areas. It might only be a dollar or two difference, but that can also be the difference between a profit or a loss.