Mark
As heard on eBay radio on December, 14th, here are 5 holiday shipping tips to help your customers receive their packages timely and undamaged.
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Oct 012010
Quick lesson in Boxes 101
d) 4 types of boxes that all on-line sellers should be aware of:
- Priority Mail Boxes – FREE. Pick up at the post office or order at USPS.com. If your product fits in a FLAT RATE box you will always know how much postage will be. WARNING – Don’t use these without checking to see if the non-flat rate charge for the package would be less. For example if I were shipping a 9 pound package to one of my neighbors it would be less expense to ship in a non-flat rate priority box and pay the variable priority rate. If I were shipping across the country I would save money by using a Flat Rate box for any package over 3 pounds. Don’t assume that Flat Rate = lowest rate.
- Multi-Depth Boxes – This is a great solution for sellers who want to use one box size for different items. Boxes are almost always less expensive when you buy them in quantity so this can be a great money saving tip. Multi-depth boxes are scored at different heights. For example, you can purchase a box that is 8” x 8” x 8” but scored at 4 and 6 inches. If you don’t need the full 8” of height you can cut the corners of the box and easily fold the sides to create the perfect size for your package.
- Corrugated Mailers – This is the perfect solution for sellers who ship sunglasses, mugs, cosmetics or any other small, relatively lightweight, fragile items. Corrugated mailers are fold-up boxes with double walls of protection on the front and sides. They are white on the outside. They are very sturdy and make a great presentation.
- Bookfolds – and no, they’re not only for books. As a matter of fact most of the corrugated bookfolds we sell are used to ship record albums and artwork. A bookfold is shaped like a plus sign. You put your item in the center, fold the 4 sides up over the item and tape to seal. Bookfolds are scored at various depths for maximum flexibility.
It is always nice when friends come to visit us at Bubblefast. The other day some very special friends paid us a visit: Rich and Nila from Appealing Signs in Elk Grove Village, IL. They are a home based family business that customize signs for personal or professional use. You can visit their eBay store at AppealingSigns.
Rich and Nila also run a meetup
group in Elk Grove called Chicagoland Area eBay Sellers. As eBay certified Education Specialists, they started this group around 8 years ago to help fellow eBay sellers learn the ins and outs of selling on eBay. Back then, maybe 2-3 people showed up at each meeting, held at a local Panera Bread. Now, there are consistently 35-40 people who show up at every meeting. Thanks to the Elk Grove Village bank and Trust, there is enough room for all. The bank allows Rich and Nila’s group to use their facilities (Free of charge!) every month to host their meetings.
Some meetings are extra special. We often get guest speakers from around the country to give seminars and answer questions. Sometimes eBay execs come out to give a talk or to just say thanks.
They sure have come a long way!
Rich and Nila selflessly volunteer so much of their free time to help other online sellers. Through them Robin and I have come to know so many other sellers on eBay and other online venues. They have become good friends of ours and we are proud to know them.
So, if you ever need a custom made sign for your business, automobile, van,windows or whatever, please be sure to make a visit to Appealingsign.com
Mitch & Leah have been friends of the family for over 20 years. Michelle and Jenny grew up with their kids. They used to live right across the street. They’re emptynesters now, so they moved, but not far away.
Leah’s health hasn’t been the best over the last several years. All kinds of breathing and heart issues have plagued her.
Right across the street from Bubblefast are a myriad of doctors’ offices. Many times we get visits from friends after a doctor’s visit. We received such a visit from Leah yesterday.
Leah came into our office beaming and smiling like we haven’t seen for years. “I have good news!” she exclaimed. “The doctor said I don’t need a defibrillator. The medications worked and my heart is now beating 45% better than it used to.”
I am sharing this info with everyone because I think it nice to share good news every once in a while. We are so happy for Leah!
- Mark Le Vine -
mark@bubblefast.com
Sep 172010
The couple of weeks were a little crazy. Two weeks ago we went to San Jose for the eBay on Location event. We left on Wednesday and came back on Saturday. No shipping on Monday due to Labor day. If not for the help of two of our kids (Steven and Jenny) we would not have shipped for a week. Even so, the first Tuesday back was a very busy day trying to get caught up.
So, we shipped Tuesday and Wednesday, but took off Thursday and Friday for the Jewish New Year. That means that we had two short weeks in a row with very little time in between to catch up.
That brings us to Monday of this week. What a crazy, busy day! Not only did we have 5 days worth of shipping to do, but we also had three truck deliveries to unload!
The first truck consisted of unloading 250 bags of packing peanuts – only a few at a time. Thank goodness our kind neighbor from the Little Gym helped us out.
Next we had to unload a pallet of boxes from our local distributor. That one wasn’t so bad, it was only one skid. However, we had to unload and repack each piece for our individual customers.
Lastly, our bubble mailer and bubble wrap truck showed up. This one involves a lot of heavy manual labor and forklifting.
So, what does any of this have to do with brisket chili? Our cousin Lenny happened to stop by while we were unloading our last truck. Why? Because he took his leftover homemade brisket and mixed it with his famous chili and brought some to us to snack on. It was out of this world! Thank you Lenny?
Another day in the life of Bubblefast. You just don’t know what you’re missing . . .
Sep 172010
Quick lesson in Boxes 101
Box size – Boxes have three measurements (l” x w” x h”). The first always refers to length (in inches), the second to width and the third to the height of the box. Stated dimensions always refer to the inside (useable) space.
When deciding on a size box for your specific purpose always allow at least 2-4 inches extra on each side to accommodate packing materials. Remember, that you can always use void fill to fill extra space or can cut down a box that is too tall with a box sizer tool.
Corrugated Boxes
Void Fill
Box Sizer Tool
- Mark Le Vine -
mark@bubblefast.com
Sep 082010
Quick lesson in Boxes 101
Cardboard box strength – A standard corrugated shipping or moving box can safely hold up to 65 pounds. Heavy-duty boxes are designed to hold up to 95 pounds. Double walled box used for very heavy-duty items can hold up to 100 pounds. Something that many people don’t know is that a standard corrugated packaging box can lose up to 60% of their strength after the first use. We’re not saying don’t re-use boxes, just be sure they are in good shape and are securely taped with good packing tape.
Corrugated Boxes
- Mark Le Vine -
mark@bubblefast.com
Robin and I had a great time in San Jose for the eBay on Location event. I will have lots to post about.
When we first walked in to the conference area lobby we were met by eBay employees taking pictures, stiltwalkers, a bubble guy, and other forms of entertainment. The bubble guy had some rope attached to two large sticks that he dipped into a big bowl of bubble juice to make some rather large and funky looking bubbles. We challenged him to see if he could encase a person in a large bubble.
Robin is about to be encased in a giant bubble.
This first post is a video of Robin being encased in a giant bubble. Watch it. Its kinda neat!
Box Sizer / Reducer Tool
About six or seven years ago we purchased a box sizer tool to use at Bubblefast. The tool is cool because it can save you shipping costs in many ways.
Box Sizer Tool
- Use less void fill.
- Package weighs less.
- Package is smaller if dimensional weight is a factor.
- Purchase fewer box sizes.
A couple of weeks ago our box cutting tool finally broke after so many useful years of service. When er purchased a new one for ourselves, we decided to purchased a whole bunch and see if our customers liked it as much as we do. Turns they do!
We sent out a newsletter letting out our customers know about this cool tool. We sold tons right away. Thing is, the tool doesn’t come with instructions. So, Bubblefast made its very first ever YouTube video showing how to use the box cutter. You can view it below, or, just click here if you would like to purchase your very own box sizer tool.
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