Members SolarLeatherMachines Posted February 8, 2017 Members Report Posted February 8, 2017 12 hours ago, MADMAX22 said: Kind of curious, so medium flat rate box that can hold say an order of 5 guns for example, flat rate of 13.50 with insurance, free box, easy drop off, printed shipping available how that would equate to 8 bucks a gun for shipping? Hi Max, Charging $8 each for shipping is CRAZY. I would never do it. You can ship 5 guns, well packed for about $12 Total via Priority. Wow. Crazy. Do people DO that?! There's also another option. The SENDER can pay the postage on stamps.com and send it to the shipper. I would be perfectly happy to do that. EVERYONE hates paying shipping. Quote Alexander
Contributing Member JLSleather Posted February 9, 2017 Author Contributing Member Report Posted February 9, 2017 I don't much mind paying shipping -- I wouldn't likely do it much for free, so don't expect anyone else to do it free, including the post office. If someone getting the guns from the manufacturer, having them sent to them, then marking each one up $10 is acceptable, then certainly you wouldn't fault a guy for charging for a legitimate service. The shipper takes your package from one location to another -- no problem paying for that reasonable service. But the "retailer" or "supplier" just gets something I could get myself and then charges me more for it because he / she can. And they "can" only if I allow it. Now, someone will say that blueguns are supposed to be $50 each. But they aren't - they're $40 each, plus whatever "suppliers" feel they can tack on. I simply can't see the logic of paying someone 20% more for something when they aren't doing anything to make it better. But this was never an opinion poll, or a vote. Just information I sometimes point out here and a few other places, stuff which might be useful to leather people. I'm not trying to persuade anybody - I'm just stating what I will be doing. If absolutely nobody is interested in "getting in on it", I'll do it anyway for myself In the same way as ordering leather from Hermann Oak makes sense, so does this. But while I'm interested in saving $10 per gun, I think I've done enough of this thread Quote "Observation is 9/10 of the law." IF what you do is something that ANYBODY can do, then don't be surprised when ANYBODY does.
Members Bolt Vanderhuge Posted February 10, 2017 Members Report Posted February 10, 2017 What I am about to post is not to try to argue about pricing. I am all about saving money and agree with much of your way of thinking on the what have they done to earn that extra money. Anyways, I just went to Knifekits website that sells blue guns for $41.95 and wanted to compare their shipped price to that of your example from earlier. So for 2 guns from them I would pay $95.33 shipped via FedEx and $98.90 shipped via USPS priority. So at minimum of $9.33 more thru them. Yeah I would choose from you in that case. Then I started to think about the $1 increase per gun and decided to do the calculate price thingy on USPS website. I picked a random 5 numbers and came up with shipping from my 85201 zip to 32105 which apparently is a place called Barberville Fl. I put in a package weight of 1lbs and looked up standard priority shipping. It was $8.35 with the include $50 insurance coverage. The standard retail shipping, the one that you have to go in for, showed up as $8.15. I then changed the weight to 2lbs. The priority price jumped up to $12.75. I then weighed my Rings Blue Gun Colt Commander and it weighs 32.85oz. So it is 2lbs by itself. Thank goodness this gun can fit in the small flat rate box but there would not be any room left for another gun. For multiple guns it looks like it would be more practical to move up to the next size flat rate box. Then stuffing say 5 guns in that medium box would get you your moneys worth for shipping. Also the insurance only covers up to $50 so if you were sending 5 guns @ $195 and the package got lost you would be out $145. That is if extra insurance was wanted of course. Are you basing your prices on a business account or something? I am sincerely asking since I just started to sell and would like to pay the cheapest rates possible. Quote
Contributing Member JLSleather Posted February 10, 2017 Author Contributing Member Report Posted February 10, 2017 (edited) I have the Commander blue gun, and it weighs 11 oz WITH the dowel attached to it. I assume that you have the "weighted" version of teh blue gun, which is done for "realistic" training purposes. Hardly necessary for holster molding, but not harmful, either. As a general rule, flat rate boxes are MORE expensive than the other priority boxes. With holsters, most of the space you are shipping is air. The flat rate boxes will save you money if you're shipping heavier items. When I ship one holster, or say a holster and a mag pouch, i use these boxes... https://store.usps.com/store/browse/uspsProductDetailMultiSkuDropDown.jsp?categoryNavIds=shipping-supplies%3apriority-mail&categoryNav=false&navAction=push&navCount=0&atg.multisite.remap=false&categoryId=priority-mail&productId=P_O_1096L And yes, I was using a business account, so my packages insured for $100 (not $50). But today I shipped 2 blue guns priority, and added insurance, and still only $9 for the PAIR. For two or 3 holsters, I like these: https://store.usps.com/store/browse/uspsProductDetailMultiSkuDropDown.jsp?categoryNavIds=shipping-supplies%3apriority-mail&categoryNav=false&navAction=push&navCount=0&atg.multisite.remap=false&categoryId=priority-mail&productId=P_O_BOX4 Definitely cheaper than the medium flat rate box. But you can use any box and still ship priority mail. But I'm not talking about 2 guns, or 3. I'm takling about 40 guns. So, if they cost me $39 each, and I charge $40 each, then people are saving about $10 per gun, and there's no way to get me to think the shipping on that order would be more than $40 (which I would make at $1 per gun 40 times). Same principle with leather. Retailers will send you one side of leather for $20. Hermann Oak sends me 10 sides for $50 - so I'm getting great leather for LESS money AND avoiding about $150 in shipping charges. Oh -- in my 'example' of 5 guns, say they weigh 4 lbs (they probly wont but they could). Total cost $200. Shipping from me to 85201 would be $12.54 for priority mail, insured for $200, using a regional A box (which is free from teh post office just for the asking). I just checked If you use the medium flat rate, it's a bit more. Priority mail 56377 to 85201 in med flat rate with $200 insurance is $16.95 Which still aint so bad... considering you're talking about 5 guns, so about $3.40 each. Edited February 10, 2017 by JLSleather Quote "Observation is 9/10 of the law." IF what you do is something that ANYBODY can do, then don't be surprised when ANYBODY does.
Members Bolt Vanderhuge Posted February 10, 2017 Members Report Posted February 10, 2017 Before continuing with the side discussion, count me in for at least 3 blue guns if you do go thru with the initial ordering. I am seeing that your price is from the Regional Rate Box A pricing. I do not have a business account at this time. Looks like I should see if the cost to get one would be worth it for me considering I will probably only ship a few holsters per month. This is just a hobby/side type of thing for me. Quote
Contributing Member JLSleather Posted February 10, 2017 Author Contributing Member Report Posted February 10, 2017 7 minutes ago, Bolt Vanderhuge said: Before continuing with the side discussion, count me in for at least 3 blue guns if you do go thru with the initial ordering. I am seeing that your price is from the Regional Rate Box A pricing. I do not have a business account at this time. Looks like I should see if the cost to get one would be worth it for me considering I will probably only ship a few holsters per month. This is just a hobby/side type of thing for me. I may not have been clear there. The prices I just quoted were for ANYBODY... and the price is for anyone wanting to insure that package for $200 with the usps. No business account required. My Gramma can get that price Quote "Observation is 9/10 of the law." IF what you do is something that ANYBODY can do, then don't be surprised when ANYBODY does.
Members Bolt Vanderhuge Posted February 10, 2017 Members Report Posted February 10, 2017 (edited) 43 minutes ago, JLSleather said: I may not have been clear there. The prices I just quoted were for ANYBODY... and the price is for anyone wanting to insure that package for $200 with the usps. No business account required. My Gramma can get that price I never noticed the Regional Box pricing before DOH! Looks like I need to order up some of those boxes as well. Thank you. Edited February 10, 2017 by Bolt Vanderhuge Quote
Contributing Member JLSleather Posted February 11, 2017 Author Contributing Member Report Posted February 11, 2017 Glad ta help. Gotta keep an eye open most the time ... there's some folks relyin' on us leather folks to not check on these things! Quote "Observation is 9/10 of the law." IF what you do is something that ANYBODY can do, then don't be surprised when ANYBODY does.
Contributing Member JLSleather Posted February 11, 2017 Author Contributing Member Report Posted February 11, 2017 (edited) Sometimes, a guy kin git a break.. just sometimes. IF ya had a 'blue' gun in XDs fashion, aguycould download a pattern fer it over there Edited February 11, 2017 by JLSleather Quote "Observation is 9/10 of the law." IF what you do is something that ANYBODY can do, then don't be surprised when ANYBODY does.
Contributing Member JLSleather Posted February 20, 2017 Author Contributing Member Report Posted February 20, 2017 Been out for a few days.. gittin' people to move my stuff safely Good to see you folks takin' up that latest holster pattern! Quote "Observation is 9/10 of the law." IF what you do is something that ANYBODY can do, then don't be surprised when ANYBODY does.
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