topic Re: Posting DVD's and Games 2016 in Selling

Posting DVD's and Games 2016

amhtrade1975 — Fri, 20 May 2016 07:33:07 GMT

Hi,

I have a bunch of secondhand DVD's and Games that I want to sell and I am trying to find out the best way to post these within Australia. Given the fact that these DVD's and Games are not worth heaps of money, what is the best way to post them cheaply, as I don't want to scare off potential buyers with crazy postage rates. Would using a padded C5 envelope with 2 or 3 $1 stamps on it suffice?

I have looked around for recent info on this (2016) and most of the info out there is outdated since Australia Post has changed their prices and rules etc. I thought this thread could become a good update/discussion on this topic and hopefully turn into a good resource for people selling DVD's and games etc. If you have an opinion, know of other options, or have experience posting DVD's and games, I would love to hear your thoughts.

Thanks

Tony

Re: Posting DVD's and Games 2016

davewil1964 — Fri, 20 May 2016 07:49:48 GMT

I believe you can get mailers from Australia Post (or online sellers) that are specifically designed for posting CDs/DVDs in cases. They can be posted at large letter rates.

Further, deponent knoweth not.

Re: Posting DVD's and Games 2016

go-tazz — Fri, 20 May 2016 08:39:00 GMT

I sell DVD's in slim cases and post them via padded envelopes.

The small padded envelope,(172 mm x 220 mm) with one DVD in it weighs in at under 125 grams and costs

$2 to post.

The same envelope with 2 DVD's in it is under 250 grams and it costs $3 to post.

Using the bigger padded envelope,(236mm x 350mm) with 4 DVD's in it costs $5

Buying the envelopes on here is way cheaper than buying them from the PO.

I have also sent "bulk" lots and use the ,B1,B2 and B4 boxes for those,(I get the boxes from the PO

and then use eBay postage as it is the cheapest option for me).

Re: Posting DVD's and Games 2016

transport-posters — Fri, 20 May 2016 12:04:31 GMT

I sold a bunch of DVDs recently, all arrived with no problem.

Go to The Reject Shop and buy a 25 pack of C5 size envelopes for $3.

I had some old thin plastic transparent projector sheets from years ago and folded it around the DVD case, using a small bit of sticky tape to hold it around the case, then slipped it into the envelope and put 2 x $1 stamps on it.

I'm sure you can wrap it in a page of newspaper or 2 x A4 sheets of copy paper if you don't have the projector transparencies on hand.

Re: Posting DVD's and Games 2016

heihachi_73 — Sat, 21 May 2016 03:36:21 GMT

I buy DVD mailers in bulk on eBay from eb-packaging; if I only need a few, I get the plastic* ones (151x229mm) from Officeworks (don't get the 151x229 paper ones or the Australia Post PB2 mailers, as they don't quite fit a DVD), which are just over $1 each if you buy in bulk (eBay is still cheaper by far, but Officeworks beats buying a PB3 mailer from the post office when sending only one or two items).

* If they give you stamps at the counter, put sticky-tape over them as they can fall off the plastic bubble mailers; the "parcel" labels do not have this problem. Learned that the hard way when I got a game sent back to me two weeks later sans stamps, and had to resend it. More than likely it went all the way from Melbourne to Sydney and to the buyer's local post office, only to come all the way back to me! Luckily, they received it eventually and were nice enough not to give me a defect.

For regular DVDs, Blu-Ray cases and games using the same type of cases (PS2/Xbox/GameCube and later), get the 160x230mm mailers. You can also fit two DVD cases in side by side in a large bubble mailer (even the AP ones) without having to pay Parcel Post (it's usually 5 stamps more often than not as it weighs over 250g, especially if the games have thick instruction manuals, but for DVDs or games without manuals it's usually only 3 stamps and weighs around 200g).

For regular (fat) PAL PS1 cases, it's Parcel Post no matter what; even if it fits in the letter gauge I don't trust AP with brittle plastic jewel cases which are pushing 20 years old (and no-one makes reproduction PAL jewel cases either, not even in China). Regular CD cases of course can go in AP's CD mailer, or PB2 bubble mailer for 2 stamps (or 3 depending on weight), but not many PS1 games were released in regular cases (mainly late edition Australian releases after 1999 or so e.g. Tekken 3 Platinum but not black label, and not Tekken 1 or 2).

Master System, Mega Drive, NES and N64 games (just the cartridges) will also just fit, but only if you don't have padding (e.g. use a tough bag). I have been stung Parcel Post on a Master System game at least once, turned out the width was 23mm thick and they refused to let it through for 2 stamps despite the whole thing weighing all of 80 grams.

Atari 2600 games and Super Nintendo cartridges are automatically Parcel Post as they are more than 2cm thick, as are VHS video tapes (audio cassettes - remember those? - fit but are of course very brittle, and I have no idea about records but I think they're too big anyway, notably the 33s, and you're just asking to have them snapped in half by the postal service if you send them in the mail as-is). Boxed cartridges are of course Parcel Post (the Sega games were basically miniature video cases anyway - Sonic & Knuckles actually used a standard VHS case).

Re: Posting DVD's and Games 2016

heihachi_73 — Sat, 21 May 2016 04:00:49 GMT

Additional post due to not being able to edit your own posts (stupid forum this is!) - the eb-packaging DVD mailers are 160x230mm, and the 9 extra millimetres width (160 vs. 151) makes all the difference.

With the Officeworks plastic mailers, fold the flap in a way so it doesn't hang over the DVD case, as this can get stuck in the letter gauge and they may charge you Parcel Post. It might also help to pop all the bubbles that are on the flap (or just stick with the 160x230 mailers on eBay).

Re: Posting DVD's and Games 2016

amhtrade1975 — Sat, 21 May 2016 05:25:56 GMT

Thanks to everyone for your replies and contributions. There are some great suggestions here already. Very much appreciated. I already have quite a large box of C5 padded envelopes, so I will start with those and stamps for the time being. As far as I can tell, if I send the DVD/Game in it's case and put $3 worth of stamps on it, it sounds like it will get to it's destination without too many issues.

Re: Posting DVD's and Games 2016

amhtrade1975 — Sat, 21 May 2016 05:28:31 GMT

heihachi_73, first of all thanks for your replies, there is some great info in there. As a side note, I think you can edit your post by using the options drop down on the top right 🙂

Re: Posting DVD's and Games 2016

book-of-hezekiah — Sat, 21 May 2016 06:18:26 GMT

Hi guys. Great advice! Always nice to see people researching postage prices first.

I think there is a 5min time limit on editing a post.

Postage prices usually change twice a year: March and September (I think).

Most post offices and LPOs will supply a booklet and they are free. I usually find these easier to navigate than the website.

Charging customers for postage can be a learning curve as there are so many options that work for different people. Another option on top of all the other advice could be to charge what it costs you for the listing, one dvd for whatever price with $3 postage, then offer discounted postage for multiple purchases, $1 extra postage per item, or something like that.

Re: Posting DVD's and Games 2016

amhtrade1975 — Sat, 21 May 2016 06:53:56 GMT

Thanks for the suggestion hezekiah. I am currently trying to figure it all out and find the best way to do it. I was going to list DVD's/Games with free postage and factor in the $3 in the starting price plus say $1 for eBay & Paypal fees. I will also state in my ad that if someone would prefer another shipping option, like registered parcel for example, then to contact me prior to bidding and I will get them a quote.

As for shipping multiple items or combined postage, I am still trying to figure it out and calibrate but I like your suggestion and go-tazz’s suggestions above, although I don’t have “slim cases” so might need to adjust slightly, and heihachi_73 made some great suggestions too.

I will try and update here what works best for me moving forward to aid other sellers who might be looking for similar information.

Re: Posting DVD's and Games 2016

go-tazz — Sat, 21 May 2016 07:51:09 GMT

If you know your PO well then ask them for a letter gauge as then you'll have the thickness guide you need

for items that can go as letter rate.

I did send a few thicker case items earlier in my selling but as noted you can only fit one in the smaller envelope

and two in the bigger one.

I post all my items via the post office and they know I prefer the stickers instead of the stamps as it contains the

time and date that the item was sent.(I always get a receipt as well so I have that info).

Posting via the PO also makes certain the correct postage is charged,(I have a set of scales that items are

weighed on).

Re: Posting DVD's and Games 2016

amhtrade1975 — Mon, 23 May 2016 01:11:15 GMT

Thanks go-tazz, I will keep that in mind.

Re: Posting DVD's and Games 2016

misterforgetfulsbooks — Tue, 24 May 2016 09:15:29 GMT

I prefer prepaid envelopes and buy them in 100 lots to save 10%, works out at $2.20ea.

These are the best for series as they usually weigh over 125gm and the prepaid envelopes will allow 500gm as long as it goes through the slot.

As said above, I use the larger prepaid envelope to post 2 dvd's or 2 series side by side as that way they still fit through the slot