Do you lose money on postage?

[moviepostercentral]

I can't understand how so many sellers appear to obviously lose money on postage. There are many listings for vintage magazines. Take Australasian Post magazines which measures approx 260 x 360 with an opening bid of 3.00. Quoted postage costs range from $2.00 - $4.85 and up.

I really can't see how these magazines can be sent in anything other than parcel post which costs a minimum of $6.60. (Do sellers know that the cost for parcel post has increased?). I guess there is a possibility that sellers may try and get the package through as a large letter but this would be asking for trouble from Australia Post.

Hopefully the magazine would be packed well between cardboard sheets to avoid damage. Professional sellers usually pay for packaging so this would add, say, another 1.00.

Maybe it would be wise to send the package by registered mail which is another few bucks.

If the seller is running a business, they would have to absorb GST on the postage cost making the overall cost well above 10.00.

So, how can a seller quote 2.00 for postage??

[mccrae2007]

"That is not necessarily correct. The criteria for large letters is the dimensions. A large letter has to be a maximum of 260 x 360 and no more than 20mm thick."  :-x

Sorry left that bit out.

I sell lots of magazines this way and the majority would be less than 20mm thick. 

[lovetadojen]

Well, we are getting close to the point when all sellers will be required to show tracking so they will have to use registered post or some other form of tracking.

naaaa...in theory, you do have to have tracking now, or you do for any Paypal item, because Paypal will supposedly uphold any claim for a lost item which didnt have tracking.

Common sense and math tells you, that most items are not lost, that mandating --insurance-- or ---tracking--- registration, on any very low value items sent often, is simply a zero sum gain. 

Most of your extra P&H incurred is unnecessary, and accomplishes little even when an item is claimed not received.

anyone with an ounce of common sense sends the item --of very modest value-- lowest possible P&H cost  or no-frills service within reason, no insurance or tracking unless requested.

and when one is lost or even damaged ....HOLA...

you just shrug and replace/refund it.

Instead of tripling + your postage cost for extra padding which isnt often needed, isnt wanting to be paid for.

And it will never come in where you will be actually forced to register/track every item that you send.

Because even the idiots who make policies on these sites will be able to be shown that that just isnt practical, and they will not want to disqualify about a bazzillion more sellers-and buyers, who wont want to wear the costs flow on--- 

Sanity and common sense, more like self-interest, will prevail.

As it sort of did eventually in the great 'all sales have to be paid with Paypal" campaign.

[lovetadojen]

can anyone please reliably give me the dimensions of one of these retro Australasian Posts we're hearing so much about.

Ive not lately heard such a song and dance over F-all..

I have a strong sense that if I was selling one, it would be getting large letterised $1.80-$3.00 , plus 30/40/50c Cameron envelope..

and that would be the last Id hear of it, 199 times out of 200..

which is all its worth.

[davewil1964]

You know, I don't think you've added anything to this discussion, which any member is entitled to contribute to. The OP asked a question and we gave them a few possibly relevant answers.

I wasn't on the boards 2.5 years ago, and the other descriptors don't apply to me, but I am sorry if I offended you.

ps. I apologise for the correct grammar, too.

[davewil1964]

I wasn't born in 1964. I'm not bald. Neither of which has anything to do with the relevance of my post. The descriptors you used in your first post (dopey, parasite, wanker). I don't need to research postage costs; somebody else already has.

it means nothing its all about to make a buck

Then why would sellers send stuff when postage is more than the total price of the item? Which the OP was trying to clarify.

[viewmont1071]

from the OP

So, how can a seller quote 2.00 for postage??

by folding the magazine so that it meets the large letter criteria.

That you do not want to fold  because" it would devalue your magazines" does not disallow other sellers that find buyers who do not believe that folding a magazine for cheap post devalues it

...that's how sellers offer magazines for $2 post....

Some sellers cut the pages from magazines and make more money than they could selling the magazine whole

... for some collectors cutting up magazines is a travesty for others cutting, folding and posting is the norm.

[viewmont1071]

Hopefully the magazine would be packed well between cardboard sheets to avoid damage.

you are bestowing your requirements and protocols onto other sellers

ie how you would best expect to recieve a magazine to suit you purposes....

If you were looking for a magazine that I had listed for half the price of most other sellers and I specified in the listing that unless instructed by the buyer I fold all magazines for cheaper letter post would you

A Email me and ask for a quote for parcel post delivery

B just buy the mag then whinge when it arrived folded because that's not how you send them

C Buy the mag for the cheap price and freight and then straighten it using a warm iron and calico?

D Move on and buy from another seller because the seller foldas magazines

E something else that i did not think of

If somebody buys a magazine off me for 25 bucks and then bungs it on the bottom of the cockies cage to catch the pooo

It would not worry me a tinkers cuss

... generally I do not care or ask... but I make sure that the buyer knows pre delivery and fold that the magazine will be treated in that manner

[moviepostercentral]

 

So, how can a seller quote 2.00 for postage??

 by folding the magazine so that it meets the large letter criteria.

That must be what they are doing. If they say in the description that the item will be sent folded, thats fine, but if they don't then they are asking for negative or neutral feedback.

I recently sold a couple of Australasian Post magazines with ABBA on the cover. The buyers were collectors and paid a premium price. They expect stong packaging to be used to avoid damage and would be very upset if I had sent it folded.

[moviepostercentral]

Correction to the last post!

from the OP

So, how can a seller quote 2.00 for postage??

by folding the magazine so that it meets the large letter criteria. 

That must be what they are doing. If they say in the description that the item will be sent folded, thats fine, but if they don't then they are asking for negative or neutral feedback.

I recently sold a couple of Australasian Post magazines with ABBA on the cover. The buyers were collectors and paid a premium price. They expect stong packaging to be used to avoid damage and would be very upset if I had sent it folded.

[viewmont1071]

I understand re the packaging... as a buyer I sometimes prefer flat and other times I have the "can you please fold it for me and use letter post ?,

as an example of why sellers offer folded post...

I have an Everybody's magazine from 1965? I think without looking

...... anyways it has a little story.. minimal heading.... near the

back re The Allen Bros., ???

who are the Allen Bros?

nothing on the cover re The Allen Bros, I think there is a pic of Prince Phillip.??.

The rear of the magazine bears my family name from delivery ie.

I know that the magazine and others have been read an folded ... reread, stored, folded, stored flat, loaded into a trailer in boxes to be dumped, rescued, then.... stored flat in bags.........

some look and are pristine...some are ... less than desirable

anyways this mag is in "fine" condition I would say if it was a comic

3 pages or so

..near the back, some black and white pics of these young blokes jumping off a fence and pulling goofy faces, at a piano singing and answering fanmail.... "brothers"  some pics with "their father" and mentor,

well one of them is " I still call Australia Home" rip. Peter Allen

( I put the " " up there obviously because they were not brothers although the mentor was the other lads father but Peters history had been "sanitized' for better public consumption)

The magazine also has some nice car ads So it may be of more value to me to remove and sell the articles and ads or at the very least offer cheaper postage for folded freight.

Some collectors would undoubtedly prefer the magazine left whole and freighted well protected, flat and square between fluted cardboard in a mylar sleeve

... but for some  it is the content of the article not the aesthetic  quality of the outer covers that is the intent of purchase and cheap freight means cheaper purchase of research material