Shipping Questions for folks who are selling/plan to sell/have sold dolls on this forum.

It depends on the item. At the very least I'll pack the doll up and weigh the box. Most shipping companies have websites where you can calculate the postage based on the weight.

Bubble wrap! Lots and lots of bubble wrap. Especially on delicate parts, like hands. I also put a face protector over the head, then wrap then whole head in bubble wrap. Basically the doll looks like a mummy when I'm done.

When I buy stuff online (like from Amazon) I tend to keep the packing supplies, especially bubble pillows. Otherwise most stores carry the supplies. I believe the cheapest place is Walmart.

I use USPS. UPS is very expensive, and I don't trust FedEx. Otherwise the type of shipping is up to the buyer. If the item is going overseas I prefer to ship Priority or EMS.

I always, always add insurance. Doesn't matter if it's a $5000 doll or a $5 wig. I've almost lost two dolls. The only reason they were found was because I had insurance. Make sure you keep the reciept too! It's proof that you shipped the item. Plus if you ship via USPS it'll have the label number. A label number is like a tracking number for USPS employees. It won't work on the online tracking site. But if the package gets lost you can go to the post office and have the employee trace the label number.

It's always good to do your homework! When you have some free time stop by your nearest post office. Ask what kind of shipping options they offer and how it works.

 

1) Do you go to the post office ahead of time to get a shipping estimate?
No, but I would if I lived close to one. Unfortunately the cost of getting to a post office greatly outstrips the potential difference in an online estimate for me so I'd rather just suck up any deficit or refund any excess rather than paying to get to town

2) How do you package the dolls to ensure that they are going to arrive safely?
Bubble wrap and lots of it! I also try to use the sturdiest box possible too. Where necessary (i.e. if the item is very loose in the outer box) I'll also use scrunched up newspaper (usually the free ones, cheaper than wasting bubble wrap to fill dead space!) or, if I have them and it's appropriate, packing peanuts - which I pinch from packages delivered to work and would otherwise be thrown out

3) Where do you get your packing supplies?
Beg, steal and borrow mostly! Well, not really 'steal' Whenever I see a sturdy box that's going to be thrown out I snaffle it for doll-related postage. Same with bubble-wrap since most things from companies come with perfectly serviceable brand-new bubble-wrap. I ~love~ big packages that go to workplaces since inevitably they don't need the packing peanuts/box/bubble-wrap and I get to lug them home with me It saves me (and buyers!) a lot of money, and I like to recycle When I do need to get new stuff (like bubble-mailers) I just get them from the supermarket or post office for about 52p :3

4) What service do you use? (Priority Mail or....?)
Depends on the item. For a doll I always insure the full amount unless the buyer asks me not to and will take full responsibility for it so I use priority, tracked, insured mail. It's always worth sending items with tracking if they're of any value - for something that's only a few dollars you're probably okay not to track it unless the buyer asks you to but anything large/fragile/expensive should be tracked for both your and the buyer's peace of mind.

5) Should insurance be forced or optional?
I generally require insurance on most items, since it's the only way to guarantee that any damage in the mail can be reclaimed - but I have had the odd person ask me not to insure a package so that I can ship it with a lower value on it. As long as the buyer is fully aware that this is their choice and that they're liable in case of any damage (unless caused by poor packaging, but if you make sure you've packaged it very carefully and safely you'll be fine) then I don't see any reason why they couldn't request no insurance

Hope that helps! ^^

 

Everything Ostrich and Ehryn said, plus this: your post office will LOVE you if you become a knowledgeable customer, and your future trips to the post office will be much quicker and smoother if you learn the options and prepare packages the right way. Ask your postal clerk when their quieter times are, and explain that you'd like to come in with a large package and get estimates for the various shipping options. Then pack up a doll of the size you're planning to sell. Pack it exactly the way you would pack it for real shipping, and lightly tape the box closed. Take the box to the post office when they aren't busy, and have the clerk work through ALL the reasonable options: insured Priority Mail and insured Parcel Post for domestic shipping (give them a couple of different random zip codes to try), Global Priority and EMS for international shipping (again, give them a couple of different countries--sometimes that can make a difference in the cost). Take notes, so you'll have estimates of the various costs--that will save you a lot of time and trouble when you want to quote shipping costs to buyers.

If your post office doesn't get many international packages going in and out, you may find that the clerk learns something from the experiment, too. My post office clerks have been wonderful, and now they joke with me when I bring boxes in to ship--"sending a dismembered body today?"

 

Ooh, and also to add to Cynthia's post - since I didn't even think of it at the time: If you're going to be shipping things abroad most post offices will give you a strip of customs forms to fill out at home and stick on your parcel. My post office gave me tons of them because it saves so much time at the counter not having to scrawl things out on a sticker before sending That's also worth thinking about, if you're sending multiple things abroad ^_^

(Also, Cynthia, that's a great idea! I can't believe I didn't think of taking notes of sizes/weights and the shipping cost for future reference It's such a common-sense thing! Definitely going to implement that one myself too )

 

1) Do you go to the post office ahead of time to get a shipping estimate?
Nope, Royal Mail has its own price finder which requires you to measure the box but I usually find myself sending most large dolls via courier and they (I use Interparcel) have their own site where you can enter the weight and measurements of the box for the shipping quote. That way it's all very accurate ^_^

2) How do you package the dolls to ensure that they are going to arrive safely?
I'm also going to entire the chorus of "lots of bubblewrap." That stuff is essential for a safe dolly journey! Also if the doll has a face-up, I use a head protector and I always wrap the head in bubble-wrap along with the hands, feet and anything likely to snap or suffer damage during transit. I also make sure that I put the doll box in an outer shipping box (I was once sent a Soom doll in only its Soom box. You can imagine the state that thing was in when it got to me :/.) I'll also pack newspaper into the outer box if the iner is a bit loose.

3) Where do you get your packing supplies?
I ALWAYS hang onto previously used dolly boxes unless they are damaged beyond use. So when a new dolly arrives, I carefully open the outer box so that I can use it again. I find it very hard to get ahold of the right sized boxes so always hang onto any your doll arrives in, there have been times where I have had to specially order boxes big enough for a doll to be sent in, wish I'd kept their box and saved myself a lot of cash... For things like clothes etc, I use the bubble-wrapped jiffy bags/envelopes and also post-packs from the Post Office but this can get expensive so I try to stick to the bubble-wrapped envelopes. Bubble-wrap itself is easy to get ahold of though.

4) What service do you use? (Priority Mail or....?)
In the UK, we're a bit limited in what we can use. For dolls in their dolly boxes, I usually go with a courier, which is safe, tracked and can be insured. For boxes small/light enough I ship through Royal Mail Airsure but this is quite rare unless the doll is unstrung. It always comes down to buyers choice though.

5) Should insurance be forced or optional?
I do not enforce insurance though I always recommend it. If the buyer does not choose to have their package insured then I make it clear that I will not be held responsible should anything go wrong (unless it is related to my packing) and I will not refund the buyer their loss. I believe it is silly not to pay a bit extra for insurance, you lose a lot more money if you choose not to and the doll disappears or is damaged along the way.

 

you can use the USPS online calculator to help estimate cost..... it may differ by more or less when you actually go to the PO. just weigh, and measure the box, and enter where asked. make sure you weigh the doll, box, and shipping materials all together, but don't have to be packed shut, i find it to be "fairly" accurate, but estimating International costs is a bit trickier....
http://www.usps.com/tools/calculatepostage/welcome.htm

you can find packing materials at the PO itself, they even have "flat rate" boxes, meaning the price is fixed when purchasing the box..... so if you can fit everything inside the flat rate box, no extra charges.... you can also find materials at the drug store, or look up online for places that sell packing supplies.... i know UPS sells them, the Box store, and Container Store, i get a lot of supplies form Container Store... they have boxes, bubble wrap, peanuts, tissue, tape..... etc.

just wrap the doll, well, in bubble wrap and tape..... make sure to fill all the "empty" space of the box with cushioning materials so the doll is secure and won't rattle around during shipping.

 

1) Do you go to the post office ahead of time to get a shipping estimate?

Buy a small shipping scale. They are not expensive and make calculating how much shipping costs are going to be so much easier to figure out. Definitely worth the investment.

2) How do you package the dolls to ensure that they are going to arrive safely?

Bubblewrap everything and make sure delicate parts like hands or fancy ears are cushioned a lot. If I can ship a doll unstrung, I make sure all of the parts are wrapped well separately. It is also important to make sure you fill the extra space in the box to prevent the doll parts from rattling around and moving.

3) Where do you get your packing supplies?

I get priority boxes from the post office for most of my US bound packages. Bubble wrap and bigger boxes I either get from Staples or Walmart, whichever I am closest to that day. Walmart is prob your cheapest option.

4) What service do you use? (Priority Mail or....?)

I like to use priority in the US if it's a doll or doll parts, but will ship less expensive, smaller packages like clothes first class since you can still get rudimentary tracking with delivery confirmation and insurance for them. International packages I will only ship via EMS or registered airmail if available, registered for the full amount of the item. I will not mark down packages.

5) Should insurance be forced or optional?

To protect yourself, you should always require insurance and if you are shipping internationally, always insure and declare for the full value. I have seen A LOT of problem transaction threads where the seller has shipped something underdeclared and with no insurance at the request of the buyer because the buyer is trying to cheat the system and not have to pay import fees, only for the package to go missing and the buyer throw a huge fuss and blame the seller and want their money back. Paypal I am pretty sure will not take the seller's side on the issue if the buyer files a claim even if the buyer said they didn't want insurance or wanted the item marked down.

 

1) Do you go to the post office ahead of time to get a shipping estimate?

No. I basically just weight and measure the size of box ( W x L x H) and use USPS.COM for a estimate shipping quote.

2) How do you package the dolls to ensure that they are going to arrive safely?

Bubble wrap. A LOT OF bubble wrap. I wrap the head, the hands, the feet, and multiple layers of bubble wrap around the whole doll. And I use pillow that come with her and official box that is strong enough. Sometimes, I also put packing peanuts inside the doll box and in between the doll box and shipping box.

If the buyer is an international buyer and do not need the original doll box, I will unstrung the doll and bubble wrap each individual doll parts. I will also stick the two same parts (hands, thighs, upper arms... etc) together to help me make sure I've packed every single one of the doll parts. Then, I will use a good pillow and bubble wrap to secure each one of the inside box wall is protected. Non of the bubble wrapped doll part will touch box wall directly. And most importantly, I make sure there's no gap in my box. The box has to be filled completely. I make sure none of the content can move during transportation. I will use some shipping peanuts if necessary.

3) Where do you get your packing supplies?

I save every packaging that come with my dolls and use those to ship my sold dolls. But I need to make sure those bubble wrap and boxes are still re-usable. If not, Home depot, office depot, office max, walmart, and your local shipping office (fedex, ups.. etc) have bubble wrap you can buy from. Most of them also have boxes. But those boxes may not be the right size if you are shipping an assembled doll. *always use double boxes when you ship an assembled doll*

4) What service do you use? (Priority Mail or....?)

For US buyer, I usually use priority mail.

For International buyer, I use either EMS or International Priority mail.
EMS sometimes may not be available for all location. It is better to check with your local post office before you quote your buyer.
I've had one time that up until I was at the post office, I was informed EMS is not available at the buyer's location. If this ever happen to you- I suggest you to contact your buyer before you ship. Let them know the situation and ask for their opinion.

5) Should insurance be forced or optional?

I usually make it optional for my buyer.
But I will recommend my buyer to purchase full priced insurance. Especially for international buyer.

There's another important thing you need to know about insurance when you ship internationally- Insured amount can only be less or equal to the reported Custom Value.
So if the buyer ask you to under declare a doll at .. let's say $50 USD. The maximum insurance coverage you can buy is $50 USD. Not higher. So if the package is lost or damage, the maximum claim amount will be $50.

 

Rather than give you the same info as above all over again, I will just add this: If you have access to the Feedback/Problem Transaction section of the MP, I would recommend browsing through it while you wait for MP access. It could really help you learn what NOT to do!

Some of those stories will really make you mad. They did me, so to relieve my feelings, I made up a list of unacceptable excuses from sellers. It's too long to post, so I'll just put a link to where it's hosted on MediaFire (MediaFire is a host for documents like Flikr is for photos). Just click to download it - don't worry, it just opens it and nothing is saved to your computer unless you choose to do so. You might at least get a laugh out of it!

Unacceptable Excuses from Sellers

 

tehbritta, shipping a doll unstrung is usually safer than shipping a doll strung. The elastic's tension when a doll is all together is pretty tight anyway. If the box gets slammed there's a decent chance resin will crack, depending on how much packing material you used. Many companies will deliberately ship their strung dolls with very, very loose elastic. That way the doll can flop around a bit inside the box. The owner can always tighten the elastic later.

It's also cheaper to send a doll unstrung. Doll boxes can be huuuuge! Both the weight and the size of the box determine how much it costs to ship. And, in some cases, how you can ship it (Priority, First Class, whatever). When I'm buying a doll unless I really want the box for some reason I always ask for it to be shipped in pieces.

In regard to international shipping...it really depends on the seller and the country. Personally I don't mind shipping all over the globe. But some countries have less than stellar postal services. If you think there's a good chance the item will be lost or stolen ship it via EMS or Priority Mail. Declare the full value of the item on the customs form. Do NOT let the buyer force you into sending the item marked cheaply. If the item gets lost the amount the postal service will pay is the amount you write on the customs form. (Plus it's illegal to deliberately mark down a package.)

USPS's shipping estimation tool will also display links to the forms (as PDF files). You can print out the form, fill it out in advance and tape it to the box. Then all you have to do when you get to the post office is pay for the shipping. It makes things much smoother. Give it a try! Click on Calculate International Postage. Pick a country, the Package option, some random weight, and click Continue. The next page should have a button that says Customs Forms and Extra Services. From there it should direct you to the proper customs form.

 

1) Do you go to the post office ahead of time to get a shipping estimate?
No, too much trouble. I bought a $20 mail scale a while back and use that and the USPS online shipping calculator to make shipping estimates.

2) How do you package the dolls to ensure that they are going to arrive safely?
I usually package them as near as possible to the way they arrived with me. This generally means bubble wrap on hands and feet, face protector and maybe a bit of bubble wrap around the head, and pillows. I usually tie the pillows around the doll at the neck and ankles with a bit of ribbon to prevent them sliding around the box and bashing into the sides.

When I have an appropriately sized shipping box available I put the doll box in a shipping box with another couple layers of bubble wrap. When I don't, I put two or three layers of bubble wrap around the doll box and then cover that in brown paper for shipping. If the doll box is especially flimsy and I think it unlikely to survive the trip, I DEFINITELY put that in a box.

3) Where do you get your packing supplies?
Generally I recycle them from things I've received in the mail, dolls or otherwise, because they're very expensive. When necessary I get additional supplies at office supply stores (Staples, Office Depot). I get packing tape wherever is cheap. :P

4) What service do you use? (Priority Mail or....?)
I generally use priority mail within the US because I feel that it's a good compromise between cost and security.

Outside the US I tend to negotiate more with the buyer, because anything faster/more secure than first class international tends to be exorbitantly expensive.

5) Should insurance be forced or optional?
I generally insist on insurance for purchases of over $100 within the US because it's not all that expensive and it protects me as the seller. I sometimes ship expensive items internationally without insurance, but I do so with the buyer's consent that I will not be responsible and absolutely will not refund them in any way if the item is lost or damaged during shipment.

Less expensive purchases I don't require insurance on, but again, if the buyer doesn't purchase insurance it's their problem if it's lost or damaged. I find it's about half and half as far as people wanting insurance anyway.