A bit of levity
 

As the board has been proliferated with threads in regard to the recent turn of events in the graded card market, I wanted to get us back on track with egregious shipping :).

I won a $100 lot in a NY online auction from a very well known antique dealer, they added 25% bp which was fully disclosed, wanted to add TX sales tax, which I did not have to pay as I have a resale cert.(they only collect NY & TX).

But wait for it.....$61 "shipping and handling". I believe percentage wise, this might be a Net54 record. 61% !! Mind you this $100 lot will fit in the palm of your hand, as it's seventy-three Vg to EX raw cards.

And no I did not pay it, I am awaiting their revised invoice, although I don't know the new number yet.

Revised number—$71. “We forgot the cost of the peanuts.”

I remember when I bought a coffee refill for 75cents and added $1 tip. "I just gave you an over 100 percent tip!"

If it’s who I think it is the shipping charge was no mistake. They’ll send out high shipping costs and then adjust for the 25% of customers that actually say something. They make plenty off the majority that grumble and just pay it.

Shipping has become a profit center these days. Christies was awful if I recall.

Yes, exactly what I was thinking!

This wasn't Christies or Sotheby's, I have used both and have learned to arrange for pickup, but a fairly regular Antique Roadshow appraiser, that I did not even know had an auction.

When I called, he picked up the phone himself(somewhat surprising), when I expressed my opinion that the shipping was "outrageous" he told me to hold, upon which a very nice lady picked up, she and I had a cordial talk, in which she agreed it was a ridiculous charge given the lot value. As do most AH's in the city, they use an outside shipper and don't have direct control, but we shall see.

Which AH?

Yeah...Why are people so secretive about who is ripping them off?

Not one that you will probably ever bid in, it was on I-Gavel.

I remember years ago, on the bay. It was when the consignment places were just starting and some were doing sales but not shipping (some still do that, most likely). They outsourced it. I won something like 10-11 York Caramels in successive auctions, E210s. The shipping was something crazy on each one. It was around $12 each and these were 50 - 100 dollar, raw cards, in the auctions (some great deals, price wise). I called and after getting nowhere paid around $120 shipping for 11 raw York Caramels. Each came in it's own box. I honestly don't remember if it said they combined shipping or not, I presume it said they didn't. It was still a good deal but not quite as good as if I hadn't gotten hosed on shipping. Since then I always look at shipping a little closer.

That’s under a pound. Should be less than $10 to ship. Will fit into a small flat rate box.

With us it'd be $11.70. Actual shipping plus $5. We did the math and $5 is the sweet spot where for large purchases we lose a little on labor and materials and on small ones we gain a little.

Others may not agree, but I feel that labor and packing materials should be covered by the auction house's buyers premium (usually 20%), except when an inexpensive item requires an inordinate amount of packing. And, the shipping charge to auction winners should only be the direct out-of-pocket cost (USPS, UPS, insurance, etc.) incurred.

I'd come out ahead by upping my BP another 2% in most cases. Of course I don't have two rates for cash and credit card/Paypal either.

Well.... I still don't have a new shipping price or any answer from them, apparently they use a UPS store to do their shipping. The lady I spoke to yesterday thought it might be a good idea if they just mailed it themselves....you think, duh!

I won a $1 card in a Net 54 charity auction years ago (not run by Leon)
The shipping was $11 because “we have to print out invoices”

I never heard about that. That isn't cool.