To all those who complain about auction house shipping
 

Most of you know I do mainly live auctions. Recently I had a consignor who needed to raise money quickly so I agreed to do a portion of his stuff online. I had 10 1971 Topps winners that sold for almost $5000 to a board member here. I ate the shipping. It was $109 to UPS ground ship it fully insured.

If you ship a lot of expensive packages, get yourself a collectibles policy that covers shipping losses. It will pay for itself quickly.

Yeah with my CI, that would have been about $16 via USPS Registered. I think there are others that are cheaper and just cover shipments (not an overall policy that protects against theft, fire, etc). Dealers and AH should definitely be doing everything they can to offer fair shipping prices to their customers.

The winner was going to get those no matter what.

I had to bow out in the 200s because I knew it was going higher than I was going to go, congrats to whoever got them all.

My lab puppy at my shipping once. A pair of shoes too.

Are you advertising free shipping or that you overpaid $90 in shipping. I’m confused.

I'm saying maybe shipping is more expensive than people think when it comes to insuring high-end purchases. I actually state the shipping rates but agreed to pay the shipping on this as a bonus to a buyer who spent a lot of money. I'm not complaining I'm offering another perspective.

the larger auction houses who get criticized for inflated shipping charges are not paying the standard rate and ups shipping/insurance charge that you said you did in your example. they know enough to self insure (as mentioned in other posts). so it's not really any kind of perspective at all.

May I ask, which winner cards were included in the auction?

Doug

$35 (which showed $65 last night) to ship a $72 dollar card but only $70 to ship an almost $4,000 dollar card? Something isn't adding up here? :confused:

Condition:--
Ended: Jun 11, 2018 , 12:06AM
Winning bid:US $72.00
[ 27 bids ]
Shipping: $35.00 UPS Worldwide Saver
Item location:Lake Oswego, Oregon, United States
Seller:
pwcc_auctions (155314 ) | Seller's other item

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1947-66-Exh...cAAOSwrU1bEaAv

Condition:--
Ended: Jun 11, 2018 , 12:07AM
Winning bid:US $3,890.00
[ 23 bids ]
Shipping: $70.00 UPS Worldwide Saver
Item location:Lake Oswego, Oregon, United States
Seller:
pwcc_auctions (155314 ) | Seller's other items

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1947-66-Exh...YAAOSweUNbEaA4

Edit: Might have been this one I was thinking of/seen but I didn't have it saved so...........?

Condition:--
Ended: Jun 13, 2018 , 9:24PM
Winning bid:US $104.50
[ 22 bids ]
Shipping: $65.00 UPS Worldwide Saver
Item location:Lake Oswego, Oregon, United States
Seller:
pwcc_auctions (155314 ) | Seller's other items

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1958-Jay-Pu...cAAOSwWqNbFBb6

Mihalik
Rumenyak
Ulicny
Harlan
Nachtrieb
Nobile
Csuk
Faulkner
Grover
Audia

$5k? Wow, maybe I should sell mine. Hahaha. I have all of those and Lisa Bole, Hooper, Lazzari & Sinopoli.

#notsohumblebrag #paidadvertisement

Shipping
 

Insured Priority Mail would have been around $60. Registered Mail would have been around $30. Express Mail would have been around $95.

What am I advertising? The sale is over. My point really was that shipping expensive items costs more than I would have guessed. Tough room. I do enough paid advertising on this site I don't need to try and sneak in a free one.

Show of hands for who else had to look up 1971 Topps Winners to know what everyone is talking about. :)

I had to look them up too. There are a couple threads about them.

I knew about them only because I read a lot of things that I didn't know about. (hmmm... could Yogi have said that?)

I've shipped items worth up to $60,000. Here is my experience:

* I am insured for shipping through Collectibles Insurance. I only purchase postal insurance to cover the $200 deductible. This keeps shipping rates down and I can pass the savings onto my clients.

* For high value items, I use USPS Registered Mail. It may move slowly, but it is the safest and least expensive option for high value items. For instance, $30,000 worth of insurance on a recent item only cost around $55.

* DO NOT use FedEx for anything worth over $1,000. FedEx will take your money for the insurance without question, but if you ever need to file a claim for a "collectible," they will tell you the limit on collectibles is $1,000.

Didn't know that, that's terrifying. They maintain that policy when an item has been purchased for more? Even the post office accepts purchase price as insurance value.

I think UPS works the same way.

Just read their Maximum Value terms for 2018 and there is nothing about a limit on collectibles.

I just copied this off of their website (note #11):

F. Shipments (packages or freight) containing all or part of the following items are
limited to a maximum declared value of US$1,000:

1. Artwork, including any work created or developed by the application of skill,
taste or creative talent for sale, display or collection. This includes, but is not
limited to, items (and their parts) such as paintings, drawings, vases, tapestries,
limited-edition prints, fine art, statuary, sculpture and collector’s items.
2. Film, photographic images (including photographic negatives), photographic
chromes and photographic slides.
3. Any commodity that by its inherent nature is particularly susceptible to damage
or the market value of which is particularly variable or difficult to ascertain.
4. Antiques, or any commodity that exhibits the style or fashion of a past era and
whose history, age or rarity contributes to its value. These items include, but are
not limited to, furniture, tableware and glassware.
5. Glassware, including, but not limited to, signs, mirrors, ceramics, porcelains, china,
crystal, glass, framed glass, and any other commodity with similarly fragile qualities.
6. Plasma screens.
7. Jewelry, including, but not limited to, costume jewelry, watches and their parts,
mount gems or stones (precious or semiprecious), industrial diamonds, and
jewelry made of precious metal.
8. Furs, including, but not limited to, fur clothing, fur-trimmed clothing and fur pelts.
9. Precious metals, including, but not limited to, gold and silver bullion or dust,
precipitates, or platinum (except as an integral part of electronic machinery).
10. Stocks, bonds, cash letters or cash equivalents, including, but not limited to, food
stamps, postage stamps (not collectible), traveler’s checks, lottery tickets, money
orders, gift cards and gift certificates, prepaid calling cards (excluding those that
require a code for activation), bond coupons, and bearer bonds.
11. Collector’s items such as coins, stamps, sports cards, souvenirs and memorabilia.
12. Guitars and other musical instruments that are more than 20 years old, and
customized or personalized musical instruments.
13. Scale models (including, but not limited to, architectural models and dollhouses)
and prototypes

From FedEx website: http://www.fedex.com/cm/shippingguide/terms/

Emphasis is mine.

#######

18.4 For Shipments containing the following items of extraordinary value the Declared Value for Carriage is also limited and depends on the contents and destination of the Shipment:

- Artwork, including any work created or developed by the application of skill, taste or creative talent for sale, display or collection. This includes without limitation, items such as paintings, drawings, vases, tapestries, limited-edition prints, fine art, statues, sculptures, collector's items, customized or personalized musical instruments or similar items.
- Antiques or collectable items, or any commodity that exhibits the style or fashion of a past era and whose history, age or rarity contributes to its value. These items include but are not limited to, furniture, tableware, porcelains, ceramics and glassware. Collectable items may be contemporaneous or relating to a past era.

....

The Sender should refer to the FedEx rate sheets in effect at the time of shipment or call FedEx for an explanation of the declared value limits.

#######

If you are self insured than your insurance company kicks in with signature confirmation. It is good information to know if you are not self insured. It is amazing what you find out when it can be too late.

Another red flag shipping is to NEVER send anything of value internationally with USPS, they will only cover it is you send next day with signature. I sent a package registered with signature and they would not do anything about the fact the package was misplaced. Waited over 2 months before the package actually came back. I always use Fed Ex or UPS for international packages with value around $400 or more.

Thanks for the info,

Lee Behrens