Best way to ship CD's?

[tiggers]

Hi All,

It's been awhile since I frequented these boards. It was fun, but I'm just not into hi-res music anymore and will most likely start selling off most of what I currently own in the near future.

So I'm wondering what's the best way many people here have sold their used, rare SACD's and DVD-A's? My biggest concern is shipping the items safely and undamaged. Something like these?

What about certified mail? (About $5 extra for shipping with electronic return-receipt). Is it worth it for sellers? I guess I can always charge the buyer, with a total shipping cost of about $8 for first-class mail, parcel. Or would most people only do that for a SACD sold for over $30? Most likely I would probably start on a smaller board, like this one or Hoffmans before moving on to Ebay, so maybe in the short term, the certified mail isn't needed.

 

[wavelength]

Cheapest post rate possible in a padded envelop works for me. I never get certified, registered, or insured mail.

 

[dr. simple]

I usually wrap it in bubble wrap and then put it in a padded envelope. If the envelope is too big I use more bubble wrap so it doesn't move around inside. I've never had any complaints from recipients.

 

[ubertrout]

I've shipped out loads using single padded bubble mailers. If it's in a jewel case I've never had a problem. If it's in a digipak or something else that mind bend, use some cardboard to stiffen it. If it's extremely high value you might want to consider wrapping it in bubble wrap and putting it in a small USPS Priority Mail envelope. It's fast, cheap, and comes with $100 in free insurance.

For sending them out, assuming you're not using eBay or Amazon's shipping tools, Paypal lets you print shipping so long as you have a balance - it's cheaper than going to the post office.

Oh, for service, first class mail with tracking (included free with Amazon, Paypal, or eBay) should be fine for most things.

I've never had a bad apple buyer, but it's absolutely a risk - unless you're actually going to sue them then over a $30 disc then signature confirmation or certified won't do any good.

 

[jsulzinger]

If you have not sold with fleabay in a while, please be aware that their policies have changed significantly in the last few years and they now favor the buyer to the point that it is almost not worth it to sell with them. Unless you are willing to put up with the headache and heartache of dealing with unscrupulous buyers I would highly advise against it.

 

[ubertrout]

If you have not sold with fleabay in a while, please be aware that their policies have changed significantly in the last few years and they now favor the buyer to the point that it is almost not worth it to sell with them. Unless you are willing to put up with the headache and heartache of dealing with unscrupulous buyers I would highly advise against it.

I use Amazon more, but I've used eBay too. In both cases there's an element of trust that a buyer won't be unscrupulous, because the policies at both sites favor purchasers for obvious reasons. I think it's worthwhile - you reach a much wider customer base, and I've done hundreds of transactions with only one problem that sticks out (where I had to eat $100). However, recognize that unscrupulous buyers are part of the cost of doing business.

 

[tiggers]

Thanks for the advice everyone. It has been quite a few years since I have sold anything on ebay. It will most likely be my round two or three of selling.

Now I need to go off and sort thru what I really would like to hang onto, and what to sell off.