Muriel
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posted on August 30, 2000 04:07:35 PM new
I'm curious about something. Do you sellers out there own and use postage scales? I've had sellers tell me that they're going to take my package to the post office to see how much it's going to cost to ship it. Does that mean they're making two trips to the post office - one to weigh the package, and then another trip after they receive my payment? That seems silly. Anyone out their use their own scale? Or does EVERYONE use their own scale?
Muriel aka Doofus Gerbiltushie 
[ edited by Muriel on Aug 30, 2000 04:08 PM ]
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heike55
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posted on August 30, 2000 04:13:24 PM new
I use a food scale, guess a little, and look up the postage rate on USPS.com. If I'm over more than $1.00, I slip a check into the package and finish taping it. If I'm under I eat the difference. (If I slip in a check I do e-mail them to let them know) Most of the time the buyer doesn't even bother to cash the check, but it's a nice guesture anyway.
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xifene
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posted on August 30, 2000 04:14:59 PM new
Muriel -- I suspect folks do this both ways.
In fact, we do both. We have a scale for items up to 10 pounds. This covers 98% of what we sell. The rest we hafta take down to the post office and have weighed in order to quote a shipping cost. We do try to do this before listing the item rather than after. 
--xifene--
http://www.auctionusers.org
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equestrian
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posted on August 30, 2000 04:16:27 PM new
Hi Muriel,
I have a postal scale, and now can put my cost of shipping in my TOS. It only goes up to 1.5KG though, so for the large parcels, I have to go to our Canada Post Website, or take it into the post office, which I am visiting every two days anyhow! The large parcels of course, depend on the zip code of destination, and that is why you can't put an exact amount in your write-up, just a ball-park figure.
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mauimoods
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posted on August 30, 2000 04:33:32 PM new
Muriel...go yard salin' this weekend and get a food scale. You can find them cheap. I have one upstairs and one down (beats hitting the steps all the time). Then bookmark USPS and UPS websites so you can check the rates.
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CheyenneRoundup
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posted on August 30, 2000 04:38:06 PM new
I use an old triple beam scale, bought it at an auction.
http://psychicspy.com/
I can see you.
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danilynn71
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posted on August 30, 2000 05:35:35 PM new
I have an electric postal scale that I use for packages up to 5 lbs. This weekend I found a baby scale at a garage sale for $1 that I now use for packages over 5 lbs. I used to just estimate things over 5 lbs. and eat the difference.
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eventer
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posted on August 30, 2000 06:43:30 PM new
I have a nice Pelouze which goes up to 5 pounds..covers most things I ship. Lusting heavily after one of the fancy electronic ones.
BTW, investing in a good scale is worth it in the long run. And make it ATLEAST one which goes up to 5 pounds. I got a smaller one originally & was back within a few months for the nicer one. Penny wise, pound foolish...go for the bigger one the first time round.
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Model_Citizen
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posted on August 30, 2000 06:59:32 PM new
An investment in scales will pay for themselves, not only in money saved by NOT screwing up postage "estimates", but also in your valuable time of not having to run to the post office to weigh items!
I bought a Pelouze PE10 at Staples. It was originally a $100 scale, but was marked down to $70 and I had one of those $10 off coupons that they seem to mail me every other week.
The PE10 is a small electronic scale that weighs up to 10 pounds by .2 oz increments. It covers nearly everything I'd sell on eBay. It sits on my desk since it's only 6" x 8" square!
When I run my special cinder block auctions, I pull out the heavy duty Pelouze Parcel Post scale. It's an old fashioned manual scale that weighs up to 25 pounds... it's gotta be old, the parcel post rates on it's face start at 2 cents!
Tom in NJ "I won't rest until all the junk in America has been shipped to a good home"
[ edited by Model_Citizen on Aug 30, 2000 07:01 PM ]
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abacaxi
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posted on August 30, 2000 07:01:03 PM new
Even a 5-10 lb FOOD scale from the supermarket will do.
It keeps you from having EXPENSIVE guesses.
I calibrate my scale with food packages (known weight), then set it to read a bit heavy. I am usually right on the mark with the postage, rarely charge for ine bracket higher, and NEVER UNDER!
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Borillar
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posted on August 30, 2000 07:14:14 PM new
We picked up a 3lb and under digital postal scale at Costco for $24.95 (no sales tax in Oregon).
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krs
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posted on August 30, 2000 07:17:47 PM new
I have a flat table spring scale that goes to 125 lbs. in ounces and is spot on with the USPS and UPS scales that I paid $20. for at a flea market. No brand name on it.
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valerie47
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posted on August 30, 2000 07:18:28 PM new
I use my digital scale that goes up to 10 lbs that I got free from Stamps.com. That covers about 99% of my packages. For larger packages I have a baby scale that I use that goes up to 30 lbs. Before I had any scales I would just guess the shipping. I do know people though, who have no scales and make 2 trips to the post office.
____________________________________
The only place you'll find success before work is in the dictionary.
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shartelona
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posted on August 30, 2000 07:59:37 PM new
...I have one too! It's a Weight-Watchers diet scale that my Mom gave me a long time ago! It only goes up to 16 oz, but it works well for most envelopes!
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vargas
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posted on August 30, 2000 08:38:20 PM new
I started out using a food scale. Now I use the free Stamps.com scale for packages up to 10 pounds. Anything over that, and it's off to the post office. It's no big deal though, my p.o. is only a mile away.
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mildreds
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posted on August 30, 2000 08:38:40 PM new
Yes I am one of the people who go twice to the Post Office on large items. My next purchase will be a postal scale. I live in an apartment on the second floor without an elevator so this is not fun. I have to tell myself I can not list until I order a scale!!
How all the mail order catalogs can get away with charging such high shipping and handling fees is beyond me. They must not have any Ebay Customers buy from them. No one must ever look at the actual stamps versus what they paid (usually based on dollar amount) and call and complain.
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nowwhat
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posted on August 30, 2000 08:48:17 PM new
I have a Pelouze 10 lb. digital scale from Office Max that my husband got me for Christmas and a Pelouze 50 lb. 1991 Parcel Post scale that I bought at Goodwill for $5.00. Haven't charged the wrong amount for shipping in a long time.
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kforgie
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posted on August 31, 2000 07:01:05 AM new
I just bought a Royal 10# digital scale on eBay for $26.00. There are several sellers moving these. They are rated at 4# but do weigh by 1/10 oz. up to 10#. They also have a neat tare function if you really wanted to use it in the kitchen. It works great. I searched for "digital scale" and found a bunch of them. YMMV
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upriver
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posted on August 31, 2000 07:44:55 AM new
I have 2 scales, one is a Postage at home scale for items up to 2 kg (4.4 lbs) and another that weighs up to 100 lbs, then I can look rates up on the Canada Post website (being in Canada you see).
For me it's absolutely worth it, but then I mail between 125 to 200 eBay packages every month. I think the trade-off of having purchased the large scale (about $70 U.S. a few years back) and renting the monthly postage scale & metering machine (I do my own at home stamping & insurance) is worth it, as I would otherwise have to spend hours standing in lines every week -- now I can just drop things off at the local post office when I'm ready.
The scales are also invaluable during an auction, when someone from overseas for instance wants to know what mailing costs will be -- I can zoom downstairs, weigh the item with packing, and get right back to them both with surface & air mail quotes -- that ability to communicate quickly with potential bidders often helps the auction!
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BlackCoffeeBlues
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posted on August 31, 2000 08:57:43 AM new
I have a vintage baby scale I picked up at a thrift store for $3.00. It goes up to 25 pounds, measures down to the ounce, and has a nice big surface for putting larger items on to weigh them. Only problem is, because it's so old, it's still off sometimes, so I still occasionally screw up and have to eat the shipping cost when I undercharge. Not nearly as often as before I got it, though, and it will definitely do until I can afford a fancy digital scale! I'll still probably keep this one though in case I ever have baby #3, because with #1 and #2 I always wished I had one to monitor their growth without having to go to the doctor's office.
Check on eBay, I've seen these scales go cheap.
Sheri
[email protected]
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