posted on December 27, 2000 10:34:13 AM new
Well we're turning to the wise folks on the Ebay message board once again...
We've been selling small antiques and collectibles for about two years (selling larger items and furnituire in our store). We want to start selling some of our pieces of antique furniture on Ebay but we don't know diddly about shipping an item unless its "Smaller than a Bread Box".
Any pieces of sage advice oh wise ones? We live in a small town about 25 miles from Athens, Georgia so we really have no help locally.
posted on December 27, 2000 11:11:19 AM new
Well I buy furniture on eBay and the first thing I look for in a listing is the shipping info.
Craters and Freighters is a popular choice for both sellers and buyers. They do everything, pick up the item at your business or residence, pack it securely and ship it to your buyer. Arrangements can be made by either the buyer or seller. They have a website where you can calculate the cost to ship most anything. You can even link the site to your auction. The cost for all this, however, is sometimes too much to justify a purchase.
I prefer to buy such items from local sellers and pick them up myself. I also like to buy from sellers who recognize that shipping is a major consideration for furniture buyers. It is very nice to see an auction where the seller has researched the shipping options and provides a reasonable cost to ship in the listing.
I don't like it when sellers just remove themselves from the process and state that all responsibility for shipping falls on the buyer. Items listed with these terms do seem to get bids, however, if they are truly rare and desirable.
Another option is to determine if the piece can be dismantled for UPS or FedEx shipping. It's not for everyone, but I don't mind putting a piece back together
after I receive it. In most cases I'll take it apart for refinishing anyway.
posted on December 27, 2000 12:27:41 PM new
While I haven't shipped large/heavy items in several years, I had good luck using freight consolidators. I delivered items wrapped and on pallets and they combined them with other items heading in that direction.(They usually have pallets available for free.)
Took more time but the cost was very low for the weight/size involved.
Others have told of using Greyhound buses and the railroads.
If cost is a concern to the buyer, these options require more time in delivering to and picking up from the carrier but are a huge savings over MBE for example.
Read the listings for similar items and see how more experienced sellers are dealing with this issue. I have also found that experienced buyers often know exactly how they want to deal with this issue.
Stating size, weight and location plus a willinness to work with the buyer on arranging satisfactory delivery while encouraging emails before bidding will usually work.
An open, caring and helpful attitude is all that most people expect.
