Reasonable amount to charge for shipping for hatching eggs??

[Three Cedars Silkies]

A 12 X 12 priority box with 12 eggs packed with either crumpled newspaper OR peanuts and bubble wrap cost $4.95 to ship from Florida to Wisconsin. It's actual weight is less than 2 pounds.

I charge actual shipping plus a couple of bucks for the materials. I try to scour local dumpsters for bubble wrap and packing peanuts. If you ask some small stores to save their peanuts/bubble wrap for you, they will. I try to recycle everything I can.

You can also get large sheets of that really thin foam that is inside many, many boxes. I cut that in strips and wrap the eggs in that too.

That said...most of my shipping is $8.00...perhaps a bit more if it is going out west.

Edited to add...I'm sending bantam eggs...they are much smaller and weigh less!!

 

[becky3086]

I don't buy the eggs that want too much for shipping. I would probably do $15. I have had them sent to me with all different types of packaging and almost always they arrive just fine or maybe one cracked.
I do plan on selling eggs eventually. I save all my bubblewrap now. It is overflowing in the bedroom. I know I can get the boxes (and tape!)free from the USPS. Now if you go to the dollar store here you can get a roll of bubblewrap for $3.
I will say this. The auctions with the lower shipping usually get more of my attention than the ones asking $15 but it depends on how bad I want the eggs.
Becky

 

[millebantam]

Please don't take this personally, but I don't believe that Paypal and Ebay fees should be considered into the cost of shipping. Those fees are payment for a service that enables a seller to advertise and sell his goods to the biggest audience and market in the world. I just can't understand how a seller would assume that the buyer should be financially responsable for the seller's use of that venue. Maybe I'm wrong, but that's just how I see it. If someone doesn't like the Ebay or Paypal fees, try selling your eggs for Ebay prices in your local newspaper's classifieds, and see how you make out.

Also, these are freakin' chicken eggs we're talking about here. If a breeder does the basic preparation, he has a nearly inexhaustable resource to sell, for often time tremendous profit above the initial investment of procuring stock, providing shelter and feed, etc. It is basic capitolism to want to recieve the most profit for the product being sold, but once in a while you have to take a look at the big picture. A seller doesn't have to go to an extreme to squeeze out every last cent of profit. A little break here and there to the buyer every once in a while might not be the best decision profit wise, but it is darn good business.

I'm sorry for the little rant, and I assure you that I'm not singling anyone out by any means. these are just some of my observations and opinions as both an egg buyer, and an egg seller.

pips&peeps :

I use the bigger priority box (#7) and I charge $15.00 for shipping. It costs alot of money to ship eggs.

You have to buy bubble wrap, egg cartons, labels, tape. Most of the time there is no left over from the shipping by the time I get done. I have lost money on the postage lots of times.

If you auction eggs or use paypal, you have to take into consideration that there are paypal and auction fees the seller has to pay.

This year I am going to try the tri-fold cartons that are square shaped. It seems to me they will hold the egg more securely and will fit into the shipping box better.​

 

[Laskaland]

Quote:
You know... I think there probably should be a little compensation for time. I would easily pay $15 for 30 eggs wrapped that well. ESPECIALLY if they arrive unbroken

Well done, Cathy!
Christina

 

[The Monkey Mama]

Oh goodness Cathy/chickabator - NO, you did NOT overcharge me for shipping at all!

I'm extremely happy with our whole transaction - it is one of the best I've ever had.

So, please, you do not need to apologize to me AT ALL - you did great!

Kelly

 

[Katy]

Quote:

Every single item you buy whether it's on the internet or in a store you are paying for the advertising and stocking of that item. Just because it isn't listed seperately on the price tag doesn't mean it's not there. I don't feel that it's unreasonable to try and recoup those expenses when selling thru ebay and eggbid and using paypal. No one is twisting your arm to bid on an item if you feel the shipping and handling fees are too high.

ETA: I'd like to say I'll probably never recoup all the money I've spent to get to the point I am with my birds. I'm 100% certain I'll never be making "tremendous profit" off of my birds.....I'd just like to be able to help pay the feedbill.

 

[The Monkey Mama]

Ummm.... millebantam, I think you are severely underestimating the cost of buying and raising chickens! LOL! [No offense intended at all].

Most people I know who sell eggs are doing it for the love of chickens - they are barely breaking even [if that], certainly not making "inexaustable" profits! Most folks are just hoping to make a little money to help with the feed bill - not cover the feed bill, just help a bit!

I am all for the free market [I'm a pure Capitalist at heart], and as you point out eBay and Paypal allow people to sell to a very wide market - but also note that shipping charges are included in the auction description - anyone who does not want to pay the shipping price does not have to bid.

When I buy on eBay, I always have a number in my head that I'm willing/able to pay - including shipping. If someone charges $15 for shipping and someone else charges $10, I will end up bidding a higher amount for the $10 shipping auction because I'm looking at the total I can spend. That's on ME - it is up to me to determine what I can afford to spend and what certain eggs are worth to me.

Likewise, if a seller is getting $15 for shipping AND what others consider a very high price for their eggs, then obviously they are *worth* that - because the market sets the value, does it not?

My eggs are only worth what someone is willing to pay for them and every buyer is free to walk away if they don't like the cost or the terms.

That's what I love about the free Market....

Kelly

 

[pips&peeps]

Quote:

I don't think you understand how much money I paid for my chickens. I also don't think you quite comprehend how the $30,000 for the 16 X 48 breeding facility is going to get paid for. And, they aren't just freakin chickens.

I do not have easter eggers, BR, RIR or another type of bird where I can just throw them all in together. I have at this time I have eight different breeding pens.

People breeding for quality birds invest and spend alot of money on them. Also there is a lot of time and effort involved in selecting good hatchable eggs and wrapping them up to get the to the buyer safely. Not to mention driving to the post office.

My birds were not cheap, nor is the means to keep them. I have not made a "killing" on my eggs. I charge considerably less for my birds and eggs than do alot of good breeders.

By the time I wrap up the eggs, my box usually weighs 3lbs 8 oz as I always send extra eggs. And, from the zone I live in, it is usually quite expensive to ship back east.

I gave everyone here on BYC a big break on my eggs last year. My regular price is $2.00 per egg and $15.00 shipping. Everyone got 14-16 eggs all for $25.00.

I even shipped free eggs to other breeders and got ripped off myself by non payers. If you just want some "freakin" chickens get some eggs from a hatchery, I'm sure you will pay more the $15.00 for shipping.

Sorry for my little rant, but I am sure other breeders feel the same way. All the while people wanting eggs and birds for almost free from them when they have invested enormous amounts of money and time.

 

[millebantam]

Katy, you are 100% correct in the fact that no one is twisting any arms to buy a certain product. The same can be said that no one is twisting any arms to sell on auction sites that charge a fee versus sticking a sign in your front yard. My arm really doesn't need twisting when common sense or fairness is concerned. If two similar products are for sale for roughly the same amount, and one has what I consider fair shipping amount, and another has what I consider an unfair amount, I'm quite sure that me, and about 99.99% of the population will buy the product with the more reasonable shipping charges.

My point is, that from a sellers standpoint, treating your customers fairly sells more product than treating them unfairly. I sell lots of smaller stuff on Ebay. I charge 4 bucks for priority shipping even though actual shipping is 4.95. I also pay for insurance myself if an item exceeds 50.00. So technically, I "eat" .95 in shipping, and sometimes around 2 bucks for insurance on a 50.00 item that cost me less than a buck. I still make a substancial profit, but the most important thing, is I outsell my competitors who are selling the similar items by about 50 to one. If I tried to squeeze out the last penny from my buyers, I'd be just like my competitors, and sell one item to 50 of the guy's who is doing it better than me. I just tried to compare my method to egg seller's business models because there is such a high profit margin on both items.

Sorry, I've gotten a little off track here, but I think that if the seller would give the buyer a small break every now and again, it would increase overall sales, and at the same time show the buyer that his business is valued. In the end, each seller has to make his own personal choices as to how he treats his customers, and will do whatever works for hmself. That's why it's called "Free Enterprise".

Best to all, and a prosperous New Year.

 

[millebantam]

Wow! I guess you told me. I never said I wanted chickens or eggs for free. And I don't think that you quite comprehend that not all people charging excessive shipping have 30.000 chicken coops. I certainly DO understand that it takes significant time and money to raise quality birds. And my head is far enough out of the sand to recognize that there ARE unscrupulous sellers who are cashing in on new breeders ignorance.

I could go on and on and debate you point by point on your "telling me off", but I won't waste the bandwidth. I don't want to argue. My only point was about making a little concession to the buyer, while, at the same time giving up a minimal "break" is good business.

I'm done with this now, and I certainly won't judge someone based upon the breed of chickens that they raise as has been done in this quote:

"I do not have easter eggers, BR, RIR or another type of bird where I can just throw them all in together. I have at this time I have eight different breeding pens."

Even though I don't raise any of those breeds, I'll just stick with the breeds and breeders of "lesser" worth. Apparently I can't stand the stress that comes with being "elite".