USPS Flat Rate boxes for egg shipping?

[BamaChicken]

One thing to take into consideration also is packing material. I buy bubble wrap or foam egg shippers which end up costing a dollar or two to three depending on the amt. of eggs to package them. Then the gas to drive them to the post office. If i mail to the West coast it cost more if I don't put them in a flat rate box. Delivery confirmation is 65 cents and so forth.
I have ordered grown bantam chickens and it cost me 45 dollars for shipping and I reasoned that is was less than the price of gas to drive and pick them up besides the time involved.

 

[speckledhen]

Yeah, if I dont want to mail the eggs from the Culberson, NC P.O., the closest one to me, I have to drive the pkg about 15 miles to the next nearest one. At today's gas prices, that sure does add up. If I am able to use a flat rate and it costs less to do so, I sure will. If there are too many eggs for the largest flat rate one, then obviously, I have to use another box, however, I usually charge a certain price for a dozen eggs plus extras, shipping included. Sometimes I'll won't make hardly a thing on the eggs at all due to very high shipping costs, especially if it goes to the other coast.

 

[LoneCowboy]

I don't have a roo. And I have Sex-links and stuff like that. DH wants a black JG roo so I'm hoping to get him some girls so I will have some.

When I got these eggs I thought there is no way Speckledhen would pack eggs like this. I've heard stories of her packing skills.

This lady took a 18 count egg carton and cut the bottom in two. Put little squares of bubble wrap on the top and bottom of each egg, and but the other half of the bottom on top of the 9 eggs. then just put crumbled paper on the top and the bottom of the box and sent them just like that. They were ok, nothing broken, but I was shocked and amazed. Especially since the eggs were all different sizes from med to jumbo.

I'm looking for more eggs now, that's why I'm wondering about why she didn't use a flat rate box. It's the only shipment I've gotten, but it seems that if she and others knew about the flat rate boxes, then maybe the shipping prices on Ebay wouldn't be so high. At least for shipments of only 6 eggs.

Usually I wouldn't care, but since DH lost his job and we are trying to make a go of our business, I've got to find ways to still do fun stuff and count the pennies, you know. Right now the only way I can get him to let me do anything is if I can make money at it.

He doesn't understand that I do a lot of the things I do simply for the joy of doing them, and money is really no object. I've always had to count my cost and scrimp and save, but he gets upset if he thinks I'm not charging enough for something. If it take me an hour to do something I have to charge X amount for my time. Where I think, yes it may have taken me an hour, but it's only worth this, and I really enjoyed what I was doing.

Here's a good example. I raised 50 chicks to sell. He would get upset if I spent too much time with the chicks, because then it was costing us more money in my time. When reality was, I just really enjoyed sitting there watching those fuzzy butts. They are so dang cute. It's my entertainment. I don't watch TV ever so what's wrong with watching the chicks. It's so confusing to me because I don't even come close to thinking that way.

Note to self: Don't marry somebody with a business degree again.

 

[jkcove08]

I also think some will try not to go the route of flat rate box for the simple fact that anything is put in these and the PO is used to them being heavy. They will throw these around like nothing when they find they are light. I have found that the smaller the box the better chance they might have. It might have been the only box they had at the time. Many reasons. I used a flat rate box one time and didnt even notice until I was done that they charged me the normal rate..lol I pay a little more attention now. Jenn

 

[LoneCowboy]

Yeah, I took into account her shipping materials, see post above. Plus I ship a lot of stuff too, so I do understand the extra costs. I really was just wondering if there was a regulation for not using them for shipping eggs.
Seems like this lady could have saved a lot of money if she had used one.

Please don't think I'm complaining about your cost of eggs, I'm really not. And frankly I can't wait to get some, but for what I got, she could have done better. I was just wondering why she didn't.

 

[speckledhen]

Deniece, I have received eggs packaged similarly to what you describe, a variation of it anyway, from more than one person, and they made it fine. There are several ways that seem to work for people, but I just prefer the way I do it as it seems to insulate the eggs from temps a bit better.
Sometimes the flat rate boxes aren't available when the eggs are packaged. I just ordered some flat rate boxes from the P.O. to be sent to me free of charge online, too, so I will use them, unless the regular rate is cheaper in that instance, such as sending them over one or two states.

 

[Cara]

I've seen someone on Ebay charging $34+ for shipping alone on a dozen eggs...and people actually bought them!

 

[LoneCowboy]

See that's what I'm talking about. That is unreasonable. But if people want them bad enough, I guess they are willing to pay. It just drops people like me out of the running. I think I'll stick mostly with you guys anyway. I think I'll get better stock that way.

I did remember though, that I get money for Christmas from my MIL

I see eggs in my future.

 

[arlee453]

I will add that sometimes it's more expensive to use the flat rate box - of course that's not the issue here, since obviously this person charged a lot more than the flat rate would have been.

For example, I just got eggs from Lisa - who is one state away from me. She sent 14 standard eggs and packed them superbly in a large Priority Mail box. The actual postage was only $5 and some change. A flat rate box would have been $8.95. Now, if they were going to California, the flat rate would have been cheaper probably. I know that when I had my retail bus and used Priority Mail shipping, it would be like $12 to ship that same box to California from NC.

I also think it is only fair to add a 'handling' charge on top of the actual shipping rate - it does cost time and materials to pack them properly and then get them to the post office. I'd say at LEAST $5 on top of the actual postage cost would be a starting place.

I've noticed on Ebay there are people who scream bloody murder if a seller adds even a MINIMAL handling charge, say $5 to the actual postage. That's not right - a person should be compensated, at least partially, for their time and trouble to pack somthing well and get it to the PO.

On the other hand, $34 to ship a couple dozen eggs priority mail seems a bit 'gouging' to me....

I used to have an online retail business, and know how much trouble it can be to have to box stuff up and get it to the post office - not the most fun part of the job, I assure you.

Oh, and I have to add one more thing - I think the service you get from the USPS varies greatly depending on where you are. I shipped packages almost daily for over 2 years. I used USPS priority mail and only had ONE package not get there on time, and that was a package sent to Hawaii.

It was a shock to hear the experiences of many here where the eggs (and let's not forget Justusnak's roosters) are getting lost or seriously delayed! Made me very thankful that I didn't have any issues with them when I was shipping products.

 

[Cara]

That and with the egg trade in the Spring it should be a lot more affordable...until I need to get a hatcher LOL