Pricing for overseas

< For my own experince... I just put a custom label on the envelope describing what's in the package, value (if any), and tell the person at the post office where it's going and pay and they send it. Most of my items were paid with PayPal but a few sent cash in American dollars so someone else would have to tell you if there are other methods. I hope I helped... I am not good at giving details.

Harry My Ebay Auctions are at

Speaking as a buyer in the UK, shipping method varies. I'm often happy to wait a little longer to save on shipping (means I have more money to spend on beads, LOL), but not too long! If something's needed quicker then the faster services are ok, and the £ is quite strong against the $ (did I get that right? $1 is less £ (about 55p right now) than it was a while ago). Think you need to ask each buyer if they prefer faster or cheaper shipping.

Payment - if I couldn't pay via credit card or paypal I guess I'd have to go change some £ to $ and post it, but it would be way cheaper and less hassle to get set up with paypal - it accepts UK debit cards now.

Our preferred way of payment, after PP or CC, is by International Money Order - customer can have it drawn on US$ funds, so you get what you're expecting - they've paid the conversion up front. You don't have to go hunting for a bank that will exchange XX pounds or francs or euros - most won't deal in small amounts.

If it's an item that fits in envelopes, I prefer Global Priority Mail -

9x12" flat rate envelope (free at the post office) to UK (and most other places) runs $9. First Class Airmail is less, usually listed as a couple days longer than Priority. All express services run minimum $20+.

Val

I use Global Priority Mail and International Money orders (though you'd be surprised how much support there is for overseas Paypal now.)

Global Priority Mail is $5 for a smallish envelope (a 000 sized bubble mailer will fit inside with ease). If you need a larger envelope it's $9. Doesn't matter where, doesn't matter how heavy. And man is it FAST! I mailed some Bali beads from an auction to Australia and it arrived in 5 days.

Thank you all for the info! :)

global priority is only $5 for a small envelope (6x9?) and $9 for a bigger envelope (the size of a regular sheet of paper). I take the priority mail boxes (the one that used to be known as a small video box), pack everything in it, then put it in the larger envelope. Kinda tricky, but I got the routine down to fit everything in it. I have put $12 packages into the envelope for the flat rate shipping here in the US. QUITE a lot can fit in it!

Mary

vj found this in rec.crafts.beads, from "meijhana" :

]I take the priority mail ]boxes (the one that used to be known as a small video box)

be careful - those boxes [if you don't put them inside something else] are still known as "media mail" . . . which means VCR tape, DVD, books, printed material. the post office can and does open them periodically and check. if it doesn't qualify as Media Mail, there's a fine.

----------- @vicki [SnuggleWench] (Books)

(Jewelry) newest creations: ----------- The measure of the menace of a man is not what hardware he carries, but what ideas he believes.-- Jeff Jordan

nono. They were marked with the priority symbol. They are priority mail only. They are by weight. But if you put them into a flat rate envelope, then they go by weight only. Global has a limit of 4 pounds, domestic is "unlimited".

Mary

vj found this in rec.crafts.beads, from "meijhana" :

]nono. They were marked with the priority symbol. They are priority mail ]only.

okay - just watch the labelling. both kinds must be out there, now.

----------- @vicki [SnuggleWench] (Books)

(Jewelry) newest creations: ----------- The measure of the menace of a man is not what hardware he carries, but what ideas he believes.-- Jeff Jordan

If they are official Post Office Priority Mail boxes, then they are not media mail, they're Priority Mail by definition. I have a whole stack of them sitting in the corner, waiting for online orders. (They've been waiting a long time, but that's another issue. )

Celine

True... but only if you pay media rate. You can use them with other postage rates as well (I used them for some items, for a while.)

-Kalera

vj wrote:

vj found this in rec.crafts.beads, from Kalera Stratton :

]only if you pay media rate. You can use them with other ]postage rates as well

okay - my post office said "no way". probably because the media mail boxes are free.

----------- @vicki [SnuggleWench] (Books)

(Jewelry) newest creations: ----------- The measure of the menace of a man is not what hardware he carries, but what ideas he believes.-- Jeff Jordan

Hmmm. I have never seen boxes given out by the post office for free for media rate. I know I was getting the priority rate mail boxes, and turnign them inside out, until they started printing "usps" on the outside, so that you wouldn't use them for anything but priority mail.

I know you can't order "media rate" mailboxes from their website...

Mary

hmmmm. I have never seen them. Not saying they are out there. Could use them, as I have some books to mail out!

Mary

vj found this in rec.crafts.beads, from "meijhana" :

]Could use ]them, as I have some books to mail out!

remind me - the next time i'm coming down.

----------- @vicki [SnuggleWench] (Books)

(Jewelry) newest creations: ----------- The measure of the menace of a man is not what hardware he carries, but what ideas he believes.-- Jeff Jordan

Yeah, but why would that upset them if you pay MORE for other shipping?

-Kalera

vj wrote: