posted on December 6, 2001 02:30:28 PM new
I love the #6 box! It's like the Little Bear's box - it's just right for so many things.
Unfortunately, it's not available on the USPS website. I get mine at my local Post Office. However, different PO's get different box assortments - most smaller PO's won't have it. Your best bet is to go try a larger PO.
I wish they had it available through the website. #17 is another useful but hard to find box.
posted on December 6, 2001 03:09:06 PM new
Yes, the bigger POs in the business dropoff section should have them. The main one I go to has all the sizes you mentioned, plus a few others I've never seen anywhere else.
posted on December 6, 2001 06:17:05 PM new
They can try, but my understanding is that the PO usually doesn't keep a lot of the oddball sized boxes (that is, the ones not available on their website) on hand. Heck, even when I order off the website they don't deliver it - I just get a card telling me to pick it up at the PO!
posted on December 6, 2001 09:52:12 PM new
You might ask to speak to the suplly orderer in your local PO. Maybe they can order them for you. Although, it has been my experience that they list of what they can order is even smaller than what we can order on the website.
There is a "shoe box" size I would love to get, but it too was a special order for a company and not available to others.
posted on December 7, 2001 02:12:25 AM new
I suspect that you won't get much help from your local post office on special sizes.
In my case, they tell me that I can get sizes and types that they won't send to them, even though they get a lot requests.
When I place an order on the web site, I order extra and drop them off. I think they have one other person who does the same. In this way they have some of many types available.
I suppose it's "USPS Normal" for them to have items available but not available.
The answer of Special Order size for a large customer seems to be pretty canned, when they don't want to deal with it.
If it's a good size that might do well for many, then whats the difference between making 1 special order and/or running off 500, 5000 or 50,000
You would think that all of the individual sellers together would outdo any large company order.
Has anyone noticed lately that they seem a little heavier. I know that I am slipping that two or three ounces over a lot more often then I did in the past. - Maybe it's the peanuts???????
posted on December 7, 2001 03:48:41 AM new
If it weighs more at the Post Office than it does on your scales at home, have the Post Office zero out their scales. We have to have ours do that once in a while. I have some great antique scales that are perfect weight. The one for up to 2 pounds was made when postage was 5 cents! Also, I do believe the newer boxes are a little heavier.
posted on December 7, 2001 05:28:15 PM new
if you dont need many and they are not for priority shipping,your local box supplier has all kinds of sizes.make your customer pays for the special box and ship first class or parcel post.
also you can cut down a larger box yourself
posted on December 9, 2001 04:37:22 AM new
stopwining, are you saying you can't ship priority, using your box. you have to use priority box? when did they change that, i,ve been shipping priority using my box.
posted on December 9, 2001 07:04:58 AM new
basketman, you can use just about any box to ship Priority Mail. They just slap the Priority sticker on it at the PO. Just yesterday, I sent a number of Priority packages in non-Priority boxes (the items were way too big for any Priority box) without a problem. I don't know what stopwhining was referring to when he said, "if you dont need many and they are not for priority shipping."
posted on December 9, 2001 07:20:14 AM new
I think if the PO wants us to ship Priority, they should provide the box. Every size. Why should I go out and buy a special box, pay that price, then pay their priority shiping charge which they say priority shipping includes their box. You are paying twice for a box. The shipping charge includes the price of a box. Then maybe if I use my own box they should charge less for priority. They are going to get your money one way or another and then they say they are going broke.
posted on December 9, 2001 07:47:40 AM new
Every size? I think that's asking a bit much.
The Priority packages and envelopes the USPS provides now for free probably covers 90% of all their Priority mail. As with any business, there has to be a cutoff point beyond which it's just not economically feasible to provide the service. The USPS would have to come up with a multitude of new box sizes (mostly large size) to cover every possibility.
I know the USPS is mismanaged and losing money, but I don't think they owe us free Priority boxes of every shape and size. There comes a point that the shipper has to meet them halfway.
posted on December 9, 2001 08:02:06 AM new
I beg to differ with you. If the Postal Service advertises free boxes with Priority Mail then there should be free boxes no matter what size. I charge my buyers close to actual shipping as I can. If I have to go out and buy a box then ship it Priority Mail aren't I paying for two boxes?
posted on December 9, 2001 08:32:00 AM new
I agree with HOLDENREX. It's unrealistic to expect the P.O. to offer free Priority Mail boxes in every imaginable size, from jewelry boxes to industrial sewing machines, for free. As it is, they cover most needs with free containers.
Most of us don't actually BUY our odd-size boxes, we get them from retailers or liquor stores, or out of a neighbor's garage. You know when listing an item that it's going to need special packing material (if it does), and you should include any extra cost for that in your shipping charge.
posted on December 9, 2001 08:38:24 AM new
Don't forget that people will use Priority Boxes for other shipping purposes. I've seen Priority boxes used for FedEx Ground a few times. Or the "inverted" box scheme LOL And how many of us use the Priority Mail boxes for storage?
[changed been to seen]
[ edited by sun818 on Dec 9, 2001 10:23 AM ]
posted on December 9, 2001 10:18:32 AM new
Well maybe if everyone would use the Priority Box for what it is supposed to be used for then the USPS would have them. Why would you use a Priority Box for Storage? It is cardboard and smells like all cardboard boxes do. I wouldn't use it. Plastic covered containers are very reasonable and you can see through them. I can see using the USED Priority boxes inside out for other mailings because they have already been paid for, but not the new ones. Are we so cheap that we can't buy our boxes for 1st class, parcel post or even UPS. I like when my box arrives at it's destination to look good and present an appearance that is appealing to the buyer. The same for my bubble envelopes. I would never think of using a used one. Maybe that is wrong but that is how I do business.
posted on December 9, 2001 10:29:10 AM new
Post office has all the sizes you need. If you know how to combine two Priority boxes together, you can create any size you want. Do you want the the post office to provide bubble wrap for you as well?
posted on December 9, 2001 11:05:08 AM new
Libra, there's nothing wrong with wanting to new used materials to ship things, it's just that not everybody else would do the same. It's the Golden Rule: Do onto others as you would have them do onto you. Frankly, I don't care whether a seller I deal with uses recycled boxes and shipping material, as long as I get the goods intact. Conversely, I feel the same - I'll use whatever materials are at my disposal to get the goods to their destination intact, so long as the materials are cheap and not too shabby looking.
When I have to send media rate or a box size that the USPS doesn't provide, I grab them from work. I work in an office environment, so there's plenty of clean boxes that were used for shipping office supplies or computer parts. I also collect bags and boxes full of used peanuts from work. The one time I actually spent money on a box for a large, odd-sized item, it cost me $12 which ate up all the profit margin on that particular item - I swore that would be that last time I'd do that. Staples also wants $6 for one square yard of peanuts so I buy them only when hard pressed. So yes, I am too cheap to go out buy boxes. I don't care if the package looks nice when it arrives, I only care that the goods arrive in good condition. So far, nobody's complained, so I figure at worst all I've lost was a good feedback here and there.
Of course, the majority of my packages do go out in brand new Priority Mail boxes, so it's not like every package I send is a recycled box. That's why I'm just happy that the USPS offers the materials that they do. If I had to buy or scrounge for every single box that I used for shipping, I don't think I'd be selling on ebay, and I suspect a lot of others wouldn't be either.
And how many of us use the Priority Mail boxes for storage?