Advice on Shipping a Bat

[brian26]

What is the cheapest/best way to ship a bat? USPS has a three-sided tube that says "priority" and also "express" on it, but I don't believe it is a flat-rate item. Is this a pretty common method? Can you send a bat regular parcel post or does it have to go priority in this type of tube?

Can this be done under $10, as it seems like that is the common shipping charge around here.

Thanks for the advice!

[earlywynnfan]

It'll have to go Priority due to weight. Yes, it should be under $10. If the receiver is close, try UPS, but I've found that their charges fluctuate with gas and other pressures.

Ken
earlywynnfan5@hotmail.com

PS: Best bet, if you plan on shipping many bats, get a good scale and ship through paypal. For some reason, prices are cheaper, it's very easy to use, can be done in your own home, and you get free delivery confirmation.

[bigtruck260]

I have shipped dozens of bats - and had dozens shipped to me.

I like both methods - UPS and USPS Priority. I ship UPS for long distances because I like the idea of being able to track my shipments.

USPS has tracking, but it is inadequate. If the package is stuck in transit, you have no way of knowing where it's at.

Price is about the same.

[ndevlin]

The cheapest are probably those white hard tubes, but to me not the safest. The priority boxes you get at the PO(usps.com for free), just flip them inside out so you dont have to ship them priority!

[trsent]

The cheapest are probably those white hard tubes, but to me not the safest. The priority boxes you get at the PO(usps.com for free), just flip them inside out so you dont have to ship them priority!

If you get caught doing this there is a big fine.


What is the cheapest/best way to ship a bat? USPS has a three-sided tube that says "priority" and also "express" on it, but I don't believe it is a flat-rate item. Is this a pretty common method? Can you send a bat regular parcel post or does it have to go priority in this type of tube?

Can this be done under $10, as it seems like that is the common shipping charge around here.

Thanks for the advice!

I use the USPS Priority Mail tubes myself. They work great, but if you ship longer distances they charge more. I believe a bat generally weighs 3 pounds, 4 pounds if you ship it in a plastic tube. They offer tracking via USPS.com or PayPal shipping through eBay.

[brian26]

I've been using Paypal shipping as of late. I think it is a godsend. I don't have a scale, but what I've been doing is going to the post office on the way home from work to weigh packages at their do-it-yourself counter, and then I bring them home to apply the requisite paypal label.

I believe delivery confirmation is 18 cents via paypal, as opposed to 60 or 68 cents at the counter at the post office.

What about packing the bat in the tube? Do people generally put some newspaper or peanuts around the bat to keep it from sliding around? Is it safe to wrap the bat in a plastic bag or something else? Of course adding newspaper crumpled up would probably increase the weight of the tube.

Thanks

[ndevlin]

If you get caught doing this there is a big fine.



I use the USPS Priority Mail tubes myself. They work great, but if you ship longer distances they charge more. I believe a bat generally weighs 3 pounds, 4 pounds if you ship it in a plastic tube. They offer tracking via USPS.com or PayPal shipping through eBay.


Whats the difference between flipping the boxes inside out, and covering up the Priority emblem on the outside of the box? Ive done both and never had a problem.

[trsent]

Whats the difference between flipping the boxes inside out, and covering up the Priority emblem on the outside of the box? Ive done both and never had a problem.

From the USPS Web site -

Terms of Agreement I understand that Express Mail, Priority Mail, Global Express Guaranteed, Express Mail International and Priority Mail International packaging is the property of the United States Postal Service and is provided solely for sending Express Mail, Priority Mail, Global Express Guaranteed, Express Mail International and Priority Mail International. Misuse may be a violation of federal law.

[allstarsplus]

Whats the difference between flipping the boxes inside out, and covering up the Priority emblem on the outside of the box? Ive done both and never had a problem.

I rarely ship USPS so don't know their rules. If the USPS clerk says you are fine with that practice than no harm no foul, but UPS and Fedex have policies using their complimentary boxes as they are intended for Air shipments and not Ground/Home deliveries.

Your only option for packaging type on Fedex.com for Ground/Home is "Your Packaging".

If you go into Fedex and take home brand new Fedex triangular 3 foot boxes and flip it inside out and ship UPS Ground you have done something wrong. They probably won't come and arrest you but it is wrong.

Technically, you can't even go into Fedex and use the triangular 3 foot box to ship Fedex Ground or Home as those boxes are strictly for Air delivery.

Now then if someone ships you a UPS triangular box and you like to ship Fedex and flip it inside out then that is fine since you own the box.

If you do enough shipping, ULINE.com sells inexpensive shipping tubes and thats where I get mine. It is good to wrap a thin layer of bubble wrap so the bat is snug and doesn't move around in the tube. If you have fresh pine tar on a bat, I place the bat inside a plastic bat tube and then place that inside a larger cardboard tube.

[trsent]

I've been using Paypal shipping as of late. I think it is a godsend. I don't have a scale, but what I've been doing is going to the post office on the way home from work to weigh packages at their do-it-yourself counter, and then I bring them home to apply the requisite paypal label.

I believe delivery confirmation is 18 cents via paypal, as opposed to 60 or 68 cents at the counter at the post office.

What about packing the bat in the tube? Do people generally put some newspaper or peanuts around the bat to keep it from sliding around? Is it safe to wrap the bat in a plastic bag or something else? Of course adding newspaper crumpled up would probably increase the weight of the tube.

Thanks

Brian, I worship PayPal shipping. Free delivery confirmation for Priority and Express Mail and 18-cents for First Class Mail and you don't have to wait in line, you can drop your packages in the box at the Post Office or schedule a free pick-up from home/office right from the PayPal or US Mail web site. PayPal shipping offeres First Class Mail, the USPS web site does not.

I did a search on eBay for "digital postage scale" and found over 600 hits, many pretty reasonably priced:

http://shop.ebay.com/?_from=R40&_trksid=m38&_nkw=digital+postage+scale&_sacat=See-All-Categories

I personally use peanuts to ship when the bat is not already in a bat tube. I generally wrap the bat in a plastic bat bag and then fill around with peanuts. It is cool, when the bat is in a bat tube, it just needs the paper from the plastic label crumpled in the top to prevent the bat from moving as they are perfect sized.

[allstarsplus]

If you do enough shipping, ULINE.com sells inexpensive shipping tubes and thats where I get mine. It is good to wrap a thin layer of bubble wrap so the bat is snug and doesn't move around in the tube. If you have fresh pine tar on a bat, I place the bat inside a plastic bat tube and then place that inside a larger cardboard tube.

Here's the link to ULINE tubes:

http://www.uline.com/Grp_74/Tubes

[ndevlin]

From the USPS Web site -

Terms of Agreement I understand that Express Mail, Priority Mail, Global Express Guaranteed, Express Mail International and Priority Mail International packaging is the property of the United States Postal Service and is provided solely for sending Express Mail, Priority Mail, Global Express Guaranteed, Express Mail International and Priority Mail International. Misuse may be a violation of federal law.


I have been misinformed then. I've flipped them inside out and sent them out that way and have also received them that way with no problems. The clerks at the PO told me a long time ago that as long as you cover the "Priority" labels on the box, then you would be ok. So I took their word for it and have done it several times with no problems.

And on those white hard tubes. I had three sent to me just yesterday from the same seller that were taped together and the shipping was like $10 or so. Not bad for 3 bats. But, the label on each tube has a price of $3.99.

So you have to think about it. Would it be cheaper to get free boxes and send it priority? Or buy the tubes and send it cheaper? Or, go UPS or FedEx. I had 9 bats sent to me last week, UPS Ground, for $30. It was 22lbs. And that was with an oversized box. It could have been cheaper if the morons put them in a smaller box.

[trsent]

I have been misinformed then. I've flipped them inside out and sent them out that way and have also received them that way with no problems. The clerks at the PO told me a long time ago that as long as you cover the "Priority" labels on the box, then you would be ok. So I took their word for it and have done it several times with no problems.

And on those white hard tubes. I had three sent to me just yesterday from the same seller that were taped together and the shipping was like $10 or so. Not bad for 3 bats. But, the label on each tube has a price of $3.99.

So you have to think about it. Would it be cheaper to get free boxes and send it priority? Or buy the tubes and send it cheaper? Or, go UPS or FedEx. I had 9 bats sent to me last week, UPS Ground, for $30. It was 22lbs. And that was with an oversized box. It could have been cheaper if the morons put them in a smaller box.

I believe turning the tubes inside out is a common practice, just you don't want to get in trouble so I was hoping it would not be good advice to a new collector/dealer looking to ship bats.

I think Priority Mail is fine. Often Parcel Post is not much cheaper and you need tracking for eBay sales, so it costs like 65-cents more.

UPS is often cheaper for heavier orders and further away shipments. My friend puts a bat in a Priority Mail tube and slaps a UPS label on it and never has an issue. He has been doing this for a long time now.

Uline is a great company. I pick my items up as they have a hub around the corner from me. If you order $250.00 or more I believe they ship for free, which means when I lived in Las Vegas I had to order bulk shipping supplies as it was too expensive to order in smaller bundles and pay shipping.