Best Deals for SHIPPING & SUPPLIES!

[mhemling33]

Hey guys we do a lot of shipping around here and I have been searching for the best prices on things like Boxes, Bubble Wrapping, Anti-Static pouches, Bubble wrap lined envelopes, Small plastic containers, etc. Also what service you use to ground, air, expedite, international, CONUS, etc. So if you want to help out your fellow laser enthusiasts save a couple bucks then please post a good deal!

I will try to keep the OP updated with the current best deals on anything to do with shipping!

Top Sites so far!
Papermart
DigiKey
feeBay

 

[ARG]

Antistatic bags (all sizes): Digikey
Antistatic Warning labels: Digikey
Small bubble mails: 100 for 20$ on ebay (can't find the link, sorry)

I use whatever boxes I can get my hands on, but I'm at the point where I may have to start buying my own

 

[mhemling33]

Antistatic bags (all sizes): Digikey
Antistatic Warning labels: Digikey
Small bubble mails: 100 for 20$ on ebay (can't find the link, sorry)

I use whatever boxes I can get my hands on, but I'm at the point where I may have to start buying my own

I did the same thing but
1. I am running out lol
2. People like Moh and DTR always seem to use new fresh packing supplies and it got me thinking.

If you buy something what is the first thing you see... the packing. If you receive a package that was all messed up and looked like crap you are going to initially question the condition of the product automatically.

It's just my opinion on it. Also we don't want to here about unfortunate stories of people shipping lasers that get damaged on the way. So let post the cheapest prices for stuff so we can send things at a safer and possibly cheaper price :beer:

 

[ARG]

When I see damaged packaging I am disappointed that I won't be able to re-use it, I never think about what's inside

Edit: Don't you USA folk get free boxes from USPS?

 

[mhemling33]

Only priority flat rate and we can't ship lithium batteries using that method. So for complete laser kits priority mail is not an option.

 

[pschlosser]

When I see damaged packaging I am disappointed that I won't be able to re-use it, I never think about what's inside

Edit: Don't you USA folk get free boxes from USPS?

lol, me too.

And when something arrives packed perfectly, I save the whole setup just for that item on resale.

I find it amusing how often my laser purchases arrive in R/C boxing of some kind and smelling of cigarette smoke.

I've concluded the demographic for laser enthusiast includes smokers and R/C hobbyists.

 

[Mohrenberg]

I get kraft 4x8 bubble mailers. The last batch I got was won by auction on ebay. Paid about $40 for 500 of them.

I normally just use newspaper for packing items in boxes, I also reuse the packing material i get on my Ebay orders.

USPS provides free boxes for priority flat rate shipping, the smallest one being $5.15 to ship in the US, and $24 internationally. There are normally cheaper methods if you're shipping something under 13oz...

 

[pschlosser]

When one ships occasionally, you get the supplies wherever you can. But when you're shipping regularly, that wears out quickly and not having the right stuff can delay shipping, and delay getting paid. IN the end, it's better just to pay a few pennies more, and have the items on-hand.

When I owned a print ship that resold printing, we were shipping 100 to 600 shipments per day. UPS was our choice for shipping. Since we pass the shipping costs on to the customer, it didn't matter to me whether we used FedEx, USPS, or UPS. The customer got to choose. For one pound shipments, each of the methods were within a dollar.

For boxing and all kinds of supplies, my favorite place to order from was papermart.com. Their prices weren't too bad. Anything we used in huge quantities, we bought elsewhere. But for smaller quantities, I could not find a better source with the selection and pricing papermart.com has. We sold the company four years ago, and things may have changed. But I recommend you give papermart a sniff. Their selection and pricing are hard to beat.

 

[mhemling33]

Thanks guys keep it coming I have never used/heard of digikey or papermart!

 

[Mohrenberg]

digikey is for just about any electrical component you can think of....

 

[Rotten John]

Free USPS flat rate boxes turned inside out make great cheap mailers. If I need bigger boxes I hit up the liquor stores, and small convenience stores. I save those plastic shopping bags you get at main supermarkets, they work great for packing material.

 

[daguin]

Free USPS flat rate boxes turned inside out make great cheap mailers. If I need bigger boxes I hit up the liquor stores, and small convenience stores. I save those plastic shopping bags you get at main supermarkets, they work great for packing material.

The inside surface of Priority Mail boxes have printing all over them now
They say stuff like:

For Priority Mail Use Only
Priority Mail Postage Required
Thank You For Using Priority Mail Service

I suppose yo could still wrap the box in plain brown paper

Peace,
dave

 

[Rotten John]

The inside surface of Priority Mail boxes have printing all over them now
They say stuff like:

For Priority Mail Use Only
Priority Mail Postage Required
Thank You For Using Priority Mail Service

I suppose yo could still wrap the box in plain brown paper

Peace,
dave

I didnt know that. Its been well over a year since I used one to ship something out.

Luckily I scored a large pile from back in the day.

Wrapped up in paper is a great idea. :beer:

 

[Alaskan]

Reported, stop bugging us, we won't buy from spammer adverts.

 

[Encap]

Reported, stop bugging us, we won't buy from spammer adverts.

Exactly--reported as SPAMMER/SPAM also for necroposting on a thread dead since April 2013