[Closed] Trying for some of my mini Holy Grails.

So Whats the problem? Thats Ebay. You gotta shop around but.......

if I am looking for A HOLY GRAIL model and find it, I will most likely not let it go for a few extra dollars for shipping. I will buy the model. Maybe my Holy Grails are different then yours though????? I understand your frustration, but I just make looking for a good deal fun and then I do not think about the over priced shipping charges so much. Not much we can do about it anyway. I have on occasion emailed sellers about high shipping cost and again on occasion they actually reduced the cost by a few bucks. Give it a try, you never know? RANDY

Once again, blame shipping costs on ebay policies

Priority mail and delivery confirmation will put you at $6.25 minimum for a 16-oz. package. Even parcel post with delivery conf. is $5.80 - I don't see how you can do $5 or less.

Ebay policies favor the buyer in all cases unless you have a tracking number.

My problem is over priced shipping as stated in my post.

I will not, even if the item is one I have looked for for years, get gouged on shipping. I have sold a ton of items on eBay and have never gotten more than a few cents to a dollar over the actual shipping. I have traded and sold mostly 1/24 and some I have shipped for less than some 1/43 sellers are asking for.

In fact, I have purchased Brumm (and that's what I am talking about) from Europe and paid LESS than some USA sellers.

I can't afford Brooklin and the like, though I would love to get so many of them. My Holy Grails are not in the same strata as most on this forum.

Where else do you look besides eBay and our own auction.

You can send it First Class with insurance and DC for under $6.

When I sell 1/43, I give the option of First Class or Priority. Most pick First Class.

When I sell 1/24 most of the time (not always) I offer a choice between Priority or Parcel Post. People will pay for Priority for under 3 pounds, over they go for Parcel Post.

Since most 1/43 plus the box are under 10 ozs they can go for First Class.

John, it was my post that pointed out the cars available on the club auction pages, and it is still there (#9939 below). It has not been deleted. I
also said that the models were Brooklins.

And I agree with you that the shipping costs quoted by this seller are a little
high, which is one reason I elected not to bid on a couple of them. You can
ship one Brooklin by priority mail for about $7 all day long, so the $11 quoted
is a bit steep. I don't think that you can ship a Brooklin for any less than that,
due to its weight. Certainly you can't if you factor insurance and delivery
confirmation into it.

Finally, not too long ago I assisted Bob Hooper in acquiring a collection here
in Texas. As I recall, there were a number of Brumm models in the collection
which Bob bought in its entirety. He doesn't usually deal in Brumm models
and I know he doesn't advertise them on his website, but he may still have
them. I suggest that you contact Bob at Dominion Models to inquire about
those models you're searching for. He just might have them, or know where
they might be available.

Thank you Rick, my eyes are not what they used to be.

No, if I was looking for Brooklin or MOC and the like, a few extra bucks might not bother me. But with Brumm cars it does.

Thanks for the contact.

I am not a fan of eBays new policies, in any way, but...

that's not the problem here. I have been on eBay for over 10 years and my shipping costs rise as the PO costs rise, not because of any eBay policy.

Since eBay requires PayPal for all transactions (which I have a big problem with, but that's another story) when you go through PayPal for your shipping. One, there is a discount and two delivery confirmation is free or at least cheaper.

When I find an auction that I am interested in and I find the shipping way to high, I will send and email to the seller with my gripe (politely). I have gotten some good feedback from a few, but the majority will talk about how carefully they pack it or will not respond at all.

Of course another issue is the flat rate boxes USPS is pushing

A $10.95 box will ship one or two diecasts, any smaller box will not work unless it's a 1:64. This would explain the $11 postage fees, maybe. I think, though I'm not sure, that the old (and free) 6x6x6 priority box is no longer available - I wondered how long that would last.

I use the 6x6x6 boxes to ship models. I just ordered 25 of them and.........

recieved them last week. So they are still available and free through ebay. Fact as far as I know you can order any USPS box through ebay and get them free and I believe you can get the flat rate boxes as well. Flat rate boxes are the way to go if you are shipping a few models to the same location. Whe I sell models I charge $7.95 for 1 model with delivery confirmation added and I usually lose a dollar or more per box when I ship in the U.S. Most of the models I sell are whitemetal so it is the weight that gets me. The funny part is on my positive feedback I get lower marks for shipping then anything else. I do not get that because I lose money on almost every package I ship. Go figure. The bottom line is everybody hates paying for shipping and everyone thinks they are getting ripped off even when they are not. Ok I am done. RANDY

I am with you, Randy. I usually lose on my shipping costs, too.

People who buy on EBay should educate themselves as to what the true shipping costs are by going to the respective websites of the shippers - USPS, UPS, in my case Canada Post. As you point out, these white metal models are heavy, often putting the package into the next weight class and driving up the cost. With today's fuel costs - this is the World we are living in and people need to get used to it. End of rant. BTW, I gave you top marks for your shipping costs and times:)

The flat-rate boxes are the best deal the USPS has going, in my opinion.

You can order them online from the USPS and they deliver them for free, and
the boxes are free as well. There are a couple of sizes, and the boxes will
actually hold 6 or 8 white-metal cars. Since they are flat-rate irrespective of
weight, that's a great deal when you're mailing multiple cars.

They are too expensive for just one Brooklin, though. I use a smaller box (6 X
6 X 10, approximately) and use the priority-mail stickers, also free from the
USPS. One Brooklin-type car costs about $7.50 for priority shipping in the
US, without insurance or delivery confirmation; that is a good bit cheaper
than the flat-rate boxes. That's why I felt that the $11 is a little steep, but
some sellers factor in costs for supplies, time, gas for driving to the PO, etc.

I figure that those costs are just part of shipping the cars, but then again I
only ship as a hobbyist and not as a business. I guess it all comes down to
whether one feels that the costs are reasonable or not, and how badly one
wants the model.

What particular Brumms are you looking for John?

A few of the earlier ones and one in particular.

r015 1902 Ford 999. This one is on the top of my list.

r012 1949 Fiat 500 C gray
r012B 1949 Fiat 500 C blue
r013B 1949 Fiat 500 C #90 Mille Miglia, LE 3000 green
r017 1903 Fiat S61 #42 black
r073 1911 Blitzen Benz
s011 1911 Blitzen Benz #8 LE 5000

Keep hunting, John. It's out there somewhere! (pic)

photo no longer available