Page: 1 2
In another thread KCJones mentioned the last time he shipped a banjo it cost about $150. The last time I shipped a banjo it was under $60.
I did some comparative pricing, those who ship banjos should really pay attention.
His post to that other thread prompted me to do some price quotes on pirateship.com (I really love that site)!!
A box 52" x 18" x 8" weighing 24 pounds, priced from Spartanburg, SC to Boston MA (straight up the eastern seaboard) is as follows:
--UPS Ground $47.16
--UPS 3-day Select $61.93
--USPS Parcel Ground Select $91.13
--USPS Priority $116.90
Anyone who has shipped instruments knows that stock instrument boxes are often 52" to accommodate just about anything. But at that length you'll pay a premium price for shipping dead air.
Now, if I cut the box down to 44" -- just about right for a 5-string banjo case -- here are the prices, everything else being the same:
--UPS Ground $30.96
--UPS 3-day Select $43.96
--USPS Parcel Ground Select $83.86
--USPS Priority $108.81
You can see that dead air cost some SERIOUS money.
Now, the 44" box from South Carolina to California (cross country)--
--UPS Ground $53.01
--UPS 3-day Select $79.11
--USPS Parcel Select Ground $125.22
--USPS Priority $159.15
I'm not EVEN gonna quote a 52" box to California. You don't want to hear it :)
As you can see, the Postal Service is pricing themselves out of business, probably by intent from the moron now running the post office, in my opinion.
Anyway, you can see there are some deals to be had, you just have to cut boxes down to fit.
If folks reading this thread need a quick tutorial on cutting boxes down to size, I can make a post to this thread on how to do that, and save some serious money.
Edited by - Bill Rogers on 03/02/2023 11:30:10
Very nice work Frank!
I thought about it and realized that my problem is not only because I overpackage and use boxes that are too big, but I also use 3rd party shipping retailers which most likely add a bit of cost for their own pockets. Additional insurance coverage beyond standard comes into play as well.
quote:
Originally posted by KCJonesVery nice work Frank!
I thought about it and realized that my problem is not only because I overpackage and use boxes that are too big, but I also use 3rd party shipping retailers which most likely add a bit of cost for their own pockets. Additional insurance coverage beyond standard comes into play as well.
Oh my gosh, yes, if you're paying a third party (like the UPS Store) to pack for you, you're paying full retail for shipping PLUS a steep packing fee on top of that. I've seen their fees nearly double the cost of shipping depending on what the item is. And that does not buy you any leeway with UPS, if it's damaged you still jump through the same hoops.
The prices quoted above are at steep discounts (up to about 47% or so) through one of many 3rd party shipping re-sellers. This is the same price quotes I'd get if this shipped on eBay using their shipping solutions.
If you know how to pack well, and use these shipping vendors, you can save a lot and get the same service as if you paid full big bucks. I think the key to it all though, is the box you start with.
Box size is critical to shipping costs and every inch matters. Cutting down a box has to be balanced with being able to provide adequate padding.
A comparison of the relative costs of shipping a banjo tailpiece in a 4x4x4 inch box will clearly show that USPS is the best choice for small packages. USPS wants small boxes that they can place in mailboxes with the same speed as delivering a letter.
Now do a 52in box from Cali to Canadian east coast via DHL! hahaha
$1k
The magic number to prevent a UPS surcharge is 48". Anything longer than that gets a $15 (last I looked) surcharge. Cutting down to 47" will make sure you don't go above 48" and let you have a little extra room for padded void fill.
The new boxes I have manufactured to ship banjos are 47" X 18" X 7" interior dimensions. When assembled the exterior dimensions are 48" X 19" X 8".
My UPS account rates are close to Pirate Ship, though I will investigate that site and maybe use them a leverage for better prices. It might be that I can recommend them to customers shipping things to my shop.
Bob Smakula
Bob Smakula
I just checked a 48" box vs a 44" box from SC to CA, all else being the same, is about $2 more for Ground UPS, about $5 more for 3-day UPS, abut $30 more for USPS Ground Select and about $50 more for USPS Priority. So even that 4" can make a huge difference.
When you get to a box that size it always shifts into "dimensional weight" I just priced the same size box weighing only ONE pound, and there was zero difference in price. Empty or full, at those box sizes, the price is the same.
So I guess size does matter :)
8 years ago, I remember shipping some boxes for a large federal contractor once through ups. Big heavy things on pallets. Came to only a couple hundred bucks. I then needed to ship my own personal box. It was a medium sized uhaul box.
UPS told me it was 87 and some change. I though thats crazy since those huge boxes were only 200 and some change. So i asked, what would it cost to ship my box if i used the defense contractors account. It was less than 10 bucks.
So those that provide the most business get far better rates. Amazingly better rates! Account number makes the biggest difference.
Yeah for sure, the big players get the deals. When I owned and operated my cases e-commerce website, I was in direct competition with the big boys -- Musicians Friend, ZZounds, Amazon, etc. Even then I became the #1 internet dealer for a period of time for Reunion Blues, Bobelock and other well known brands. But I was losing money on shipping big time.
I came to find out that the big guys had cut deals with FedEx, that no matter the size of package it was a flat $5 per package. So they could ship a tuba case for $5 when it cost me about $100. (A tuba case is freaking HUGE!!).
So the big boys can all afford to refund 100% to a customer because they're out peanuts, and they could eat my lunch all day long on the loss from one large package alone. It was very frustrating for me at the time. My store was not large enough to cut deals like that and guarantee package volume for those kinds of prices, yet I was selling cases like crazy and making lots of money for my vendors and the shipping companies. So I learned every way how to not cut corners but still shave out of pocket ship costs to only what was absolutely necessary.
Edited by - banjoy on 03/02/2023 09:44:37
Shipping boxes are often very thick and difficult to modify. Amazon sells a box resizer tool for $14.99 (also available from Global & Grainger for about the same price due to shipping)
amazon.com/Carton-Sizer-Box-To...sQAvD_BwE
I think that anyone who ships stuff out regularly should have one of those re-sizer tools. I got mine years ago from U-Line, but it's the same thing. Here's their video on how to use it:
youtube.com/watch?v=GnkJW-spk5s
That little thing will pay for itself, often with only one use (for example, the 52" to 44" box cut down I priced above ... the savings on that one box can pay for this tool).
Edited by - banjoy on 03/02/2023 10:07:15
Because of its value to members, I have made this topic a sticky. Thanks Frank.
quote:
Originally posted by Bill RogersBecause of its value to members, I have made this topic a sticky. Thanks Frank.
Well, I sure didn't expect that Bill. Just so long as everyone understands that these prices are likely to change from the dates of this thread -- but the general overall ideas of using 3rd party re-sellers to obtain these discounts, how to pack well and size boxes appropriately, etc, will always be timely and save money, that I'm pretty sure won't change.
My hope is that members will keep the thread at least somewhat updated—so we don’t have to reinvent the wheel as shipping info changes.
quote:
Originally posted by restreetShipping boxes are often very thick and difficult to modify. Amazon sells a box resizer tool for $14.99 (also available from Global & Grainger for about the same price due to shipping)
amazon.com/Carton-Sizer-Box-To...sQAvD_BwE
Scoring the cardboard leaves the flaps weaker. I found I can cut the corners to flap depth or slightly beyond and then use a metal yardstick as a brake (as in sheet metal work). Pull up slowly to create the new flap. Something more substantial than a yardstick would work even better.
quote:
Originally posted by banjoy
I'm not EVEN gonna quote a 52" box to California. You don't want to hear it :)
The standard U-LINE Guitar box, as wonderful as it is, advertises 50" long and it's printed right on the box, the max length for USPS domestic without incurring a hefty oversize fee. Problem is that is the inside dimension making it just under 52" on the outside. Yikes!
There are ways to get a long neck banjo and an electric bass into 50" if you are creative.
That box re-sizer mentioned in other posts is one of those things that will pay for itself on first use.
The other is an accurate postal scale. Don't guess and don't use the bathroom scale. Boxes sometimes cover the display—not on this one, currently $25 on Amazon:
ACCUTECK ShipPro 110lbs x 0.1 oz. Digital Shipping Postal Scale
This isn't the one I recommended many years ago. That display eventually went dark and this one is much, much better.
Edited by - mikehalloran on 04/12/2023 15:21:34
Here's an update: UPS charges an upcharge of $23 on ANY box longer than 40 inches. Bow, fly rod, 5-string banjo!
Maybe I missed it, but where do you get the boxes, that you then cut down?
I usually get boxes direct from a local fedex store at $12.99 a pop (or thereabouts)…
A few months ago, I traded off a banjo and a Gibson ES330 (both went to the same location). I shipped via UPS, and from NJ -> CA paid close to $400!!! A good chunk of that was due to insurance, which I valued somewhere between 6-7k.
One interesting fact some folks may not know — you cannot insure a package above 2K and ship through a UPS store, as these locations are franchised and are not bound to UPS’ policy obligation. It had to be picked up directly by a driver, or dropped off at a select “hub” location (I found one about 15-20 miles away)…
The UPS stores will not necessarily tell you this - and will accept a package insured beyond this threshold... but god forbid ya need to collect on it, you may be left out in the cold... so beware!
Edited by - TimFoster on 05/17/2023 18:01:56
I shipped a banjo POT last week, in the box it came in with some bubble wrap. So, about 6-7.5 lbs. UPS wanted $200 to get it from FL to Oregon in two days. I opted for a week, and that cost $100, so I am not seeing how that squares up with some of the low prices quoted for entire banjos in cases. I’m not question the information, just confused.
I have a banjo that needs a fret replaced (2nd fret on the third string, as you might guess), and I’d like to send it to the manufacturer - No banjo luthiers around here. So that's why I'm interested.
Edited by - gcpicken on 05/18/2023 09:59:57
The US Postal Service has gone insane.
Shipping from South Carolina to Virginia, a short distance up the eastern seaboard...
I packed a banjo case to ship out today. For the same box dimensions (44 x 18 x 9) and weight (13lb 8oz).
US Postal Service = $70
United Parcel Service = $25
Just plain nuts. USPS has no excuse.
As you can see, the Postal Service is pricing themselves out of business, probably by intent from the moron now running the post office, in my opinion.
You are quite correct, from the previous era and completely personally motivated. Shipping pieces isn't much better.
Edited by - Helix on 06/15/2023 02:48:25
This week I MAILED a bluegrass resonator banjo from NY to KY. Insured for $3000. I packed it myself, in its hard case, inside a box I had saved from buying a Gibson banjo from a vintage instrument dealer.
Shipped "ground" with no special speedy shipping.
It arrived in great condition in TWO DAYS.
The cost was $160.
There is no UPS store or center within 40 miles of where I live. I have been using the post office exclusively with no issues.
The only difficulty was getting it on the post office scale to weigh and meaure it! I helped the post office lady steady it.
Banjoy, I am interested in a post about cutting down a box. I have done that before and found it more challenging than I had thought. You do want the box to protect the item in transport!
G
I don’t see any reference to FEDEX Banjo shipping??? Is it insane?
Page: 1 2
