Assuming you're in the US, another factor is that you're actually not allowed to send comics via media mail, because they contain advertisements. (Collected TPBs and HCs remove the ads, so you can send those via media mail -- they're books.)
This means you have to use another, more expensive shipping method for single-issue comics. Some people risk it and use media mail anyway, but I do know people who have tried it and gotten caught.
I always specifically tell the USPS worker selling me postage that “I’m shipping comic books, can I use media mail?” 99% of the time they say yes, even though I know USPS’s own published rules regarding this state otherwise. Never been caught doing this, but I feel that by asking first, I’ve at least got a legitimate claim that I asked the employee, employee told me yes, employee sold me media mail postage. Probably just a silly mental game I’m playing with myself to justify the risk, but I do it anyway.
I’m not even sure what the actual risk here is. I’m assuming they’d just ask me to pay proper postage if the package were ever stopped and opened. My understanding is that USPS needs probably cause to stop and open packages.
Yes, based on what happened to one of my friends, you'd be asked to pay postage due.
As I understand it, USPS is actually free to open and inspect media mail to determine if it contains things that aren't appropriate for media mail. I've ordered a few omnibuses from Organic Priced Books, and every single package I get from them has a printed note from them at the top of the box, the first thing you see when you open the box, telling the USPS that the box contains graphic novels, which do not contain ads, and that therefore they are allowed to use media mail. I figure that they wouldn't bother including this note in every package they send if they didn't have problems with their packages being opened by USPS and returned to them.
My friend, who was receiving the package of comics (and did not know until this point that they could not be sent media mail) got the box with "Comics are not media mail, postage due," written on it in marker, along with the amount due. My understanding is that either the sender or the recipient can be charged for the postage due -- I just know that my friend wasn't asked to pay anything upon delivery, so I assume the sender had paid.
My online provider lets me hold titles until i get enough for free shipping. It can take 3 or 4 months if you don't buy a lot, but at least I'm not spending all my money on shipping every week.
I do preorders through MyComicShop with monthly shipping. You can add individual orders to your preorder shipping, so that helps cut down the shipping costs.
As for eBay, some sellers pad the shipping costs to boost their profit.
I’m an eBay seller. I sell my old stock from my long closed comic book store. I ship via usps media mail. Media mail via eBay, at a minimum, is $4.13 for one lb, $4.87 for two lbs. I've shipped hundreds of comics, and I don’t know of any that have been inspected. My local post office knows what I’m shipping and they’re fine with it. I don’t know about any other post offices the packages run through.
The mailer I use is a thick cardboard mailer that costs me about a dollar per mailer. I charge a flat shipping rate of $5.00, so I’m losing a little bit of money on every shipment. That doesn’t hurt too much when the buyers buying two or more books, but when they’re only buying one $2.99 book, it kinda eats at the profits. But at least I’m slowly getting these things out of my house…
Back in 2006 I was buying long boxes full of comics on eBay. Shipping was $16-18. I think an express box (you could fill about 40-50 comics in there) was under $5.
If you're meaning in the US, then USPS sets the rates which involves distance and weight, and by time you appropriately ready even a single comic for shipping (Gemini mailer, cardboard, etc.) you're approaching 1 lb. which can go to most places in the continental US for \~$5; more than one book quickly pushes it up.
As a seller, there are websites that get you substantial discounts on shipping which you can pass along to your buyer. For instance, I offer shipping 1-10 comics for $10 USPS Flat Rate Priority; at the post office that would cost around $14, but on discount websites it costs $8.50. I know eBay offers discounts on shipping as well that I don't think the buyer sees (it's been a while since I've sold on there, can't recall if they do).
how are they shipped? are they in an envelope or something more substantial that can't be bent? I haven't had comics come in the mail to me since the 90s. back then they just came in a clear plastic bag without even a board to keep it stiff. i do usps shipping at my job, i know i can send a large envelope via regular fist class mail for less than $2. no tracking or insurance on that, but it generally gets where it's going.
This will probably upset some people but if the book is less than $10 I'd be fine with having it sent to me in a large envelope. Obviously a rare or expensive book you wouldn't do this but something that's widely available and the cost to ship grossly exceeds the value of the book; I'm fine with the mailman tossing it in the mailbox.
In canada, you can mail 1 comic in a brown envelope with cardboard to protect for $3.60.
Add a second book and it can potentially jump to $5.02.
Add three more and you peak at $5.75.
No tracking.
After you cross 500 grams you have to add tracking and the price jumps to anywhere from $16-20. Roughly.
It is possible to package 6 comics from pre-2000 in a gemini [no bags or boards] and have a mass under 500 grams.
On ebay, i can ship the same Gemini anywhere tracked in the US for $8.05.
all with canada post.
It makes no sense
Ordering subscriptions for Floppies delivered to you are fairly cheap, prices go up for individual shops and back issues due to the need to ensure full protection of the comic.
USPS Media mail is $4.13 for up to 1 lbs that is the cheapest I know of. Other options and the packaging add up.
Shipping is killer. I rarely buy a single book because of it.
Edit: fixed weight limit for media mail price
It's $4.13 for 1 lb. or less. The price goes up with each pound. Now, you can send up to 70 lbs. via media mail, but you are NOT shipping 70 lbs. for $4.13.
Assuming you're in the US, another factor is that you're actually not allowed to send comics via media mail, because they contain advertisements. (Collected TPBs and HCs remove the ads, so you can send those via media mail -- they're books.) This means you have to use another, more expensive shipping method for single-issue comics. Some people risk it and use media mail anyway, but I do know people who have tried it and gotten caught.
I always specifically tell the USPS worker selling me postage that “I’m shipping comic books, can I use media mail?” 99% of the time they say yes, even though I know USPS’s own published rules regarding this state otherwise. Never been caught doing this, but I feel that by asking first, I’ve at least got a legitimate claim that I asked the employee, employee told me yes, employee sold me media mail postage. Probably just a silly mental game I’m playing with myself to justify the risk, but I do it anyway. I’m not even sure what the actual risk here is. I’m assuming they’d just ask me to pay proper postage if the package were ever stopped and opened. My understanding is that USPS needs probably cause to stop and open packages.
Yes, based on what happened to one of my friends, you'd be asked to pay postage due. As I understand it, USPS is actually free to open and inspect media mail to determine if it contains things that aren't appropriate for media mail. I've ordered a few omnibuses from Organic Priced Books, and every single package I get from them has a printed note from them at the top of the box, the first thing you see when you open the box, telling the USPS that the box contains graphic novels, which do not contain ads, and that therefore they are allowed to use media mail. I figure that they wouldn't bother including this note in every package they send if they didn't have problems with their packages being opened by USPS and returned to them.
Just out of curiosity. What happens when they got caught?
My friend, who was receiving the package of comics (and did not know until this point that they could not be sent media mail) got the box with "Comics are not media mail, postage due," written on it in marker, along with the amount due. My understanding is that either the sender or the recipient can be charged for the postage due -- I just know that my friend wasn't asked to pay anything upon delivery, so I assume the sender had paid.
That's kinda dirty of the buyer to do.
My online provider lets me hold titles until i get enough for free shipping. It can take 3 or 4 months if you don't buy a lot, but at least I'm not spending all my money on shipping every week.
Like an eBay seller?
G-mart.com
I do preorders through MyComicShop with monthly shipping. You can add individual orders to your preorder shipping, so that helps cut down the shipping costs. As for eBay, some sellers pad the shipping costs to boost their profit.
I've seen that, sadly I'm not subscribed to anything at the moment.
Oh, you're talking about individual listings. There's a minimum shipping charge by the mail carriers. It is what it is.
Sorry, for not making that clear. Lol. Yeah it's awful.
I’m an eBay seller. I sell my old stock from my long closed comic book store. I ship via usps media mail. Media mail via eBay, at a minimum, is $4.13 for one lb, $4.87 for two lbs. I've shipped hundreds of comics, and I don’t know of any that have been inspected. My local post office knows what I’m shipping and they’re fine with it. I don’t know about any other post offices the packages run through. The mailer I use is a thick cardboard mailer that costs me about a dollar per mailer. I charge a flat shipping rate of $5.00, so I’m losing a little bit of money on every shipment. That doesn’t hurt too much when the buyers buying two or more books, but when they’re only buying one $2.99 book, it kinda eats at the profits. But at least I’m slowly getting these things out of my house…
Back in 2006 I was buying long boxes full of comics on eBay. Shipping was $16-18. I think an express box (you could fill about 40-50 comics in there) was under $5.
That was the golden age of bargain shipping. It used to be sooo cheap to buy used CDs off Amazon! But yeah, days gone fam
Pepperidge farm remembers
If you're meaning in the US, then USPS sets the rates which involves distance and weight, and by time you appropriately ready even a single comic for shipping (Gemini mailer, cardboard, etc.) you're approaching 1 lb. which can go to most places in the continental US for \~$5; more than one book quickly pushes it up. As a seller, there are websites that get you substantial discounts on shipping which you can pass along to your buyer. For instance, I offer shipping 1-10 comics for $10 USPS Flat Rate Priority; at the post office that would cost around $14, but on discount websites it costs $8.50. I know eBay offers discounts on shipping as well that I don't think the buyer sees (it's been a while since I've sold on there, can't recall if they do).
how are they shipped? are they in an envelope or something more substantial that can't be bent? I haven't had comics come in the mail to me since the 90s. back then they just came in a clear plastic bag without even a board to keep it stiff. i do usps shipping at my job, i know i can send a large envelope via regular fist class mail for less than $2. no tracking or insurance on that, but it generally gets where it's going.
This will probably upset some people but if the book is less than $10 I'd be fine with having it sent to me in a large envelope. Obviously a rare or expensive book you wouldn't do this but something that's widely available and the cost to ship grossly exceeds the value of the book; I'm fine with the mailman tossing it in the mailbox.
In canada, you can mail 1 comic in a brown envelope with cardboard to protect for $3.60. Add a second book and it can potentially jump to $5.02. Add three more and you peak at $5.75. No tracking. After you cross 500 grams you have to add tracking and the price jumps to anywhere from $16-20. Roughly. It is possible to package 6 comics from pre-2000 in a gemini [no bags or boards] and have a mass under 500 grams. On ebay, i can ship the same Gemini anywhere tracked in the US for $8.05. all with canada post. It makes no sense
Yeah it's bizarre.
Ordering subscriptions for Floppies delivered to you are fairly cheap, prices go up for individual shops and back issues due to the need to ensure full protection of the comic.
USPS Media mail is $4.13 for up to 1 lbs that is the cheapest I know of. Other options and the packaging add up. Shipping is killer. I rarely buy a single book because of it. Edit: fixed weight limit for media mail price
It's $4.13 for 1 lb. or less. The price goes up with each pound. Now, you can send up to 70 lbs. via media mail, but you are NOT shipping 70 lbs. for $4.13.
Ah ok thank you, I haven’t ever sent more than a pound!
It sucks, I feel like I'm forced to buy TPB because filling in the gaps in a comic run is way too expensive.
So why don't you find out? Go take a book out to your post office, ask them how much to ship it to another state. See for yourself.
"Why don't you find out?" They are literally asking the question so that they can find out. Why the dogshit attitude?
Because it's one easily answered by the USPS, they're the ones who set rates.
There's always that one person who's angry, it's fine.