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trytobecool · August 12th, 2009

Is Stamps.com (15.95$ start up cost) or Endicia - Print Postage Online! (9.95$ start up cost) worth trying?

Stamps.com & Endicia Comparion.

Start up Plans:
15.95$ & 9.95$

First Class:
Discount: No Discounts on both
Free eDelivery Confirmation: 46Cents & 18Cents for First Class(up to 13 Ounces)

Priority Mail
Discount: 11% & Not sure
Free eDelivery Confirmation: Yes & Yes for Priority (save about 70+cents)

Express Mail Discount:
3%(Almost Nothing) & Not sure
Free eDelivery Confirmation: Yes & Yes for Priority (save about 70+cents)

Is shipping 1 shirt under 13 Ounces cost 3.09$? I want to know exact cost of Shipment for 1 shirt rightnow to put shipping cost on site. I calculated here
Postage Price Calculator

Uneetee charges about 3.95 & some other charges up to 5 & 6$ even for First Class. Can i know whats you guys have on your website? I know its taking our time so can charge...

NiL

Rodney · August 12th, 2009

I used stamps.com for several years and switched to endecia.com a couple of years ago.

Just starting out, you can do fine without using either of those two services. When you are doing smaller volumes of orders, then using the USPS website online tools or the free software USPS provides can be enough (or the interface used by PayPal).

I found stamps/endecia useful when my order volume increased and I needed a way to speed up the order processing/shipping. Retyping addresses can be time consuming and both services allow you to copy and paste addresses from your shopping cart. Endicia also allows you to automate the label printing even further using XML if you are technically inclined.

Printing to a dedicated label printer instead of an inkjet printer was also a plus. Inkjet inks are expensive, and the label stock for inkjet printers was more than the label stock for a dedicated thermal printer that you can use with stamps/endecia.

The ease of international shipping was one of the reasons why I switched to endicia (along with some other usability improvements like auto pasting after you copy an address).

The free delivery confirmation/discounted shipping is nice, but you can also get free delivery confirmation from the USPS website.

I would say to start out with PayPal or the free USPS tools and see how it works.

Then try the free trials from stamps/endecia and see how you like it. Everybody will have their own preferences as to which they like best.

If you can, try processing 10 orders in a row using all 3 and see which you prefer.

Quote:


	Is shipping 1 shirt under 13 Ounces cost 3.09$?

For first class, the price will vary depending on the weight of the package.

Here's a screenshot from endicia that shows that a 9 ounce package with delivery confirmation is $2.77

Quote:


	Uneetee charges about 3.95 & some other charges up to 5 & 6$ even for First Class.

You also have to take into account overhead costs and labor. Packaging supplies (shipping bags, plastic around the t-shirts on the inside), label supplies, gas for trips to the post office, employees, etc. Some companies have more overhead than others or handle those extra costs in different ways. Some may add it to the t-shirt price some add it to the shipping price. But they are all costs of business that need to be paid by the business owner so they can stay in business.

Quote:


	Can i know whats you guys have on your website?

I think "free shipping" is a good sales motivator. If you can build the extra costs into your product price and offer free shipping, it might be a good way to go.

The lower you can make shipping online, the better (in my opinion)

I used to charge $4.95 flat rate for years, but I always shipped Priority Mail (2-3 days). Priority mail prices kept creeping up and creeping up until I decided to switch to free shipping and just increase the shirt price to compensate.

trytobecool · August 12th, 2009

Thanks for great help. btw, i got an idea about saving on firstclass. I am thinking to have Buy 2 & get 15-20% off + free shipping. so t-shirts can be in like 30$....

->Seriously needs to think about Shipping Strategy now. Do you guys know any good model & Photographer's service other then t-shirtmodels.com?

->I am waiting for my Resale Permit. Can't buy T-shirts till then!

NiL

Rodney · August 12th, 2009

Quote:


	Thanks for great help. btw, i got an idea about saving on firstclass. I am thinking to have Buy 2 & get 15-20% off + free shipping. so t-shirts can be in like 30$....

2 t-shirts might push you over 13 ounces in which case you'd have to move to Priority mail (which is about $4.80 as of this post I think)

Quote:


	->I am waiting for my Resale Permit. Can't buy T-shirts till then!

While you're waiting, you can try these sources: http://www.t-shirtforums.com/wholesa...ts/t37991.html

Quote:


	Do you guys know any good model & Photographer's service other then t-shirtmodels.com?

I've used t-shirtmodels.com before and had a good experience (I've "known" the guy that runs it for a long time...known as in the sense of hung around the same internet forums

)

To get the best answers about your new question about models, it's probably best to start a new topic (with a title that is about models instead of stamps/endicia so people know what question is inside). You may find that there are some existing threads that already talk about good sources for models.

I think there are a few other services out there like that, but I haven't tried any of them. Craigslist and modelmayhem can be a good place to find local models though.

trytobecool · August 12th, 2009

I found one local good(h0t) Female model on modelmayhem, was thinking about if anyone know source. nice idea to start other thread...well, later.

btw, Thanks for T-shirtforum. It helped me to get all information(A to Z) about everything. from shipping to printing & what else. Everything that needs to know for tees biz.

Regards,