1. Nothing wrong at all. Most of the big guys don't use a clear bag.

2. No, most come with a self seal flap.

3. 9X12.

 

I've heard of someone using a poly mailer + Tyvek bag...?

And first class USPS is the way to go til priority?
All with delivery confirmation, but not necessarily signing on delivery...?

Thanks!

 

I usually do flat rate priority. The PO has adopted a policy that first class goes IF there is room. Priority always goes. If your shipment is time sensitive, go priority. I use the flat rate priority cardboard envelopes from the PO when I can and do click and ship. You can either pick up the priority mailers at the PO or have them delivered via carrier.

 

The PO has adopted a policy that first class goes IF there is room.

When did they do that? I've noticed NO difference in time delivery between first class & priority. My understanding is that they are both handled the same. The whole point of priority was to ship 'packages' with the same handling AS first class. I'm going to check with my postmaster tomorrow to confirm.

You can cut your postal expenses in HALF by using 1st class for shipments under 13 ozs (including the cost of your own envelope).

 

What I was told by my Postmaster when I was checking on price difference between first class and priority. May be because I am in a small rural community.

 

Jean518 - you can't be in a smaller, more rural community than me ... and my postmaster told me last year that 1st class & priority are handled identically.

 

Oh, and about wrapping your shirts in a clear poly bag. I don't like the idea of my customers dumping out an unwrapped, unfolded shirt from the envelope.

I'm not promoting any big new design line, just two small website businesses, but I want my customers to feel like their shirt is 'clean' and 'folded.' I always wrap my shirts. I use non-ziplock (tie) gallon baggies for all but sweatshirts and seal with clear packaging tape. I did buy clear plastic shirt bags from Uline for the larger garments (fold overs that I still seal with clear plastic tape).

 

So you put that inside the polymailer (if you use one) then...?
Where do you get these supplies? Have any links?

 

What do you put the shirts in that go INSIDE the polymailer, though?

 

These: http://www.uline.com/Product/Detail...y-Polypropylene-Bags/9-x-12-15-Mil-Resealable-Polypropylene-Bags-with-1-1-2-Lip

 

Dag, 1000? Wouldn't need that many!

So the shirt goes in there and then I'd put THAT in a polymailer... THEN a Tyvek? Ehh idk wait... Doesn't necessarily need to be a padded polymailer. What size polymailer is it again, at that? And not all are compatible with UPS if I ever needed to use them? Some say they can be shipped via UPS. (The brown bubble ones)

When we last put out shirts, it was just in a polymailer: But youre saying to put the shirt in this and then this inside a polymailer to look nicer? The Tyvek box or whatever isnt really suggested at this point?

 

You wouldn't use a polymailer and a Tyvek. You would use one or the other.

The shirt goes in the clear poly bag, then that goes in your mailer (poly mailer or tyvek).

 

What do you guys personally recommend? Poly vs. Tyvek? But what size poly, though?

 

Poly. It's as strong, cheaper and waterproof.

Size depends on what your shipping. If it's always one shirt, then a 9X12 or 10X13.

I don't like to stock different sizes so I buy 12X15 which I can use for one or several shirts or a sweatshirt. If I just ship 1 shirt, I fold the flap over before sealing to make the footprint smaller.

 

So there's no way to get the other wrap in less than 1000?

I mean I wouldn't HAVE to have both, but it seems like it'd be nicer. More cost for shipping

 

So there's no way to get the other wrap in less than 1000?

Yes, Ebay.

 

I use interplas.com that has mailers and poly mailing bags for cheap

 

I guess you missed the part where I said I use "non-ziplock (tie) gallon baggies" ... at the grocery store. If you are just starting out, you might start with these. Fits most shirts (not fleece).

You need some envelopes/mailers (padded not necessary), I use a heavy weight business envelope (from Sams Club) and the FREE priority envelopes, tyvek, and boxes provided by the post office (you can even order online).

You can print 1st class shipping labels through the paypal multi-shipping option and all priority through the USPS ClickNShip for the best rates (and free delivery confirmation).

 

I believe first class and Priority are handled the same. Personally we ship in clear poly bags and in a USPS priority envelope. The shipping is a flat $4.95 (If it fits, it ships!). The best part is that you can pick up the labels and the envelops from the PO for free, fill it out at home and then when you go to ship you don't have to wait in line - just use the automated machine to buy the postage. Beats standing in line for 20 minutes while someone argues about their passport paperwork!

 

So I shouldn't need to order polymailers online or buy them in a store like K-Mart or something?

And as far as pricing goes... I see yours are priced at $30 and such. Is this on AA or something like that? I like the limited edition concept, that should help drive sales. However, when one design is sold out, you might have a ton of other customers looking for it too! (Btw, the so-low hoodie had medium large small XL XXL in that order)

I do like the loyalty point idea. Do you lose a lot of money on that or does it actually generate more sales without completely drying out your target market (as in hitting them all, if thats possible haha).
How did you go about incorporating that if I may ask?
Manual records? What if someone buys from a different card/another name on it but is the same person?

 

No you shouldn't need to purchase any mailers. If you walk into your PO they should have a priority shipping stand with the priority envelopes and labels sitting out. I just grab a handful on my way out when I start to get low. (make sure you're taking the red and white priority envelopes though - those are the free ones) The ONLY time I use envelopes other than the priority ones are for international orders. You DO NOT want ship international priority mail unless you have money to burn haha.

Yes our shirts are priced at $30 because of the limited edition nature of the shirts and yes we do print on AA. We have had it happen where a design sells out and people are asking for it. That creates a sense of urgency and a REASON for people to continually check back and see whats new and what's gone. We also send out a weekly newsletter showcasing any new design as well as which ones are just about done. (Good catch on the So-Low Hoodie BTW! I need to look into that!)

The loyalty point system doesn't really cost us much because they have to spend like $7 or $10 (I have to double check) to get a point (which is worth $1). If we have to give away 1 shirt for every 30 someone buys I'm ok with that . Actually what most people do is a save up 5 or 6 points and use it for free shipping. You can use the points anytime you want.

I built our website on Prestashop. If you're not familiar with it you can find at PrestaShop Free Open-Source e-Commerce Software for Web 2.0. It's an open-source (Free) e-commerce platform with TONS of extra modules and plugins to expand it's ability. The loyalty point system comes standard on an install so it tracks everything for us and handles all of the points. If a customer creates an account upon checkout they can accumulate loyalty points. If they check out anonymously unfortunately there is no way to track and award points. Theoretically someone could set up an account and have all their friends order under their account just to build up points but like I said I have no problem giving a shirt away if I'm moving 30.

Def look into Prestashop though!

 

No you shouldn't need to purchase any mailers. If you walk into your PO they should have a priority shipping stand with the priority envelopes and labels sitting out. I just grab a handful on my way out when I start to get low. (make sure you're taking the red and white priority envelopes though - those are the free ones) The ONLY time I use envelopes other than the priority ones are for international orders. You DO NOT want ship international priority mail unless you have money to burn haha.

Yes our shirts are priced at $30 because of the limited edition nature of the shirts and yes we do print on AA. We have had it happen where a design sells out and people are asking for it. That creates a sense of urgency and a REASON for people to continually check back and see whats new and what's gone. We also send out a weekly newsletter showcasing any new design as well as which ones are just about done. (Good catch on the So-Low Hoodie BTW! I need to look into that!)

The loyalty point system doesn't really cost us much because they have to spend like $7 or $10 (I have to double check) to get a point (which is worth $1). If we have to give away 1 shirt for every 30 someone buys I'm ok with that . Actually what most people do is a save up 5 or 6 points and use it for free shipping. You can use the points anytime you want.

I built our website on Prestashop. If you're not familiar with it you can find at PrestaShop Free Open-Source e-Commerce Software for Web 2.0. It's an open-source (Free) e-commerce platform with TONS of extra modules and plugins to expand it's ability. The loyalty point system comes standard on an install so it tracks everything for us and handles all of the points. If a customer creates an account upon checkout they can accumulate loyalty points. If they check out anonymously unfortunately there is no way to track and award points. Theoretically someone could set up an account and have all their friends order under their account just to build up points but like I said I have no problem giving a shirt away if I'm moving 30.

Def look into Prestashop though!

Dag thanks! Prestashop looks sweet by the way! That loyalty system is also cool... I take it it isn't hard to create an account... Thing is, if a customer bought shirts in person, we would have to manually take down the points or something...

I may try Canvas and Bella for guys and girls, respectively.
Dye sublimation seems interesting... Its definitely not iron-on, and could possibly be better than screen printing from what I've gathered.

 

Nah it's easy to create an account - they just input basic information and choose to opt in or out of our newsletter and thats about it. Prestashop has plenty more mods and stuff besides just the loyalty system that really make it a great tool.

Dye sublimation isn't bad just depends on the company who is doing it - make sure they know what their doing. When we're not screen printing though we use DTG which has come A LONG WAY and honestly I'd say these hold up just as well as the screen printing plus no screens to set up. It's worth a look!

 

Nah it's easy to create an account - they just input basic information and choose to opt in or out of our newsletter and thats about it. Prestashop has plenty more mods and stuff besides just the loyalty system that really make it a great tool.

Dye sublimation isn't bad just depends on the company who is doing it - make sure they know what their doing. When we're not screen printing though we use DTG which has come A LONG WAY and honestly I'd say these hold up just as well as the screen printing plus no screens to set up. It's worth a look!

I kind of like the idea of the "no feeling" ink. On Jerzees being screen printed, you can still feel the ink and its cracked a little bit (from the printer I had do these shirts; its also been a little over 2 years, but I haven't worn the shirt much).

Overall I guess screen printing is generally well-rounded, and some people were saying dye sub doesnt work well on dark colors; saying it works on cotton using higher priced paper... But screen printing doesn't have soft ink?

 

You should look into the DTG that is just about as "no feel" as you can get and I feel like the colors are more vibrant than the sublimation (unless the company I had print the the sublimated shirts just had no idea what they were doing - which is possible )

 

Do you think DTG would be more/less/same pricing as screen printing? I know of a screen printer to use, but is finding a company to do DTG harder? I know some users around here do it, though.

Hmm, it looks like Prestashop uses Moneybookers, which mentioned its one of the top things in Europe... I've heard of it.

edit: Looks like you can choose Paypal too. Prestashop and Magento look tougher to use than Bigcartel or Storenvy; but, each is supposed to/seems to be more customizable. Plus, you'd need hosting, yeah? I mean you would for a site in general, but even for the shopping area on Presta, say?

 

The shipping is a flat $4.95 (If it fits, it ships!). The best part is that you can pick up the labels and the envelops from the PO for free, fill it out at home and then when you go to ship you don't have to wait in line - just use the automated machine to buy the postage. Beats standing in line for 20 minutes while someone argues about their passport paperwork!

Since you doing your labels at home, why not do them online at USPS ClicknShip? You get FREE delivery confirmation AND a discount on shipping. Then you can put your packages in postal box and not wait for ANYTHING (you can even give them to your mailman).

I still say if you are doing flat rate for packages under 13 oz you are throwing away money. The same $4.80 package can cost under $3.00 (including envelope & delivery confirmation). That's $200.00 savings for every 100 shirts shipped.

 

Since you doing your labels at home, why not do them online at USPS ClicknShip? You get FREE delivery confirmation AND a discount on shipping. Then you can put your packages in postal box and not wait for ANYTHING (you can even give them to your mailman).

I still say if you are doing flat rate for packages under 13 oz you are throwing away money. The same $4.80 package can cost under $3.00 (including envelope & delivery confirmation). That's $200.00 savings for every 100 shirts shipped.

So I don't really need a PayPal shipping label... USPS has a Shipping Assistant program... Do you use that too?

 

With the USPS ClickNShip site you can create multiple labels at one time (and it has auto return address and email delivery confirmation info to customer). https://sss-web.usps.com/cns/landing.do You can keep a debit or credit card 'on file' for checkout. Labels can be printed on plain paper and taped to package or you can purchase peel & stick labels (I got a box of them off ebay).

However, ClickNShip only lets you do EXPRESS or PRIORITY (not 1st class). But, it provides a DISCOUNT on shipping and FREE Delivery Confirmation. There is no charge to use this service. You can package your items in USPS provided envelopes & boxes or your own packaging.

All 1st class through Paypal's multi-shipping option. About the same deal, only delivery confirmation is 19 cents, not free. I print the same peel & stick labels and use my own envelopes.

The first year I was in business I only shipped Priority. The second year, I switched to shipping anything under 13 oz at 1st class, otherwise priority (and occasionally UPS for LARGE orders). I always check to see which Priority is the better deal (regular, flat rate, regional). I reduced my shipping costs by ONE THIRD (many of my orders are one shirt).

The majority of my sales are NOT through Ebay/PayPal. When I've done a few auctions or buy it nows, I do create the label through ebay/paypal directly.

 

I'd say most of our sales will be through a webstore with paypal. I have heard First Class is the cheapest option if you can do it that way (generally smaller orders I believe. 1-2 shirts, probably 1 most likely actually).

 

I use the same bag and then a paper envelope, the brown ones from staples, or uline has them cheaper than staples.

 

One question.
If I pack my tees in this bag with my logo on it [media]http://www.polypostalpackaging.co.uk/uploads/images/Plain%20Mailing%20Bags/Shirt%20Garment%20Packaging%20Bags.jpg[/url] and then put it into a mailing bag http://www.recyclethis.co.uk/wp-con...ng that my customers will get the "wow effect" when they will open the package.

 

This thread is awesome, some information I was looking for was answered right here, I just avoided a trip to the post office, however I still have a question for the greyhorsewoman, If you go the peel n Stick labels route, without using the clicknship method from the PO, what other alternative do I have to print the return and shipping address info on those labels? I am sending out one t shirt samples to potential customers (guerilla marketing) and trying to utilize the cheapest shipping cost possible. Thanks

 

You could use 1st class through Multi-shipping option on Paypal.

 

Thanks for that. I didn't know Paypal had a multi-shipping option.

When we want to ship through Paypal to someone who didn't actually order from us, we use this backdoor link after logging on to Paypal:

https://www.paypal.com/us/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_ship-now

 

Thanks guys, do they have like an address book where I can load the mailing address in, and just print the labels when i'm ready? I have over 200 address I have to send mailers out to

 

Something like this I would just package them up and take them to the post office to buy postage. Entering 200 shipments into Paypal's system will be time consuming.