Drop PayPal like a hot potatoe, figure your actual out of pocket
expenses for however many items you expect to ship and divide by that
number. Handling fee's suck and on a smalltime basis are a rip off to
the purchaser. I can't count the number of items on fleaBay that have
S&H charges exceeding the items bid price. Yes, it's an expense but one
that I absorb or figure into the item cost initially, just like the
labor to make an item. I hate handling charges and consider them a rip
off. Let your conscience be your guide.
John

wrote:

I'm having a real hard time trying to figure fair shipping costs for my
items. As many of you know I sell CLTL (Carpe Lignum, Torne Lignum)
items and now have a stainless steel bottle stopper. This is not an
ad for those items, my problem is how to charge for shipping and should
I add a handling fee? I hate handling fees, however, I'm learning
there is a cost to handling. I've been quoting exact shipping to zip
codes. After buying tissue paper, bubble wrap and tape, then there's
the PayPal fees, ..... well, you get the picture.

Am I making this a bigger deal than it really is? Could I add $1 or
more to cover these expenses? I'm driving myself crazy trying to be
fair but not lose money. Guess that comes from raising 4 kids alone
and struggling forever, sort of like people I know who lived through
the Depression and are still afraid of losing their money. My, I
hadn't expected to go off like this, I was just going to ask a simple
little question. Sorry.

Any opinions? advice? suggestions?

Ruth
www.torne-lignum.com