How eBay Sellers Can Save Money on Shipping Supplies

One of the major expenses an eBay seller encounters is the supplies (example: tape, boxes, bubble wrap) that are needed to ship the item. It can be costly to sellers who have not done the proper research for cost saving methods. I have been a seller on eBay since 2008 and have learned through trial and error how to reduce these cost.

Did you know that you can get free boxes through the United States Postal Service? You can get free Priority Mail boxes in a variety of different sizes from the website or actual location. These come in regular Priority Mail or you can get them in the Flat Rate Priority Mail. A Flat Rate Priority Mail Box is shipped for the same price no matter where in the country you are shipping or the weight of the item. If you order online, you will be ordering in bulk. The order does take around 10 days to receive, so if you are in a hurry for one of these boxes you will need to stop at the Postal Service office to pick one up.

Another way to get boxes is to check for empty boxes from when they get their stock in at your local stores. You can also go on eBay and find deals on boxes in bulk. For this, you will need to have an idea of prices on boxes at your local store so you can price compare.

Bubble wrap is another supply that you can find the best prices for on eBay. Before I realized that I could get it cheaper on eBay, I was getting the 15ft. Roll of Large Bubble Wrap at Wal-Mart and now I can find it online for 100 ft. for a fraction of the cost.

Packing tape is another expense that every seller bares. It can be costly if you buy it a roll each time. You can usually find a bulk pack on sale at one of the office supply stores or you can catch a deal on them on eBay.

Another expense that a seller will incur is the need to purchase printer cartridges. These can be found on sites like 123inkjets.com or eBay. I use 123inkjets.com and find my cartridges refurbished for less than half of what I would spend in a store locally. On both site examples, there is a wide array of cartridges available.

As you can see there are ways to cut a sellers expense budget if the seller is willing to do a little research for the items that they use. These cost cutting ideas will help a seller keep more profit in the long run. And the best thing is, shipping supplies are a tax deduction for eBay sellers, so keep those receipts.