I wrote a post on Saturday about opening an online shop. The most asked question I received afterwards was about shipping. I admit, shipping is formidable. Especially when you are working on large, heavy pieces and they are not easily boxed up and sent in the afternoon post!
I have tried many ways to ship my pieces. Here is a quick recap.
Greyhound: Their service is very affordable and I would use them for small pieces that one can actually pack. I once used them to ship a coffee table. FYI, Greyhound will likely transfer your piece on route from bus to bus before it gets to your destination. This means that your package will be unloaded and loaded again and that kind of scares me. If you have the means to crate your furniture, I’m sure its fine. However if you are like me and have no clue how to do that, it isn’t the best option. Another issue with Greyhound is the delivery destination. You need to find the closest Greyhound depot to your customer and they will then have to drive there to pick it up. Also, you will need to get it to your closest station to ship it. Again, not the best option for a heavy piece.
USPS: Way too expensive.
UPS: I only use them to pack smaller pieces, like the coffee table I mentioned above. I took it to my UPS Store and they packed it for me. I think it cost about $70 to pack it (not cheap) but I had no other option. It was a strange shape and it would have cost just as much for me to go out and buy the boxes, tape, bubble wrap etc. Finding boxes that size would have been pretty impossible. Their shipping prices are pretty expensive and I have yet to use them to actually ship anything.
UShip: This is the way to go. It is an online site that is pretty simple to navigate. Create an account and then list your shipment. You will need to know the exact size, approximate weight and I recommend adding a picture. You will also choose the shipping method and I choose “blanket shipping” which means it will be blanket wrapped. Once you list your shipment (including the pickup and destination zip codes and service you desire) you can either ask for shippers to bid on your shipment, or give a price range that you wish to stay within. The shippers will contact you via the site and you can choose the best price. It is important to check the shipper’s feedback on the site prior to booking. I would rather pay a bit more for a guy with excellent feedback than pay less for one not so stellar (believe me on this one).
Once you have found the right shipper, you need to book it. In order to book the shipment, you go onto the site and pay for the shipment price plus a twenty dollar UShip fee. Don’t freak out because it is safe and sound and the payment sits there until you “release” it to the shipper upon safe delivery. I always have my customer contact me and tell me that the shipment went well prior to releasing the payment. If you listed your piece as “shipping included” then you are done. If you listed your piece as “shipping not included”, then bill your customer for the shipping cost (via Paypal) and make sure they pay it prior to the delivery.
Private Shippers: I have been doing this for four years in February and have established relationships with shippers over the years. I have a great guy I use for local shipping, a fantastic guy for the upper east coast and yet another for the south or across country. I am now able to text my shippers directly for a quote and give it to an interested buyer. This takes time and quite a few shipments to find the right guys who are trustworthy and careful with your pieces as well as fairly priced. They are like gold and (sorry) not to be shared 😉
I hope this helped!
As far as finding a private shipper, would these be local guys who are truck drivers? I’m at a loss as to where to even begin to find a way or person to ship (anywhere in the country) custom potting benches I am building. I’m in a fairly rural area in North Dakota and my closest city is about 20 miles and it’s not a large city. They are pretty heavy pieces.
You really should try UShip. It’s great.
Perfect post. That will be very helpful to lots of artists. Thanks!
Great information!! Thanks for the post.
Maxine
Great post, very informative. I know Farra asked this but how did you locate private shippers? Did you vet them to make sure they were reliable and trustworthy? Do you generally charge a shipping and handling fee or include it in the cost of the piece so it is “free” to the customer? Thanks for al of this information, it is so helpful.
Hi Deb, I actually through the years met shippers via other shippers, etc. and that is how it works. My shipping is separate and the buyer pays the shipper directly upon delivery. Cheers.
Thank you for sharing this valuable information. As I become more involved in painting and recycling furniture, I am often asked by family and friends if I can “ship it”. So far the answer has been No and I haven’t sold anything on Etsy yet so I’ve been safe but now I can explore these options!!
You are welcome!
Great post. We are considering making large framed signs and some furniture pieces which will require a totally different way to package and ship. Thanks for the information.
I didn’t even know there was a UShip option. This has been extremely helpful. Thanks Suzanne!
Thanks, Susan, for this. I’ve been thinking it’s something I need to do, but hesitate for obvious reasons. I appreciate your perspective!
You’re wonderful to share your knowledge. Thank you for that, and all if of your inspiring pieces.:)
Thanks so much, Mimi!
Love all of your posts and your furniture is just beautiful! However, not too sure why you wouldn’t share details of good shippers; surely they’d want you to promote their business too if youre so happy with it! Just a thought =)
The longer you ship, the more shippers you will meet and can find a few that you trust. My shippers do specific routes for me from my area and I have a good relationship with them. It is part of my business and I share most everything but this is something that I feel each should do solo. I may like someone that you don’t and I’m sure our locations are different. I gave you the framework to do it. Cheers!