Going to ship some foreign coins, need some advice to keep costs down!

Hi! I'm going to start selling small lots of foreign coins on eBay (I've been collecting both foreign & old American coins for years, but this will be my first time selling on eBay). The coins are 4-5oz per lot.
For shipping, I'm planning on putting the coins in taped-down ziploc bags (and double-bagging them to be safe), and mailing them in these: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000GHTBJ8. Is it possible to ship them as flats/large envelopes using USPS first class mail? I'm just not sure whether or not the USPS will allow that, or charge me the rate for a package (about a dollar more). Also not sure if my shipping plans are enough to keep the coins safe and secure. Help please!

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

The bubble envelope is a good idea. You definitely want to make sure that the package is thick enough to be non machinable. The automated postage machines can do quite a number on packages. You pay a few cents more for the surcharge but it's well worth it.

I've received packages from people who are clever enough to reach in and tape the merchandise to one side of the envelope to prevent motion and to make sure that it's not underneath the stamps. That also seems to work well.

 

Yeah, I'm planning to tape the baggy down so it doesn't rattle or get smashed by the machine.

 

Another area of study for you should be where you can and cannot ship coins, and how to protect yourself as a seller against loss/theft. Not all destinations allow the importation of coins, many have duties at their end, and very few allow for end-to-end tracking. So part of your profit model has to include losses and extra costs to the buyer. And there has to be a business model, or you'll end up burned out and disappointed.

Ebay's Global Shipment program is severely lacking in intelligence. Examples abound of import duties being required when none is necessary, and the like.