Quote:
Originally Posted by paulcarlcards
Boxes are cheap and efficient. You can get them for free with eBay credit or buy them wholesale for ~$0.25/each. They take up less space than bubble mailers and stack neatly without slipping so your workspace can always be clean, organized, and efficient.
They’re practical but also a branding play. They communicate to your customers that you care and that you’re a professional. People buying $20+ singles aren’t usually the type to want/appreciate bulk but they do appreciate boxed shipping to protect their card, especially when it’s easy to unbox. If you like adding freebies, a new One Touch is a nice touch (ba-dum-tschhh) and it’s something they’ll appreciate and use.
I’m all for minimizing costs as much as possible. But when saving a few cents detracts from the customer experience and their perceived value of the brand, then you’re stepping over a dollar to save a nickel.
Think of all the cards you’ve purchased and how incompetent the typical card seller is. Receiving a bubble mailer for my cards makes me nervous—I have to open it wondering if the corners are all going to be screwed up or if I’m going have to waste time dissecting a monstrosity made of cereal boxes, paper towels, and scotch tape. A box that rattles inspires the same fear of dinged corners. But a silent box that is easy to open, that’s a unicorn. Those are the sellers I save and make repeat purchases from.
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I'm not saying sending in a box is a bad thing. I'm saying its unnecessary. I do not imagine anyone has gotten a package from me and stated "If only this was in a box I would buy more, but alas I shall not return due to the bubble mailer". That just isn't happening. Maybe if one is wrapping their cards in Captain Crunch cardboard or something. Furthermore, I can only imagine the look I would get at the post office if I had a wheel barrel full of boxes to ship out every day. It just isn't practical unless you are a smaller seller. Even then, I still see it as an extra cost that isn't needed. It isn't being cheap, it just isn't needed. But, with you selling lots, and only a few at a time I'm sure it works just fine.