the all-purpose International Shipping thread....

mfw13 · 12-06-2021, 07:37 PM

Since many purchases, sales, and trades of soccer cards involve sending to/from foreign countries, I thought I'd start a thread where people can share information and discuss their experiences.

I'll start by noting that in the last few months, I have had cards shipped to the United States from Japan, Hong Kong, Sweden, Germany, Belgium, France, and the UK without any problems.

However, I would be very cautious about purchasing any cards from Italy right now, as the Italian postal service seems to be really struggling.

I've got three different packages from Italy that I'm waiting for, from three different sellers, all of which shipped the week of November 8-12 and since disappeared into an informational black hole. No tracking updates....no other information. Not even sure if they've made it to the US yet.

YayNJ · 12-06-2021, 07:38 PM

I've always had issues posting to and receiving mail from Italy for some reason (using domestic post) it must be terrible.

My biggest bugbear though is some Australian sellers that seem to have literally everything set at £35 shipping. WTF is that all about. For one card!

Slowest post though overall has to be Canadian.

j0shuab · 12-06-2021, 07:59 PM

This is a great idea, and as a buyer I've had great experiences buying cards (from the US) from overseas, including a lot from China, Hong Kong, and Korea, where there are a few consigners that have great inventory. Even Canada has been OK for me, though on lower volume.

As a seller, I have everything set to Ebay Global Shipping except for Canada, but have wondered whether it's worth it to create shipping rates outside of Global Shipping. I understand that Global Shipping rates are really tough - I've had a few buyers reach out to me that they'd like to pay the BIN for my listings, but the GS fees make it too expensive. In a few cases I've added country specific rates to my listings on buyer request (e.g. carving out say Germany with a dedicated shipping rate and keeping everything else GS), and it's worked well - the buyers have been very thankful, and I haven't had any fraud issues. I've only done this a a few times, and when I do I find the rates for USPS postage through PayPal are much, much better than purchasing through eBay.

I wonder if it's worth the work to create custom rate tables for say the 10-15 most likely buying countries, any feedback from non-US buyers would be appreciated.

BiggNuttz · 12-06-2021, 10:27 PM

I will add a few thoughts on this from the perspective of a (mostly) buyer, and (sometime) seller, based in Japan.

First of all, as a buyer, Ebay's Global Shipping Program (GSP) is absolutely terrible for overseas buyers. It extends delivery times dramatically, and Ebay tacks on surcharges, and charges import duty/tax, when most times there should be done. The GSP is a pure money grab and profit center for Ebay. A single card/small padded envelope, should cost no more than $15~$25 to ship. Ebay charges in the neighbourhood of $50~$75 for this. I wanted to order a pair of trainers, which should cost $30~$50 to ship in the box. Ebay tried to charge almost $200 for this! I am not sure if sellers are aware of this aspect of the GSP or not, but it completely kills any potential for me to purchase items from many sellers. To be fair, most sellers are happy to work outside of the GSP if contacted and asked, but it is so much extra trouble and effort to do this, especially for an auction which I may not even end up winning.

Second, in general, the most efficient and cost effective carrier is EMS in both directions. EMS had serious issues at the height of COVID, and even completely suspended services for a period of time, but now they are back and almost unbeatable. Delivery times to the U.S. are averaging 3~5 business days from Japan. UPS and DHL are also good options, although they can be significantly more expensive depending on the size of the package. This may come as a surprise to many of you, but Fedex is actually one of the absolute worst companies to use. They are extremely expensive in terms of the cost, and they are also very strict on the customs and import duties side of things, and often hold packages for days/weeks to confirm and calculate duties. I just had a three week ordeal of daily calls in an effort to get a package cleared that was simply being returned to me!

I am not sure why so many U.S. based sellers are afraid of international shipping. Many flat out refuse to even consider it when asked. With the market for all collectibles being global now, by excluding buyers outside of the U.S., you are eliminating a massive pool of buyers, and the potential for items to sell for much more.

Just some thoughts from a Japan based buyer/seller.

Regards

j0shuab · 12-06-2021, 11:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BiggNuttz

Just some thoughts from a Japan based buyer/seller.

That's really helpful, thank you. I didn't realize Global Shipping was that expensive, that's really bad. Also completely agree that making shipping more affordable is worth the work. And thanks for bringing up EMS, their English web site brings back great memories of Japanese graphic design from my (short) time working in Japan.

If anyone is interested, I'd be willing to workshop a shipping policy for US-based sellers, based on the shipping cost for a standard 4x8 bubble mailer (and maybe a bigger one for slabs) to a list of priority countries. I've shipped to a few of these, so can put together some initial costs.

My shipping from the US list would start with the following, this is based on buyers I've heard from + general economy size:

Canada
UK (not sure if different costs to different UK countries)
Germany
France
Italy
Spain
Portugal
Netherlands
Belgium
Mexico
China (Hong Kong different?)
Japan
Australia
South Korea
Philippines (there's at least one big Matthew Hoppe fan there)
Brazil

For the above, I'd start with USPS, but absolutely should include other carriers if they are options.

The goal would be to come up with a cost list that any buyer could use to easily create their own customized shipping policy to replace Global Shipping or the highest priority countries, which should represent most of the potential buyers. That would hopefully results in more US listings being more affordable for non-US buyers. Let me know if interested and I can start a Google Doc.

k13 · 12-07-2021, 01:03 AM

Americans talk about the international market but don't want to ship internationally....lol

BiggNuttz · 12-07-2021, 04:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by j0shuab

That's really helpful, thank you. I didn't realize Global Shipping was that expensive, that's really bad. Also completely agree that making shipping more affordable is worth the work. And thanks for bringing up EMS, their English web site brings back great memories of Japanese graphic design from my (short) time working in Japan.

If anyone is interested, I'd be willing to workshop a shipping policy for US-based sellers, based on the shipping cost for a standard 4x8 bubble mailer (and maybe a bigger one for slabs) to a list of priority countries. I've shipped to a few of these, so can put together some initial costs.

My shipping from the US list would start with the following, this is based on buyers I've heard from + general economy size:

Canada
UK (not sure if different costs to different UK countries)
Germany
France
Italy
Spain
Portugal
Netherlands
Belgium
Mexico
China (Hong Kong different?)
Japan
Australia
South Korea
Philippines (there's at least one big Matthew Hoppe fan there)
Brazil

For the above, I'd start with USPS, but absolutely should include other carriers if they are options.

The goal would be to come up with a cost list that any buyer could use to easily create their own customized shipping policy to replace Global Shipping or the highest priority countries, which should represent most of the potential buyers. That would hopefully results in more US listings being more affordable for non-US buyers. Let me know if interested and I can start a Google Doc.

Great idea for those who could use the help and guidance. Just note that my observations are strictly limited to Japan, and what works most efficiently and cost effectively here. Other countries may be different, although in general, most people I deal with in non-U.S. countries seem to find that EMS works very well.

I am aware that for many based in the U.S., Fedex is a very good way to ship, but here in Japan, nothing could be further from the truth. To use Fedex in Japan you must set up an account, provide I.D. every time you ship a package, and you must also not seal the package, as they insist on checking the contents against what is written on the shipping and customs forms. The absolute cheapest price to send anything, even just a padded envelope is ~$75 and it goes up from there quite rapidly. As they insist on checking the contents of each package, there is no way to ship a card as documents, as they would flag it and not allow it to be sent. I know this from experience

Regards

Raj3sh · 12-07-2021, 04:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by k13

Americans talk about the international market but don't want to ship internationally....lol

completely agreeing with k13 here.

Nobody0211 · 12-07-2021, 05:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by j0shuab

That's really helpful, thank you. I didn't realize Global Shipping was that expensive, that's really bad. Also completely agree that making shipping more affordable is worth the work. And thanks for bringing up EMS, their English web site brings back great memories of Japanese graphic design from my (short) time working in Japan.

If anyone is interested, I'd be willing to workshop a shipping policy for US-based sellers, based on the shipping cost for a standard 4x8 bubble mailer (and maybe a bigger one for slabs) to a list of priority countries. I've shipped to a few of these, so can put together some initial costs.

My shipping from the US list would start with the following, this is based on buyers I've heard from + general economy size:

Canada
UK (not sure if different costs to different UK countries)
Germany
France
Italy
Spain
Portugal
Netherlands
Belgium
Mexico
China (Hong Kong different?)
Japan
Australia
South Korea
Philippines (there's at least one big Matthew Hoppe fan there)
Brazil

For the above, I'd start with USPS, but absolutely should include other carriers if they are options.

The goal would be to come up with a cost list that any buyer could use to easily create their own customized shipping policy to replace Global Shipping or the highest priority countries, which should represent most of the potential buyers. That would hopefully results in more US listings being more affordable for non-US buyers. Let me know if interested and I can start a Google Doc.

Are you talking about soccerdreamcards? Hes PM a few times on ebay about my Hoppe as well.

YayNJ · 12-07-2021, 06:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by j0shuab

As a seller, I have everything set to Ebay Global Shipping except for Canada, but have wondered whether it's worth it to create shipping rates outside of Global Shipping.

I refuse to buy anything from anyone that uses GSP. It's lovely for the seller, but for a buyer it's an absolute horror show. It's incredibly expensive and embarrassingly slow.

I've found buying from Americans is actually slowly getting better actually, and the use of GSP is on the decline.

j0shuab · 12-07-2021, 08:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nobody0211

Are you talking about soccerdreamcards? Hes PM a few times on ebay about my Hoppe as well.

Yup that's the guy, sold him two Hoppe Finest a month or so ago.

Ray V · 12-07-2021, 01:54 PM

Thank you for starting this thread, was thinking about doing the same but never got around to it.

I live in Canada and have had very positive experiences from all over the world. Most deliveries take place within 2 weeks. Italy is about a month right now (yesterday received an item I won on eBay Nov 8), and Russia seems to take longer than a month, but everything arrives eventually. I've purchased thousands of items on eBay from all over the world and can count on one hand the number that were lost in the mail or arrived damaged.

As a seller, I've shipped all over the world and have not received any negative feedback about extra-long shipping times coming from Canada.

Now in terms of shipping costs ... there doesn't seem to be a need to send things to Canada via registered mail. I know many sellers in the UK charge extra for registered mail (and more and more seem to be going that route), but know that non-registered arrives in about the same time and is just as safe. Though keep in mind I live in Toronto and I benefit from living close to a large international airport, so I receive packages faster than people living in other parts of Canada.

Some sellers in South America seem to be forced to use DHL for shipments to Canada. This is more costly and adds an extra layer of challenge. Sometimes the seller is told they need to provide the email address and/or phone number of the receiver and the phone numbers on file at eBay aren't always correct and/or it's against ebay policy to ask a buyer for their email/phone number. Side note: I find it fascinating the info that sellers need to provide the post office or DHL office in their home country just to ship an item ... in documentation received I've seen passport scans and even photocopies of the seller's fingerprints!

Global Shipping Program: Sellers, please please please do not use this if you can avoid it. As stated by others, it adds exponential costs and mostly makes it prohibitive to bid on items sold through GSP. Not only are the shipping costs overly inflated, if an item sells for over $40 there are additional import charges added. In the past 2 years I have not had to pay duty/import charges on anything shipped other than through GSP or Fed Ex (though this might be a result of covid/more lax policies at customs), so I am paying substantially more via GSP and like others I actively avoid listings that are shipped through GSP.

Finally for US based sellers that don't ship to Canada ... WHY?? I've never had any issues receiving items and have never heard of anyone else in Canada having issues either. But I sometimes hear from US sellers that they have problems with mail to Canada getting lost. Weird. Maybe there a few bad apples in Canada claiming lost packages when they aren't really lost and that's left a bad taste in the mouths of US sellers?

Overall my experiences both as a seller and buyer have been exceptional from pretty much every country and I want to thank the whole community for making this international hobby work. Otherwise there would be pretty slim pickings in Canada for football/soccer cards.

YayNJ · 12-07-2021, 02:06 PM

Sellers in the UK are almost exclusively sending by registered mail (tracked) because it was almost universal at one point people claiming they didn't receive non-tracked mail.

All it takes is the buyer to flag to eBay they didn't receive, and bosh - you're out of your card / box and your money - zero questions asked.

j0shuab · 12-07-2021, 02:11 PM

So this ended up being much simpler than I thought. I've shipped USPS First Class International Large Envelope a few times, purchasing the postage through PayPal, which also captures the customs info so it's pretty easy, and it (DOES NOT) include tracking (not sure if the tracking works everywhere). I priced out two package types:

1. Standard Cards: 4x8 bubble mailer with toploader + cardboard, 3 ozs (usually a little lighter, but in case including multiple cards)

2. Slabs: 6x10 bubble mailer, 1-2 slabs, + cardboard/packaging, 6 ozs (I usually do a 4x8 bubble mailer inside the larger bubble mailer. Fun fact for the day is a PSA slab weighs 1.6 oz, and an SGC slab weighs 2.3 oz)

Here's the costs:

Canada: #1 is $3.09, #2 is $3.79
Mexico: $4.14, $6.45
Brazil: $4.61, $7.64
Europe and Asia: $4.73, $7.93

There's no option for additional insurance through PayPal, so this probably covers lower dollar sales only.

As a comparison, following are rates using other services, for the 3oz package #1 above, to China (these are from goshippo.com), with estimated transit times:

USPS First Class Package Intl $16.39 (15 days)
USPS Priority Mail Intl: $54.06 (8 days)
USPS Priority Mail Express Intl: $62.45 (4 days)
UPS Worldwide Expedited: $39.01 (3 days)
UPS Saver: $39.17 (3 days)
DHL Express Worldwide: $40.27 (11 days)

So at least for me, the USPS First Class International Large Envelope is the clear winner. For the US and Canada I currently charge $3.99 + $1.00 for each additional item, so I'll probably do $5.99 + $1.00 for Europe & Asia, don't mind eating a bit of costs on slabs, I often list them with free shipping in the US anyway if they're > $100.

EDIT: Looks like the option above does not include tracking, at least to Canada, so it's definitely risky. Will update later with the lowest priced tracked option.

Hope that helps anyone in the US thinking through the same thing, and open to any feedback from anyone overseas.

k13 · 12-07-2021, 02:30 PM

I actually buy a decent amount from Asia and don't care how long it takes as long as the cards come safe and in good shape.

Only had a few problems here and there.

Once someone did not ship the card because the auction went too low and they just kept it and relisted it months later. It was a numbered card so really obvious.

htn315 · 12-07-2021, 03:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by j0shuab

So this ended up being much simpler than I thought. I've shipped USPS First Class International Large Envelope a few times, purchasing the postage through PayPal, which also captures the customs info so it's pretty easy, and it includes tracking (not sure if the tracking works everywhere). I priced out two package types:

1. Standard Cards: 4x8 bubble mailer with toploader + cardboard, 3 ozs (usually a little lighter, but in case including multiple cards)

2. Slabs: 6x10 bubble mailer, 1-2 slabs, + cardboard/packaging, 6 ozs (I usually do a 4x8 bubble mailer inside the larger bubble mailer. Fun fact for the day is a PSA slab weighs 1.6 oz, and an SGC slab weighs 2.3 oz)

Here's the costs:

Canada: #1 is $3.09, #2 is $3.79
Mexico: $4.14, $6.45
Brazil: $4.61, $7.64
Europe and Asia: $4.73, $7.93

There's no option for additional insurance through PayPal, so this probably covers lower dollar sales only.

As a comparison, following are rates using other services, for the 3oz package #1 above, to China (these are from goshippo.com), with estimated transit times:

USPS First Class Package Intl $16.39 (15 days)
USPS Priority Mail Intl: $54.06 (8 days)
USPS Priority Mail Express Intl: $62.45 (4 days)
UPS Worldwide Expedited: $39.01 (3 days)
UPS Saver: $39.17 (3 days)
DHL Express Worldwide: $40.27 (11 days)

So at least for me, the USPS First Class International Large Envelope is the clear winner. For the US and Canada I currently charge $3.99 + $1.00 for each additional item, so I'll probably do $5.99 + $1.00 for Europe & Asia, don't mind eating a bit of costs on slabs, I often list them with free shipping in the US anyway if they're > $100.

Hope that helps anyone in the US thinking through the same thing, and open to any feedback from anyone overseas.

Just an FYI those 2 options you quoted to Canada don't actually include tracking. What you get is the customs number, those only get scanned while in the US Postal system, once it gets to Canada the majority of those packages won't get scanned again, you have to use eBay standard which is about $11 per package or go with one of the more expensive priority options otherwise you risk losing item not received claims because your tracking won't show delivered.

snoozit · 12-07-2021, 03:37 PM

Great write-up, thanks!

When you mention purchasing through PayPal, are you able to do that for eBay transactions? Maybe my misunderstanding, but I thought we can only create USPS labels on the PayPal site if there is a PayPal transaction/sale to link it to.

j0shuab · 12-07-2021, 04:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by htn315

Just an FYI those 2 options you quoted to Canada don't actually include tracking. What you get is the customs number, those only get scanned while in the US Postal system, once it gets to Canada the majority of those packages won't get scanned again, you have to use eBay standard which is about $11 per package or go with one of the more expensive priority options otherwise you risk losing item not received claims because your tracking won't show delivered.

Just looked at some past shipments and you're totally right, the last scan is at a NY post office. It's a pretty hefty jump from $3 to $11 with tracking, guess I've been lucky so far nobody has tried to claim non-delivery.

j0shuab · 12-07-2021, 04:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by snoozit

Great write-up, thanks!

When you mention purchasing through PayPal, are you able to do that for eBay transactions? Maybe my misunderstanding, but I thought we can only create USPS labels on the PayPal site if there is a PayPal transaction/sale to link it to.

The PayPal shipping navigation is a train wreck, you can use the link below, at least for now, to create a shipment without a transaction, but with their new ShipStation integration this might stop working:

https://www.paypal.com/shiplabel/create/

Also heads up that I updated my initial post to show that the USPS International Large Envelope does not include full tracking.

snoozit · 12-07-2021, 05:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by j0shuab

The PayPal shipping navigation is a train wreck, you can use the link below, at least for now, to create a shipment without a transaction, but with their new ShipStation integration this might stop working:

https://www.paypal.com/shiplabel/create/

Also heads up that I updated my initial post to show that the USPS International Large Envelope does not include full tracking.

Thanks I'll give it a shot!

netmasters · 12-07-2021, 06:46 PM

Kind of related. For those Americans that have used them who are the best reshippers from Europe?

bobbycass · 12-08-2021, 12:23 AM

If youre posting anything to Ireland youd want to include the tarriff code with it. I had a parcel sent back recently because it was lacking the codes.

Use this site to find what youre looking for.

https://www.anpost.com/Commerce/Parc...Commodity-code

This might be an EU wide thing, but maybe Ireland is taking it more serious than the rest of the bloc.

muherd1181 · 12-08-2021, 08:15 AM

I only sell low end low value soccer and basketball internationally and ship in PWE. I charge $1.99 for shipping and have made well over 100 transaction with out a problem. If you are in America and have a ton of low end soccer and basketball why not sell it for a few $ and ship international? You buying market is unbelievable. I find PWE ship faster than some 1st class mail. The pro's out way the con's. If you happen to have a "lost PWE" then you are out $4-$5 but you will make more in sales. I have had great success with it and a lot of fun.

fadster · 12-08-2021, 08:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bobbycass

If youre posting anything to Ireland youd want to include the tarriff code with it. I had a parcel sent back recently because it was lacking the codes.

Use this site to find what youre looking for.

https://www.anpost.com/Commerce/Parc...Commodity-code

This might be an EU wide thing, but maybe Ireland is taking it more serious than the rest of the bloc.

HS Tariff codes are important for the UK as they can be an enormous PITA if done incorrectly. Cards should be sent under code 4911.91.00.90 heading as "other printed matter", I have received items direct from Topps or Panini with this code (can't remember which) and Canada goes a step further by having a dedicated section and leaving no doubt "For the statistical purposes of classification No. 4911.91.00.30, the description "Trading cards" refers to collectors' cards such as baseball cards, hockey cards, football cards and the like". This code should not attract a customs duty when importing to the UK.

The problem is that sometimes I have been sent items under the "playing cards" schedule (9504.40.00) which comes under a completely different sections and are liable for a sizable customs duty on top of VAT if coming from the US. I think it's because if you try Googling for HS codes for sports cards that's the first result you get. Sometimes it's clearing agents guessing the code based on the content description in the documentation, in which case you can reason with them and, after some stress and time, get the extra fee removed. The problem is if the sender uses the wrong code, in that case there is no recourse.

I absolutely hate the fact I've had find this stuff out.

Portlaw · 12-08-2021, 11:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bobbycass

If youre posting anything to Ireland youd want to include the tarriff code with it. I had a parcel sent back recently because it was lacking the codes.

Use this site to find what youre looking for.

https://www.anpost.com/Commerce/Parc...Commodity-code

This might be an EU wide thing, but maybe Ireland is taking it more serious than the rest of the bloc.

I'm in Ireland and this has only become important in the last few months. Previously items could have had a value of 100s of dollars but if sent basic first class USPS it wouldn't have even been looked at for import duties.

However since Brexit and the massive amount of imports between Ireland and the UK, they have been much stricter and any package worth around 20 dollars or more will now need these codes as it will be charged for import duties.

12-06-2021, 07:59 PM	#3
j0shuab Member Join Date: Mar 2021 Location: Northern NJ Posts: 153 jbmckay j0shua	This is a great idea, and as a buyer I've had great experiences buying cards (from the US) from overseas, including a lot from China, Hong Kong, and Korea, where there are a few consigners that have great inventory. Even Canada has been OK for me, though on lower volume. As a seller, I have everything set to Ebay Global Shipping except for Canada, but have wondered whether it's worth it to create shipping rates outside of Global Shipping. I understand that Global Shipping rates are really tough - I've had a few buyers reach out to me that they'd like to pay the BIN for my listings, but the GS fees make it too expensive. In a few cases I've added country specific rates to my listings on buyer request (e.g. carving out say Germany with a dedicated shipping rate and keeping everything else GS), and it's worked well - the buyers have been very thankful, and I haven't had any fraud issues. I've only done this a a few times, and when I do I find the rates for USPS postage through PayPal are much, much better than purchasing through eBay. I wonder if it's worth the work to create custom rate tables for say the 10-15 most likely buying countries, any feedback from non-US buyers would be appreciated. __________________ Collecting USMNT and Pedro Martinez

12-06-2021, 10:27 PM	#4
BiggNuttz Member Join Date: Jun 2019 Posts: 639 tokei-ski GreggB	I will add a few thoughts on this from the perspective of a (mostly) buyer, and (sometime) seller, based in Japan. First of all, as a buyer, Ebay's Global Shipping Program (GSP) is absolutely terrible for overseas buyers. It extends delivery times dramatically, and Ebay tacks on surcharges, and charges import duty/tax, when most times there should be done. The GSP is a pure money grab and profit center for Ebay. A single card/small padded envelope, should cost no more than $15~$25 to ship. Ebay charges in the neighbourhood of $50~$75 for this. I wanted to order a pair of trainers, which should cost $30~$50 to ship in the box. Ebay tried to charge almost $200 for this! I am not sure if sellers are aware of this aspect of the GSP or not, but it completely kills any potential for me to purchase items from many sellers. To be fair, most sellers are happy to work outside of the GSP if contacted and asked, but it is so much extra trouble and effort to do this, especially for an auction which I may not even end up winning. Second, in general, the most efficient and cost effective carrier is EMS in both directions. EMS had serious issues at the height of COVID, and even completely suspended services for a period of time, but now they are back and almost unbeatable. Delivery times to the U.S. are averaging 3~5 business days from Japan. UPS and DHL are also good options, although they can be significantly more expensive depending on the size of the package. This may come as a surprise to many of you, but Fedex is actually one of the absolute worst companies to use. They are extremely expensive in terms of the cost, and they are also very strict on the customs and import duties side of things, and often hold packages for days/weeks to confirm and calculate duties. I just had a three week ordeal of daily calls in an effort to get a package cleared that was simply being returned to me! I am not sure why so many U.S. based sellers are afraid of international shipping. Many flat out refuse to even consider it when asked. With the market for all collectibles being global now, by excluding buyers outside of the U.S., you are eliminating a massive pool of buyers, and the potential for items to sell for much more. Just some thoughts from a Japan based buyer/seller. Regards __________________ MySlabs: https://myslabs.to/Gregg%20B

12-07-2021, 02:06 PM	#13
YayNJ Member Join Date: May 2020 Location: London / Oahu Posts: 8,447 hanelcocards	Sellers in the UK are almost exclusively sending by registered mail (tracked) because it was almost universal at one point people claiming they didn't receive non-tracked mail. All it takes is the buyer to flag to eBay they didn't receive, and bosh - you're out of your card / box and your money - zero questions asked. Last edited by YayNJ; 12-07-2021 at 02:09 PM.

12-07-2021, 02:11 PM	#14
j0shuab Member Join Date: Mar 2021 Location: Northern NJ Posts: 153 jbmckay j0shua	So this ended up being much simpler than I thought. I've shipped USPS First Class International Large Envelope a few times, purchasing the postage through PayPal, which also captures the customs info so it's pretty easy, and it (DOES NOT) include tracking (not sure if the tracking works everywhere). I priced out two package types: 1. Standard Cards: 4x8 bubble mailer with toploader + cardboard, 3 ozs (usually a little lighter, but in case including multiple cards) 2. Slabs: 6x10 bubble mailer, 1-2 slabs, + cardboard/packaging, 6 ozs (I usually do a 4x8 bubble mailer inside the larger bubble mailer. Fun fact for the day is a PSA slab weighs 1.6 oz, and an SGC slab weighs 2.3 oz) Here's the costs: Canada: #1 is $3.09, #2 is $3.79 Mexico: $4.14, $6.45 Brazil: $4.61, $7.64 Europe and Asia: $4.73, $7.93 There's no option for additional insurance through PayPal, so this probably covers lower dollar sales only. As a comparison, following are rates using other services, for the 3oz package #1 above, to China (these are from goshippo.com), with estimated transit times: USPS First Class Package Intl $16.39 (15 days) USPS Priority Mail Intl: $54.06 (8 days) USPS Priority Mail Express Intl: $62.45 (4 days) UPS Worldwide Expedited: $39.01 (3 days) UPS Saver: $39.17 (3 days) DHL Express Worldwide: $40.27 (11 days) So at least for me, the USPS First Class International Large Envelope is the clear winner. For the US and Canada I currently charge $3.99 + $1.00 for each additional item, so I'll probably do $5.99 + $1.00 for Europe & Asia, don't mind eating a bit of costs on slabs, I often list them with free shipping in the US anyway if they're > $100. EDIT: Looks like the option above does not include tracking, at least to Canada, so it's definitely risky. Will update later with the lowest priced tracked option. Hope that helps anyone in the US thinking through the same thing, and open to any feedback from anyone overseas. __________________ Collecting USMNT and Pedro Martinez Last edited by j0shuab; 12-07-2021 at 04:49 PM. Reason: Incorrect info about tracking for USPS International Large Envelope

12-06-2021, 07:37 PM	#1
mfw13 Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Seattle, WA Posts: 17,659	the all-purpose International Shipping thread.... Since many purchases, sales, and trades of soccer cards involve sending to/from foreign countries, I thought I'd start a thread where people can share information and discuss their experiences. I'll start by noting that in the last few months, I have had cards shipped to the United States from Japan, Hong Kong, Sweden, Germany, Belgium, France, and the UK without any problems. However, I would be very cautious about purchasing any cards from Italy right now, as the Italian postal service seems to be really struggling. I've got three different packages from Italy that I'm waiting for, from three different sellers, all of which shipped the week of November 8-12 and since disappeared into an informational black hole. No tracking updates....no other information. Not even sure if they've made it to the US yet.

12-06-2021, 07:38 PM	#2
YayNJ Member Join Date: May 2020 Location: London / Oahu Posts: 8,447 hanelcocards	I've always had issues posting to and receiving mail from Italy for some reason (using domestic post) it must be terrible. My biggest bugbear though is some Australian sellers that seem to have literally everything set at £35 shipping. WTF is that all about. For one card! Slowest post though overall has to be Canadian. Last edited by YayNJ; 12-06-2021 at 07:40 PM.

12-07-2021, 01:03 AM	#6
k13 Banned Join Date: Jan 2014 Posts: 12,617	Americans talk about the international market but don't want to ship internationally....lol

12-07-2021, 01:54 PM	#12
Ray V Member Join Date: Dec 2020 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 126	Thank you for starting this thread, was thinking about doing the same but never got around to it. I live in Canada and have had very positive experiences from all over the world. Most deliveries take place within 2 weeks. Italy is about a month right now (yesterday received an item I won on eBay Nov 8), and Russia seems to take longer than a month, but everything arrives eventually. I've purchased thousands of items on eBay from all over the world and can count on one hand the number that were lost in the mail or arrived damaged. As a seller, I've shipped all over the world and have not received any negative feedback about extra-long shipping times coming from Canada. Now in terms of shipping costs ... there doesn't seem to be a need to send things to Canada via registered mail. I know many sellers in the UK charge extra for registered mail (and more and more seem to be going that route), but know that non-registered arrives in about the same time and is just as safe. Though keep in mind I live in Toronto and I benefit from living close to a large international airport, so I receive packages faster than people living in other parts of Canada. Some sellers in South America seem to be forced to use DHL for shipments to Canada. This is more costly and adds an extra layer of challenge. Sometimes the seller is told they need to provide the email address and/or phone number of the receiver and the phone numbers on file at eBay aren't always correct and/or it's against ebay policy to ask a buyer for their email/phone number. Side note: I find it fascinating the info that sellers need to provide the post office or DHL office in their home country just to ship an item ... in documentation received I've seen passport scans and even photocopies of the seller's fingerprints! Global Shipping Program: Sellers, please please please do not use this if you can avoid it. As stated by others, it adds exponential costs and mostly makes it prohibitive to bid on items sold through GSP. Not only are the shipping costs overly inflated, if an item sells for over $40 there are additional import charges added. In the past 2 years I have not had to pay duty/import charges on anything shipped other than through GSP or Fed Ex (though this might be a result of covid/more lax policies at customs), so I am paying substantially more via GSP and like others I actively avoid listings that are shipped through GSP. Finally for US based sellers that don't ship to Canada ... WHY?? I've never had any issues receiving items and have never heard of anyone else in Canada having issues either. But I sometimes hear from US sellers that they have problems with mail to Canada getting lost. Weird. Maybe there a few bad apples in Canada claiming lost packages when they aren't really lost and that's left a bad taste in the mouths of US sellers? Overall my experiences both as a seller and buyer have been exceptional from pretty much every country and I want to thank the whole community for making this international hobby work. Otherwise there would be pretty slim pickings in Canada for football/soccer cards.

12-07-2021, 02:30 PM	#15
k13 Banned Join Date: Jan 2014 Posts: 12,617	I actually buy a decent amount from Asia and don't care how long it takes as long as the cards come safe and in good shape. Only had a few problems here and there. Once someone did not ship the card because the auction went too low and they just kept it and relisted it months later. It was a numbered card so really obvious.

12-07-2021, 03:37 PM	#17
snoozit Member Join Date: Jan 2021 Posts: 75	Great write-up, thanks! When you mention purchasing through PayPal, are you able to do that for eBay transactions? Maybe my misunderstanding, but I thought we can only create USPS labels on the PayPal site if there is a PayPal transaction/sale to link it to.

12-07-2021, 06:46 PM	#21
netmasters Member Join Date: Sep 2020 Posts: 699	Kind of related. For those Americans that have used them who are the best reshippers from Europe?

12-08-2021, 12:23 AM	#22
bobbycass Member Join Date: May 2019 Posts: 473	If youre posting anything to Ireland youd want to include the tarriff code with it. I had a parcel sent back recently because it was lacking the codes. Use this site to find what youre looking for. https://www.anpost.com/Commerce/Parc...Commodity-code This might be an EU wide thing, but maybe Ireland is taking it more serious than the rest of the bloc.

12-08-2021, 08:15 AM	#23
muherd1181 Member Join Date: Sep 2012 Posts: 44	I only sell low end low value soccer and basketball internationally and ship in PWE. I charge $1.99 for shipping and have made well over 100 transaction with out a problem. If you are in America and have a ton of low end soccer and basketball why not sell it for a few $ and ship international? You buying market is unbelievable. I find PWE ship faster than some 1st class mail. The pro's out way the con's. If you happen to have a "lost PWE" then you are out $4-$5 but you will make more in sales. I have had great success with it and a lot of fun.