The cheapest way to ship anything is:

First you must box it yourself.
Second FEDX ground if you have a depot in you town.
Third USPO ground
Four UPS ground

If you must ship it Priority the USPO is the only way I go.

Yes the buyer always pays the shipping unless you have it figured into
the cost in the start.

Yes talk the Power Supply out of the MS-4 or the buyer won't be to happy.

Also double box the item and pack it real tight so it won't mover around
in the box.

Yes it is more work to double box but is almost better than buying the
insurance.

I never buy insurance unless the buyer want it.

I have never filed a claim on over 500 items shipped.

Last never go to the rip off places to have them pack and distroy you
item and end up paying through the nose for it.
Happy shipping

Ron


K5DH wrote:

Funny you should mention shipping Drake 4-Line gear...
I just shipped a C-Line station (TX, RX, PS, SPKR) to
a buddy in Pennsylvania from my home in north Texas.
He requested that I use the US Postal Service rather
than UPS or others. The cost, including insurance
and delivery confirmation, was about $18.00 per piece.
UPS and FedEx Ground would have been cheaper, but my
friend was paying the shipping costs, so he got to
pick the shipper.

I do my own packing using recycled boxes, bubble wrap,
etc, which I scrounge at work. I refuse to pay some
clerk at MBE or other vendor a lot of money to do what
I can do in 10 minutes at home.

I'm not offering any opinions on which shipper is the
best or fastest or most careful or anything else. I
am just sharing my recent experience (last week).

As for the cost, yep, it is getting high. I always
have the buyer pay the cost, and the buyer always gets
to choose their preferred method of shipment. If the
buyer doesn't want to pay the shipping, I find another
buyer. Simple as that.

73,
Dean K5DH


In article , says...


Hi, Everybody,

I have been shocked to learn recently how expensive shipping can be.
What do you guys all do when you have to ship equipment?

I am selling a Drake station and took the AC-4 / MS-4 to the local
Mailboxes, Etc. store to get an idea of how much it would cost. They
told me that UPS Ground was $36.86 to ship from California to Michigan.
And that was not including the packing! And there would be two more
boxes to ship (for the receiver and transmitter)!

I had to give my buyer that sad news that, at these prices, I can't
afford to ship!

What is the best practice to follow when needing to ship equipment
across the country?

Thanks.


Regards,

Al W6LX

On Tue, 22 Jul 2003 07:02:13 -0400, beans wrote:

UPS will come to a place of business to pick up an item. Call them the
day before and they will give you the info. Very convenient around the
holidays.

They will also come to a residence (they do that here on the rare
occasions when I have a recipient's pick-up tag). Absent a pick-up
tag, all you need is the exact weight, a check for the exact
payment, and the completed paperwork. For a one-shot deal I usually
have problems getting all three.

When I had a business office I had a FedEx account for documents
with the drop box in the building lobby, but I got most of my
package deliveries by UPS.

--
73 de K2ASP - Phil Kane

On Tue, 22 Jul 2003 07:02:13 -0400, beans wrote:

UPS will come to a place of business to pick up an item. Call them the
day before and they will give you the info. Very convenient around the
holidays.

They will also come to a residence (they do that here on the rare
occasions when I have a recipient's pick-up tag). Absent a pick-up
tag, all you need is the exact weight, a check for the exact
payment, and the completed paperwork. For a one-shot deal I usually
have problems getting all three.

When I had a business office I had a FedEx account for documents
with the drop box in the building lobby, but I got most of my
package deliveries by UPS.

--
73 de K2ASP - Phil Kane

On Mon, 21 Jul 2003 19:34:33 -0500, "STB"
wrote:

Forget UPS and their so-called "shipping agents." They've made it quite
clear their not interested in residential business.

UPS charges $1.00 per package "extra" simply if the identical address
is residential. FACT.

Then Mailboxes tacks on
20% more? What are we wearing, "KICK ME" signs on out backs?
Look into Federal Express GROUND. Its cheaper than UPS AND the post office
Parcel Post,packages are treated better, insurance is included and you'll
have the item in 3 days.

Vern Weiss W9STB
All boatanchors-All CW
"Brenda Ann" wrote in message
...

"--Bill--" wrote in message
...
I have heard that the "Mailboxes" places mark up the UPS rates by about
20-25%. You can check the REAL rates online at their website. I hope
you didn't ask about the cost of packing or you'd just now be getting up
off the floor!

Pack it yourself and carry it to the Post Office or UPS.

-Bill


What Bill said... I have found that going to Mailboxes, Etc., or anything
like them, will cost right at twice what packing it yourself and driving
to
the post office costs. I live in Korea, and I have to use USPS to send or
receive all my parcels. I have sent items much heavier than what you
planned
to ship for only about $35 to the east coast (APO's are charged from San
Francisco). Pack it, weigh it, and check online at www.usps.com or
www.ups.com for actual shipping costs.





..
Boycott anything made in France and vacation somewhere else.

On Mon, 21 Jul 2003 19:34:33 -0500, "STB"
wrote:

Forget UPS and their so-called "shipping agents." They've made it quite
clear their not interested in residential business.

UPS charges $1.00 per package "extra" simply if the identical address
is residential. FACT.

Then Mailboxes tacks on
20% more? What are we wearing, "KICK ME" signs on out backs?
Look into Federal Express GROUND. Its cheaper than UPS AND the post office
Parcel Post,packages are treated better, insurance is included and you'll
have the item in 3 days.

Vern Weiss W9STB
All boatanchors-All CW
"Brenda Ann" wrote in message
...

"--Bill--" wrote in message
...
I have heard that the "Mailboxes" places mark up the UPS rates by about
20-25%. You can check the REAL rates online at their website. I hope
you didn't ask about the cost of packing or you'd just now be getting up
off the floor!

Pack it yourself and carry it to the Post Office or UPS.

-Bill


What Bill said... I have found that going to Mailboxes, Etc., or anything
like them, will cost right at twice what packing it yourself and driving
to
the post office costs. I live in Korea, and I have to use USPS to send or
receive all my parcels. I have sent items much heavier than what you
planned
to ship for only about $35 to the east coast (APO's are charged from San
Francisco). Pack it, weigh it, and check online at www.usps.com or
www.ups.com for actual shipping costs.





..
Boycott anything made in France and vacation somewhere else.

FEDEX has walk-in service around the country, granted I'm about 30 miles
from one, but I make the trip to that town every two weeks for other
reasons. I guess I'm lucky I live about 120 miles from Memphis, TN and seem
to get my second day air packages the next day. HI HI

Chuck


"luke" wrote in message
...
Fedex ground is available you have an account with fedex.

Also when you ship using one of these package stores, the store
is the shipper, not you, so if there is a claim the package store has
to get involved to file the claim.




Forget UPS and their so-called "shipping agents." They've made it quite
clear their not interested in residential business. Then Mailboxes tacks
on
20% more? What are we wearing, "KICK ME" signs on out backs?
Look into Federal Express GROUND. Its cheaper than UPS AND the post
office
Parcel Post,packages are treated better, insurance is included and
you'll
have the item in 3 days.

Vern Weiss W9STB

FEDEX has walk-in service around the country, granted I'm about 30 miles
from one, but I make the trip to that town every two weeks for other
reasons. I guess I'm lucky I live about 120 miles from Memphis, TN and seem
to get my second day air packages the next day. HI HI

Chuck


"luke" wrote in message
...
Fedex ground is available you have an account with fedex.

Also when you ship using one of these package stores, the store
is the shipper, not you, so if there is a claim the package store has
to get involved to file the claim.




Forget UPS and their so-called "shipping agents." They've made it quite
clear their not interested in residential business. Then Mailboxes tacks
on
20% more? What are we wearing, "KICK ME" signs on out backs?
Look into Federal Express GROUND. Its cheaper than UPS AND the post
office
Parcel Post,packages are treated better, insurance is included and
you'll
have the item in 3 days.

Vern Weiss W9STB

On Mon, 21 Jul 2003 14:56:10 -0700, Al Lorona
wrote:


Hi, Everybody,

I have been shocked to learn recently how expensive shipping can be.
What do you guys all do when you have to ship equipment?

I am selling a Drake station and took the AC-4 / MS-4 to the local
Mailboxes, Etc. store to get an idea of how much it would cost. They
told me that UPS Ground was $36.86 to ship from California to Michigan.
And that was not including the packing! And there would be two more
boxes to ship (for the receiver and transmitter)!

I had to give my buyer that sad news that, at these prices, I can't
afford to ship!

What is the best practice to follow when needing to ship equipment
across the country?

Thanks.

Look in the Yellow Pages for a store that sells packing and shipping
materials. In my city, that would be Office Depot, the Container
Store, and a few other places. A lot of the rental storage facilities
also sell boxes and stuff.

You can buy cardboard boxes, tape, plastic packing pellets, bubble
wrap, etcetera, yourself, and pack each piece fairly inexpensively.

Then take the boxes to UPS, yourself, and send them off. You should go
to the web site for UPS. It gives you the box sizes that are
allowable, and you can enter the shipping and receiving zip codes and
get an exact cost for shipping, beforehand.

This is a lot cheaper than going to Mailboxes Etcetera. They have to
mark everything up to make money.

Bob
k5qwg



Regards,

Al W6LX

On Mon, 21 Jul 2003 14:56:10 -0700, Al Lorona
wrote:


Hi, Everybody,

I have been shocked to learn recently how expensive shipping can be.
What do you guys all do when you have to ship equipment?

I am selling a Drake station and took the AC-4 / MS-4 to the local
Mailboxes, Etc. store to get an idea of how much it would cost. They
told me that UPS Ground was $36.86 to ship from California to Michigan.
And that was not including the packing! And there would be two more
boxes to ship (for the receiver and transmitter)!

I had to give my buyer that sad news that, at these prices, I can't
afford to ship!

What is the best practice to follow when needing to ship equipment
across the country?

Thanks.

Look in the Yellow Pages for a store that sells packing and shipping
materials. In my city, that would be Office Depot, the Container
Store, and a few other places. A lot of the rental storage facilities
also sell boxes and stuff.

You can buy cardboard boxes, tape, plastic packing pellets, bubble
wrap, etcetera, yourself, and pack each piece fairly inexpensively.

Then take the boxes to UPS, yourself, and send them off. You should go
to the web site for UPS. It gives you the box sizes that are
allowable, and you can enter the shipping and receiving zip codes and
get an exact cost for shipping, beforehand.

This is a lot cheaper than going to Mailboxes Etcetera. They have to
mark everything up to make money.

Bob
k5qwg



Regards,

Al W6LX

Ups the real story....

UPS sends all parcels to Louisville KY, to a place they called HUB 2K... The
place is huge and mostly run by computers and conveyor belts (at One point I
counted 14 stacked on top of each other and running in every direction) The
conveyors do a number of things, like scan packages on all 6 sides, and dump
and bump like you wouldn't believe..

A package comes into the hub on a huge cargo plane.,,, A device called a
K-loader unloads two huge air cargo containers at a time ( oh and they have
to use a jackstand at the rear of the plane as they unload or the plane
could tip over) The container is set on roller plate (6 inch casters turned
upside down) that allows anyone to move these huge containers with ease. The
air cargo containers at locked in place in front of a movable belt that the
employees (pretty much the only folks there) move (read toss) packages
onto.... Heaven forbid your package gets on the bottom row of these
containers. From there is off to the maze of belts and chutes where more
employees repack your stuff into different air cargo containers.... The
place is huge and busy.. How do I know I used to work for UPS (in phx) and
have seen what and how they do business. Needless to say I use only FEDEX
ground....

Oh and good luck with insurance claims (the horror stories I used to get
when I mentioned I was a UPS employee... wheew .....)

This are my opinions only.... Make your own choices of carriers...
Bob