The 2019 USPS Rates (Notice 123) Link

I just added tables to the first post for a quick review of changes to the First-Class Package Service and how they compare to current rates.

Keep in mind that one perk to including shipping on items that are charged for shipping by zone is that, more often than not, you will be shipping to a lower zone at a lesser rate than what you accounted for in the item price. For example, that carved wooden box I had listed for years at $10 + shipping that cost more than the item...

After getting that email from a customer about wanting it, but not wanting to pay more for shipping, I included the shipping for the highest zone in the price, which came to either $27 or $29 (can't remember now). I sold it within two weeks to a Texas customer where it only cost like $7-8 to ship. I ended up making more than the initial $10 I had been asking for all those years.

Of course, that wasn't my intention. It was simply about perceived value. Customers compare shipping costs to the price of the item to determine if it's worth buying. If they don't have anything to compare and feel something is worth the listed price that doesn't get shipping added to it, then they'll buy it. That wooden box is a perfect example.

So, while I would prefer they leave First-Class as it is, I won't hesitate to make pricing changes accordingly. As long as someone thinks it's worth buying at the listed price, then it's not a problem. If it won't sell at that price, then I might reduce it a bit, or have a sale, to see if that helps. If not, then it will most likely end up going to charity or in the trash at some point because I'm done wasting my time on it. LOL

With the way I have my pricing on CDs now, I won't have to change much to make up the difference. Since all of them are in like new condition, most never having been played, the current pricing is comparable to what they're going for on Amazon in the same or worse condition. The only place I would have a problem competing is on Google Shopping where all the bottom feeders are listed.

As I was explaining to an Etsy team member who asked if I thought I was wasting my time on the CDs, most do not provide the detailed images and descriptions that I do. On Amazon, you never know what you're going to end up with because they use a stock image and customers would rather pay for something they can actually see. That's why my CDs have become my best selling category.

Just read the reviews on Amazon and you'll see all kinds of comments about buying one from there and it skipped or had some other defect. Many also mention that they got what they paid for, referring to the low price and ending up with a defected product. So it helps to read reviews on a site to see what customers are saying since prospective customers are taking it all into consideration when they decide how much they're willing to pay.

So, while it may seem I'm getting off topic there, it's again all about perceived value. Do they know what they're actually getting? Is the price worth it? Would it be better to go to the store and buy it (if it's even available anymore)? These are all things I think about when pricing items.

That's also why I look at the total cost (price + shipping) rather than just looking at the price and then adding shipping on top of that. If the total cost of one of my items is comparable to the total cost of what others are selling it for, then it's a good price -- no matter if I include shipping in the price or leave it separate.

Of course, I don't even look at what bottom feeders are selling things for. On Amazon, I look at a seller's rating AND number of sales. I'll pick the best-selling seller with the best rating and see what they're selling it for, compare it to what the top two and three sellers' prices are, and put my total cost somewhere in the middle or lower. If they're all asking more than I feel comfortable asking, then I'll go lower.

Okay, now I may be getting a bit off topic. LOL My whole point, though, is that it's all about perceived value. With the free shipping craze these days, it's best to just look at total cost when pricing items -- shipping included or not. Also, while sites like Etsy push it as free shipping, I include an image with each listing that says "shipping included". I also put it in the Materials section because that's one of the first things mobile users see.

By doing so, I'm catering to those who like free shipping and being honest with shoppers who know there's no such thing. For the latter, I'm also now encouraging them to buy more than one item by offering a 10% discount on multiple item orders. That leaves me wiggle room if I decide I want to run an actual sale at a higher percentage because it still covers my shipping costs.

So, I'm providing value no matter how anyone looks at it -- and without sacrificing much, if any profit (based on what I would like to make after everybody's taken their piece of my pie). Anywho, I'll stop rambling now. LOL

I wish I had the option of doing the additional items with free shipping. Etsy doesn't have that option, I don't think. I'll have to double-check, but I've been sick in bed all day, so I'll check later.

I had thought about lowering shipping, but I don't want to go back to flat rate shipping and I can't just lower the weight because that wouldn't work for international shipping. I haven't had an international sale in a long time, since they started doing the localization thing, so I'm wondering if I should turn it off altogether. Then I could just lower the weight at least for FC items. Although, I don't know how that will work with zone-rated shipping.

It is really nice having this feature.

I've decided not to raise my prices in any way, not to the item listing and not to the shipping. There's just too much competition out there to compete with dollar wise already. If it starts to be a problem, then I will.

Hahaha! Just saw this post. Too funny! I actually quit selling to the EU over a year ago because of their new laws that Etsy seems to think we're required to abide by. I also quit selling internationally entirely on my eCrater store so I could offer free shipping. eCrater only allows so many flat rate fields and we don't have the option of creating groups like we do on Etsy with their shipping profiles. Plus, I'm really not interested in doing flat rates at all.

Speaking of eCrater, if they move to zone-rated shipping on FC, I'm going to have to rethink the Matrix set up. I finally started using that last year so I could do away with flat rates altogether since you have to do them for each listing separately. It was a real PITA having to update those every year and it got to a point where I just quit updating them. If they had a better bulk editor, I could just do them that way, but they don't.

Actually, come to think of it, with free shipping, I don't need the matrix. Although, I can't remember if I got around to applying free shipping to everything like I did on Etsy. Before I continue listing anything, I need to make sure all of my listings between shops match and that my eCrater listings that aren't on Etsy are updated.