Folks Of Interest HAMB Parts & Shipping

I Know I'm Beating A Dead Horse. I've been on the HAMB for 19 years and have sold parts on here for that long. It might be a generational thing but I'm noticing more of buyers that expect the seller to absorb the shipping. I know shipping has gotten ridiculous but when you buy from some of the hot rod parts companies do you try to negotiate shipping? I think not. I'm not talking about Speedway, Jeg's or Summit but the family owned parts sellers. We the HAMB sellers have expenses. I have always thru the years sold the best parts possible. Buyers need to get realistic, not doing this for fun.

 

Gary, people just want to buy everything cheaper than the asking price, just be the nice guy I know you to be and say thanks but no thanks, the price is firm and the shipping is on you. HRP

 

Come on man, that’s the dance you have to do when selling stuff.

i’m sure there’s hundreds of guys on here that have bartered starting at insulting prices at swap meets.

if someone really wants it and you really wanna sell it then a deal will be reached.

just be thankful the excellent HAMB classifieds doesn’t ask for a cut!!

 

"Free" shipping by the big companies (Amazon, Wal Mart,) has skewed buyers perception on what shipping costs. And a lot of buyers who have never sold items have no idea how much work goes into good packaging to make sure it actually survives the trip.

 

There’s two types of sellers (IMO). The ones that see something they won’t use/need cash, and the ones who buy to resell.
I’ve never tried to barter with a business selling anything.

 

Seems to be a sign of the times, a lot of people are feeling the pinch right now, so are after a reduction, but I think you should stick firm, your not just providing a part, your providing a service. If he doesn't like the price, let him try and get it done.
I've been moving stuff on recently, not much, but its all been cheap because it needs to go, but that's different. Working for myself, the price I give for work is the price, no haggling, if you don't like it, i'm not the guy for you.

 

Last night I was searching for a chrome pulley on line, Speedway (not my fave choice) had it and some polished header bolts for around $45. When the shipping calculated it was another $40 to ship! It was going to take to long to get anyway so I bought the parts from Summit, added a couple of work shirts and a new headlight (the kind you wear) and got free shipping.

A seller on CL, Ebay or the HAMB can't absorb that kind of hit. And you can't price it in to your asking price or people will think you are nuts on small ticket stuff.

Free shipping is a scam, nothing is free. Summit sold me a bunch of stuff I didn't really need and made enough profit to ship them to me. My $25 pulley cost me $130.00! Free shipping...I'll give you free shipping!

 

People have been haggling on the price on goods forever. It's nothing new. I worked retail for 11 years people tried to get a better deal on everything. Shipping might be the latest angle on getting a deal due to all the claims of free shipping but trying to get a deal is nothing new.

And I have 100% asked a company to try and find a cheaper shipping alternative as it costs probably 3 times as much to ship to Canada as you pay in the U.S.

 

I just bought something from Summit, all I need at the time. First time I’ve haven’t spent enough for the free shipping. Shipping wasn’t bad though, 28 dollar part, 12 bucks to ship and tax. Ordered it Tuesday morning, will be here today.
I don’t expect a business to go out and send it the cheapest way possible to me. They box it, wait for it to get picked up and down the road it goes.

 

I've never got free shipping except when I paid over what the good discount price was, had to buy X $$ worth as Billy said in post 7 or the shipping was calculated into the price. I used to sell stuff on EBay shipping included that would fit in a USPS priority box and was already boxed and ready to go when I advertised it. The buyer may have thought they were getting free shipping but they were paying my price with shipping included.
I quit selling larger items that won't fit in a priority box simply because I have lost money on shipping too many times.
I'd say a lot of those big sellers have serious shipping rate discounts with the post office, UPS and FedEX That beats up on the little guy who has to pay full bore at one of them to ship something.

 

As many of you know I have been trying to find parts for the Ranch Wagon which I wrecked back in October, I finally found the front splash apron, the part was 100 bucks, the shipping was 109.60, like everything else in this world freight is poricy, either you pay it or do without, that is not a option in this stage of the game.

None of these parts are reproduced so the better the piece the more it cost. HRP

 

The other reality is you are selling old used parts. People haggle on used parts.

I am not a haggler but I do find it funny how people feel it's perfectly fine when haggling for some stuff and at the same time find it an affront when people do it on other stuff.

 

You will find that most of the items you find on the internet that say free shipping have included the shipping costs in the price. You can find the exact same item that will cost less but on checkout when you see the total cost including shipping, it's the same.

 

Trying to find a big, fragile part right now. None (complete) are available new. That leaves looking thru used ads and trying to find one that isn't across the country. Would rather not put myself and the seller through the grief and cost of shipping.
I try not to chip away on prices. If it's too much, I move on. Drove all day to get the wheels I paid full asking for last month.
Don't like it from the seller's side at all. Between that and the scammers, it's tough not to get discouraged.

 

I’ve been selling off my ‘extra stuff’ at swap meets for some time and have always enjoyed the bartering experience. Sometimes offers can be a little insulting, but I get it. Gotta start somewhere and who doesn’t like a good deal.
On occasion, I have listed stuff online to access a larger market, but the shipping aspect is always a little painful. I always try to do my best to help buyers, sometimes even eating the cost myself. Depends on my margins (if any) or more often how motivated I am to move the parts along. Which translates from how bad my wife wants more space for her ‘stuff’.
Going to try and move some more of the bigger stuff at the swaps this year, but it seems more and more attendees have their hands in their pockets, so …

 

I don’t know about where you are, but people also need to remember that most things have gone up with inflation in recent times.
Stick to your prices.
Original’32 axles aren’t being made anymore………..

 

Another story. I ordered one of the Vintage Air vintage style heaters and we all know how big they are. I suppose the box it came in was about 12-13 inches square. It came from Jeg's and was in a box large enough to hold 8. In the box was the heater and about a 100 of those inflated air shipping bags jammed in to keep the heater secure. Every time I ship a box that large by UPS they charge me for the weight there computer says it weighs according to the girth not the actual weight. So with a company like Jeg's size doesn't matter to UPS?

 

Not trying to be a dick here, as I'm a seller too. But $1250 is a ridiculously high priced heavy axle. You can buy nicely dropped 32 heavy axles for half that. If you price things in the upper echelon of the price range. You should fully expect to receive what the buyer feels is a fair offer.

Personally, there isn't enough profit in your venture to make it worth while to me. You're simply not leaving enough margin for yourself to work with.

My opinion only and worth the paper it's written on. Lol

Anyways, good luck with the sale.

 

I would consider all the shipping that you paid for to send the axle back and forth and back across the country to be a sunk cost. There are were ways you could have reduced that cost.

If a guy local to Greg had the axle, drove it to him, and then picked it up does that make the axle worth only $875?

Companies like Jegs negotiate their shipping rates. Its more efficient for them to palletize 50 boxes of the exact same size than 50 boxes are are 10 different sizes.

To reduce your own shipping costs, purchase your shipping label through a 3rd party such as PirateShip, GoShippo, ShipStation, etc. You can save a bunch of $$$ that way. PirateShip has worked fine for me.

 

They ship so much they probably have a standard rate per pound regardless of size. I know when I worked at Freightliner our shipping via UPS or FedEx was pretty minimal.

 

Yup. It's also cheaper for a company to stock 3 or 4 sizes of boxes that everything they sell fits in (pay less per box because they are buying in bulk) rather than 25-30 different sizes so they can size the box to each individual item they are shipping.

 

As a seller I am used to insulting offers at a swap meet but can tell you that the bottom feeding low buck offering 'buyers' never buy from me as I won't sell to them. I'll smile and say thanks for the offer but those types won't get a second chance. A fair offer and we can do the dance. I may really want to sell it but there are plenty of opportunities without those types.

 

Dancing?

Swap meet, I already cleaned, loaded, drove, paid and unloaded, with prices marked. Show me the money if you are serious! Over half who bargain don't buy even at their price if we get that far.

Online ad, I already took pics, uploaded with text and price. Any offers in the first reply is not Dance?, but Dance, Monkey!
I have 5 ads up now. 3 say $XXX Firm, 2 say $XXX. Know which ones get "How about (insert 50% or less)?" questions? Yeah.

 

The company I used to work for (Ballard Hardware) here in Seattle, is what is known as a
(KNOWN SHIPPER)
The company shipped material all over and a lot to Alaska.
They got an 80% discount from UPS.
I used to have an annual side hustle for many years, and because I was an employee of Ballard Hardware, they would let me use them as a shipper, as long as I paid for it. So I would ship a pallet full of printed t-shirts to an annual airshow that I would attend for years, as a vendor out at the Seaplane base, connected with the E.A.A. airshow at Oshkosh Wisconsin.

I did my own packing with a very sturdy double thick wall tote, and a thick visqueen top and spin wrapped it very securely. Plus put tape on the corners as well.
I would ship it ground, and have it delivered a few days before the show, to my storage unit there in Oshkosh, and there was a slight charge for forklift service, to put the pallet into my storage unit.

Average weight of that pallet each year was around 385 pounds.
My annual average shipping charge was about $285.00.

I would have never got such a low price on shipping if I didn't go through Ballard Hardware.

That was a number of years ago. I was very fortunate to be able to do shipping that way.
So if any of you have a good connection to a business, that does get a huge discount on shipping, and if you can swing it with the company, this might be an alternative to ship materials at a discount rate.

Just a thought to ponder, everyone's results may vary greatly.
The picture shows the size of the pallet, and some of the boxes that were inside, so you get an idea of scale of the contents.
Thanks from Dennis.

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I would say just sell used axles not dropped. let them figure the rest out.
If you lived close to the axle dropper then your time and effort would still calculate in.

Let them figure that out.

 

Even being a smaller business, we still get a substantial discount over "list" price. About 50%. Which considering how much smaller we are than Ballard Hardware. I feel is pretty good.

 

I say it never hurts to ask about shipping; last set of tires I bought. They asked me how I wanted them shipped, I said what's the cheapest way? They said meet our truck coming through your area and pick them up for free. I've sold items that way also, some guy comes through my area and picks up the item, free shipping.

 

I'd think a SHIPPING AND HANDLING NOT INCLUDED note in your ad would make it pretty clear.

 

My self I really prefer not to sell anything in including to Family!
I rather hang it on the wall or just store it , occasionally I have sold parts that I regret it because I don't have to, I just been missing with this addiction before 10.
I sold a Perfect restored Original 32 Axle
A few years back I think 7 or 8 plus
Buck & 1/2 shipping , I try to talk buyer out of buying , Told buyer to purchase
A Super Bell , As I was building a crate I started having seller remorse,
But I finished crating & shipped, Just because I gave my word & I try to do what I say !! Buyer received & thank me for axle & care of building crate , & how pristine axle was ,
I honest would rather have it hanging on my wall Now,
I sold Pristine Original restored set 5 spokes & new Firestones for I believe 12 & delivered to Ga on way to Fla,
Same , Seller Remorse,
I sold a vintage Hilborn , Try to talk buyer out of buying , tried to get buyer
To Purchase a New one from Hilborn
Witch would of been Cheaper ,
Buyer wanted my part because was restoring a Willy Gaser if I remember correct, Again Seller remorse.
I sold a NOS Pro Holley Dominator,
Again Seller remorse .
I sold my A , thought I was Helping a Newbie getting into Hobby,
Again Seller remorse!! Then finding out
Buyer Lied to me , I have not forgot about that deal , & have not forgotten about ,
If I am looking to buy something,
I already know asking price
If its described correctly , I do not haggle and hand over the amount asking ,
A Few times Rarely selling , I do not like for a buyer show up , Look over , ask if I will take Less , Then tell me they did Not bring that much $$ , I then tell them You wasted a trip & you did not bring enough, In some cases
They dig around maybe come back 1/2 hr later with correct $$ , Sorry Its not for sale No longer

Fastenal Inc used to ship cheap and sometimes free to other Fastenal with loading Dock

 

Hitchhiker I'm sure there are varying opinions about me and what I sell on the HAMB some good some not so good. I've been at it a long time. I've had lots of people tell me I'm to high priced for my original 32 parts, makes no difference as there are always buyers who want the nice parts and are willing to step up. I heard the same thing for the 40+ years I was in the chassis business. Kept busy all those years doing chassis., never had down time. Hear the same thing about my T5 kits, I'm $650 and Speedway sells something for $300 plus. I'm still selling kits. If my parts don't sell on here I'll take them to Pomona in June if I still have them and normally don't bring much home. Last summer I took a couple of my nicer complete deuce shells to the show asked $3250. each many people walked by and told me I was insane. Took a little while but their gone. I was a commercial vendor at 8-9 NSRA show a year across the US for 16-17 years and I never had to watch my back or look over my shoulder or make excuses. I got nothing to be ashamed of.