Kurt Wild on sat 12 feb 00
I recently received a shipment from a potter who charged 20% of the
purchase price of a $45 pot for shipping and handling. I usually bill
the purchaser for the exact amount of of the pot plus actual shipping
materials and $10 packing charge and the actual shipping charges. If I
charged 20% on a $500 pot the shipping and handling would be $100. When
I have shipped a $500 piece the shipping materials (drum $5 and
newspaper free) and packing (time $10) plus actual shipping (UPS)
charges of about $25 depending on where I ship to total not more than
$40.
What are the policies of others of you?
Kurt Wild
1000 E. Cascade Ave.
River Falls, WI 54022
Phone: 715-425-5715
email: kurt.l.wild@uwrf.edu
web site: http://wwwpp.uwrf.edu/~kw77/
lucien m koonce on sun 13 feb 00
Hi Kurt,
I hold the view that shipping is a customer service and not something
that a profit is to be made on. After all, the customer is already paying
that in the purchase of the piece. All I want to do is recoupe the initial
shipping fee, including insurance. Since I scavange my boxes, bubble wrap
and peanuts, that is free to the customer. If I was buying those materials,
I would figure that cost and add it to the shipping fee. Someone might
argue that it takes time to box and wrap and compensation should be made.
What's wrong with doing a little something for the customer? After all,
they didn't have to buy anything.
Lucien M. Koonce
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Click on http://lmkoonce.home.mindspring.com and visit my on-line gallery.
L M Koonce / Robbins, NC
-----Original Message-----
From: Kurt Wild
To: CLAYART@LSV.UKY.EDU
Date: Saturday, February 12, 2000 11:16 AM
Subject: Shipping & handling charges?
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>I recently received a shipment from a potter who charged 20% of the
>purchase price of a $45 pot for shipping and handling. I usually bill
>the purchaser for the exact amount of of the pot plus actual shipping
>materials and $10 packing charge and the actual shipping charges. If I
>charged 20% on a $500 pot the shipping and handling would be $100. When
>I have shipped a $500 piece the shipping materials (drum $5 and
>newspaper free) and packing (time $10) plus actual shipping (UPS)
>charges of about $25 depending on where I ship to total not more than
>$40.
>
>What are the policies of others of you?
>
>Kurt Wild
>1000 E. Cascade Ave.
>River Falls, WI 54022
>Phone: 715-425-5715
>email: kurt.l.wild@uwrf.edu
>web site: http://wwwpp.uwrf.edu/~kw77/
Kathi LeSueur on sun 13 feb 00
In a message dated 2/12/00 11:30:58 AM, Kurt.L.Wild@uwrf.edu writes:
<< I recently received a shipment from a potter who charged 20% of the
purchase price of a $45 pot for shipping and handling.
What are the policies of others of you?
Kurt Wild
1000 E. Cascade Ave.
River Falls, WI 54022
Phone: 715-425-5715
email: kurt.l.wild@uwrf.edu
web site: http://wwwpp.uwrf.edu/~kw77/>>
I charge the actual shipping charges plus one dollar for each box (just the
outer box, not the inner boxes used for double boxing). I do not charge a
packing and handling fee. My business is 80% wholesale and I consider
packing, and the materials that go with it, the cost of doing business. What
percentage this is depends on where the order is shipped to. But I don't
think it's ever over 10%.
Kathi LeSueur
Ann Arbor, MI
Jean Cochran on mon 14 feb 00
Dear Kurt:
I charge 12% for packing and handling, plus actual shipping charges. Each
of my pieces is wrapped in new foam wrap then placed in its own new box. As
many boxes as will fit are placed in a larger box with at least 2" of
non-moving packing around the outside. Even at 12% packing and handling, it
seems to me that we are "giving away" about 3%, that is that the packing
itself costs us about 15% total.
We WERE thinking about just charging 15% and including the shipping charges
until the most recent thread regarding the heavy shipping costs increase.
Yours for fine crafts,
Jean Wadsworth Cochran
Fox Hollow Pottery
Kurt Wild wrote:
> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> I recently received a shipment from a potter who charged 20% of the
> purchase price of a $45 pot for shipping and handling. I usually bill
> the purchaser for the exact amount of of the pot plus actual shipping
> materials and $10 packing charge and the actual shipping charges. If I
> charged 20% on a $500 pot the shipping and handling would be $100. When
> I have shipped a $500 piece the shipping materials (drum $5 and
> newspaper free) and packing (time $10) plus actual shipping (UPS)
> charges of about $25 depending on where I ship to total not more than
> $40.
>
> What are the policies of others of you?
>
> Kurt Wild
> 1000 E. Cascade Ave.
> River Falls, WI 54022
> Phone: 715-425-5715
> email: kurt.l.wild@uwrf.edu
> web site: http://wwwpp.uwrf.edu/~kw77/
Herb Moses on mon 14 feb 00
we use the USPS rates as our guideline. Go to their website (usps.com). I
put in a coast to coast destination. So, for instance, a five pound package
from Palm Springs to Washington DC is $6.50. Plus insurance and delivery
confirmation is $7.70. I did that for various weights, and keep that chart
handy.
The box is a buck (we have a good wholesale source), free if we can dumpster
dive.
The bubble wrap, maybe a buck.
The newspaper and peanuts are free (from our neighbor stores' trash).
We'd charge $12 to ship.
We ship USPS.
Herb (in Palm Springs, where it rained the past two days. Expecting refund
on property tax for those times)
http://www.usapottery.com
Palm Springs Pottery
198 S. Indian Canyon Drive
Palm Springs, CA 92262
----- Original Message -----
From: Kurt Wild
To:
Sent: Saturday, February 12, 2000 8:16 AM
Subject: Shipping & handling charges?
> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> I recently received a shipment from a potter who charged 20% of the
> purchase price of a $45 pot for shipping and handling. I usually bill
> the purchaser for the exact amount of of the pot plus actual shipping
> materials and $10 packing charge and the actual shipping charges. If I
> charged 20% on a $500 pot the shipping and handling would be $100. When
> I have shipped a $500 piece the shipping materials (drum $5 and
> newspaper free) and packing (time $10) plus actual shipping (UPS)
> charges of about $25 depending on where I ship to total not more than
> $40.
>
> What are the policies of others of you?
>
> Kurt Wild
> 1000 E. Cascade Ave.
> River Falls, WI 54022
> Phone: 715-425-5715
> email: kurt.l.wild@uwrf.edu
> web site: http://wwwpp.uwrf.edu/~kw77/
>
David McDonald on mon 14 feb 00
Kurt,
Good question, and I would like to hear other's responses too.
As for me, I figured the cost of packing materials, and the time to pack
it into the price of my work (since most of it gets shipped), and have
been charging the customer just the actual shipping cost. I personally
dislike complexity in adding on costs to bill the customer, and I've
observed that they do too. Since this last rate hike by UPS for oversized
boxes, I've decided to change my shipping charge policy to a flat 10%.
That way everyone who buys my work and needs to have it shipped will know
right off what it's going to cost. Once again, since I've built the
packing materials costs into my pricing, 10% added on for shipping may
seem like enough for me, but maybe not for someone else, like the guy who
adds 20%. I'm guessing that adding on only 10% would seem alot more
palatable to the paying customer. So there you have it. David
On Sat, 12 Feb 2000 11:16:12 EST Kurt Wild writes:
> ----------------------------Original
> message----------------------------
> I recently received a shipment from a potter who charged 20% of the
> purchase price of a $45 pot for shipping and handling. I usually
> bill
> the purchaser for the exact amount of of the pot plus actual
> shipping
> materials and $10 packing charge and the actual shipping charges.
> If I
> charged 20% on a $500 pot the shipping and handling would be $100.
> When
> I have shipped a $500 piece the shipping materials (drum $5 and
> newspaper free) and packing (time $10) plus actual shipping (UPS)
> charges of about $25 depending on where I ship to total not more
> than
> $40.
>
> What are the policies of others of you?
>
> Kurt Wild
> 1000 E. Cascade Ave.
> River Falls, WI 54022
> Phone: 715-425-5715
> email: kurt.l.wild@uwrf.edu
> web site: http://wwwpp.uwrf.edu/~kw77/
David McDonald
Limberlost Pottery
721 First Street
Prescott,AZ 86301
(520)778-7854 claydog@juno.com
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Cindy Strnad on mon 14 feb 00
Lucien,
I agree that shipping and handling shouldn't become a profit center, however
. . . when you've just spent an entire day or more packing off a wholesale
order, you may begin to think your time is worth a little something. Believe
me, if there was a service around here to do this chore for me, I would
immediately contract with them. When I (very occasionally) ship retail
orders, I don't charge handling, but I can't afford not to charge my large
wholesale customers.
Cindy Strnad
earthenv@gwtc.net
Earthen Vessels Pottery
RR 1, Box 51
Custer, SD 57730
Ray Aldridge on mon 14 feb 00
At 03:19 PM 2/13/00 EST, you wrote:
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>Hi Kurt,
> I hold the view that shipping is a customer service and not something
>that a profit is to be made on. After all, the customer is already paying
>that in the purchase of the piece. All I want to do is recoupe the initial
>shipping fee, including insurance. Since I scavange my boxes, bubble wrap
>and peanuts, that is free to the customer. If I was buying those materials,
>I would figure that cost and add it to the shipping fee. Someone might
>argue that it takes time to box and wrap and compensation should be made.
>What's wrong with doing a little something for the customer? After all,
>they didn't have to buy anything.
This seems a pleasant attitude at first glance, and I know it's well-meant,
but in many cases it leads to sad consequences. The time it takes to pack
an item for shipping must be paid for in some way, either by raising the
prices of one's wares or by accepting a lower standard of living-- and this
latter choice often leads to disillusionment and the end of a
once-promising career. Your customers will not be pleased by higher
prices, and if you are not able to sustain your career, the beautiful
things they might have acquired from you will never be made.
And as an aside, this attitude-- that customers are doing you a great favor
when they buy your work-- will serve you poorly over the long haul.
There's nothing wrong with feeling gratitude when someone buys a piece. I
always do, but I hope and expect the customer will feel grateful for what I
have done, too, because this is the basis for a happy exchange.
Ray
Aldridge Porcelain and Stoneware
http://www.goodpots.com
Catherine Jarosz on mon 14 feb 00
Hi Kurt .... some fellow potters started adding the shipping and handling
charges onto the piece to start with but I still do the what is supposedly
standard charge of 7% packing plus shipping charge... the 7% basically
covers your packing materials you sure dont get compensated for your time
... not as a potter at any rate .... I use egg crates instead of double
boxing and get my father in law to collect them for me at the country club
,,, I had to purchase the boxes but was also able to scrounge packing
peanuts and some bubble wrap from where my hubby works ... so far so good
but I dont as a rule ship anylonger as I hate that job and will usually
turn down anyone I have to ship too unless its a gallery I really want to
have my work exposed in ... if someone tells me they will come pick up the
pots I take them first ... it can take days to pack a big load to ship
and another day for me to get it to ups office .... hope this helps as I
believe its pretty standard costs for most of us .. cat
Cindy Strnad on tue 15 feb 00
Kurt,
You state you plan to charge 10% for packing and shipping. As I get the idea
you're selling retail (am I right?) that seems quite fair. I usually don't
even charge shipping for small retail orders (I get so few of them it's not
a major deal). I wonder if the potter charging 20% for shipping might have
been charging that 20% on the wholesale price? That would amount to the same
charge if he keystones his prices. My wholesale shipping generally comes to
between 15 and 20%, though I try to sell locally as much as possible, and
don't charge for delivery if I bring it to the location myself.
Cindy Strnad
earthenv@gwtc.net
Earthen Vessels Pottery
RR 1, Box 51
Custer, SD 57730
Susan Fox Hirschmann on tue 15 feb 00
I agree as far as the packaging charges, and i charge 7% to cover packaging.
I do clay and fiber designs that require unusual packaging and find that this
7 % just about covers the costs of bubbles, peanuts, good boxes etc. (Even
tho my friends and neighbors bring me any and all of their packing things for
me to recycle!)However, i only charge the wholesale accounts for packaging,
not the retail customers. Both are charged whatever the shipping costs are,
the exact amounts. Our overall expenses are so high that it is part of doing
buisness to incur these charges on our customers......a fact of business life.
Susan fox hirschmann
Kathi LeSueur on tue 15 feb 00
In a message dated 2/14/00 2:38:41 PM, earthenv@gwtc.net writes:
<< I agree that shipping and handling shouldn't become a profit center,
however
. . . when you've just spent an entire day or more packing off a wholesale
order, you may begin to think your time is worth a little something. >>
How much time does it take to pack for a show? And how many times do you pack
the same pot up before and after. If I spent the whole day packing orders I
would be shipping at least three times the amount sold at a retail show over
the course of three days. I would have only packed it once and I would be
guaranteed that the pots were sold, not hoping that someone at the show would
like to buy them. In comparison to retail, my time spent packing is minimal.
Kathi LeSueur
lucien m koonce on tue 15 feb 00
Cindy,
You are absolutely correct regarding wholesale orders. Spending
numerous hours packing a shipment certainly can't be done for free. No
customer would, hopefully, mind paying for that time. My situation is
different, and therefore I can take a different approach; I wasn't looking
beyond my nose. I guess each person must analyze their own situation, and
set policy accordingly. It is the customer who will be the final judge as
to where it is acceptable, or not.
Lucien
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Click on http://lmkoonce.home.mindspring.com and visit my on-line gallery.
L M Koonce / Robbins, NC
-----Original Message-----
From: Cindy Strnad
To: CLAYART@LSV.UKY.EDU
Date: Monday, February 14, 2000 2:38 PM
Subject: Re: Shipping & handling charges?
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>Lucien,
>
>I agree that shipping and handling shouldn't become a profit center,
however
>. . . when you've just spent an entire day or more packing off a wholesale
>order, you may begin to think your time is worth a little something.
Believe
>me, if there was a service around here to do this chore for me, I would
>immediately contract with them. When I (very occasionally) ship retail
>orders, I don't charge handling, but I can't afford not to charge my large
>wholesale customers.
>
>Cindy Strnad
>earthenv@gwtc.net
>Earthen Vessels Pottery
>RR 1, Box 51
>Custer, SD 57730
Cindy Strnad on wed 16 feb 00
Yes, Kathi, I agree. That's one reason I very, very seldom do shows, and
then only if I'm badgered into it.
Cindy Strnad
earthenv@gwtc.net
Earthen Vessels Pottery
RR 1, Box 51
Custer, SD 57730
In a message dated 2/14/00 2:38:41 PM, earthenv@gwtc.net writes:
<< I agree that shipping and handling shouldn't become a profit center,
however
. . . when you've just spent an entire day or more packing off a wholesale
order, you may begin to think your time is worth a little something. >>
How much time does it take to pack for a show? And how many times do you
pack
the same pot up before and after. If I spent the whole day packing orders I
would be shipping at least three times the amount sold at a retail show over
the course of three days. I would have only packed it once and I would be
guaranteed that the pots were sold, not hoping that someone at the show
would
like to buy them. In comparison to retail, my time spent packing is minimal.
Kathi LeSueur
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