AuctionBytes-Update Number 29 - January 7, 2001 - ISSN 1528-6703

AuctionBytes-Update is a free newsletter for online auction buyers and sellers. Read reviews of online-auction products and services, tips on being more efficient, and information about antiques and collectibles. AuctionBytes-Update is published by email twice a month. (Print it out for easier reading.)

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IN THIS ISSUE:
1) From the Editor
2) New Postage Rates Effective Today
3) Shipping Option: Priority Mail or UPS?
4) MyBiz Customer Service Solutions
5) PriceRadar's Found in the Attic: Super Bowl Tickets
6) Cafe Press Offers Chance to Sell T-shirts in Your Own Virtual Store
7) COLLECTOR'S CORNER: Dr. Who, Toys, Stamps, Sci-Fi Discussion Lists
8) This & That: Canadian Auction Site; TAG Notes Daily Auction Newsletter; Snitching; Bidding Workshop; eBay Premiers eBay Premier
9) Newsflash
10) Letter from Reader: A Packing Tip for Framed and Unframed Pictures
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1) FROM THE EDITOR

I'm not usually into electronic "toys," but I decided recently that I wanted a Palm Pilot. My subtle hints to David ("I want a Palm Pilot") worked - he got me a Handspring Visor for Christmas. I can now put my schedule and all my contact information into this little handheld device and carry it around with me. This is especially useful since I juggle AuctionBytes with my "day" job and have multiple email accounts and lots of items to track.

I'm going to look into a wireless service for the Visor so that when we go to yard sales and auctions, we can check out the prices and popularity of items on auction sites. I would say this is a significant competitive advantage for auction sellers! Plus, this should cut down on the duds that we end up throwing into the reject pile. That reminds me, I have to add "Hold Yard Sale" to my Visor "To Do" list.

Speaking of getting organized, we made a change to the way we link to the online auction calendar. This is the calendar that shows which days are good to post online auctions according to a formula concocted by David. < http://www.auctionbytes.com/Email_Newsletter/calendar/calendar.html >. Before, each month had a unique link. Now this URL will always be the current month.

Super Bowl Sunday is coming up - January 28th at 6pm - and now we now have another reason to watch TV that day. Just when you thought it was safe, another "Survivor" television show begins! < http://survivor.cbs.com/primetime/survivor2/survivors>.

I'm just trying to survive the shipping increases of 2001. USPS rates go up today, and UPS and Fed Ex announced rate increases effective next month. David created an excellent chart comparing USPS Priority rates with the UPS ground rates - see the link in his article. (He'll have to update it next month when the new UPS rates go into effect!)

If shipping rate increases weren't bad enough, Yahoo Auctions announced it will start charging fees to sellers. More reasons to stay informed and become more efficient.

Here's to a happy, healthy and prosperous (and organized) New Year to everyone!

Ina Steiner, Editor
email: ina@auctionbytes.com

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2) New U.S. Postage Rates Effective Today, January 7, 2001
by Ina Steiner

New rates can be found at the USPS Web site at < http://www.usps.com/news/2001rate.pdf>. (This is a PDF file - you must have Acrobat reader on your computer.)

U.S. DOMESTIC POSTCARDS AND LETTERS - New Rates
Card Rate (post card): 20 cents
Letters: Up to first ounce: 34 cents
Each additional ounce: 21 cents

U.S. DOMESTIC PRIORITY MAIL - New Rates
Postage up to:
1 pound: 3.50
2 pounds: $3.95
3 pounds $5.15
4 pounds: $6.35
5 pounds: $7.55
Packages that are 6 pounds or more will vary in price according to zone. To see which zones are local to you, go to <http://postcalc.usps.gov/Zonecharts/>

Delivery confirmation for Priority Mail: 40 cents
Insured Mail: $1.10 for coverage up to $50, $2 for coverage from $50.01 to $100, $1.00 extra for every $100 in coverage thereafter.

Interestingly, the Postal Rate Commission allowed the USPS to keep the additional ounce rate at 22 cents, but the USPS chose to lower it to 21 cents. That means a letter weighing over 1 ounce up to 2 ounces will remain 55 cents, and every ounce after that will be cheaper! For example, a letter up to 3 ounces is 76 cents instead of 77 cents! I have no idea why the USPS decided to do this, but I won't complain.

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3) Shipping Option: Priority Mail or UPS?
By David Steiner

Happy New Year! Postal rates are going up!

For some reason, those two sentences don't seem mutually exclusive anymore. The last postal rate hike was January 10, 1999, and raised a first class stamp from 32 to 33 cents. The increase taking effect January 7, 2001, will cost us yet another penny to mail a letter.

So, should I be concerned about one cent?

Well, if everything that I sold online fit into a first class envelope and weighed less than one ounce, I'd probably laugh it off. But unfortunately, my packages tend to weigh between 2 and 20 lbs, and there is a substantial increase in these rates. Take, for example, a Priority Mail package that weighs 1.5 lbs. The rate has gone up 75 cents. Add in the 25-cent hike in insurance for items under $50 and the nickel extra for delivery confirmation, and the winner of my auction is now going to pay an additional $1.05 to receive their item. And it gets worse.

Priority Mail packages to zones 1, 2 & 3 go up alarmingly fast in price as the weight increases. The cost of a 10 lb package being delivered to a local zone has increased from $7 to $8.75. If you take a careful look at the new rate chart http://new.usps.com/ratecase/not123.pdf*, you'll notice that the cost of shipping to zones outside your local area haven't increased as much. This, I assume, is to stay competitive with independent shipping companies like UPS.

There is a point where you'll want to seriously consider using UPS to deliver heavier packages. I compared the cost of sending a 1.5 lb package from my Zip Code, 01760, to a fictitious address in 90210. Using the USPS and the UPS Web site calculators, the package was $2.78 cheaper to send via Priority Mail.**

However, using the same origin and destination Zip Codes, and changing only the weight of the package, you may decide that the savings on shipping outweighs the speed of Priority Mail. A 10 lb package resulted in a savings of $5.02 in favor of United Parcel Service, and a savings of $10.63 on a 20 lb package.

These savings piqued my curiosity, so, I created a chart of all the zones and compared shipping prices between USPS Priority Mail and UPS Ground Shipping. While decidedly unscientific, it does illustrate that there are advantages to using both services and what the cost savings are for your customers.

For a UPS/USPS comparison chart of packages up to 20 lbs. go to http://www.auctionbytes.com/Yellow_Pages/postrates/postrates.html

Of course, cost is only part of the issue. Buyers are also concerned about speed of delivery. And you may not have a UPS outlet convenient to your location.

For those of us doing online auctions and losing "gray matter" by the minute, we now have to re-commit the Priority Mail Rate Schedule to memory. I was even starting to get the different zones down. And if you're thinking about memorizing my chart, forget it. UPS is increasing its rates next month (as is Federal Express), so a new comparison will be in order. (See December 29th Newsflash for these announcements < http://www.auctionbytes.com/Email_Newsletter/newsflash/newsflash.ht ml>)

Even with the new rate increases, the USPS is projecting a loss of $480 million dollars for fiscal year 2001. Not a great harbinger of things to come for 2002!

*You must have Acrobat Reader to view this file.
**For this comparison, I used a 12"x12"x8" package (same as a Priority #7 box), 5-Day UPS Ground Shipping to a residential address and 2 to 3-Day USPS Priority Mail shipping.

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4) MyBiz Customer Service Solutions
By Edith Reynolds

While dot com companies scrambled for a place within the online auction market, Mybiz <http://www.mybiz.com> quietly plugged the overlooked area of customer service. J.T. Fenn, director of business development for Mybiz, points out that the realm of auction management has been addressed by companies like eBud, Auctionwatch, Invenna, and the like, but creating a customer friendly ad was a gap needing to be addressed. That is why, he explains, "customer service and customer relations is our focus, our main function."

Mybiz accomplishes this through an unobtrusive four-portion toolbar inserted into auction ads or on individual Web sites that allows customers to ask questions, view the FAQs, track auctions, and become part of a seller's mailing list. (You can see a real auction listing utilizing MyBiz tools: eBay Auction Item #1107145618. Look under "description.")

The company, under the leadership of CEO John Gengarella, officially launched last November in time for the Christmas retail rush. According to Fenn, their several hundred registered users have expressed satisfaction with the product. But, one wonders, how do other facets of the online auction industry respond, namely eBay?

So far no complaints, J.T. avers, despite eBay's recent defining of their fee avoidance policies. When asked if it was possible that sellers would use Mybiz to compile mailing lists for offline business with eBay customers, Fenn responded, "Our primary concern regarding the mailing list pertains to spam mail." He added that a seller doesn't necessarily need Mybiz to compile a mailing list, and Mybiz doesn't promote anything more than making the eBay experience more enjoyable for buyers and easier for sellers. "Our target market is the powerseller," he explains, making it clear that Mybiz isn't interested in catering to the seller who wants to use a mailing list to bombard buyers with unsolicited offers.

One question on Auctionwatch's bulletin board was about the cost for using the Mybiz template. "It's free for now," Fenn answered, "and we'll always offer a free trial period, but there are plans for a modest subscription fee somewhere down the line." The cost hasn't been determined and, until it is, sellers have the opportunity to test the value of the toolbar for free. (At press time, Mybiz reported that the service would be free for at least another month.)

With so many companies aiming at the auction management market, Mybiz maintains a clear field among sellers. This foresight isn't surprising since they're part of a successful incubation network called Idealabs in which good Internet ideas are fostered, funded, and promoted. Among Idealabs successes are well-known Internet entities such as eToys.com, Netzero.com, Goto, Cooking.com, Tickets.com, PETsMART.com...well, you get the picture. There is a complete list on their Web site. "Mybiz is a separate company and is physically located in several cities including Silicon Valley," Fenn says. His own office is housed in Palo Alto, California, and he's been in the job since the company officially went online.

The overall premise of what Mybiz hopes to accomplish is nicely defined in the simple statement, "The customer is always right." Providing ways for customers to feel this way and for sellers to develop a more professional persona is their dual goal. "Sellers, like powersellers, are really small businesses," Fenn claims. The Mybiz toolbar helps facilitate ways for a small business to carry out customer service in the most expedient way possible. So far, no one seems to disagree.

Mybiz seems to have an opportunity to find a place in the powerseller business structure, and as of now it's free. With a deal like that, you can't lose if you sample it. Who knows, you might make some customers happy!

NOTE: To leave a rating or to review MyBiz in the Online Yellow Pages directory, go to http://www.auctionbytes.com/bin/bizdirectory/biz-dir-search.pl?query=9 78296492
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Edith Reynolds is a former newspaper and magazine writer. She and her husband Dan own an antiquarian bookstore, The John Bale Book Company in Waterbury, CT. For the past nine years, they have specialized in early Americana and rare bindings. They are members of the ABAA (Antiquarian Booksellers of America Association), ILAB (International League of Antiquarian Booksellers), IOBA (International Online Booksellers Association), and OAUA (Online Auction Users Association). Edith manages online sales. In addition to their bookstore, they sell on eBay and at book fairs. Visit Edith's Web sites, http://www.taxter.com and http://www.usiana.com. eBay IDs: TAXTER , TAXTER2 , TAXTER3 , USIANA , BALEBOOKS

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5) PriceRadar's Found in the Attic: Super Bowl Tickets
by David Steiner

Well it's January, and you know what that means...a new millenium? A new president and congress? Nah, nothing so mundane...it's SUPER BOWL month! And how much can you expect to pay for the hottest ticket on the planet? Well let's put it this way: Don't expect too much of a bargain if you're planning on being in Tampa via online auction!

All searches were done with PriceRadar's Price Guide Tool. Go to
http://www.priceradar.com/default.asp?refID=101 and try your own searches!

Super Bowl XXXV Tickets
Number of Items Sold: 35
Highest Priced Item: $6,410
Lowest Priced Item: $1
Average Price: $1,588.66
Standard Deviation: $1,700.52
High Confidence Price: $3,493.24
Low Confidence Price: $1.00

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>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>AUCTION FORECAST:

David's auction forecast calls for a mixed day for Sunday, January 7, 2001:
5-day auction: Fair
7-day auction: Good
10-day auction: Bad

Click here for an extended auction forecast:
<http://www.auctionbytes.com/Email_Newsletter/calendar/calendar.html >

NOTE: We used to change the link to the calendar - now the current month will always be <http://www.auctionbytes.com/Email_Newsletter/calendar/calendar.html > Feel free to bookmark the calendar.

Brought to you by AuctionBytes Yellow Pages at
<http://www.online-auction-directory.com>
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6) Cafe Press Offers Chance to Sell T-shirts in Your Own Virtual Store
By Ina Steiner

AuctionBytes is selling "Top Ten Online Auction Peeves" items on a virtual store. We are using a service called Cafe Press, which does all the printing, customer service and shipping. All items may be returned within 30 days for a full refund. Visit http://www.cafepress.com/auctionbytes to check it out! These items make great gifts for friends and family. Or announce to the world that you are an auction addict.

Anyone can use Cafe Press, so you may open your OWN "store" and sell your own items! This is a great service to offer your customers. You can mark up the items and, since Cafe Press does all the work, it's hassle-free revenue. Do you specialize in buying or selling a particular item, like McCoy Pottery, for example? Create a unique design highlighting your area of interest and sell to your customers or fellow collectors. Let me know if you try it - email me at ina@auctionbytes.com.

Items currently available at the AuctionBytes store:
T-shirt (four styles): $13.99-$18.99; Sweatshirt: $21.99; Mugs (two sizes): $11.99-$12.99; Mouse Pad: $12.99
Shipping is $4 for the first item and $1.50 for each additional item. Visit the store for more info at http://www.cafepress.com/auctionbytes

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7) COLLECTOR'S CORNER: Dr. Who, Toys, Stamps, Sci Fi Discussion Lists

COLLECTOR'S CORNER: Sci-Fi - Dr. Who
by Michele Alice

Quick! What is larger on the inside than it is on the outside and looks like a British police box? If you did not guess a TARDIS (Time And Relative Dimensions In Space), where have you been for the last 38 years?

Premiering on the 23rd of November in 1963, the BBC series Dr. Who followed the adventures of the Doctor, a Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey, who traversed time and space interfering, for the good, in the affairs of other races, usually ours. As a Time Lord, the Doctor possessed two hearts, was long-lived, and was capable of regeneration (acquiring a new body) when the old had become worn or injured. So far, there have been eight Doctors. His limit is twelve.

The highly imaginative series was cancelled by the BBC in 1989, but its popularity by that time had spread around the globe, generating legions of fans both within and without the United Kingdom. Like the characters in Star Trek, the Doctor had taken on a life of his own-in reruns, in books, and in fandom. And though Dr. Who had continued to prove itself a merchandising powerhouse, speculation regarding a TV series revival or a major motion picture remained just that. (A British made-for-TV movie introducing the eighth Doctor in 1996 did not lead to further activity on the part of the BBC, to the disappointment of fans.) When, in 1998, the program was voted "the most popular drama series ever produced by the BBC" (Dr. Who: Regeneration, by Philip Segal and Gary Russell), the BBC found itself in an embarrassing position and redoubled its efforts to develop it as a U.S. co-production. Fans await any official announcement regarding progress in that area.

I have been a fan of the Doctor since first seeing the program on our local PBS station in the early 1980's, so there was no surprise at the number of Dr. Who-related items up for auction on eBay tonight (249 items on 01.06.01). Though most of the auction items are books, there are quite a few other items no self-respecting fan would want to be without, from models and action figures to keychains and pinball machines. A perusal of completed auctions (972) revealed particular interest in Mego action figures (up to $56 for MIB), Virgin publisher paperbacks (a lot of 10 in mint and near-mint condition went for $162), and a 1965 movie poster (Dr. Who and the Daleks) that sold for $505!

For much more information regarding the past, present, and future of the Dr. Who universe, you might wish to consult the following sources:

THE WEB
The Official BBC Site: http://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/doctorwho

The Sonic Screwdriver: THE Premiere List of Doctor Who related Web Sites on the Internet http://www.kasterborus.demon.co.uk

Outpost Gallifrey: This was consistently rated by most other sites as one of the best, if not THE best, sources of information (and I agree). Home of the Doctor Who News Page. http://www.gallifreyone.com/index.htm

Dr. Who Merchandise News: Announcements, reviews, forum http://www.whonews.fsnet.co.uk

Sci-Fi Collectibles Cyberstore: One of the largest-everything from action figures to watches, from Area 51 to Dr. Who to Star Trek. Lots of stuff that I didn't know existed! You can even send free sci-fi postcards to your friends!
http://www.800-trekker.com

BOOKS
Doctor Who: The Television Companion, by David Howe and Stephen Walker
Synopses of every episode, and lots more.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0563405880/1312/026-2441 911-1423636

Doctor Who: Regeneration, by Philip Segal and Gary Russell
Chronicles ongoing struggle by BBC to co-produce a new Dr. Who motion picture.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0007105916/auctionbytesco m

Howe's Transcendental Toybox, by David Howe and Arnold Blumberg
A comprehensive guide to Dr. Who collectibles released from 1963 through 1999.
~http://homepages.which.net/~howe/merch.htm

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COLLECTOR'S CORNER: Toy Resources
By Ina Steiner

*Every second, two BARBIE dolls are sold somewhere in the world.
*MR. POTATO HEAD was the first toy product ever advertised on television.
*WalMart is the top U.S. retailer of traditional toys, with an estimated 17.4 share of U.S. toy industry dollars.

These are just a few of the facts about toys that you can find at the Web site of the Toy Manufacturers of America <http://www.toy-tma.org/sitemap.html>. Check it out for yourself!

Toys Trade Show
New York City will host the American International Toy Fair on February 11, 2001. (This is for trade only-retailers, wholesalers, importers and buying groups; no children allowed.) Speakers include Michael Hawley of MIT's Media Lab talking about toys of the future; Barrett LaMothe Ladd of Gomez Advisors talking about Internet toy retailers, and Pam Danziger of Unity Marketing talking about the collectibles business.

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COLLECTOR'S CORNER: Stamp Course for Hobbyists
By Ina Steiner

The APS Summer Seminar on Philately will be held June 24 through June 28, in State College, Pennsylvania

Three returning popular courses are "Detecting Fakes, Forgeries, and Altered Stamps," taught by Dr. Varro E. Tyler, "Stamp Technology" with Wayne Youngblood, and "Revenues" with Richard Friedberg.

The three new courses are Proofs, Essays and Philatelic Literature taught by James Lee, Philatelist's Progress focusing on the fun side of philately by Bill Welch, and Stamp Camp - Reaching Out to Kids with Exhibiting by Cheryl Edgcomb.

Students choose one major course out of the six offerings, and attend classes in that major each day. Students may also select from a variety of afternoon elective classes. The 2001 elective classes will include Ken Lawrence's "Cheap Tricks for Expertizing Expensive Stamps." The resources of the APS headquarters are available to all students, including the American Philatelic Research Library, the Sales Division, and the Reference Collection of the American Philatelic Expertizing Service. The Mt. Nittany Philatelic Society also will sponsor its annual stamp show, SCOPEX, over the opening weekend of the Summer Seminar.

Courses are limited to 20 students each. Classes will be held at the Atherton Hotel located in downtown State College, Pennsylvania, and at the nearby APS headquarters. Tuition for the Seminar, which includes all course materials, daily break food service, and three dinners, is $395. Lodging is not included; however, there are many housing options available, in all price ranges.

Registrations are accepted beginning February 1, 2001. More details can be found at <http://www.stamps.org/Education/edu_SummerSeminar.htm>.

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COLLECTOR'S CORNER: SciFi Discussion Lists
By Ina Steiner

Visit http://clik.to/sf if you are interested in joining a discussion group for sci fi addicts! For example, here's a general list: SciFi_Discussion@Topica.com. They talk about anything related to Science Fiction:
"What's your Favorite SF Book/Author/Movie? Or least favorite? You might meet others who agree or disagree with you but we're all here to have Fun! If you have a story idea and want to run it past the group, that's fine. But please, Do Not join the list to publicize your own work. There are advertising resources for that. On this list you are welcome to discuss the story ideas but Blatant Self Promotion will get you removed." To Join: Send an email to SciFi_Discussion-subscribe@Topica.com

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COMING IN THE NEXT ISSUE: Collecting Madame Alexander Dolls

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8) This & That: Canadian Auction Site; TAG Notes Daily Auction Newsletter; Snitching; Bidding Workshop; eBay Premiers eBay Premier

CDNauction has launched, calling itself Canada's Internet Auction Community < http://www.cdnauction.com>. Spokesman Ken Campbell told me that they officially launched January 1, 2001, having been in trial phase since July 1, 2000. "We find that we have a good mixture of Canadian, American and other community members...People find us through search engines, offline marketing and the best - word of mouth."

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TAG Notes Daily Auction Newsletter
The Auction Guild publishes a free daily email newsletter containing a synopsis of announcements and changes from the online auction industry. This is an excellent resource; I highly recommend it. They reported the rumor that Yahoo Auctions would start charging listing fees several days before the official Yahoo announcement. You can subscribe at the Web site <http://www.auctionguild.com >, or email Rosalinda at tag@theauctionguild.com (tell her AuctionBytes sent you!).

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Snitching on Shilling Sellers or Bad Bidders
Tired of bid shilling, got questions about harassing email? Here's an eBay resource where you can get more information about questionable behavior and file a complaint. <http://pages.ebay.com/help/basics/select-RS.html>

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eBay Offers "Bidding Basics" Workshop
eBay is holding a "bidding basics" workshop on its Bidding Help Board today from 15:00 - 24:00. The workshop will cover the important steps and features involved in the bidding process. To get to the Bidding Help Board, first click "Community" then "Chat" in the Navigation Bar. You'll find the Bidding Board in the list on the left side of the page.

EBay postponed its Billing Workshop originally scheduled for Tuesday. For more information, go to:
http://remarq.ebay.com/ebay/transcript.asp?g=discuss%2Eebay%2Emisce llaneous&tn=22750&sh=03bb87cd600cb753&idx=-1
(This is a really long URL - you may have to paste in the part that wraps over to the second line.)

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eBay Premiers eBay Premier
eBay replaced its Great Collections site with eBay Premier, a site for premium art, antiques and rare collectibles http://www.ebaypremier.com. eBay will also introduce new value-added services for art enthusiasts, including a comprehensive art database, providing access to historical data of millions of artworks, new category-specific content, and scheduled theme sales. There is a guarantee of authenticity for all eBay Premier items, and a 10% buyers premium. For more information, see January 6th's Newsflash item at < http://www.auctionbytes.com/Email_Newsletter/newsflash/newsflash.ht ml>.

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9) Newsflash Highlights - See Web Site for Full Details and Continuous Coverage
< http://www.auctionbytes.com> and click on Newsflash.

eBay Replaces High-End "Great Collections" Site with "eBay Premier" (January 6, 2001)

eBay Outage Causes Software Program to Send Premature Winner Notices (January 5, 2001)

SEC Probes Stan Lee Media (January 5, 2001)

Today Show Guest Book Up For Auction (January 5, 2001)

EBay Hit with 11-Hour Outage (January 4, 2001)

EBay Experiences Prolonged Outage (January 3, 2001)

Yahoo Auctions Announces Fees! (January 3, 2001)

Amazon Introduces "Online" Bargain Outlet (December 29, 2000)

UPS Raises Shipping Rates One Day After Fed Ex's Announcement (December 29, 2000)

eBay Backs Down on "Fee Avoidance" Policy (December 28, 2000)

FedEx to Raise Rates February 1st (December 28, 2000)

eBay to Buy Yahoo? (December 23, 2000)

UPS Tools Now Available on eBay (December 22, 2000)

Yahoo! Auctions Expands Bid Limits (December 21, 2000)

New Kid on the Auction Block: Dabs.com (December 21, 2000)

Stan Lee Media Out of Cash (December 19, 2000)

Marvel Introduces Paid Service (December 19, 2000)

eBay Launches in Austria (December 19, 2000)

It May be Time to Pay the Piper Soon - State Taxes (December 18, 2000)

BE SURE AND VISIT OUR WEB SITE FOR COMPLETE DAILY AUCTION NEWS!
The "Newsflash" column brings you DAILY online auction news. Go to
http://www.auctionbytes.com/Email_Newsletter/newsflash/newsflash.ht ml for the latest online auction news and announcements.

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10) Letter from Reader: A Packing Tip for Framed and Unframed Pictures

Hi! I liked your article on creative packaging. I have used Priority Mail boxes in lots of different configurations, some as you described. Here is another idea. The post office also offers shipping tubes, actually they are triangular in shape instead of round. They come shipped flat with one fold and can be made into great boxes for shipping framed pictures and prints. The postal employees at my post office are amazed at the ways I have made large flat boxes out of these "tubes"! I bet a lot of people don't even know those are available. Actually, they were shipped to me by mistake by the post office, but have turned out to be very useful! You have to do a little creative folding, but it beats the cost of picture boxes.

Of all the framed and unframed pictures I have shipped using these boxes, not one has been damaged. Lots of bubble wrap and reinforcing cardboard over the glass in a framed picture are the key.

Thanks again!

Sally K
Lake Erie Traders
ebay ID - laketrader

Sally's Packing Instructions for Framed and Unframed Pictures:

Using the USPS Priority Mail Shipping Tubes:
1) First cut off both ends, the flaps and the folded part that make up the bottom of the tube.
2) Measure your bubble wrapped item. Score 2 tubes on the inside of the cardboard next to the fold the width of your item and fold to make a squared side. (Try not to cut completely through the cardboard, but if it goes through in a couple of places you can just put extra tape over it.)
3) Then score along the top and bottom edges where you cut off the flaps to make the correct size overlapping flaps for your new box. For example, if your box is to be 2" deep then you need 2" flaps to overlap on the ends.
4) Pull off the tape strips on both "tubes" and wrap the cardboard around your item, making sure the tape strips are on opposite sides. Your item must be small enough to allow for about a 2" overlap for this to work.
5) Reinforce the seams of your new box with plenty of tape. Add more bubble wrap if needed to cushion the ends and fold down the flaps you made by scoring the ends. Again, secure with plenty of tape. (I also tape all corners just for security.)
6) If you are shipping a framed print with glass, be sure to add an extra piece of sturdy cardboard over the glass and use plenty of bubble wrap.

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Please use the AuctionBytes Yellow Pages when you are shopping for supplies and services for online auctions and collectibles! <http://www.online-auction-directory.com>
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AuctionBytes-Update ISSN 1528-6703
AUCTIONBYTES.COM CONTACT INFORMATION
Editorial: ina@auctionbytes.com
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Letters, Comments, Suggestions: feedback@auctionbytes.com
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