Shipping calculator on Ebay

[scarlettattoos]

Hi all so I'm selling my late father's vintage 60s Excelsior Accordiana on Ebay and I'm a bit concerned how low the shipping calculator seems. Does anyone have experience dealing with this aspect of moving their box on Ebay?

Also thanks in advance to those who helped me spec this out last year, very helpful. But now I need to SELL IT!

Here's my listing....

Excelsior Accordiana accordion semi-pro vintage early 60s Great Condition | eBay

To fill the gap between their student model line & their pro models of Excelsior & Excelsiola. Yes they have a couple of minor cracks but still have life in them - imperfections are shown in the photos.

www.ebay.com

 

[Mike K]

Rates they calculate seem low and do not include any insurance. I stopped in a UPS store to try to get an estimate and the size of the box was a big factor. Their box size was 24 inch cube but they wanted an extra inch all around the case for padding. My case is 23 x 21 x 10. So they were going to put two boxes together and came up with a really high number and lots o empty space inside. Need to find a box somewhere that is a better fit.

 

[scarlettattoos]

Yes I was concerned about the box size... I only guesstimated a couple inches around the actual size of the case itself. I even went onto Pirate ship and plugged in the measurements and weight and it's still super low! I'm in PA and if I shipped to NYC it's saying $27?! But $67 to LA....

 

[Ventura]

hey girl

an eBay listing can be limited to "pickup only"
so unless you are in a hurry, you might just
see if it will sell locally first.. lots less headache..
and in a month or 2 you can expand the listing
to include shipping with a selling price of $1200
giving you a couple hundred to pay for professional
packing and shipping and insurance

shipping.. is not easy for an old accordion, and if it
is damaged in shipping, which is fairly likely on a $45 budget,
eBay will reverse the payout and you can end up
with a whole lotta nothing

your price is fine.. it is a good deal at that price so i would
think you will get some interest in it

 

[scarlettattoos]

hey girl

an eBay listing can be limited to "pickup only"
so unless you are in a hurry, you might just
see if it will sell locally first.. lots less headache..
and in a month or 2 you can expand the listing
to include shipping with a selling price of $1200
giving you a couple hundred to pay for professional
packing and shipping and insurance

shipping.. is not easy for an old accordion, and if it
is damaged in shipping, which is fairly likely on a $45 budget,
eBay will reverse the payout and you can end up
with a whole lotta nothing

your price is fine.. it is a good deal at that price so i would
think you will get some interest in it

Hey thanks for this. But yeah I listed it on Craigslist a year ago with nothing. And now I'm moving overseas in a couple of months. So I need to consider shipping it.... I would love $1200! That was my original price. Alas I have a clock ticking....

 

[Ventura]

ahh

time is of the essence as they say

well the last ditch would be wholesale it to an
accordion store.. Lib Bellows in Philly has 2 same series but
lower spec models (3 reed treble vs your 4) for $999 and $1499,
so i would think between 500 -750 to them (1/2 retail)

that depends if they "need" to fill that price point/spec or if they
are overloaded in that category

you also have Carnegie accordion in PGH

so both of them are driving distance

just an idea..

 

[Mullanphy]

Try Uline.com for a better siezed shipping containter; you'll find thousands there. Plus packing materials. And you do want a good inch of solide packing on all sides, top and bottom around your instrument/case.

Once you've got it it packaged, weigh it, then check ebay's calculator or a label printing site such as Pirateship.com for bets USPS and UPS rates for those dimensions and weight.

 

[Caps]

I have used the EBay calculator for several things I've shipped with their label and the post office didn't question it when I dropped it off there. The ebay estimates always seemed to be 10- 15 % less expensive than the rates at the post office for the same size package. No idea why... Last big thing I shipped was a ladies size accordion from here (Myrtle Beach) to Phoenix AZ). Cost $105 with insurance. Actually arrived with no damage.

 

[scarlettattoos]

Thanks for all the shipping tips everyone! BUt - Here's another question for the folks who have sold via Ebay. I received about 4 offers on my listing today. 3 of which all of the buyer accounts say are located in Brazil and they all ship to FL. I got a decent offer on one but it's feeling a bit scammy to me.... I wanted to go through Ebay for a certain level of protection so maybe I'm just being paranoid?

 

[John Doe]

If somone sees the listing on eBay and then tries to get you to ship it to them without buying it on eBay you really are asking for it: aside from defrauding eBay (some would opine it serves them right but I figure if you use the service and get the exposure on their site you are morally obligated. That gratis advice , with a buck, will get you a coffee.)

Once you've sold it to someone via the net without a broker- and eBay acts as such- you have nowhere to turn if the deal goes south. (My apologies to the Australian/NZ contingent, "if the deal gangs aglee") If the buyer wants to defraud there are many ways to fake legitimate seemingly "done deal" payments.

OTOH selling through eBay overseas can surely be done- but while there is some protection against obvious fraud from eBay you really need to stick to the eBay seller rules in terms of where you send it - not the brother's pizza shop for example; only the verified address. Pack it very carefully and make certain that you use a shipper with tracking. You'll want insurance but collecting on it is iffy for international transactions. For domestic transactions there are horror stories but by and large if you follow the rules you've got decent protection from eBay. You pay 10% give or take for that protection along with the exposure of course. And they include the cost of shipping in the final value they charge the percentage on. Too many clever folks were selling really cheap and charging really big for shipping. You probably want to use PayPal for payment.

If you want to take a walk on the wild side- go for it; faster sale, potentially helping out some musician in South America, etc. The downside is, of course, there as well.

As it happens I have sold and shipped perhaps a dozen thousand dollar plus instruments sold via eBay (two to Japan, one to Australia, and the rest to Europe- primarily flutes/clarinets, and alto sax's) I had no problems with any of the transactions. I was excruciatingly careful in packing but I point out that all of the items I sold travel better than an accordion. I was never willing to ship a tenor sax for example.

I have had a couple of accordions shipped to the US from overseas and they have all arrived safely- not true for me for accordions shipped domestically! I suppose that's because shipping overseas people pack for abusive handling where domestically they - erroneously- count on higher standards.

Best wishes and may good fortune smile upon you-

Herny

 

[scarlettattoos]

Hey Henry thanks for your reply but maybe I was misunderstood. I am staying within Ebay, I'm not straying from it becuase I want the protection. These are offers I'm getting in the platform itself.... I just thought it seemed fishy.

 

[scarlettattoos]

And now I have someone asking for me to post pictures after removing the grill so they can see the condition of the reeds. I'm extremely apprehensive to take it apart as I don't want to break anything. I appreciate serious buyers but I feel I'm listing it for a super low price and they way it plays I don't think it will need thousands in restoration at all.... any feedback?

 

[Snoopz]

If I were to buy an instrument I cannot play myself for >1000$ (which is a lot for a "toy" for most people) from a total stranger, I would also want pictures from the insides, even the reed blocks.

 

[scarlettattoos]

If I were to buy an instrument I cannot play myself for >1000$ (which is a lot for a "toy" for most people) from a total stranger, I would also want pictures from the insides, even the reed blocks.

Even if I posted a video demonstrating its playability and condition?

 

[Caps]

And now I have someone asking for me to post pictures after removing the grill so they can see the condition of the reeds. I'm extremely apprehensive to take it apart as I don't want to break anything. I appreciate serious buyers but I feel I'm listing it for a super low price and they way it plays I don't think it will need thousands in restoration at all.... any feedback?

If I were paying substantial money ($1,000 is significant, at least for me) for an accordion I would want to see the reed blocks and some close up photos of the inside. This would be more informative than taking the grill off. It is not difficult to pop the bellows open and take some photos. Just remove the pins holding the bellows on (making sure to keep track of which pin goes in which hole) and then gently pry the bellows off at the seam. There are many things that affect the condition of the box that cannot be seen from the outside or from simply playing it. Perhaps you can find somebody local who can do it for you if you are squeamish about opening it up.

 

[Snoopz]

Even if I posted a video demonstrating its playability and condition?

Yes, even then. Just as @Caps said - you can’t hear brittle wax and rusty reeds. It really all depends on the degree of trust and the price. In this forum for example I would be willing to extend some credit as to the status of the insides, but not on eBay. If I were to buy an accordion for a couple of hundred bucks, I wouldn’t be so picky since I (in my position) can afford to write off the loss should the box turn out to be busted.

 

[scarlettattoos]

Got it. Thanks for the feedback all. I managed to remove the grill to get pictures. I can't say it didn't completely stress me out and was VERY difficult to get back on.....

 

[scarlettattoos]

 

[Ventura]

since no-one else caught it, the person who asked you to remove the grille is pullin your chain

because his reason, "so i can see the reeds" means he is a fake

the reeds are inside the bellows

i believe the purpose of these types is just to cause general confusion and frustration,
and once they think they can lead you around with their bullshit requests, kinda
condition you to their purpose.

but it was useful to get this pic, because it shows what a nicely finished accordion it is

the wood is not bare.. has premium aluminum paint to protect.. the main valves are
lined up nicely, look is clean, the action is flat rod (more modern improvement)
shifts are clean, no worn lettering.. no dust colected on oily residue at all..
the shift/through transmission parts also clean as a whistle

yeah tell that guy to kiss it

 

[scarlettattoos]

THANK YOU FOR THIS!!!! Because that was so F'in stressful! lol I really appreciate your feedback. Atleast after seeing this pix he said "doesn't look like this part needs repair". I'm staying firm on my price with him, thanks to your feedback.