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Mailing
Packages to the US
If you have been considering
the idea of selling items on eBay, but are not quite sure how to go about
getting them to the customers in the US, this is a quick MyMommyBiz tutorial
for mailing small items, such as books, your kid's outgrown clothes, and
the like.
First off, you will want to
purchase an inexpensive kitchen scale. The weight is key to determining
how much it will cost to ship.
Items under 1 kilogram in weight
are quite easy (and usually economical) to mail to the US. Anything over
1 kg, you will likely want to take to the post office for a quote, as
the actual dimensions of the package make a big difference when mailing.
How skinny is your item? If
it is 2cm or skinnier, it can be sent regular lettermail, which is a lot
less expensive. You also will not need to fill out a customs form, and
it will automatically be sent airmail.
"Small Package" is
how you will likely send most of your items, which is for items over 2cm
thickness, and under 1 kg (provided they are not overly large in dimension).
Small package rates are the same to anywhere in the US, regardless if
the destination is Florida or California.
You will need to include a
green customs form on the outside of the package. You will need to enter
in a description (i.e. "clothing" is fine; no need to enter
in "Baby Gap overalls and a long-sleeved onesie). You will also need
to put a dollar value. Put the purchase bid price (how much your customer
actually paid) rather than what you think the item is worth.
And you will need to decide
whether to send it airmail or surface mail - although when dealing with
small packet mail, it will usually only save about a dollar - and it can
take 4-6 WEEKS to arrive via surface mail when compared to 4-10 business
days with airmail. Most Canadian sellers automatically offer airmail,
and only ship surface on request.
If you prefer to ship by a
company other than Canada Post, we have a list
of alternative shipping companies for Canadians.
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