Holiday Mailing Deadlines - Important Selling & Seller Info

20 Days to Christmas!  I can't believe it! (I have one gift organized, one clue on DH and nothing for anyone else and NO idea what to buy...how much trouble am I in?? LOL)

As a SELLER though? I have this part down!  Every year the PO sets deadlines for "the last mailing date"... this year's are:

DOMESTIC MAIL:
Parcel Post 12-15
1st Mail 12-20
Priority Mail 12-21
Express Mail 12-22

I rarely use Parcel Post because of the time it takes.  If you have something so heavy, it's the most economical option? I'd check UPS 2 day saver rates or FedEx's.  Why chance not having something arrive in time for Santa to shove it under the Christmas tree? Either that or Mail NOW!

Now First Class and Priority Mail have been sharing planes the last couple of years but the PO has set the deadlines one day apart.  And honestly,  the 21st is Tuesday and Christmas is Saturday of that week....pretty tight!  I'd be dropping stuff on Saturday the 18th if it were me. (and it will be...)

In the Past, the PO has had people delivering on Christmas day for Express Mail but I don't see that on their website this year so plan accordingly.

Now as an eBay Seller, I typically get 20-30% of my sales internationally so I watch those deadlines closely too - and that one is looming

International Mail



Addressed To Global Express Guaranteed (GXG)1 Express Mail® International (EMS)2 Priority Mail® International (PMI)4 First-Class Mail


Africa Dec. 17 Dec. 11 Dec. 3 Dec. 3


Asia/Pacific Rim Dec. 17 Dec. 16 Dec. 10 Dec. 10


Australia/New Zealand Dec. 17 Dec. 16 Dec. 10 Dec. 10


Canada Dec. 21 Dec. 17 Dec. 13 Dec. 10


Caribbean Dec. 20 Dec. 16 Dec. 13 Dec. 10


Central & South America Dec. 20 Dec. 11 Dec. 3 Dec. 3


Mexico Dec. 21 Dec. 16 Dec. 10 Dec. 10


Europe Dec. 20 Dec. 16 Dec. 13 Dec. 10


Middle East Dec. 17 Dec. 16 Dec. 13 Dec. 10

1. GXG is available to more than 190 countries via an alliance with Federal Express. See a retail associate

I highlighted Europe in red because, this week they've had some unusually snowy conditions and frigid cold so there are delays there already.  SHIP sooner,not later.

If you're a seller on any venue (heck I'm on Bonanza, Addoway eCrater Amazon and eBay and I know people on MORE sites or with their own site..) this week, post your shipping deadlines so folks now.  For instance, I don't run out to the Post Office on Christmas Eve for anyone...not even family.  So I'll say it nicer but it will go up tomorrow.
Follow me on twitter @antiquedaze or @BethCherkowsky and on Facebook, come visit my "fan" pages http://www.facebook.com/#!/DepressionGlassWarehouse
and
And have a Merry Christmas, a Blessed Chanukah and a Prosperous New Year.

Ebay - for fun and profit

Well it might seem like a weird time to start a blog about ebay for fun and profit but...I've been doing ebay for fun AND profit for 11 years next month. So it's about darn time I got around to it.

All these other folks are touting themselves and talking about what great ebay gurus they are, so I figured, "why not me?". I mean I started on ebay before any of the so-called gurus. I paid my son's college tuition with my action figure auctions. Now I pay my bills with a full-time ebay business for the last 3 years. So "WHY NOT ME?".

Here's my first reaction to the disruptive innovation of ebay yesterday - WAIT, BREATHE, THINK, PLAN.....beat them at their own game.

So today is the first day of the new ebay regime and my first project is to revise 900 listings.

And on that note, I'll just leave you to BREATHE, THINK, PLAN

And over the next few days/weeks and months, we can talk about how to work the "new system" of ebay.