What's the best way to actually send goods?

[Guest Rogue Ego]

I have a question to those that have a shop set up already in the USA. This may sound like a simple question, but I know there's more to this matter than meets the eye. I plan to set up an online shop selling T-shirts, movies, games, and other items I've made.

My question is simply, how do you actually send a package to a customer? Where do you get boxes and packaging supplies? How do make labels or do I even make labels? Where should I go to drop the stuff to be sent? What's the best shipping options and providers that I should use? What should I do in Cube Cart to reflect all of this? I should note that I live in Oklahoma in the USA and I would like to be able to ship items around the world.

Thank you for your time.

[Guest]

I ship everything US Priority Mail. They have free boxes you can get from your local post office or order in large quantities from their website (USPS.com). You can buy packaging supplies such as popcorn from box companies in your area (or recycle ones you get like I do) - I get sealing tape from Sam's Club or Walmart.

USPS.com has a click and ship service to print and pay for postage online. I have a postal scale I got at Sam's Club for about $50. USPS.com also lets you schedule free carrier pickup - my mailman simply stops by every day and picks up my outgoing packages so I rarely have to go to the post office anymore. Paypal also has a click and ship service that allows for you to do media mail and some other options the USPS.com site itself doesn't have.

I print my labels on plain paper and use the wide shipping tape to tape over the entire label and fasten it to the box (making it waterproof too).

I do ship extra large or heavy or valuable items via UPS or Fedex and have online accounts with both of them. You can have the carriers pick up shipments as needed (or take them to you local offices - mine are only about 20 mins away so I do that sometimes as well).

Basically it's a matter of experience - you will learn as you go, but hopefully this gives you a good start.

[Guest Rogue Ego]

Thank you, that's actually very helpful.