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I have not been playing in quite some time and was thinking of selling some guitars.

What's been both the safest and cost friendly service.

On average how much to ship within the US with a hard case?

 

Thanks

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I’ll offer a cool $350 for any USA Hamers you are unloading....plus actual shipping of course.

You’re welcome X2.

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Right now, it's a toss up. If USPS is slow in your area, well that's likely to be how it goes with your shipment. UPS and FedEx are overwhelmed, shipping times taking longer, costs are up, packages getting snatched... If you can sell local, that's your safest bet even if it's for a few bucks less. 

Depending on what you're selling and the prices, I'm sure some of us could hop in a car and drive on over and save you the trouble.  😉

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Fed Ex has been most reliable and cost effective for me the past several years. I suggest you set yourself up a Fed Ex account online to generate labels and drop the guitar off at either a Fed Ex hub or authorized shipping center. If you drop it off at one of those be certain to get a receipt showing you dropped it off with the tracking number on it. 

I've heard it said that Reverb has cheaper rates for Fed Ex or UPS through their site, but I've never used it.

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Reverb shipping averages 20-25% off my business account with UPS. While they charge 5% of the sale their Paypal is 2.5% rather than 3%. As far as safe shipping UPS, FedEx or USPS is all a crap shoot. Cost to ship using the standard 46x20x8 you're usually safe asking for $65 unless the instrument is pricey. It goes up a bunch if you go over those dimensions and asking too much for shipping can nix a sale. FWIW I've shipped over 100 guitars and basses (& over 10,000 other items). Pack well, take photos, don't use Paypal 'Family & Friends" as no one buying is your friend and always get a receipt. I've had to use Reverb's buyer/seller protection and it works well. BUT- if they are Hamers give the hounds here a shot.

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3 hours ago, Drew816 said:

Right now, it's a toss up. If USPS is slow in your area, well that's likely to be how it goes with your shipment. UPS and FedEx are overwhelmed, shipping times taking longer, costs are up, packages getting snatched... If you can sell local, that's your safest bet even if it's for a few bucks less. 

Depending on what you're selling and the prices, I'm sure some of us could hop in a car and drive on over and save you the trouble.  😉

I wouldn't use USPS for anything. This is based solely on my recent (bad) experiences. But that's just my opinion.

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I use all three however, It really depends on which side of the river you're on... Some people on the East Coast swear by UPS but I myself have had a lot of items broken using them... I'm in Arizona and have had zero issues using FedEx & I like they're tracking system the best...

P.S. I have dibs on anything pointy😆

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Shenanigans abound, no matter who the carrier is, and the proverbial last mile seems to have more than its fair share of them.  Per a friend who was a FedEx employee (whose husband still does most of my repairs and setups): If its really important, use the cheapest FedEx air you can.  It's virtually completely separate from the ground company.  They have (and enforce) a "Zero daylight" policy when handling packages.  That is, don't let go of it until you can see zero daylight between the package and whatever you're setting it on.  Require a signature and advise the recipient to re-route it to the nearest depot or shipping agent.  Yes, the cost is higher, but these days that gap is somewhat narrower.  And if the weather sucks at either end, the package will spend lots less time out in it.

UPS: I once saw a Standard bounce back and forth between the drop-off location and the Denver airport (in December) for 4 days before I finally got a hold of somebody who shook the appropriate moronic tree and got it off infinite repeat.  The driver(s) at my end are cool, they know me, they treat my stuff well.  Besides they know that sometimes they're bringing me ammo, soooo.

DHL:  If you want it to maybe get there eventually and be broken when it does, this is your carrier.

USPS: If you don't care if it ever gets there at all.

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36 minutes ago, rugby1970 said:

I wouldn't use USPS for anything. This is based solely on my recent (bad) experiences. But that's just my opinion.

Actually a friend of mine had a horrible shipping experience with USPS last year. They snapped the headstock of a vintage Fender 12 string and never paid up. Two years ago Reverb paid me back in full for a bass I bought with a twisted neck and the seller ignored all contact with me and them.

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Here are some UPS (through Reverb) examples from the past week.  All were shipped from southern Mississippi about 1.5 hours east of the River.

$3200 Acoustic to Utah: $116

$1800 solid body electric to upstate, NY: $66

$1650 solid body electric to Sonoma, CA: $55

$1200 Acoustic to Missouri: $55

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Definitely a crap shoot. FedEx was absolutely abysmal in my area a couple of years ago. They're better than they were but still not great. I've had reasonably good luck with UPS, but I know others haven't. USPS is literally being sabotaged from within at the highest level. 

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FedEx has a rider on their policy about guitars, even if you pay extra for insurance they'll not cover beyond a certain amount. I've known a few people to get dinged by this, the only out there is if you have your own insurance policy above and beyond (like my luthier does for example). But yes, if Fed Ex, cheapest Air and stay the hell away from their sub-contracted to the sub-contractor'ed Ground BS. Had a laptop for work disappear with FedEx in November, it went to Newark and stayed there for about three weeks before they "found it" and shipped it back to the origin. Hey, at least they "found it," but tracking doesn't do you much good if the track never moves and nobody cares!

UPS, depends, over time I've had good luck with them but NEVER use their franchised stores.

USPS: Well, it's amazing what can happen when you put management in place that was tasked to destroy and already banged up service. For decades I shipped almost exclusively with USPS including into the Great White North. With guitars and amps, never had an issue. The one package I had an issue with was something I sent to New Orleans days before Katrina hit, it took 6 months to get that insurance money back but I did. Nowadays, I would not use USPS for anything thing of value; they're overwhelmed, understaffed, and the system is beat up. Our service around here is fine, but where I'm shipping too and what hubs you might have to go throw, there's no telling.

 

To the OP: Anything with Boomerangs and we'll drive over to your house!

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For small things (pickups, bridges, parts). I use a digital scale ($15-20 on amazon) and use   /shipnow when I log into PayPal.   First class with delivery confirmation is a good deal for low value stuff and it gets there within a day or so of priority.    

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I've had good experiences with USPS but have only used them for guitars once or twice,,, their prices are not competitive for larger items in my experience. Smaller items they're competitive and convenient (and fast).

I usually go with Fed Ex on guitars, they seem to be a little less expensive and they deliver faster from my zip code anyway.

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Years ago I worked part time at RPS (what FedEx bought to offer ground service).  I sorted boxes there.  It was all about speed over everything else.   This past year UPS and FedEx actively turned away business because they couldn't handle it and to keep their delivery numbers looking better for shareholders.  Where would those folks go?  USPS, which was already being beaten down for slew of reasons.  

ETA: My experience with most have been good.  Once had something shipped to me overnight FedEx from about 70 miles away.  I was sitting waiting for it from a client, FedEx tracking updated with delivered a good 2 hours before it got to me.   

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Thanks for all the replies.

I don't have any USA Hamers or Import Hamers for that matter.

Just a bunch of Korean and Mexican stuff.

I do have a Schecter Strategy superstrat that may or may not be US made.  Couldn't ever quite figure that out.

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I cut my teeth in logistics. I have worked with every courier / trucker / forwarder domestic and globally you can imagine. They all have their strong points and weak points.

For guitars that are not in a overnight situation, UPS ground fully insured (and well packed) is your best bet for on time domestic service and tracking for you and your client. 

FedEx overnight priority is your best bet for someone that needs their shite yesterday. Generally speaking, FedEx priority (overnight service) and there are sub options with in the over night option (8 am, 10 am, by 3Pm etc.) is the best and most economical overnight choice. UPS rapes you on overnight charges domestically and internationally. 

USPS is fine for everyday smaller shipments. I personally dont like USPS for tracking or insuring larger , more valuable items. 

With something more expensive like a guitar that requires a strict delivery schedule UPS and FedEx are the go to's for something the size weight and value of the average working mans guitar. For a more expensive guitar, you might want to consider your own insurance outside what UPS or FedEx offers.  Im sure we are not all shipping Mary Fords white SG custom , but just a heads up the limit on most couriers is about $50,000, and as guitars creep up into that $5,000 and up range, the shipping costs go way up. You then need to price out your insurance unless the client is willing to pay for the extra insurance. 

Shipping domestically from Florida should not cost you more then $50-$80 for the average $1000 guitar to most places in the lower 48 UPS or FedEx ground. 

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They're all so slow, careless, or unreliable and eBay fees so high that I'm considering only selling locally from now on.  The only exception would be to list here, but I'm also going to avoid using PayPal from now on due to the 1099K form problem I started a thread on recently.

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8 hours ago, tommy p said:

They're all so slow, careless, or unreliable and eBay fees so high that I'm considering only selling locally from now on.  The only exception would be to list here, but I'm also going to avoid using PayPal from now on due to the 1099K form problem I started a thread on recently.

I took some low end ones to a pawn shop months ago.  5 total with the mindset that I really didn't care what they offered me.  I got 200 for the standard strat and 50 a piece for the others.  They were like OLP, etc.

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The local UPS store told me they couldn't insure a guitar packed by me.

I went back with another used guitar for them to pack and a different employee said they need the original bill of sale to insure it.  He did not want the paypal transaction for my sale (!?).

Incompetent clerk or is this how it works?

 

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23 minutes ago, GusS said:

The local UPS store = Incompetent clerk

I got rid of a bunch of your words to make it a blanket statement that applies for every UPS store everywhere.

I went into a UPS store trying to ship a package to Canada.  The company had provided a shipping label but no customs paperwork.  I asked the incompetent clerk for help and they said I'd need to do it online.  I told them I tried and was unable to complete the form.  They said "google how to do it".  I asked if someone at the customer desk at the depot would be able to help me and they said no.  Each answer was essentially "If this store isn't making money from you we don't care about your problems."  To are not and don't pretend to be UPS.

UPS Stores are independently owned and operated as franchised licensees of Mail Boxes Etc, which is an indirect subsidiary of UPS.  If you want to deal with UPS go to a UPS Customer Service Counter.  Everyone else is a useless middleman.

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