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Black 1962 Western Electric 500 Telephone For Sale on eBay

Started by andre_janew, September 14, 2015, 06:37:00 PM

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andre_janew

I will be putting up one of my phones for sale on eBay.  I decided I need more color to my phones and  also more space.  Here is the link and a couple of pictures:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/151815710046

P.S. It won't be listed until after midnight tonight.


andre_janew

#1
I still haven't sold this phone!  If it doesn't sell soon, I plan on removing the dial and replacing it with a dial blank.  I will then sell it as a dial-less manual phone. 

andre_janew

This is interesting!  I try to sell this phone with a dial and nothing.  Nobody bids on it.  I turn it into a dial-less manual phone and now I have a bidder!  It makes me wonder if manual phones are more desirable than dial phones!

Doug Rose

Andre...you are charging $20 to ship the phone, might be a reason for lack or interest? I charge $14.99 and that includes insurance. You might want to rethink your shipping policies....Doug

http://www.ebay.com/itm/151840411690
Kidphone

andre_janew

Actually, it is more like $10.  I honestly don't know where you came up with that $20 figure unless you thought $10.20 was $10 to $20.

Russ Kirk

- Russ Kirk
ATCA & TCI

WesternElectricBen

I think the problem of the high cost is that he is not shipping flat rate. Living in Minnesota, the cost to ship it is $12.10

Ben

Doug Rose

"Actually, it is more like $10.  I honestly don't know where you came up with that $20 figure unless you thought $10.20 was $10 to $20."

Andre...First time it was $22.15 shipping. I honestly don't know where you came up with $10?....Doug

http://www.ebay.com/itm/151815710046   
Kidphone

WesternElectricBen

This is what shipping costs are showing in Minneapolis, MN.

Ben

TelePlay

Quote from: Doug Rose on October 07, 2015, 08:02:11 PM
Actually, it is more like $10.  I honestly don't know where you came up with that $20 figure . . .

When not using flat rate shipping, the rate is based on the size and weight and the buyer's zip code. For me in Wisconsin, this phone comes up about $13 which is just a bit more than a flat rate without insurance. For you, Doug, it will be more. Log out of eBay and try different zip codes in the "get rates" function. Probably $8 in his home state and over $20 in yours. But you  knew that, right?

Doug Rose

Actually John...I did not know that. I have been using Priority Flat Rate since the USPS came out with it. Medium Priority WITH Insurance for $14.99 for a phone is the best deal out there. Boxes are free, shipped to your door. I list between 15 and 20 items a week on eBay and don't have the time to play with the postage. All of our auctions have a One Price shipping and insurance anywhere in the US. I thought every seller did this. I wouldn't know how to do it any other way! When I look at an auction, I see the shipping and thought one size fits all. If its too expensive I write them and ask if they will ship Medium Priority Flat box.....Doug
Kidphone

andre_janew

I don't know what is going on.  Perhaps different people in different parts of the country are seeing different shipping costs.  All I know is that when I look at my own add I see a shipping cost of about $10.

unbeldi

I don't understand why this is such a puzzle, to be frank.

As, Teleplay already stated, if a shipping option is not specifically selected as flat rate, then the regional zones rates apply. This is no different than what has been the case for decades, if not ever.

In this case the states surrounding Kansas will be around $10, while the East Coast will be around $20, and West Coast will be as high as $24+.  Of course the seller will always see the lowest cost, he is the closest to himself.

This is all very easy to play with and study on the eBay site, both on the seller panel and the buyer side.

When selling a phone that really shouldn't cost more than $20, it's hard to justify paying more than that for shipping. It's really hard to sell common black 500 sets for say $30, unless they have high shine, perfect cords, and other quality attributes.

Given that eBay sales are targeted across the country, it is hard to see why one wouldn't select the medium-size flat-rate Priority option, it's an incredibly efficient process overall in combination with eBay and Paypal. Shipping from coast-to-coast very often takes only 2-3 days!




zenithchromacolor

#13
If shipping to zone 4 or lower, regular Priority Mail will be much cheaper than the medium flat rate. For distance example, Chicago to Minneapolis is zone 4. Using online pricing, a 6 pound package (average weight for packed 500 phone) to zone 4 would be $8.55 for regular Priority and $11.30 for the medium flat rate.

The Regional Rate boxes are also a good deal for zone 4 or lower. The Regional Box 'B' is larger than the medium flat rate, has a 20 pound limit, and is only $8.10 to zone 4. The regional boxes, especially the smaller 'A' have saved me a lot shipping small heavy items, and they are a nice size for packing.

I assume most know that Priority Mail now automatically includes $50 - $100 in insurance with the cost of postage. It no longer requires an extra fee.

I was never comfortable packing a 500 phone in the medium Priority box due to the available space. I use the 12x12x8 Priority non-flat rate boxes.

andre_janew

I sold the phone as a dial-less manual phone on October 13.  The phone sold for $8 and the shipping was $10.80.  The buyer was jgbunch of Hannibal, Missouri.