Do vendors really make quite a bit of money off of shipping?

[scooby_doo_m2002]

We have all noticed on ebay that some vendors charge 25-35 dollars for local pick up. The question that keeps running through my mind is: Do they actually lose money due to not recieving the 70-90 dollars for shipping?

In my opinion, it would be cheaper for the company for a local pick up. No need for packing materials, box, shipper expense and labor of packing the machine. If I was in this business, I would think of NOT charging pick up fees due to the extra customers comming in through the door and the customer going on a possible impulse buying spree. I dunno, maybe the way they work is boxing all machines and then selling them on ebay.

I am NOT bad mouthing Milt @ Stealth home amusement but his is due to a deal he has with his local dealers. Does he have all the machines boxed and ready to go for his dealers so all they have to do is list them on ebay?

If I was a dealer through Milt, I wouldn't want them boxed due to taking them to flea markets or selling them in a store front. Customers are gonna want to see the machine and play it before they buy, Don't think they would buy too many that are boxed and can't see the machine first............

[drcrippen324]

thing you got to look at is if you walk in off the street or you deal through a company you still want a machine boxed for transportation when they arrive off the container they dont have there tokens counted out in to a plastic bag they dont have there token tray put in or with the machine and you sure dont want to just throw a machine in the back of your car / truck with no protection to bump around bang off of each other and then you pull it out back at your shop scrached and damaged to put on display so un paked isent realy an option

also as a retailer selling on ebay or from a store would need a box/ packing to send a machine out in or for the customer to take there machine home

[arbycoffee]

to send out a machine the cst is close to $100 when you figure all the costs in.
box . . .
packing . . .
skid wrap . . .
tray . . . .
balls . . . .
manual . . . .
shipper . . .

it jhust cost alot to ship.

(please don't say how cheap DHL is, here in iowa they very bad to ship thru, they just don't know what is happening. they are a third world country)

[Lddrizzt]

I am NOT bad mouthing Milt @ Stealth home amusement but his is due to a deal he has with his local dealers. Does he have all the machines boxed and ready to go for his dealers so all they have to do is list them on ebay?

If I was a dealer through Milt, I wouldn't want them boxed due to taking them to flea markets or selling them in a store front. Customers are gonna want to see the machine and play it before they buy, Don't think they would buy too many that are boxed and can't see the machine first............

I can answer a few of the Stealth questions. Since I have dealt with him.
First Stealth is a warehouse, not a store. You can't just go in on a shopping spree.
His machines are not boxed, they are prepped as needed and wrapped in plastic. When you go and pick up your machines they are loaded into your vehicle just like that. If you want boxes and packing he can provide them for you.
The reason he has the pickup fee, is so he does not undercut his local dealers. If you could get a machine for $25-$30 less just across town wouldn't you? He does this so his local dealers can sell machines.
Now if you get a wholesale lot from him (6 or more at a time) then the pickup fee is waived. You have to call about a week in advance with what you want, and then they will prep them and have them ready to go by the loading dock when you get there to pick them up.

[scooby_doo_m2002]

I can answer a few of the Stealth questions. Since I have dealt with him.
First Stealth is a warehouse, not a store. You can't just go in on a shopping spree.
His machines are not boxed, they are prepped as needed and wrapped in plastic. When you go and pick up your machines they are loaded into your vehicle just like that. If you want boxes and packing he can provide them for you.
The reason he has the pickup fee, is so he does not undercut his local dealers. If you could get a machine for $25-$30 less just across town wouldn't you? He does this so his local dealers can sell machines.
Now if you get a wholesale lot from him (6 or more at a time) then the pickup fee is waived. You have to call about a week in advance with what you want, and then they will prep them and have them ready to go by the loading dock when you get there to pick them up.

Thank you very much for pointing this out to me. I didn't know he was a warehouse only.

Btw, thanks to everyone for their comments and breakdowns of cost, I really appreciate it. Gives me a better understanding about the whole shipping ordeal.....

[arbycoffee]

Even tho some vendors are out to screw you, not all vendor are . . . . .

[scooby_doo_m2002]

Thanks Arby

[PachiTim]

Hi All,

I would like to introduce myself. I am Tim, Owner and Operator of "The Slot Room". I sell at a flea market in OH and I will be selling in Ky as soon as the New flea Market is completed. We also sell at trade shows. I have a couple of containers on the way from Japan. Close to 1000 machines. As soon as they arive and and we have a chance to refurb and take pics, we will be selling on ebay. I will tell you right now that the shipping you are paying on ebay is bogus. I am in Ohio and have done some shipping around the country. The most it cost me when shipping is to a state like Washington. It cost 43 dollars in shipping cost. It cost 5 dollars for the box and about 12 dollars for foam from my foam machine. I will be shipping from ebay for 59.95 anywhere in the 48 states. I will be listing about 35 to 40 a week. Hope to see you at the auctions. Oh and by the way, we don't charge anything for local pick-up. Why..... we didn't lose anything in the shipping.

[Chris]

PachiTim - Welcome aboard, we also have an auction facilty on here, so well be worth listing a few of your machines on our auction site also.

Just click on the auction tab at the top of the screen to take a look.

[arbycoffee]

PachiTim

What is the size of you box ? Girth ?

Who is your shipper ?

[PachiTim]

The box that I use is a 22.5 X 22.5 X 36. I use DHL. The secret is that I must have a thousand dollars a month in shipping to get that price. I do with no problem. So do some of the other sellers on ebay. Did you think those low prices where from the goodness of their hearts?? They are making 20 to 30 dollars on every box. I am just going to give you the real price. I also buy the boxes 180 at a time and I get them streight from the box factory so I get a better price on them also. They would be around 9 dollars if I didn't. Nothing hidden. Got to go load 30 machines and take them to the flea market.

Also, I will consider putting some machines on the auction on this site.

Later

[arbycoffee]

The box that I use is a 22.5 X 22.5 X 36. I use DHL. The secret is that I must have a thousand dollars a month in shipping to get that price. I do with no problem. So do some of the other sellers on ebay. Did you think those low prices where from the goodness of their hearts?? They are making 20 to 30 dollars on every box. I am just going to give you the real price. I also buy the boxes 180 at a time and I get them streight from the box factory so I get a better price on them also. They would be around 9 dollars if I didn't. Nothing hidden. Got to go load 30 machines and take them to the flea market.

Also, I will consider putting some machines on the auction on this site.

Later

Don't know where you are, but DHL is very bad in our area (Eastern Iowa) I would not let them here handle a sq block of iron for they would break it.

And with the two biggies, you need two inches on all side for electronic for there insance to cover. Your box is not doing that.

I am not pitting you down on what you do, OK, But not all can use DHL and need to meet the requirments I know the box cost for Me from Uline is 3.65 apiece (I can't store 500 to get them at 3.23) and than the freight shipping cost to you needs to be added in.

With the 20 x 24 x 36 size box is in the over size charge and cost more to ship 70 pound charge.

Packing cost is in the 10 dollar per box machine
Tape and staples cost

Almost allway the cost is more than I charge, so if you can ship cheaper congadulations. I hope you don't have an insurance claim with DHL.

[magicdan13]

Will you be shipping to Indiana? The reason I ask is some don't and I don't understand Why? They sell em here at Value City dept store and sometimes there is a store at the mall that sells them(they just never have the ones I want) But some venders won't ship here. All the big dealers will like Stealth and PP and a few others but sometimes I see machines from some of the smaller dealers that I want and they won't even let me bid saying they are not legal in Indiana. Seems to me if they were not legal I wouldn't be able to drive down the road and buy one at the store!
Sorry for rambling but it really T's me off.

[PachiTim]

Well we seam to do well with the box I use. Insta-pack did some research and found the combo that I use the best. They used old machines that I had and dropped them, slammed them for two weeks. I use a third party insurance company for my shipping insurance. I realy haven't had a problem

Yes, I will be shipping to Indiana. What happens is people will not do their own research and just put what all the other sellers do. They are afraid of getting their bank accounts frozen.

[birdbrain]

every machine i ship costs 5-15.00 more than i charge. but they show up in one piece. i spend 20-25.00 on materials for each machine. but i kinda like the idea of packing at least as well as Arby. this i have learned over the past few months.

[jerry kosch]

Pachi- Tim, I was wondering when you start selling Pachi's on ebay will your sellers name be "the slot room" ? And when do you expect to start? Thanks, Jerry

[PachiTim]

Yes Jerry, my user name is theslotroom. We are shooting for an ebay launch of the 2nd week of March.

[arbycoffee]

Don't forget the disclamer That Ebay req.s so they don't pull your first Auctions

[77beetle]

There was no charge to pick-up the machine that I won on ebay from Pachinko Palace. They just asked that I call 1 day before so that they would have the machine checked out and ready to go when I got there. Of course, you do have to pay the NY tax on the price when you do that.