Ebay Seller - Nystamps

philb.. buy me a 32 oz soda while you are at it.

I have bought several collections from NYStamps and am happy with the content. However, I haven't bought anything from them for quite a while because the shipping charges to Australia have increased significantly. Its not much fun paying >$50 for shipping when the value of the items are not much more than that. I can probably say the same thing for many overseas purchases. Things that used to cost $10 to $20 to ship now cost double, triple or even more to ship.
This has certainly stopped me from buying many things, including stamps from NY. To try and offset this shipping cost and to give me more incentive to buy, I kindly asked NYStamps if they would use real stamps to ship my items. At least this way, I might get some nice used stamps for my >$50. Basically, I was advised that they couldn't do it becasue they send so many parcels everyday. Pretty amazing that a business specialising in philately can't find a way to further support and enhance the hobby by actually using stamps for their business. This policy has stopped me purchasing from them and cost them thousands in sales to me over the last couple of years.

robertniko:

I don't think you can really blame NYStamps for this one, but ebay instead. ebay's shipping and return policies have made it cheaper and quicker for many businesses to use the ebay label system for shipping which gives shipping discount in many cases. Also with upcoming changes to ebay's return program, more and more ebay sellers will probably be using ebay's labels to protect themselves from higher return shipping prices. ebay has made a policy that a seller cannot be charged more for return shipping than what a seller sent it for, but only if they use ebay's labels with tracking. It prevents a seller for getting charged for express mail on a return when they only shipped it first class. Also you have to remember NYStamps is one of the largest sellers on ebay when it comes to stamps and time is a factor. I don't know how many people they have working for them, but to place stamps and to load the tracking information manually into ebay would be a major time drag when it comes to a high volume of sales. I still use stamps myself as I know buyers like you want them, but then again I'm a small seller, have the time and willing to take the risk.

The shipping costs are high due to rate changes at the USPS. Parcel rates more than doubled in some cases for international mail. Just to mail a 4oz parcel to Australia is $9.45 and that does not include any form of tracking. It's also been more difficult to buy stamps directly from the post office for shipment. The stock of stamps allowed by dollar amount at many smaller post offices has dropped to a lower level. It's hard to find the higher face value stamps or any other stamps in any volume. Sometimes after an auction I have to visit up to six different post offices these days just to find the stamps I need for shipping. I'm lucky I have a number of post offices within 15 miles of me, but others do not. Other larger post offices may have larger stocks of stamps, but sometimes it can be worse as they rely more on meter machines for postage.

It does seem that ebay and the USPS are the ones that have made it difficult to use stamps for postage. If the seller has the funds they could buy stamps from the USPS directly online or via phone order or even buy discount postage ahead of time in high volume. That has it's own problems. You have to have the funds to buy $500 to $1000 plus ahead of the end of the auctions. NYStamps probably spends way more than that per week. Discount postage is okay on smaller shipments, but low face value stamps are a pain and sometimes futile to use on large parcels, licking & sticking older stamps is a time drag and most buyers prefer the newer stamps used as they are harder to find than issues from the 1960's-1980's.

Battlestamps,

Thanks for your comments and you make some valid points. However, I am sure there are ways around the issues you mention, but NYstamps decides that its all too hard. I know that many stamp dealers use stamps for shipping (you say you are one of these) and I will continue to buy from such dealers. I will not buy from dealers who choose to use printed labels. Recently I bought some stamps from Iceland Post. I asked if they would use stamps and they did. I got some very nice current high value used stamps as a bonus. I will continue to but stamps from Iceland. I will not continue to buy stamps from NYStamps.

If I was running a stamp business I would realise:

-My customers are stamp collectors
-Used high value current stamps are worth something
-This would be a significant value add to my customers
-There would be more incentive to bid on my items
-Customers would be more likely to buy again

I would find ways to provide this extra value for my customers and I am sure that this would be appreciated and reflected by better sales. I would also feel that I was not contributing to the progress of stamps to the way of the Dodo. Rather, I would be contributing to the amount of used stamps to be enjoyed by future generations.

How a stamp selling business cannot see the sense in what I am saying is beyond me. Nevertheless, anyone can run their business how they wish. The bottom line is that NYStamps has lost me as a customer. It is obvious to me they do not really care.

robertniko: You definitely have valid points too, most of which I subscribe to as my own ebay business model for shipping. I also find it fun and enjoyable to use stamps as postage. It gives me a chance to use to newer stamps when and where I can find them. They make for a more attractive shipment envelope or parcel.

As stated before, I just wish ebay and the USPS didn't make it so hard to use stamps. I have even heard from postal clerks several times now, "why don't use just use ebay shipping labels and postage?". I'll never ever use ebay labels. Unfortunately, it seems a lot of the larger dealers have switched and even large auction houses will ship without stamps or not use the postal service. Some even use UPS or FedEx. I'll continue to use stamps as I know that's why my buyers want and what I want to do.

I use current commemoratives on my mailings, and have recently been making an effort to use current imperf (no die cut) stamps. Sure, I could save 10 cents or so per letter-sized mailings, but as others said, discount postage is time consuming and people want newer stamps. That said, if I were nystamps, I'd use online shipping labels just like they're doing and not think twice about it. Using stamps are nice, but they're basically risky and/or time consuming to use on shipments. nystamps ships so many items that they probably already have one full time worker just packing and shipping the way it is. If they were to use stamps on their shipments, they'd probably have to double their shipping rates (or more).

Bluegrass58, go and check out NYStamps' feedback's. That may have an impact on your decision.

I had a similar experience as many of the other people who posted negative feedback's had.

Checking his feedback's, back as far as you can, you will find a definite pattern. You will have to discover the pattern for yourself as I will not post it in a public forum.

I must say that I had bought stamps from NYStamps on several prior occasions without any problems.

robertniko, unfortunately, ebay does its best to force large sellers to use ebay Labels (another ebay revenue stream) to pay for postage, so they can remain Top Rated Sellers and take advantage of listing discounts and other perks. Even if they wanted to, large sellers will no longer be able to use postage stamps for mailing due to ebay's myriad new rules and regulations regarding refunds and returns. It would be a shame for you to boycott sellers for reasons that are literally out of their control.

Ok, it sounds like ebay contibutes just as much to this problem (if not more) than does NYstamps.

Basically, it is pointless for me to bid on a $50 - $100 item if shipping is >$50. However, if I knew I was going to get real stamps instead of printed labels I would have more incentive to bid on such items. As it is, I won't.

Whoever is the culprit, the sight of >$50 on a printed label really gives me the irritts. High valued recently issued stamps are a much more attractive option to me, as a stamp collector. I know there are several stamp dealers who use attractive postage for their shipping and I will continue to seek these out. Maybe I should just boycott ebay altogether, who seem to be finding more and more ways of squeezing the last drop ourt of their customers.

robertniko: I wouldn't boycott ebay as there's many great sellers there that do use stamps. Seek them out and stick with them. There's a lot of us who stand up against ebay while still selling on ebay. ebay is still the largest venue out there for stamps and brings the most sellers and buyers together worldwide. I've tried other options and still nothing compares to ebay. It's still the best way for me to sell stamp covers. Nothing else compares. There are sellers who do advertise within our listings that we use stamps for postage. You can always ask a seller before bidding if they use or willing to use stamps too. A good seller will do what is right for the customers and themselves and not necessary ebay. I don't have Top Rated Seller status for only one reason - I refuse to tack on the costs of tracking for low priced items on domestic shipments. I won't do that to my buyers. I can live without TRS status. I stick it to ebay elsewhere - I haven't paid a listing fee for years as I only post auctions on free listing days and that saves many thousands. I also refuse to pay for a store subscription - pointless for my business model. ebay gets as little for me and my buyers as possible.
For you to boycott ebay won't punish ebay, but would punish good sellers and yourself by denying the potential for nice transactions and nice material. As the old saying goes - don't cut off the nose to spite the face. Just find those who provide you with the customer service and material you need.

edit - typo due to early morning typing

Thanks Battlestamps for your thoughts. I enjoy searching for things on ebay, so will probably continue to buy stamps with the proviso that shipping is relatively cheap or, if not, I get stamps when shipping is expensive. My most recent purchase was about 300 pounds for an Austrian collection from the UK. 17 pounds for shipping, but recent stamps were used, so teh shipping cost is partly offset.

Heck, if you order stamps from the US Postal Service they don't use stamps to mail them. Probably haven't in several decades or more. Of course, since they're using their own service to ship them, they don't really need something on the package to show that it's been paid.

It takes no more time per shipment to use stamps if you are a huge seller like nystamps than it does per shipment if you are a small seller.

One thing you can do by searching on a seller is you can see how many items they have sold over a set period of time.

nystamps has sold 6,370 items in the last 15 days. I don't know how many shipments that would equal, but say 2,000 to be conservative. True, the time it takes one to put stamps on a package per shipment is the same regardless the size of the seller. However, 2,000 or more shipments in roughly two weeks? That's a whole lot of stamping. It would be nice if they used stamps, but the sheer volume would be difficult to accomplished in order to ship quickly. One label with one value would be quicker than trying to plaster a parcel with stamps while calculating postage.

Also think of the sheer number and amount of stamps that would be needed to mail that many items, many of which are at international rates, larger parcel rates or require special services like registered mail. As I wrote earlier in this thread, I have to visit up to six different post offices to find all the stamps I need just to mail 300-400 shipments for 1,200 to 1,500 items. The average post office doesn't carry hardly enough stamps anymore to fulfil the needs. Of course stamps can be ordered ahead of time if one had enough capital and nystamps looks like that do - they even sell discount postage lots. However USPS can be slow and discount postage with low face values are a time drag to use especially gummed postage and might not be functional on parcels with high shipping costs.

Like I said before, I personally use stamps and like it, but I'm a small army of one. Nystamps is huge in comparison - the Amazon of stamps. I feel they have grown too large to use stamps.

The idea of an operation that size using stamps is borderline preposterous. There's a million reasons for them not to use stamps, and only one reason to use them. I wouldn't even consider using stamps if I were them, even knowing that it might turn some buyers off. The additional risks and costs of using stamps would more than offset any additional revenue from the handful of buyers who might bid a little higher because they'd get their shipment franked with stamps.