Product Pricing & Shipping Costs
Sellers are responsible for all actual shipping costs. Customers pay a flat fee for shipping, but actual shipping costs vary, and the seller is responsible for all those costs. We recommend adding an amount to every product to account for the difference between the customer's flat fee shipping rate and the actual shipping costs.
Some amount of money needs to be added to most products to account for the cost of shipping over the flat fee. We have come up with some recommendations, but please run your own calculations on sample orders to see what makes sense for your inventory and your location.
Patterns: Add $0.25 to each pattern.
Notions: For consumables such as thread, bias tape, fasteners, and dye, add $0.25 - $2.00 to each notion, depending on its size and weight. Ribbon and thread would be at the lower end, jars of dye and rolls of pattern paper would be at the higher end.
Sewing Tools: For sewing tools such as thimbles, scissors, rotary cutters, and industrial pattern weights, add $0.25 - $3.00. For something which doesn't fit into most shipping packages, like a cutting mat, research the exact shipping cost first and price your product accordingly.
Fabric: Add $1-2 per yard depending on the fabric's weight and volume. A heavy, bulky wool coating, for instance, needs a bigger package to ship. You may be able to fit the fabric into a smaller, less expensive package if you put the fabric in a sealable bag first and press some of the air out. This blog post on fabric weights may be useful.
Sewing Kits: The size of these can vary greatly, so compare the kit's dimensions to USPS flat rate package sizes to determine the exact cost for the box or envelope you need. However, when it's time to ship, you may find that regional boxes or cubic shipping enables you to ship for less to nearby states.
Machines: Weight and size of machines can vary greatly; use a shipping calculator to determine the exact cost before you post your product. You'll need to weigh and measure the box after it's been packed with the item and padding. If you prefer to use a carrier other than USPS to ship heavy items, please include that in the product description, along with an expected delivery window.