David,
smart move on putting the plastic bags around the drums.
I had someone send me a wood Dyna once,and he did exactly that......
LUCKY THING! The box set on a porch with water dripping directly on it for who knows how long!
I couldn't believe it when I opened it that he had done that! Relief!
I took my drums down to the local UPS shipping station to get them weighed, measured and get a ballpark figure. And to ship them(ground, I believe) just to the Midwest from Atlanta, based on size & weight would be over $300 and that didn't include any plastic wrap, peanuts or bubble pack! Is it gas prices?
From ATL, does that include a teener and a crack pipe to go along with it? Man, that is about twice the rate. Get with one of the pros on here, it should cost no more than 150, NY to LA, plus a little insurance. I have shipped complete kits from OK to Michigan for like 80. You have to be careful with these guys, they will have you packing in 9 boxes and separate insurance on each box. They get paid for all those extras they sell. It should take no more than 2 boxes, and if you do it correctly, you could do one box, although it could get crowded. Your shipment will fall into a category called "Dimensional Weight" class. For one package, 24x24x20, at 80 lbs, which is actually a bit low for this sized box, is 91.00 ATL to LA.(for this class, the box size is cool as long as it is below a certain weight) Someone is shining your monkey. You need to figure out exactly what you need to do with them to get the best rate, but 300 is crack-head for "lemme do you over the hood of your car"...
You could do 2 smaller boxes and get away with about 100-125, but the bass drum size (should be no less than 28" to protect the drum) is going to determine your cost on the biggest box. Shipping is fun, ain't it?
UPS shipping centers are a ripoff.
I haven't tried it yet, but I've heard that Greyhound actually will deliver packages for a comparatively low price.
I haven't even checked into it, but here is a link just in case you might be interested in trying it:
10-4 on the Greyhound. I've got a 14x26, 16x16, and 10x14 that I purchased in Idaho Falls, Id. shipping out tomorrow coming to Louisiana. Packed in 2 boxes, shipping + insurance is $95. Try shipping a 26" bass drum with anybody else for anywhere near that. The only drawback is that the maximum insurance is $300 per parcel. On smaller packages I use USPS Parcel Post. Anything under 108" length + girth is really cheap, but can be slow. A 14x22 is pretty much as big as you can go and still come in under the 108".
Regarding shipping on EBay, is it acceptable to set shipping parameters in the body of ad? For example, "Buyer agrees to pay $100 for shipping to destinations in Eastern half of US and $150 for anywhere in Western half of US. Will not consider offers from other countries, Hawaii or Alaska, contiguious United States only. "
And I don't want to go out and spend a bunch of money on shipping materials only to have someone in Georgia buy them and come pick up in person. Any thoughts or feedback is greatly appreciated.
toddv
You could ask for flat rate $150 lower 48 states and then if they're close by simply refund the difference or invoice (if they haven't paid yet) them for the actual shipping costs. I'm not sure if eBay allows for shipping costs to be determined at the end of the auction. If they do, you can state that in the auction description. UPS stores charge extra over what UPS charges to ship, in other words, they get a profit above the normally reasonable UPS ground rates. Then they add costs to pack the boxes. So if you go UPS pack yourself and have them pickup the box at your door.
The more you nest the drums (with adequate padding between them inside to protect them) the better the shipping rate will be; however this also involves more personal time spent packing them. I usually use Fedex home delivery after packing myself, but I'm experienced in doing so. Also keep in mind the box dimensions are always part of the equation in determining the cost of the box, so the bass drum will need to be economically-yet-effectively packed. It is difficult to find a bag that a bass drum fits in, but if you get some foam padding sheeting or other thin protective material, you should be able to wrap it well.. Also make sure the items in the box DO NOT SHIFT in the box when you shake the box, as in transit they almost NEVER end up on the right side, and there will be several opportunities for the box to sustain drops (in fact, UPS suggests the box be packed such that it can sustain a 5 ft drop!)
All this being said, if you still want a pro to pack for you and have the buyer pay for it, state such up front: Just be ready to accept a slightly lower amount for the drums because buyers are going to bid accordingly.
You could ask for flat rate $150 lower 48 states and then if they're close by simply refund the difference or invoice (if they haven't paid yet) them for the actual shipping costs. I'm not sure if eBay allows for shipping costs to be determined at the end of the auction. If they do, you can state that in the auction description. UPS stores charge extra over what UPS charges to ship, in other words, they get a profit above the normally reasonable UPS ground rates. Then they add costs to pack the boxes. So if you go UPS pack yourself and have them pickup the box at your door. The more you nest the drums (with adequate padding between them inside to protect them) the better the shipping rate will be; however this also involves more personal time spent packing them. I usually use Fedex home delivery after packing myself, but I'm experienced in doing so. Also keep in mind the box dimensions are always part of the equation in determining the cost of the box, so the bass drum will need to be economically-yet-effectively packed. It is difficult to find a bag that a bass drum fits in, but if you get some foam padding sheeting or other thin protective material, you should be able to wrap it well.. Also make sure the items in the box DO NOT SHIFT in the box when you shake the box, as in transit they almost NEVER end up on the right side, and there will be several opportunities for the box to sustain drops (in fact, UPS suggests the box be packed such that it can sustain a 5 ft drop!)All this being said, if you still want a pro to pack for you and have the buyer pay for it, state such up front: Just be ready to accept a slightly lower amount for the drums because buyers are going to bid accordingly.
Thanks Pounder. All very good information for me, a novice, who want's to do this right and "do right" by potential buyers.
Thanks!
toddv.
You should just keep the drums for yourself. If you have the dream to play again, you still have the desire. In this economy you won't get the real worth of the set and will have to deal with all the nit picky, anal retentive, ebay buyers. The kit is part of your past and money can't make up for that. You will regret selling them.
