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DoodlebearsI have a couple of bears that I was going to put on Ebay, the problem is shipping costs. Do you think it is worth selling out of country? The postage costs are extortionate and I am wondering if it is worth even listing as being available outside of the UK. What do you all think, and what service would you recommend, please? The bears are around twelve and fourteen inches tall and weighted, but not too heavy.
Hugs, Jane. 
Jane,
I would say it's worth listing internationally. You just need to be upfront about shipping costs and any possible taxes that collectors may incur. Here in the USA we can estimate shipping on our postal website. I would weight your bear, add a few ounces for shipping materials and give a shipping estimate for International shipping. I always note that it is a shipping estimate and ask that collectors email for a more accurate shipping quote.
Hugs,
Alison
Boechout, AntwerpHi Jane,
As a "collector" I feel quite strongly about this issue. 
I regularly check e-bay for OOAK Artist Bears and the first thing I check when I see a bear I like, is if international shipment is possible.
Unfortunately I very often come across teddies that are only sent in the UK. Then I don't bother to check out the details of the bear, nor who made it.
I know that international postage can be quite expensive (I have paid my faire share of postage over the years 
), but surely it is up to your
potential buyer to consider if he/she is willing to pay the extra cost. When I consider adopting a teddy on e-bay, I always ask the seller beforehand to give
me an estimate of the postage (as Allison already mentioned). Until now I have never had any bad experiences with this method.
As you will perhaps remember, I paid GBP 24 for the adoption of your lovely GEORGE. I personally would have hated it if you had refused to send him to me, because you considered that the postage was too high. In the UK you have the luxury of having many talented artists and many teddy fairs; here on the continent the number of artists and fairs is much more limited, so most of the teddies in my hug are in fact British : BARLING BEARS, ALL BEAR, LJ BEARS, KATIECOUNTRYMOUSE, GUARDIAN ANGEL BEARS, JULIE SHEPHERD, BUMPKIN BEARS (half British/half Belgian), ... (sorry if I left some of you out :redface: ).
So please, have a thought for your international collectors. 
Hugs,
Peter
Oh Jane please DO make them available!!! As the collector is the one who pays the postage, as long as it is clearly stated what postage would be (with the calculator if necessary) that will allow the collector to decide for him or herself if the postage is worth it.
I'm always disappointed if I see there's something I want but am not allowed to bid...
desertmountainbearI agree with everyone. I include all shipping costs in my auctions, which can be very hefty if sending out of the country. But to me to be able to have the bears live in other countries is worth it. I just chalk it up to advertising. Peter is so right, from an advertising standpoint if you do not ship overseas many collectors will pass over your auction and not get to know your work.
Joanne
Hi Jane,
Oh, I know just how you feel! I used to panic whenever I had an enquiry from abroad and I expect most will remember the occasion when I was asked to remove the stuffing from a bear so that it would cost less to post!!! 
I think it is an easier case sending parcels to the EU, but have yet to experience sending anything further afield. Some of my bears are in other countries but had been bought in the UK at fairs and taken abroad. So, it was a BIG achievement when I eventually had my first proper overseas sale which was to Peter! I think he must clearly remember my initial panic when it came to postage costs!!! (and everything else, come to that!!) I personally think it is a good thing to find three different ways to post a parcel abroad and give the customer a choice as to which route they would like to take. I have been using UPS and can highly recommend them but most of my bears are large and heavy so even sending in the UK can produce high postal prices. But I have customers who are only too willing to pay a little more money to have their bear sent by a quick safe route that is tracked, insured and only delivered with a signature. In some circumstances, I have happily paid some of the postage costs myself or maybe certain fees in order to help reduce some of the costs to the customer. Just be upfront about the costs and then the customer has the choice.
So Jane, please don't let the postage stop you from selling your lovely bears abroad!
Hugs
Marilyn
Hi Jane, I've sold many bears to many different countries around the world over the years ... there are bear collectors just about EVERYWHERE and they love to receive bears from across the seas ... yes, even the big 'uns! In fact, most of my big bears move abroad. The most important thing is to state up front what you will charge for delivery - I list my delivery charges on my website to let customers know what the cost will be in advance of them placing an order. To do this I've had to work out standard delivery costs in terms of bear sizes to the US for example ... this means that generally speaking, I usually have to subsidise some overseas deliveries to a small degree. I don't think I've ever knowingly lost a sale due to a customer rejecting the price of a delivery ... one or two new customers have been surprised to discover how expensive it is to send big bears overseas, but it's never actually stopped them from proceeding with a purchase.
If you are auctioning a bear on Ebay, there is also always the option to offer 'free shipping' and start your auction at a price you are happy will cover your costs. My preference is for customers to see how their payment is split, between the bear and delivery cost, but I know there are UK artists who sell with everything included in the overall price.
I think the market for big bears is often stronger overseas than it is in the UK, so it would be a shame to limit your options!
By the way, 12"/14" tall if under 2kilos in packaged weight, will travel by Royal Mail Airsure to most countries as a 'small packet'. It's a delivery confirmation, insurable service and I've never had any problems with it. I would think for example, a bear of that size could travel to the US for approx £30.00.
Laurie Lou BearsI sell nearly all small bears now but I have sold 12-15 inches and they were weighted but not really heavy and the postage was always around £15 even when I sent a bear to Russia.I always like to send my bears by International signed for with Royal Mail just in case they go missing and you are fully insured with this service.It is worth considering selling your bears abroad as you may find many new collecters and as others have said as long as you are clear on your postage charges it is then down to the individual collector as to whether they want to bid on your bear.
Laurie :hug:
Woodbury Park BearsHi Jane
I think it is worth it Australia Post is not terribly expensive like some countries and the exchange rate works in our favour for that especially at the moment for overseas buyers but I have bought supplies and bears for my own hug and paid postage rates because we can't get it here and if we can it's built into pricing anyway. I like Peter have a pet hate when I look at ebay and the seller won't post overseas it is kind of offensive why should it make a difference if the buyer wants to buy the item and pay the postage the seller gets the money up front? On the other hand selling my bears to collectors overseas gives me the greatest buzz of all that my babies are all over the world and the other point I would make is that I do not try and make money out of postage thats another pet hate. So short answer Yes.
Hugs
Raewyn
BrisbaneI agree, please continue to sell your creations to overseas buyers. I have had that annoyed feeling when an ebay seller won't ship overseas. I personally like to see postage charges (estimates are ok as well) shown up front if possible. I will contact sellers on ebay to give me estimates though if I have to. I do like to know before I bid. I must admit though if I really loove something I see on ebay I prefer to spend that little bit extra on postage in order to see it delivered safe and sound.
------
Therese
Hi Jane,
I would definitely sell to Overseas and as it is the buyer that is paying the postage they would be happy to pay, to get one of your bears.
I think as long as you make that clear, when they are interested, what the charges would be for delivery.
I get annoyed if I see that sellers on Ebay won't sell to certain Countries.
Hugs
Carolyn
Bubble Up Bears!I think in these economical hard times many collectors such as myself are looking for that "free shipping" offer. On eBay 9 out of the first 20 auctions listed are offering free shipping so it's just about even. However I'm not going to let the shipping charges keep me from bidding on a bear that I want. I just work it into the total price I'm willing to bid. I have always done it this way.
I think you would be doing yourself and your collectors a terrible injustice by not offering to ship overseas. I myself will not even look at a bear past the thumb nail photo if I can't have it. To me what's the point. 
It is quite possible you will lose potential buyers/collectors if you limit your shipping options. :)
And then no one is happy!!!!!
Posts: 3,540I certainly agree with the others. Not everyone in the world is feeling the financial crunch. Place the postage up there, don't be shy and let your international customers have the chance to get one of your gorgeous bears 
PeterBear, thank you SO MUCH for taking the time to give a collector's point of view!!!! It means a lot to hear from collectors :hug: :clap: :clap:
....edited to add, I asked our own dear Sophie about one of her bears a year or so back. She very kindly looked into various shipping options for me (thank you sooo much :hug: ) It was not the price of shipping that prevented me from adopting one of her beautiful bears. It was simply lack of funds altogether. Her bear was more than reasonably priced, the shipping completely fair. If my family's finances had been better, I would have had her bear in an instant. And I still hold it a dream to have one of her bears in the future.
So do not feel it is the shipping cost that will 'kill the sale'. That is the buyer's responsibility, because that is a separate service to get the bear from your house to theirs.
I've always offered my bears internationally because as others here have said, I think it's ultimately up to the buyer to choose whether (or not) to pay what may end up being fairly large shipping, insurance, and possibly customs costs. We're selling to adults here, right? I figure they can competently decide for themselves. And it's not at all a problem for me to calculate international postage for those lovely folk. I just click to a different page on the USPS website! The work on my end is the same -- weighing, packaging -- no matter where the bear goes.
Having said that...
It's very true, Jane -- you're so right -- that international postage can be problematic ... even AFTER the sale. For example: Even when I've been excruciatingly clear with my international customers about the very real potential for high costs and customs fees on their purchase, over the years I've had a small number of buyers (two or three, including one very recently) get really upset at me and my "sales methods" when their parcel arrived, and they had to pay 'extortionate' customs fees in their own country, due to their country's custom policies. All of which is, of course, something completely out of my control and that I can't predict, estimate, or change.
The end result of such transactions is that these customers have a soured impression not of their country's customs policies (where the fault REALLY belongs)... but of ME, and of MY bears. Blarg! The overall EXPERIENCE of all that sours the customers on MY PRODUCT. Which is, clearly, something to be avoided. This fact absolutely gives me pause and has made me wonder, from time to time, whether it's really and truly "worth it," as you asked, Jane, to continue selling internationally.
For now, the answer is, "Yes." It's still worth it. It's been very few customers who've had this experience, and it's not something I can control and not remotely my fault, and I can't change it, so why deprive people of the opportunity they can grasp (or not) to have my bears? I LOVE the idea of my bears living in other countries, and of being loved by foreign collectors. It's very exciting to me!
What I don't love, though, is the idea that by merely inviting international buyers, I might be setting them up for a circumstance I didn't create and can't control, that will specifically turn them off of ME and MY work. So unfair, and yet an impression of POTBELLY BEARS that's incredibly difficult, if not impossible, to undo and "make pure" again. And I really hate the idea of turning off even ONE customer. I want them all to be 100% pleased, truly.
To create an explicit expectation in my international customers that they may, indeed, face high customs fees upon delivery, I recently updated my website and created an entirely new FAQ section to address this problem. If you're interested in seeing what I wrote and possibly adopting it for your own use on your site, blog, or in sales transactions (like on eBay) please feel free to use the wording or something close to it. Hopefully this brief FAQ statement will prevent future customer disappointment at a time which should be full of bear-y happy celebration!
One thing I won't do, by the way, which I include in that FAQ paragraph and which I know other bearmakers sometimes do as a "courtesy" to help foreign buyers avoid customs fees, is mark commercial purchases as "gifts" or undervalue the purchase price. There are some solid reasons for that.
#1... In order to fully insure a parcel, the insurance amount stated on the shipping forms must match the item's stated value. In other words, if I mark a parcel as worth $200 and the buyer paid $400 and that parcel gets lost in the mail, I can only recover $200 for my customer from the USPS. I don't have an extra $200 laying around in my wallet to make up the gap between the actual purchase price and the insurance refund I will be able to secure for my customer. And I would never leave a customer in the position of receiving a partial refund. That's just bad business. INCREDIBLY bad business.
And #2... Falsifying USPS shipping forms by calling a "purchase" a "gift" is blatantly illegal, and actually constitutes mail fraud. That's no small deal and while it's unlikely that any one bearmaker will be caught in this lie, it would really majorly suck if I -- or any of my friends in the bear industry -- ended up being that caught bearmaker! And people DO get caught. I'm extremely sympathetic to the problems these fees create for international customers, and I understand the well-meaning motives of those sellers who offer this "courtesy," but I'm not willing to lose my seller's license or face fines and sanctions by lying on federal forms, and personally, choose to obey US law.
Link here; look under INTERNATIONAL BUYERS heading: http://potbellybears.com/My_Homepage_Files/Page6.html
This is tricky
I love overseas buyers and most are wonderful about shipping. I try to do my part, too, in the transaction. For U.S. buyers with eBay I offer free shipping. I found it was worth it; less complications for me and a benefit to the buyer. But I felt I was leaving my overseas buyers at a disadvantage . Now I agree to paying 50% of the shipping to other countries. I think it gives my overseas buyers the same advantage as my U.S. buyers. But my guys go for a pretty good price, I could understand how someone with pieces that are less expensive would have to think carefully about shipping costs! I do have a problem with some overseas customers because of their countries' customs system :doh: THat's one reason I don't list the UK on my sale information. I WILL ship to the UK but I have found that it takes soooo long for pieces to get through customs it gives both myself and the customer anxiety. (It's not just overseas, Canada is just as slow!) I talk to these customers and let them know it will take an undetermined time for their piece to arrive 
Karen
KJ Lyons Design
Bubble Up Bears!I see what you are saying Karen.
:)
I had an artist ship me a bear that was suppose to go to a collector in the UK. And the collector in the UK got my bear. So she ask us to ship to each other rather than ship back to her. So I did. What a nightmare!! The artist wanted me to say it was a "gift" and I would not. Actually my husband did it for me and he as well refused to claim it as a "gift."
Well to make a long story short I never was reimbursed for the outrages shipping and I never received my bear! The artist would not answer my emails nor my phone calls. I was out what I paid for the bear plus shipping the bear that I recieved to the UK. It was over $700.00.
I guess shipping can turn into a nightmare for you artist's out there but I think Karen has some good ideas on how to do it as well as others.
Bears by EdieKaren said:
I WILL ship to the UK but I have found that it takes soooo long for pieces to get through customs it gives both myself and the customer anxiety. (It's not just overseas, Canada is just as slow!)
I am so surprised that you would say this Karen as I frequently get parcels sent from the States and find they generally get here within a week! Parcels from the UK often get here to Canada even faster. Of course if you are shipping to eastern Canada that might be a different story - I don't know!
I think most buyers are fine with the shipping costs as long as they know UP FRONT how much it is going to cost them, and as long as the price is at least close to the actual shipping cost. There is nothing I hate more than being charged $30 for shipping and having the parcel arrive with a $3.00 postage sticker on it! Also the price of the item compared to the postage is a very real factor. I am currently looking at a bear on ebay that is bid to $16 and the postage cost to Canada is listed as $19!!! I am NOT going to pay more for postage than the bear is worth - especially when I know they could send the bear by a cheaper method for around $3.00. Now $30 postage, with insurance and tracking, on an item worth several hundred is a different story altogether!
I do appreciate the opportunity to decide if I want to pay the postage cost for an item from another country though, rather than the seller deciding to not offer it to other countries.
I agree with all the great advice mentioned - that it's a good idea to offer the shipping and let the customer decide to bid or not. Even before I offered free shipping worldwide, I still had overseas shipping as an option. Canada Post's rates were pretty standard to anywhere overseas, so I had a flat rate and most of my first ebay bears ended up going overseas.
