Need Advice on shipping Gecko's

[Pinky81]

So Im trying to prepare myself for the part of breeding that makes me the most nervous...SHIPPING! :S

I need advice! Ive looked at Ship your reptiles.com but their shipping costs says $60. But most breeders Ive worked with have shipping costs of $45 or maybe $50

I like SRR.com's shipping kits but how do breeders get the lower shipping costs? Do you just go through Fedex itself?

I need information from those who have shipped in the past.

 

[tiedxupxinxknots]

So Im trying to prepare myself for the part of breeding that makes me the most nervous...SHIPPING! :S

I need advice! Ive looked at Ship your reptiles.com but their shipping costs says $60. But most breeders Ive worked with have shipping costs of $45 or maybe $50

I like SRR.com's shipping kits but how do breeders get the lower shipping costs? Do you just go through Fedex itself?

I need information from those who have shipped in the past.

I would like to know as well because im shipping a gecko next Monday... but im not sure about the prices, it all depends on the locations, and sometimes the breeders pay a portion of shipping and have flat rate shipping.

 

[im faster]

it all depends where the person lives..
syr is the cheapest though...
some breeders just eat the extra cost

 

[Golden Gate Geckos]

Shipping is usually $60+ from coast-to-coast. Ship Your Reptiles and Reptiles Express have much better rates if you ship through them. Most shipments I do are at a cost loss.

 

[im faster]

SMALL BOX IS KEY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[OnlineGeckos]

As I understand it breeders eat some of the shipping cost to stay competitive. That's why some offer to ship at $45-$50, even though most overnight shipping even with the smallest boxes are near $60.

 

[im faster]

Also some people use there work accounts to ship so that they dont have to pay or get a discount rate.

 

[Pinky81]

Ok so thank you for the info I get it now! So Im ordering 3 shipping kits and WOW what a price difference between SYR, TSK Supply, and Superior Shipping supplies. SYR is 12.50 for a kit, and TSK was cheaper but shipping cost $26 for ground shipping! Superior shipping the kit is $9.95 each with shipping for 3 kits at $9.95 for all 3 kits. Why the huge difference? I decided on Superior Shipping supplies kits.

 

[im faster]

You can make your own for cheaper

office depot sells a 6x6x6 box operfect for 2 or 3 geckos

 

[OnlineGeckos]

I'm not sure if you need those "kits" as kits include heat packs, cold packs, and cloth bags.

It may be cheaper to buy just what you need, rather than get a kit and having leftovers.

 

[Pinky81]

Heat packs and cold packs I figure are always good to have. And I figure for 9.95 thats not a bad price for the insulated box and other items.

 

[OnlineGeckos]

Just saying, if you buy them individually, in bulk, they come out to be a lot cheaper than buying a kit for each gecko shipment you are going to do. One insulated box + cup you need to ship your gecko with will cost you less than $3 total.

Heat packs in bulk cost around 75 cents per, cold packs in bulk are around 60 cents each. You really save a lot of money if you buy in their packs of 30 or 50's of these items you need. Just thought to suggest that since I know you'll be wanting to sell & ship more geckos in the future

 

[justindh1]

I have bought all my shipping supplies in bulk and charge an extra $5 for the supplies on each shipment. I honestly think that my rates through FedEx is just as good as SYR or ReptileExpress. Many times I am cheaper and sometimes I am a bit more.

 

[LZRDGRL]

I also use SYR, and Kevin is a very nice guy and extremely helpful! For ordering shipping supplies, I use Superior Shipping Supplies, because they offer the same for less. Why do you worry about shipping COSTS at all? Your customers will pay those, and unless you recycle boxes you already have (which I give to my customers for free), you can charge them for a new box and cold/heat pack, deli cup, and "stuffing."

What to worry about is the safety, not the cost. Some people pack two geckos in one deli cup to save room. I would never do that. That might result in lost tails or other bite wounds; who knows what the geckos are doing if in such a little room together for 24 hours!! You can fit three small deli cups in a 12x9x7 package, and one in a 7x6x6 package. I wouldn't overload; you need space for the filling stuff (styrofoam or shredded paper, or whatever you use) and insulation.

Geckos DO die if it gets too hot or cold during the transport, and the mail people mostly don't keep them under special surveillance. I had four geckos die on the first day of the July heat wave, when nobody knew yet how hot it was going to be. So I quit shipping during the summer months, and I won't ship in winter. The animal's health comes first. I will quit shipping soon for this year.

Good luck!

Chrissy

 

[Pinky81]

I also use SYR, and Kevin is a very nice guy and extremely helpful! For ordering shipping supplies, I use Superior Shipping Supplies, because they offer the same for less. Why do you worry about shipping COSTS at all? Your customers will pay those, and unless you recycle boxes you already have (which I give to my customers for free), you can charge them for a new box and cold/heat pack, deli cup, and "stuffing."

What to worry about is the safety, not the cost. Some people pack two geckos in one deli cup to save room. I would never do that. That might result in lost tails or other bite wounds; who knows what the geckos are doing if in such a little room together for 24 hours!! You can fit three small deli cups in a 12x9x7 package, and one in a 7x6x6 package. I wouldn't overload; you need space for the filling stuff (styrofoam or shredded paper, or whatever you use) and insulation.

Geckos DO die if it gets too hot or cold during the transport, and the mail people mostly don't keep them under special surveillance. I had four geckos die on the first day of the July heat wave, when nobody knew yet how hot it was going to be. So I quit shipping during the summer months, and I won't ship in winter. The animal's health comes first. I will quit shipping soon for this year.

Good luck!

Chrissy

The logistics of safety for the Leo's isn't the part I need info on! Im all over that part, done lots of research on how to pack, deli cups, how many per size box, hot pack what size give optimal heat...etc etc. What confuses me the most that I was asking about is who does the shipping, how to set it up, certifications, and why shipping prices are different i.e. some charge $45...some $50...on SYR site it says $60 so I was trying to find out how they come up with the different prices..and it seems many don't make the buyer pay all the shipping cost per say. That was great info as it gave me a understanding of shipping costs and pricing.

Im not buying in bulk as I am not a HUGE Breeder, last year I sold all my hatchlings locally. I am also planning on vending at a show this coming early summer so for now I only need a few on hand. Thus not needing to buy in extreme bulk. When I get to that point i will definitly get more. Right now I only have one Leo available so im just getting a few to keep on hand incase someone wants the little guy shipped.
(FYI SaSobek's Atomic Tang is Available )

thanks guys for the great info definitly helped me understand a little better the process

 

[LZRDGRL]

The logistics of safety for the Leo's isn't the part I need info on!

Oh, okay... There's a separate shipping thread on the forums. You can also read this week's answers I got from Marcia about how to ship to Canada and the Philippines (for us little breeders, that is out of the question)... I got some pretty good comments. Today I had an inquiry from Hong Kong again! I'm definitely not shipping outside the U.S.

There's no explanation for the different prices; it's just competition on the free market I guess. I would go with Superior Shipping Supplies for materials, and otherwise with SYR. The bad thing is if one has to order about 15 boxes at once. I don't need that many, either. I always keep the ones I get and reuse them, so I don't want to buy empty boxes in bulk. I prefer to sell at shows myself. It's just safer, and you see the people your "children" go to! :main_yes:

Chrissy