Shipping costs

3

30 A Ripper

Member
seems to cheap me that model A parts are expensive to ship and wondering if any way to reduce the cost.

$10 to ship a $9.99 item seems darn steep to me .

do any big name auto parts places handle A parts?

Dick
Lakeland, Fl
 
a parts are pretty limited at the National chains.
How is the $10 calculated? Website automatic calculation, or a minimum shipping charge in a catalog? Then, what does it weigh?
I have called companies before when I thought a "flat rate" shipping was out of line, if you get a human, they might adjust it. They might not even realize that some small light part fits into a weird shipping category.
Unfortunately part of shopping for price includes shopping for freight. Some places advertise lower prices and make it up on freight.
 
30 A

you can reduce costs by just ordering when you have a minimum in dollars to order.
When I get to 100.00 in parts that I need, then I order.......

economies of scale
 
Dick,

If your correlating the value of your part against the shipping it is what it is to get it there.... that is if it is worth it to you. I'm not trying to be harsh here.. but I've been in business and ship stuff all the time. If you want to be angry or upset at the shipping cost go tell UPS or better yet... go start up a nationwide company to give them more competition... they need it.
My UPS guy with some overtime made over 90K....or at least that's what he shared with me. I think he's 56 and can retire this year. Don't get me wrong... he works hard... but so do I.

Flat rate usps, FedEx ground... etc are some possible options. UPS rates are very high... but it doesn't seem that their rates will be going down anytime soon. If you need it.. you get it if you want it... if not, you don't. This isn't a cheap hobby/business, whatever you're doing with it. The Model A parts vendors aren't making shipping a profit center, they are just charging the rate that covers the cost.
We are extremely fortunate to have the quality suppliers like Brattons and Snyders, A&L, Berts... Little Dearborn.. and many more. Imagine what it would be like without them. Shipping doesn't sound so bad now.. does it?

Happy Model A Motoring in 2014!
Larry Shepard
 
You can take a day off from work and drive to a swap meet and cut out the cost of shipping totally. Bob



30 A Ripper said:
seems to cheap me that model A parts are expensive to ship and wondering if any way to reduce the cost.

$10 to ship a $9.99 item seems darn steep to me .

do any big name auto parts places handle A parts?

Dick
Lakeland, Fl
Click to expand...
 
ronn said:
30 A

you can reduce costs by just ordering when you have a minimum in dollars to order.
When I get to 100.00 in parts that I need, then I order.......

economies of scale
Click to expand...

Most of the time I do as ronn does and if I need it sooner then I pay the price.

The other thing to do is to get with some other A owners and see if they need some parts and split the shipping costs.
 
I do the same as Ronn and Ross. I keep what I want in mind and when I need enough to amortize the shipping I place the order. I usually page through the catalog to see what I might need in the near future and add that to the order. I do agree that shipping is a ripoff just like the high price we have to pay for the crap gas being sold today.

I need to make a BIG list to amortize the cost of gas to make a trip back to Bert's in Denver.:D
 
$10 shipping for a $9.99 part is still cheaper than driving to the supplier to pick it up on your own...
 
Tom - The trip to Bert's in Denver is worth the price of admittance. I have been there and it is a neat place to check out.
 
I have vertually elimenated outragous shipping costs by selling my home in California and moving to a nice 10 acre spread two miles from Bert's, near Denver, Colorado.

Ofcourse, I lost $90,000 in the process of moving to be closer to a good parts source - but what the heck . . . . I did save $10 in shipping !
 
Look up the cost yourself. See what it costs to sent a package of a certain size and weight from each of the carriers. Add to that the cost of the shipping materials and salary to have someone actually pick the parts and box them. High yes.
 
I deal with all the major "A" parts houses and I've found that Bratton's and A&L have the best shipping costs.;)

Bob-A:D
 
Hey, how about this. Parts suppliers could ask for an annual membership fee like Amazon Prime and then ship anything you buy for free. Don't know how it works for Amazon but like any other everybody pays routine the people who order less subsidize the ones who order more. Please, no death threats....
 
I like most wait untill I have a decent order to offset the shipping but I think were lucky. I just shipped a B flywheel housing to France. I sold the housing for $35 and the shipping cost the gentleman $71.
 
Tom maxwell said:
Any Model A parts house in NYC metropolitan area?
I believe the Ford place on Jamaica Ave closed
Click to expand...


Cantor's, in Boonton, NJ has some, not much. Right off I 287
Bill Hirsch, has Engine paint and fabric What else?
There is one in NYC (Brooklyn?) I can't recall the name now.
Bill Haberer, in Watsontown Pa, about an hour and a half west of Allentown
on Rt I 80 Lots of good used stuff too.
Mac's, Long ride across NY state
A couple of guys in Conn. and NH.
I hope this helps!
Terry
 
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