Shipping Fees: The Bane Of Every Card Collector

Since I started using their service in 2008, I've ordered cards from CheckOutMyCards.com about once a month so I am very familiar with the site and clearly think it's one of the best things since sliced bread. I've reviewed the service back in October 2008 [Loved it!] and examined some very stupid seller pricing not once, but twice. As the site expanded with incredible growth the site has changed and grown more expensive and isn't quite the great deal it once was. I write this because of the newest entry on the CheckOutMyCards.com Blog that expounds on the greatness of the of the COMC.com's shipping prices.

And to their main point, COMC does offer a much better deal on multiple cards than sites in which that you need to buy from multiple sellers. Having the cards in one location is a brilliant way to do this. But that's sort of like a "duh" moment here. Of course COMC is better!...they're just not as good as they used to be. The more complete picture is that since I originally started using COMC their shipping costs have risen 29%.

In my first COMC purchase from October 2008, I was able to get 18 cards shipped for $5.60:


Today, I went to the COMC page and picked 18 cards from their listing that game me a shipping cost of $7.25 which is $1.65 or 29% higher than my original purchase:


Now I realize that COMC has recently moved locations, bought new equipment, and as their inventory continues to expand it probably takes their employees longer to locate and package my order. But I guess the question I have is why does the buyer, rather than the seller, have to bear the brunt of these increased overhead expenses?

Comments

I certainly understand the fuss over a 29% increase, but that is still way cheaper than any other online market place.

It sux when i buy 4 cards on eBay for .99 each, but pay $10 in shipping. I will often not buy a card because of the shipping costs.
flywheels said…
...but $18.50 for Priority shipping for baseball cards?! Come on, that is highway robbery. At least eBay is trying to set policies against excessive shipping prices.

COMC has several cards I could use to fill some gaps in some of my player collections, but the increased shipping has kept me away thus far. I like the site, I just don't understand the gauged shipping prices.
madding said…
I wouldn't be surprised if USPS shipping rates increased by around that same amount in that span of time. That being said, buying single cards online for me has always been a bit cost-prohibitive. I much prefer trading and bargain-hunting at card shows.
Anonymous said…
If you gett he cards delivered at the end of the month, I think they have a special with the max being $15. It sound like a lot, but is not too bad when compared to e-bay.
It is for a 50 card min. I will get the cards I need to complete my set / player collection and wait til i have enough cards to take advantage of the special.

Better then getting hit with $3 per auction.