Shipping Guides

Cheapest Way to Ship Anything, Item by Item

The cheapest label depends on what is in the box. These 45 guides cover how to pack each item type and which USPS or UPS service to buy once it is packed.

The cheapest way to ship an item is decided by two things the carrier can see and you control: how much the packed parcel weighs, and how big the box is. I'd Ship That prints discounted USPS and UPS labels, and these 45 guides work through both variables for one item type at a time.

Start with the guide that matches what you are sending. Each one names the service to buy, the packaging that keeps the parcel under the next price break, and the failure mode that costs the most for that item, whether that is crushing, creasing, breakage or a dimensional-weight charge.

If you already know what the packed box weighs, go to the cost-by-weight guides instead. If you are choosing between two carriers rather than two boxes, go to the carrier comparisons.

Ship one garment from about $5.50 on USPS Ground Advantage, and see when a multi-piece order flips to Priority Mail Cubic.

Ship a 2 lb book for about $3.50 on USPS Media Mail, as long as nothing non-media rides along in the box.

Ship a boxed pair for $5 to $12, but a double-boxed collectible can bill at 15 lb on a 4 lb parcel.

Ship Electronics

Ship electronics for $8 to $15 on USPS Priority Mail with $100 of coverage included and batteries declared correctly.

Ship jewelry for $1 - $10 depending on whether it rides letter, flat, or parcel pricing

Ship candles for $5 to $12 with snug padding, and ship early in the week so wax never sits out a weekend in transit.

Ship a 12 oz bag for $4 to $6 on USPS Ground Advantage, fast enough that roast freshness survives the trip.

Ship Vinyl Records

Ship an LP for $3 to $5 on USPS Media Mail, with the stiffening that stops seam splits and heat warping.

Ship posters flat or rolled for $4 to $10, and keep tubes under 36 inches so surcharges do not double the label.

Ship Pottery & Ceramics

Ship pottery for $8 to $18 with double-boxing and coverage above the $100 USPS Priority Mail already includes.

Ship a guitar for $30 to $60 on UPS Ground in a hardshell case, strings detuned and the headstock braced.

Ship Makeup & Cosmetics

Ship makeup and cosmetics for $4 to $8, with leak-proof seals and palette bracing that survive a drop.

Ship Supplements

Bottles ship for $4 - $8 on Ground Advantage; protein tubs are dense-heavy and hinge on cubic vs flat-rate pricing

Ship pet food for $8 to $34 by rate-shopping USPS Flat Rate against weight-based ground on every heavy bag.

Ship Subscription Boxes

Ship recurring subscription boxes for $7 - $15 by locking a Priority Mail Cubic tier instead of paying weight-based rates

Ship a sticker order for $0.82 to $5.24 by staying inside USPS letter pricing

Ship a single t-shirt from about $5.58 in the app, and learn the ounce brackets and cubic-rate math that actually set the price.

Ship a single mug for $8 - $14, and use Priority Cubic on a small box to stop paying by weight.

Ship prints, paintings, and framed art for $8 to $25, with the rigid protection each format actually needs.

Ship a smartphone for $8 to $15 on USPS Priority Mail with tracking, $100 of coverage, and a signature.

Ship a laptop for $12 to $25 on UPS Ground, fully insured, with the screen braced against pressure cracks.

Ship Board Games

Ship board games for $8 to $15, with the retail box inside a shipping box so the corners survive the trip.

Ship LEGO sets for $8 to $18 with the sealed retail box double-boxed so collector condition survives.

Ship perfume for $8 to $15 on UPS Ground as a ground-only hazardous material, packed against glass breakage.

Ship wine for $15 to $30 on UPS Ground, but only with a licensed alcohol account and adult signature.

Ship Cookies & Baked Goods

Ship baked goods for $10 to $18 on 1 to 3 day service, packed so nothing crumbles or arrives stale.

Ship fresh flowers for $18 to $35 on 1 to 2 day service, with water tubes holding the stems hydrated.

Ship hats for $5 to $12, with rigid boxes for structured caps and poly mailers for beanies.

Ship structured and designer handbags for $8 - $18 without paying dimensional-weight penalties on a light bag

Ship Sports Cards

Ship trading and sports cards for $1 to $5, sleeved and toploaded so the corners survive the trip.

Ship small furniture as an oversize parcel for $40 to $90, or palletize it as LTL freight past carrier limits.

Ship Frozen Food

Ship frozen food for $20 to $80 on 1 to 2 day service, with insulation and dry ice declared correctly.

Ship Live Plants

Ship live plants for $8 to $40 on 1 to 3 day service, roots secured, with state restrictions checked first.

Ship Comic Books

Ship comics for $4 to $12 flat and boarded on Ground Advantage, because USPS Media Mail excludes them.

Ship a bike for $40 to $150 boxed and partly disassembled, because size and not weight sets the rate.

Ship TVs & Monitors

Ship TVs and monitors for $30 to $150, braced flat and insured, because screens crack under pressure.

Ship Auto Parts

Ship auto parts for $10 to $200 by weight, shape, and hazmat class, with airbags and fluids checked first.

Ship Soap & Bath Products

Ship soap and bath products for $4 to $12 in poly mailers, sealed against leaks and summer melting.

Ship important documents for $1 to $30, choosing the service by what you need to prove, not by speed.

Ship Mattresses

Ship a mattress for $60 to $400, and the whole cost turns on whether the foam can be compressed.

Ship CBD & Hemp Products

Ship compliant hemp-derived CBD for $4 to $15 on USPS, with the required documentation on file first.

Ship most legal knives for $5 to $15 by ground with the edge sheathed and the blade fully immobilized.

Ship Golf Clubs

Ship golf clubs for $15 - $50 in a rigid tube or right-sized long box

Ship a tire naked or boxed on UPS Ground for $25 - $120

Ship Dumbbells and Weights

Ship dense weights for $10 - $45 by paying per box, not per pound

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