I have a couple of items that are relatively low cost (I would normally sell them for approx. £7.50) but are very slightly too big to send as large letter so would need to go small parcel at a cost of £3.85 (+packaging). I am wondering whether they would look more attractive to the buyer if I priced them at £10 and only charged £1.50 in postage & packing. What are your thoughts?
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That’d certainly work better for me as I hate it when I’m buying and the cost increases when the postage adds on - even though I know it’s still got to be paid for, is built into the price and is probably still cheaper than a bus fare to the shops 
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Thats the way my brain works too! Just wasn’t sure if others were the same - glad I’m not alone in my madness!
I know what you mean and I hate the fact that the postage bumps up the price of cheaper items so much. However, I do wonder if a separate postage charge sometimes tempts customers to buy more than one item to get better value from the shipping cost.
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I’m in the same think tank too. I have some small £5 knitted flower brooches that because they are too 3D, the postage is £3.85. I have thought about increasing their price and reducing postage, but then they are way more expensive than anyone else, and I feel it looks greedy. So I don’t sell them on folksy, just at fairs. As you can imagine, I have a whole bouquet of them now!!
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Yes, if you don’t want to offer free postage, I would sell them at £10 with £1.50 postage (or even £9 with £2.50 postage) Postage costs are very subjective and I would be put off to find that the postage adds more than 50% to the price of the product. I would also ask your customers what they think, as more often than not, you’ll get a difference answer from customers compared to sellers
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Maybe you could slightly increase the price and include postage. Then, add a note in the listing that shipping is included.
Actual postage costs don’t bother me as I always look at the ‘selling price + postage costs’ to find what I consider is the ‘actual price’ on any online site. If I consider it good value I will buy, if not, then I will look elsewhere.
I have reduced my uk postage costs to zero. Like you @OrchardFelts my smaller items still cross that letterbox threshold when wrapped up.
What I loose on some items I gain on others so on balance I think I come out ahead.
@Justtosay I’m one of the people who thinks that way. If I see free shipping then I don’t really bother looking for other items to buy, because it won’t save me anything, but if the shipping costs then I know there might be a saving with combined shipping, so I carefully look through the rest of the shop to see if there’s anything else I want.
Because I think like that it’s how I price my items, trying to be as accurate as I can with the shipping costs so they combine right, but I know all the research seems to show people prefer seeing cheaper/free shipping, even if they actually end up paying more.
The other thing I consider is that showing free shipping might make it more difficult when the postage prices increase, because at the moment I look at my shipping price and know which size/weight bracket the item goes in, so can easily see what price it’ll increase to, but if I had everything as free shipping I’d have to keep records of what postage bracket everything belongs in (and slightly increase the item price every year instead). Plus the fact there are Folksy fees on the item price but not postage.
If none of that bothers you though it might be good to change, as it does seem to be something a lot of buyers like to see.
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You will pay Folksy fees on the price you charge for the item but not the postage. I sell everything first class small package at £3.85 as standard (except the jewellery I can pip box to large letter). I’ve sold lots of single £7 pieces with the £3.85 p&p added on. I don’t believe it is a problem. Postage has to be paid by someone and I expect the customer to understand that and I do only charge for the P and at cost and not the P&P.
I use the charge I have to pay RM, why pay commission to Folksy on your postage if included in the price. Also like Kim happier to buy more knowing the postage will be almost the same or combined.
Any overpayment of postage I refund the difference, to me free p & p is not free as in the price, therefore buying 2 items could mean paying twice the postage.
I think on reflection I will just price the item and add the actual postage cost. The items were actually made to be sold in the local gallery anyway so if I sell any on here it is a bonus and with Folksy plus I don’t pay an extra listing fee for trying 
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As a buyer I consider the cost of the item(s) and the postage/p&p as the total price for whatever I’m buying - and that dictates if I think it’s worth that total price. Perhaps that mindset will help you decide?
As a seller I charge a flat rate for products that are large letter size and a slightly higher flat rate for products that are small parcel size - I don’t charge extra for additional items and I’ve explained my postage policy in my ‘buying from me’ section.
I do sometimes lose out a bit if a really big order is placed but my costs are covered for the majority of orders placed. And as my items are not very high-priced items, my charge does take into account the packaging costs.
I’ve only ever had one person quibble the cost of postage - that person returned the item (they hadn’t read the size in my product description) and they also kept the pretty packaging and wrote their return note on a corner of an old cereal packet… enough said - you have to laugh!
It took me quite a while to work out what I wanted to do re postage/packing costs. I looked at lots of other shops to see what they did - perhaps you could find similar products and have a look at their p&p policies?
Heather x
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I have just spent a not inconsiderable amount of time grouping similar low price items into packages and working out letter costs v parcel costs, photagraphs etc etc in attempt to reduce % postage cost of the overall sale cost. Its the first time i have tried this so not sure how it will work. Given the amount of time it took, I am not sure i will be repeating the exercise. I think in future it will be sale cost + postage and if it looks unattractive limit production and only sell at craft fairs.
It’s really interesting reading everyone’s thoughts on this. I hated having to put my P&P up after the last RM increases so might do a bit of a rethink if( when) the prices shoot up again.