twokatmew
Well-known member
A quick comment on shipping since it seems no one has mentioned it yet:
Long story short: Weight won't matter when it comes to calculating your shipping cost - what matters is the size. It will probably be in your best interest to send with the case most of the time and ensure you have at least 1.5" of bubble wrap or other packing material between the outer surface of the case and the inside of the box.
Details: USPS, UPS, and FedEx all use what's called "dimensional weight" when calculating the price for most of their parcels. The details vary by carrier and can be quite complex; for example, twokatmew mentioned that USPS has a surcharge for packages >12" on any one side. This isn't quite true, as it actually is a weight-based price for packages under 1 cubic foot and a dimension-based price for packages larger than a cubic foot. Generally, though, a ukulele (even with case) will not be heavy enough to be charged by actual weight and will instead be charged by dimensional weight.
To calculate dimensional weight of a particular box, multiply length*width*height, and divide that number by 139. You will get the dimensional weight in pounds of your package. This number is compared to the actual weight, and the higher of the two is what you get charged. For example, a tenor ukulele with case in a box might weigh about 12-14 lbs. If the dimensions are 36" long, 9" deep, and 16" wide, we get (36×9×16)÷139=37.3 lbs! Even without the case, the box would need to be about the same size to protect the instrument and you would get charged for 37.3 lbs worth of shipping instead of the actual weight of 4-8 lbs.
The equation flips, of course, if you are shipping rocks
Aha! <light bulb goes on> I've shipped full-tower desktop computers in the past, and they're heavy enough to follow the flipped equation. Last time I shipped one of those, Fedex was the best value. USPS asks if any side of the shipping box is longer than 12", but they don't tell us how they use this measurement in calculating postage, so your explanation really helps! Thanks also for the info on how much padding is needed between case and shipping box.
Now I just need a day with good light, so I can take my pics and get on to moving these needlessly languishing ukes along. Thanks so much!