Micro Carabiner Group Buy

**Life Scout** · 08-20-2014, 19:44

Got my beaners today. Thanks.

**ralexander9646** · 08-20-2014, 20:22

Gunner, would you you mind sharing how you are speeding up the shipping process? I am curious. Maybe someone else would be willing to take on other group buys if the shipping task can be simplified.

**Vexorg2112** · 08-20-2014, 20:50

Got mine today! Thanks for doing this. Everything looks great.

**gunner76** · 08-20-2014, 21:42

You sure took on a tall order here, thank you again.

If it had stayed as small as I thought it would be at just a few hundred binners then it would have been much easier to handle. In my research of past group buys this is the largest in the number of items for a group buy.

Gunner, would you you mind sharing how you are speeding up the shipping process?

While I did figure out how to speed up process, it was not a major increase in speed.

Started off slow as I was not sure how and or the best way to tackle the processing of so many orders.

Printed out persons user name and number of binners requested and taped it to back label of padded mailers ( on the first few orders I wrote the users name on the inside of the mailer's flap but my handwriting is so bad and the surface was slick so that did not work out ). I then arranged the mailers in same order as master spread sheet As I filled each order I would then record weight on package. Usually tried to do about 10 at a time. Would then record the weight of package on spread sheet ( I had cheat sheet where I had postage costs depending on weigh ), enter cost of postage and let spreadsheet calculate final figure due. After about 6 orders I found a mistake in the formula I was using (in your favor not mine and corrected it ). Then the hard part was doing the PM with information to requester's, as I had to cut and paste users name, paste standard payment due msg, fill in amount due, send and record on spreadsheet date PM sent. At this point I started keeping the mailers in alphabetical order by users name. Once I got payment I could copy and paste persons mailing data to my label maker ( I have a Dymo dual label printer from when I had a mail order business, has one slot to print shipping labels and second slot to print postage stamps ) to print shipping label and then print postage stamp with same label printer. Having label printer that prints shipping label and postage stamps is a real time saver. Would attach shipping label and stamp, remove users name from back of label, mark on spreadsheet that order was mailed and drop off at post office.

I apologize again to the folks whose request I could not fill at this time. I am hoping I will find that the supplier shorted me on the order and will send the missing binners. At any rate I do see another group buy in the future but it will be a few months off as we have to give the supplier a chance to restock on the blues and purples and what ever other colors they might have run out of.

Please remember I am not making any money on this and have probably lost money when you consider the time it has taken and the amount of money I tied up up front not knowing for sure that the people who said they wanted x number of binners would actually pay for them. I have also been able to keep shipping cost low by using the padded mailers I had and by doing so was able to save the majority about $4 each in shipping over going with USPS flat rate boxes.

**jwright** · 08-20-2014, 21:55

Wow, I got tired and quit reading half way thru your how to--can't imagine doing that for every order, what a job.

Thanks a bunch for this, Got mine today.

**Adahy** · 08-21-2014, 09:13

Originally Posted by jwright

Wow, I got tired and quit reading half way thru your how to--can't imagine doing that for every order, what a job.

Thanks a bunch for this, Got mine today.

Think about how tired Gunner got sorting those binners out! I bet he wanted to quit a time or two himself!

**gunner76** · 08-21-2014, 20:49

I bet he wanted to quit a time or two himself!

Nah, but I did have an OH S*** ! reaction when I saw the total number of binners requested.

**barchetta** · 08-21-2014, 20:51

Just got my first arrowhead quilt today after the sale :-) are these the same little biners that come on the quilts?

**mychal** · 08-21-2014, 21:07

Yes. They also come on one of the Arrowhead tarp ridgelines. I really cranked down on that thing once, and the biner just pulled apart. I felt like the hulk. Just go easy on these biners, and they'll be fine. I've received them from at least 3 cottage vendors, and I've seen them on several more sites for sale.

**barchetta** · 08-21-2014, 21:10

Originally Posted by mychal

Yes. They also come on one of the Arrowhead tarp ridgelines. I really cranked down on that thing once, and the biner just pulled apart. I felt like the hulk. Just go easy on these biners, and they'll be fine. I've received them from at least 3 cottage vendors, and I've seen them on several more sites for sale.

Nice. They seem really good, especially at this price!