Starting a mail order, what are do’s and don’ts?

[NocturnalLibrary]

Based on positive experiences from people who purchased releases from my personal collection I'd like to take it a step further and  start my own mail order to sell releases from various labels and spread these to others in this way, which I find very satisfying to do.

I'd like to know what the do's and don't of setting up a mail order are and how to best handle setting it up and getting in touch with labels to sell selected releases . I'd like to offer a varied mixture of Noise and more experimental sounds and I'll be happy to write some own texts for releases using my experience with writing about Noise for a personal touch.

Happy to hear your advice.

[Black Psychosis]

Have a look at the other labels/distros in your country and try and offer something different to them, something that makes you stand out a little.
Don't expect too much at the start. Hopefully after some time you can devlop some regular customers.
Keep cardboard boxes and bubble wrap from any other purchases you have made, always useful for packing stuff.

[host body]

Do you actually enjoy taking in orders, keeping inventory up to date and mailing stuff out? A lot of people who love underground music have tried to run a distro, but it's pretty much just grunt work and often people can't keep up, leading to delays and unhappy customers, possibly getting a reputation as a scammer or unreliable at the very least.

[NocturnalLibrary]

Have a look at the other labels/distros in your country and try and offer something different to them, something that makes you stand out a little.
Don't expect too much at the start. Hopefully after some time you can devlop some regular customers.
Keep cardboard boxes and bubble wrap from any other purchases you have made, always useful for packing stuff.

Great advice, I'm indeed thinking of perhaps making the mail order focused more on Noise from various countries as well as offering newer, lesser known artist's releases. Different but good material.

[NocturnalLibrary]

Do you actually enjoy taking in orders, keeping inventory up to date and mailing stuff out? A lot of people who love underground music have tried to run a distro, but it's pretty much just grunt work and often people can't keep up, leading to delays and unhappy customers, possibly getting a reputation as a scammer or unreliable at the very least.

I do like taking orders, the administrative stuff and shipping them out within two days max. Maybe it's because I like doing precise stuff, don't know

[FallOfNature]

From personal experience, and my own trial/error. Have shot myself in the foot here and there...

-Send orders next day if you can, follow up with tracking.

-Don't employ terminology like "pending orders" "delays" etc. Impressions last. People will continue to buy from the guy who gets shit done.

-Get postal insurance on larger orders and vinyl if you're taking paypal payments. Mail gets damaged and paypal rarely takes the sellers side.

[NocturnalLibrary]

From personal experience, and my own trial/error. Have shot myself in the foot here and there...

-Send orders next day if you can, follow up with tracking.

-Don't employ terminology like "pending orders" "delays" etc. Impressions last. People will continue to buy from the guy who gets shit done.

-Get postal insurance on larger orders and vinyl if you're taking paypal payments. Mail gets damaged and paypal rarely takes the sellers side.

Thank you, great advice.

[impulse manslaughter]

It'll be nice to have a good mailorder in The Netherlands!

[NocturnalLibrary]

It'll be nice to have a good mailorder in The Netherlands!

Happy to hear that, I'll do my best to make it something special!

[Goat93]

Just some Advices:

- You will have Contact with Idiots and Bugglers.

- Always send Insured, never without. Even if its cheaper and even if its normaly arrives, there are a lot of Pople who skrew you up and have absolute no problem to let the World know.

- Keep in Mind that you have a Big Number of Deadstock which will maybe never sell. Have enough Money Aside.

- Think about VAT and Hobby / Regular Mailorder Difference. Could be expensiv afterwards

- Have Fun with it. If it feels like a Burden, stop it like all others :)

[Theodore]

Just some Advices:

- You will have Contact with Idiots and Bugglers.

- Always send Insured, never without. Even if its cheaper and even if its normaly arrives, there are a lot of Pople who skrew you up and have absolute no problem to let the World know.

I agree, that's ideal, BUT mandatory tracking / insurance in every small order is too much for a potential buyer to afford. And normal shipping cost is already expensive -almost- everywhere. You will have less orders just because of that, if you apply it, certainly.

Don't know how big and frequently updated you intend to do it. If it has frequently new stuff incoming it will become big, eventually. A nice idea, IF you have space, is to use something like the 'Build an order' option S&W has. People buy, you keep them, they buy more, you keep them till there is enough to make a good package, and that could be sent registered indeed.

[NocturnalLibrary]

Just some Advices:

- You will have Contact with Idiots and Bugglers.

- Always send Insured, never without. Even if its cheaper and even if its normaly arrives, there are a lot of Pople who skrew you up and have absolute no problem to let the World know.

I agree, that's ideal, BUT mandatory tracking / insurance in every small order is too much for a potential buyer to afford. And normal shipping cost is already expensive -almost- everywhere. You will have less orders just because of that, if you apply it, certainly.

Don't know how big and frequently updated you intend to do it. If it has frequently new stuff incoming it will become big, eventually. A nice idea, IF you have space, is to use something like the 'Build an order' option S&W has. People buy, you keep them, they buy more, you keep them till there is enough to make a good package, and that could be sent registered indeed.

All good points, I'll see how often I'll have new stuff coming in. I'll soon orientate myself on exactly the type of releases I'd like to sell.

[Minus1]

Based on positive experiences from people who purchased releases from my personal collection I'd like to take it a step further and  start my own mail order to sell releases from various labels and spread these to others in this way, which I find very satisfying to do.

I'd like to know what the do's and don't of setting up a mail order are and how to best handle setting it up and getting in touch with labels to sell selected releases . I'd like to offer a varied mixture of Noise and more experimental sounds and I'll be happy to write some own texts for releases using my experience with writing about Noise for a personal touch.

Happy to hear your advice.

Don't use Canada Post.

[Dunwich]

Great advice, I'm indeed thinking of perhaps making the mail order focused more on Noise from various countries as well as offering newer, lesser known artist's releases. Different but good material.

Keep some selection from known artists and respected labels along with the lesser known ones. Most sales from the latter stock won't be from people buying bunch of obscure releases at random (that happens occasionally though, and if the person is happy with his purchases, you'll have a steady customer, since he trusts you to come across new and interesting stuff in the future as well), but an item or two purchased along with something by Government Alpha, Con-Dom, Hospital Productions, etc. You'll want your selection to be different enough to be noticed, not so different that it gets you ignored.

[NocturnalLibrary]

Great advice, I'm indeed thinking of perhaps making the mail order focused more on Noise from various countries as well as offering newer, lesser known artist's releases. Different but good material.

Keep some selection from known artists and respected labels along with the lesser known ones. Most sales from the latter stock won't be from people buying bunch of obscure releases at random (that happens occasionally though, and if the person is happy with his purchases, you'll have a steady customer, since he trusts you to come across new and interesting stuff in the future as well), but an item or two purchased along with something by Government Alpha, Con-Dom, Hospital Productions, etc. You'll want your selection to be different enough to be noticed, not so different that it gets you ignored.

That makes sense indeed. It's funny you mention Government Alpha, that is an artist I'd definitely want to stock for sure. I like his releases a lot and he's also amongst the relatively newer Japanese Noise artists.