shipping dilemma... looking for bright ideas

I'm currently building a store. I'm not sure if I'll ever go live with it, but I have one issue (well, probably more than one) that needs to be resolved.

Once I add categories/products, I'll have 3 categories: photos, t-shirts, CDs.

Taking the US as the basis:

The photos will ship Priority Mail in a flat envelope for $4.05. Let's say that applies up to 10 photos.

The CDs will ship for under $1 each using first class postage.

I'm not sure about the shirts since I haven't dealt with them yet.

Here's the problem. How can I set up the shipping for the different types of items and different postage rates? I've thought about zone shipping, but I'm not sure how that'll work out. I can get zones to work perfectly for the photos, but I don't see how I can integrate the others. :blink:

Any suggestions?

ME-

Make it easy on yourself - give each of the products a weight, only use USPS Priority and let the cart do the work. :)

I thought of that, but whether someone orders one photo or 10, the postage HAS to be $4, but that is far too much money for the CDs and possibly not enough for a shirt (I'll have to check the weight). I figure if I get domestic postage figured out, I can work off of that for international.

I need to come up with a scheme that will satisfy all the products... or I have to devise my own shipping module. :shocking:

I know enough php to be dangerous. :lol:

Mary, if you nudge up the price of the CD a bit you can offer it as free shipping - which is a selling point, perhaps?

Then you can apply the weight configurations Kim advises to the remaining categories/products

schoolboy:

Mary, if you nudge up the price of the CD a bit you can offer it as free shipping - which is a selling point, perhaps?

Then you can apply the weight configurations Kim advises to the remaining categories/products

Oh now there's a thought. :blink:

I can then make the shirts very "heavy" to make it more than $4 to ship multiples.

It's worth a thought.

Thanks! :thumbsup:

You might possibly get 3 t-shirts in the tyvek priority mail envelope for $ 4.05. I've sent a baby quilt (45" x 36" x 1/2") in one, and it fit nicely. Then the
priority boxes (for $8.10 postage) can hold a maximum of 70 lbs. The big plus is the priority flat rate boxes and envelopes are free thru the post office. :thumbsup:

TShooters:

You might possibly get 3 t-shirts in the tyvek priority mail envelope for $ 4.05. I've sent a baby quilt (45" x 36" x 1/2") in one, and it fit nicely. Then the
priority boxes (for $8.10 postage) can hold a maximum of 70 lbs. The big plus is the priority flat rate boxes and envelopes are free thru the post office. :thumbsup:

Thanks for the tip... now I have to start setting up decent images and that sort of thing. I'm in no rush, but I keep getting those "how am I going to" moments. :P