Advice for a newbie, particularly re postage

[Janek]

I'm finally getting round to selling the various things my loft has collected over the years and it seems that the cheapest way for me to send most stuff is using hermes (as it's less than 1kg, although a pair of boots is more than 1kg, so collect+ seems cheaper for that).

Am I correct in thinking that the cheapest tracked/signed for hermes delivery is £3.78? Their website says 'standard' = £2.78, what is standard? I am presuming it doesn't provide proof of delivery and that I need to spend an extra pound to get that. Is that right, or have I misunderstood?

Anything else I need to know?

I am finishing sale on a Sunday evening
Giving 'free postage' (so have set a reserve price to cover this)
Starting sale at 99p
Selling fewer than 20 items in a month to avoid listing fees

Is anything going to catch me out that I haven't thought of/don't know about? TIA.

Watching with interest as we are doing the same thing. FYI books/cds/dvds are easy to sell through amazon.

No it is £2.99 - you don't need to pay for the signature - you automatically get proof of delivery without paying the extra.

I end items Mon or Tues, not Sun. Reserve is £50 so you are better starting at the minimum price you will accept. Or buy it now with best offer. Never, ever start at 99p - there is no need now with free listings anyway.

For less than 1kg, the rate within the UK (some more remote places have an additional charge) is £2.78 when left at a Parcel Shop or £2.98 when collected from you by a courier. This doesn't include the delivery courier getting a signature (that's an extra quid) although they do seem to get them around 90% of the time in any case.

In my view, the value of a signature is that it deters delivery couriers from leaving packages outside of delivery addresses and then claiming they've been left in a safe place.

petra i was going to sell dvds through music magpie, seems easiest, although potentially not the most profitable.

jacksonville what do you mean reserve is £50? Do you mean 50p? In which case you are right, i will start with my lowest price, thanks for that info!

nauticant does the £2.78 price prove that the parcel has been delivered so ebay won't make me refund a chancer?

Sorry, that last question was for jacksonville too! Thanks all.

Yes that includes online proof of delivery.