Much cheaper here: RoyalBag
My favorites are the 2x3 clear 2mil ziplocks. At Fetpak, they're $7.25; at RoyalBag, they're $4.60 (per thousand).

Both have minimum order fees. Fetpak $25.00 and RoyalBag has a $10.00. RoyalBag charges $8.60 shipping and $5.60 charge for ordering less than $10.00. This puts the cost of 1000 bags upwards of $18.00 to 19.00 dollars for bags that are 2.5 x 2 2mil, including there cost (of 4.60) less tax. Fetpak charges NO shipping, but you still have that $25.00 minimum order fee.

There HAS to be someplace we can get little zip bags thats cheaper than this. I would like to find some for $10.00 or less total. Anybody know of a cheaper place?

I tried to search online and didn't find any better deals. Alot of the hits I had gotten had $100 plus minimum orders. Some of them I couldn't find the shipping rates unless I logged in and gave them my info, which I really don't like to do. Why can't they just tell you the shipping rates up front?!?!? Grrrrrrr...
Fetpak does have a $5 shipping charge on orders under $100.

You have to order in bulk to get better discounts.

If I ordered 4000 bags from Royal Bag it would cost me $18.40 plus $6.75 to ship, totalling $25.15.
If I ordered 4000 bags from Fetpak it would cost me $25.20 plus $5.00 to ship, totalling $30.20.
Even if you decided to buy locally or online for $1 per 100, 4000 would cost $40.00 without shipping or gas.

If I ordered 2000 bags from Royal Bag it would cost me $9.20 plus $6.95 to ship, totalling $16.15, still cheaper than purchasing 2000 at $1 per 100. 2000 from Fetpak doesn't meet the minimum purchase of $25.

Dang...I thought I had found "the place". Didn't notice that minimum order on Fetpack (shows how much I pay attention :0)) Too bad, It would take me a decade to go through 4 thousand baggies. We should all go in on some together, Ha! Just kidding, Shannon

By the time I got half through that 4000 bags that thin 2ml would be dry rotted. lol. My bags 2.5 x 3 would still cost me $31.21 for 4000 (20.16 for 4 boxes, 9.31 shipping, 1.74 tax). I live on fixed income, this is why I trade in the first place. $25.00, $30.00 or $40.00 is just to much to pay for those little bags. If I can't find them cheaper than this I am just going to keep using my food sealer. Seals anysize bag and seals any kind of plastic.
Wonder what everyone else pays for them? Surely they have to be cheaper somewhere.

I wouldn't/couldn't order 4000 at a time; I was just using that as an example I guess, to meet site requirements. I wasn't really thinking in terms of reality! I ordered 2000 last year, and yup, I still have loads left, but they're stored in the top of my hall closet, away from light, heat, cold. They're still in perfect shape. But you're right, there has to be a cheaper alternative. One would think there has to be. I guess purchasing a few hundred at a time locally is really the only logical alternative; at least there's no shipping involved if you live close to a Staples or Walmart...

Buying the poly bags locally by the 100 is not so bad because you don't need to invest in a large inventory and buying in small quantities is pretty painless.

But what about the postage and the padded mailers? That runs into real money. I'm kind of new at this, so I'm wondering if GWers are generally willing to accept a plain envelope instead of padded when the amount of seed is small.

Jim

Jim

I normally purchase my bubble mailers either at the dollar store or at Walgreens, when they're on sale 3 for .99¢, which was just recently. I purchased 12 4x7's; I don't like to cut up the larger ones, even though it would be more economical.

Using a plain envelope is fine as long as you include bubble wrap around the seeds and mark the envelope HAND CANCEL. I just received one with the envelope ripped & torn, but the bubble wrap protected the seeds, luckily...

Here's a good site, no minimum orders (as far as I know.

U.S. Plastics

I like the one's with the little white "write on" panels. :D

Best Wishes
Amino-X

I got 1000 2X2's for less than $8.00, including shipping at Veripack.com. No minimum orders and quick shipping.

Merry Christmas
OrphieG

I bought padded mailers from Costco or Sam's Club for I think around $6 for 25. You need to have some bubble wrap around the seeds when you mail, otherwise they get crushed by the postal machines will crush them, and they'll be useless. I think some traders use regular envelopes, then put some bubble wrap in around their seed packs, that might be cheaper. For seed packs, I use coin envelopes from Staples or Costco, don't remember where dh got them, from when he had his business.

I prefer to buy no more than 200 small ziploc bags at one time and like to order from American Science & Surplus www.sciplus.com

This company sells lots of cheap useful things for kids and adults and so I never have a problem with the $10 minimum order requirement.

Cheers!

I used to order small zip lock bags from a craft catalog, can't remember which one but found this link
Small zip lock bags
I'd think they are available from other craft suppliers, they are often used for seed beads

Staples has the little plastic bags 100 for @ $2.98

I found 1000 2X3's on eBay for $5 +10.34 shipping. Or 100 for 1 and $1.99 shipping. Just search under "ziplock".

chervil2 - Thank you *so* much for the www.sciplus.com link!!!!!

seahorse

Found a great site on ebay! It is auctionsuite.com!
Be sure to use the exclamation mark at the end. I got (100) 2x3 White Block Ziploc Zip Lock Bags for just $1.39, plus $1.00 shipping. Got them super fast! I liked that for just over $2.00 I got just what I'll need for the time being, and I know where to get more if I need them.

jimster, I haven't paid for a mailer yet. I saved a couple from things that had come in, and then when I started trading, I was ahead a couple ... I resuse the ones that come in...I grab the ones that would go into the trash at the office, I reuse bubble wrap and heavy envelopes (I tape it shut so the seed packs don't slip out) - in short I've never spent a penny on packaging.

I did the same thing you did - a couple bucks at a local crafts store. But I wish I could find the waxed paper ones instead. The concept is more appealing environmentally, and the seeds don't stick to the inside of them. They're probably less expensive, too. But I'm not up to folding my own!