How to Pack Everything Using the Lightbulb Method

In our business, safe and secure packing is a requirement. Once the bidder has paid for their item it no longer belongs to you, it belongs to your customer. This is the last and probably most important step in customer satisfaction.

I am an expert packer. I spent 25 years as second shift foreman in various printing plants. The first half (4hrs) of every work day was spent packing and shipping. Besides, printed materials, I had to return customer catalog samples, paintings, sculptures and 3 dimensional printed pieces. I learned very quickly how costly poor packaging can be.

Additionally, 80% of my customers have written me with horror stories of items coming broken or damaged. I have also received damaged items or items that amazingly survived by luck, not by proper protective packaging.

I am passing along my method, in hopes of correcting this problem not to badger any sellers. I know everyone really tries to do a good job but maybe are not aware of things that can go wrong. If you check my feedback a large majority of it mentions how securely their items were packed. I do not promise my method is bomb proof as one customer mentioned. I have also had many emails telling me that their packages arrived looking like they went through a war but thanks to my great packing the item itself arrived unharmed.

Before I get into the method details here are some points to consider:

• If you are selling a vintage item that has it’s original box, that box must be protected as securely as the item. The condition of the box increases the value of that vintage item. For example, a vintage board games value can greatly be increased by the condition of it's box. The box is really part of the game.
• Brown paper is never enough protection when shipping a boxed item. The original box should be protected minimally with bubble wrap and preferably with cardboard wrapped around the bubble wrap. All corners and loose edges MUST be covered with tape or they risk getting caught in postal machinery.
• Tape is you best friend! I know tape is expensive but a standard 2" x 55yard roll at $2 a roll is .001cents an inch. Do not use it sparingly. There are statistics about how much additional strength a simple band of tape around a box will add to the structure of your box - sorry but I no longer have stats. It just may save your box from being crushed.
• Shrink wrap is your secret weapon. It holds everything securely and it sticks to itself and bubble wrap. You will learn to love using it, if you aren't all ready.
• Your ultimate goal is to make sure that nothing is moving in that final package. Movement is what will break an item. I have a few items, large ceramic delicate breakables, fall 4-feet off of my cart to the cement sidewalk, hit very hard and when checked, the items were in perfect condition. I know this method works.

The Lightbulb Method of Packing Everything.

I started using this method years ago, on the job. It has always amazed me that light bulbs are packed tightly in the flimsiest cardboard are never broken. I thought about it and the reason is because they are unable to move within that packaging. Additionally they are double boxed - the sleeve around the bulbs and the advertising outer package. They use no bubble or peanuts yet they are secure. It’s quite ingenious. I do modify this packaging in that I use tissue and bubble and papers to add security. My items are not shipping from a loading dock to a store. My items go through many hands and many post offices.

Materials needed:

• Used box or box flaps (depending on size). I get mine free from the local Dollar Store. If you get your packing material from a local store be sure to occasionally give the employees a treat - cookies from the bakery, ice cream.
• 3" or 5" shrink wrap. Available on line or at Walmart. Great Stuff!
• Bubble wrap
• Tissue paper
• Final shipping box or make your own if needed
• Shipping tape
• Possibly brown kraft paper

For this guide I am packing a pair of deer salt and pepper shakers but this method is the same no matter what you are shipping.

• To start you need to assess your item that you are shipping. Are there delicate areas that need protecting? If so wrap these areas with bubble. I put a small amount around the head, a small amount from the head along the back, as filler and between the legs. You may tape this in place. Remember it should never be tight or crammed tightly into small areas - just loosely fill to add padding.

                     

• Then I wrap in tissue or a larger sheet of bubble or both.

    

• The next step is to make a box the size of the item. I use old boxes or box flaps and gently wrap it around the item. It’s great if you can follow the flutes in the corrugated cardboard but if you can’t, lay the item down and mark the height and create a fold there. Ultimately you want four sides. This box should fit but not be too tight - don’t crush the piece. Then, I recommend taping the box shut until you get the hang of using the shrink wrap.

• Pick up your shrink wrap and start wrapping the box in all directions. I usually cover front to back and then just turn the package and continue wrapping the sides. Don’t tear the shrink wrap, just turn it until the entire box is wrapped. DO NOT PULL THE SHRINK WRAP TIGHT, it can crush. You will get the feel of it pretty quickly. When fully covered, just tear and stick.Repeat this process for all of your pieces.

• Now when you put them in the box, in this case I have lots of room. I’ve added 3 more pieces of box flaps between the 2 pieces and on the outside. It looks nice. I also cut a flat can box (I get these at the auctions) to the size of the shipping box. Wadded up newspaper for underneath the can flat, then put my two pieces in with the extra box flaps and filled with newspaper.

       

• Be sure to include a shipping address inside the box and your little gift.
• When I am sure nothing is moving, I tape the box shut and I tape around the top and bottom, both front to back and side to side. I also tape around the center. As I said, this will strengthen the box itself giving it added security. On a 12x12x8 priority box the cost of this added protection is only .13 (cents). Cheap protection. I have had boxes open at the glued flapped and you do not want that happening while shipping.

Tips For Larger Items

This method works for everything. Some are just bigger than this and I have shipped large items. I think the hardest has been a 19" wax angel with foil wings. In the pre-pack, I wrapped her head, hands and wings separately. Then before padding and wrapping the protective box around her, I wanted to tie her in place. I lay her down on the cardboard that I was wrapping around her and marked a spot on either side of her waist. Moving her aside, I made 2 good size holes (nickel size), I put her back in place and took a long piece of shrink wrap. I rolled the shrink making a rope of it and fed an end of the wrap through each hole and tied it, in the back, as tightly as the piece would allow. I tie down most large pieces. It’s added security.

Time

Time wise this method certainly takes longer than wrapping in bits of Happy
Birthday paper and wadding up one sheet of newspaper for them to rest on, but you will find it well worth the extra time. It takes about 5-10 minutes to wrap pieces like the ones in the demonstration. Large, complex pieces I can now do in 45mins. Truthfully, my first took 4 hours. But then, I am a bit of a perfectionist. I was a printer back in the old pre-computer days when it was a skilled trade and it was either "right" or "wrong". Some things are hard to change.

More on Shrink Wrap

What I love about the shrink wrap is that is sticks to each other. I have crammed 10 of those small boxes together in a flat rate box and I need very little newspaper or extra packing. Plus if you put a layer of bubble down first, then add your shrink wrapped packages, they stick to the bubble, so they move even less.Because it all sticks, and it is well packed already, put as many as you can on top of each other - side by side - whatever. If you do this just be sure you have a thin layer of bubble on sides, bottom and top for a little extra safety.

I now wrap everything I ship with this method. Including books (Unless it is a large lot of 30 books), jewelry, toys - everything. I know my customer is going to get their item safe and secure and best of all, because of the wonderful customers taking their time to leave feedback about my packaging all my future customers feel comfortable buying from me.

I sure hope this was clear to understand. If you have questions, email me. This method does add weight but I have not lost an item yet. My packages can withstand most drops and tosses by the post office. I don’t know about kicking. I have not had a single breakage and little complaint about shipping charges. I have found that most people feel they got their monies worth when they open my boxes. Final thought, It costs the same to ship a 1lb. 1oz box, as for 2lbs. Do a great job with your packing and enjoy the emails that you will receive.