My recent experience with a poorly packaged item has prompted me to write a guide about cheap and effective ways to package the items that you sell. Except for packaging tape, I rarely ever buy additional packaging supplies from the store or post office. Most of what I use can be found around the house, and at no extra cost to you or your buyer. I'm proud to say that only one item I've sold arrived broken and since the item in question was insured for the full amount (it was a slide projector) I was able to resolve the problem amicably with my buyer. Anyway, onto the packaging solutions:

• Beg, Borrow or Steal: Well, you might not want to steal your packaging items (I don't want this guide to be responsible for any lawsuits or arrests), but a lot of your packaging materials can be found for free. If you work in an office building, find the duplicating room or mail center and ask about discarded materials. I often come home with rolls of bubble wrap that were in the trash. Same for packaging peanuts. If your company is like mine, it receives deliveries, which means you can find the valuable materials that you, too, will need to ship your items. Be sure to ask management or a supervisor, though, before taking anything off company property. Also, if you're reusing boxes with stickers or marks on them, drop by the grocery store and pick up some brown paper bags. You can use these to cover or wrap old boxes.
• Recycle: If you're like me, you probably buy and sell on eBay, which means you have boxes coming in and out of your house. Don't throw these boxes away unless they're a complete loss. Keep them broken down in the garage to save space and use them whenever you sell something. Plus, you'll be keeping a bunch of cardboard out of the trash. Out of packaging peanuts? Crumpled newspaper works just as well. Have something that needs to be kept flat? Cut up one of those extra boxes to make a stiff cardboard barrier that will keep whatever you're shipping flat and unbendable.
  
• Save Whatever Comes In: If you're buying as well as selling, keep any of the packing supplies that other sellers use. Get a big box to keep packaging peanuts. Ditto for tissue paper or bubble wrap, most of which can be used many times.

As well as saving yourself some money, these tips will also help the environment. Of course, the best protection you can offer your buyers is shipping insurance. Sure it costs and additional $1.70 in addition to regular the shipping cost, but that dollar and a half is sure worth it. Know you're shipping something fragile? You can set your shipping prices so that insurance is required and not merely suggested. Shipping insurance protects both the buyer and seller from a potentially nasty situation. Add it to your repertoire of selling skills today!

Thanks for reading. If you found this guide helpful, please vote "yes" at the bottom of this page. Good luck, and happy selling.