1. AVOID BROKEN ITEMS.   IMAGINE YOU ARE THE BUYER WHO ANXIOUSLY OPENS A SELLER'S PACKAGE ONLY TO FIND YOUR PRECIOUS REPLACEMENT CUPS, BOWLS AND PLATES FOR YOUR VINTAGE DINNERWARE SET FROM YOUR GRANDMOTHER ALL SMASHED OR BROKEN INTO PIECES.  NO AMOUNT OF INSURANCE CAN MAKE UP FOR  IMPOSSIBLE TO FIND ITEMS BEING DESTROYED, SIMPLY BECAUSE THE SELLER SHIPPED CARELESSLY BY SKIPPING THE PROPER AMOUNT OF BUBBLEWRAP OR OTHER NECESSARY PACKING MATERIALS.  IF THE ITEM DIDN'T SELL FOR  ENOUGH ON THE AUCTION, PLEASE DON'T TAKE IT OUT ON THE BUYER BY SKIMPING ON BUBBLEWRAP. 

WITH CUPS, CREAMERS, BOWLS OR OTHER ITEMS THAT CONTAIN A HOLLOW SPACE, EVEN IF YOU WRAP THE OUTSIDE WITH BUBBLEWRAP, PLEASE FILL THAT SPACE UP SO IT WON'T COLLAPSE.  WHEN YOU SECURELY WRAP AND FILL SPACES WITH ENOUGH PROTECTION, YOU CAN ALMOST BOUNCE THE ITEM ON A CARPETED FLOOR AND IT WILL BE FINE.

MAKE SURE YOU USE STRONG CLEAR, WIDE AND STICKY PACKING TAPE TO SECURE THE ITEMS ALL THE WAY AROUND--NOT JUST ONE TINY PIECE--OR HEAVEN FORBID FLIMSY CELLOPHANE TAPE, WHICH SHOULD BE A CRIME AND IS ALMOST A GUARANTEE THE RECIPIENT WILL RECEIVE EVERYTHING IN PIECES.  DONE PROPERLY, THE BUBBLEWRAP DOESN'T COME APART WHILE IN TRANSIT AND NOTHING SHOULD GET BROKEN..  IT'S AMAZING HOW EVERYTHING FROM THE UK ARRIVES PERFECTLY, AND HOW SOME ITEMS FROM HERE IN THE US ARRIVE BROKEN..

A COUPLE OF LAYERS OF FLAT PACKING PAPER BETWEEN BREAKABLE ITEMS SECURED WITH THE HEAVEN FORBID A TINY PIECE OF CELLOPHANE TAPE SHOULD ALSO BE A CRIME. I  RECENTLY RECEIVED DISHES PACKED THAT WAY -- OR AT LEAST THEY USED TO BE DISHES.  WHAT A SAD THING.  A CRYING SHAME.. 

THE PACKAGING DOESN'T STOP WITH THE BUBBLEWRAP.  AFTER WRAPPING IN BUBBLEWRAP YOU NEED TO POSITION THE VARIOUS PIECES IN AN APPROPRIATE SIZED STURDY BOX  (THIS DOES NOT MEAN A FLIMSY THIN SHOEBOX) WITH PLENTY OF STYROFOAM PEANUTS OR WADDED UP PACKING PAPER OR ANYTHING THAT CAN "STAY IN PLACE"..  YOU CAN EVEN  POSITION PIECES SPACED APART AND TAPE SECURELY ON TO CARDBOARD.  HOWEVER YOU CHOOSE TO DO IT,  YOU MUST PROVIDE ENOUGH PADDING BETWEEN NOT JUST THE ITEMS, BUT BETWEEN THE ITEMS AND THE OUTSIDE OF THE BOX, AND DON'T FORGET TO FILL THE GAPS. THE PADDING BETWEEN ITEMS HAS TO BE ENOUGH TO KEEP EVERYTHING APART AND "VERY FIRMLY" IN PLACE.   YOU MUST REMEMBER THAT IF EVERYTHING IS NOT FIRMLY IN PLACE AND BECOMES LOOSE, KISS THE CONTENTS GOODBYE. 

IF YOU NEED TO CHARGE A FEW DOLLARS EXTRA FOR THE PROPER PACKAGING MATERIALS, BY ALL MEANS ADD IT TO THE SHIPPING/HANDLING COST AND YOU CAN MENTION IT IN THE AUCTION DESCRIPTION OR/AND IN THE SHIPPING INFORMATION IF NEEDED. JUST DON'T SURPRISE YOUR BUYER WITH CHARGES THEY DON'T EXPECT.  BUBBLEWRAP AND OTHER PADDING ARE NOT CHEAP, BUT THEY ARE PART OF THE NECESSARY SHIPPING COSTS AND YOUR BUYERS WILL LOVE YOU FOR MAKING SURE THEIR PURCHASES ARRIVE IN ONE PIECE. 

2.  UNFORTUNATELY, THERE ARE A FEW DISREPUTABLE SELLERS OUT THERE WHO MAY TRY TO UNLOAD BROKEN ITEMS THROUGH AN EBAY AUCTION.  OR, A SELLER MAY HAVE SOMEHOW OVERLOOKED DAMAGE.  BUYERS SHOULD LOOK CLOSELY AT ANY BROKEN ITEMS, AS YOU MAY FIND EVIDENCE THAT IT HAS HAPPENED TO YOU.  YOU SHOULD EASILY BE ABLE TO DETERMINE IF THE ITEM WAS INDEED BROKEN DURING THE SHIPMENT.  CONTACT ANDS TRY TO WORK IT OUT WITH THE SELLER BEFORE DOING ANYTHING DRASTIC.

3.  SELLERS YOU MIGHT WANT TO ADD INSURANCE TO EVERY SALE THAT INCLUDES BREAKABLE ITEMS, AS WELL AS DELIVERY CONFIRMATION.  IF YOU PACKAGE EVERYTHING THE WAY YOU SHOULD, THEN NOTHING SHOULD GET BROKEN, BUT IN THE OFF CHANCE THAT SOMETHING SHOULD HAPPEN, THE BUYER CAN TAKE THE BOX AS RECEIVED, ALONG WITH THE BROKEN ITEM/S IN TO THE POST OFFICE, ETC FOR INSURANCE REIMBURSEMENT, USUALLY ON THE SPOT.  THE DELIVERY CONFIRM IS BACK UP INSURANCE FOR THE SELLER THAT PROVES IF, WHEN AND WHERE THE PACKAGE WAS DELIVERED.  A WISE INVESTMENT IF IT'S NOT ALREADY INCLUDED IN THE SHIPPING.  IT IS ALREADY INCLUDED IN PRIORITY MAIL.  AIRMAIL PARCEL POST AND SURFACE PARCEL POST TO OTHER COUNTRIES USUALLY INCLUDES INSURANCE BASED ON THE WEIGHT OF THE PACKAGE, AND IF ADDED INSURANCE IS NEEDED IT IS AN EXTRA COST.

4.  LAST BUT NOT LEAST, INCLUDE A COPY OF THE EBAY INVOICE.  A BUYER MAY HAVE PURCHASED IDENTICAL ITEMS FROM DIFFERENT SELLERS.  WHEN NONE OF THE SELLERS INCLUDE AN AUCTION INVOICE, IT BECOMES A GUESSING GAME ABOUT WHO SENT WHICH ITEM.   MOST SELLERS WANT POSITIVE FEEDBACK THAT BELONGS TO THEM.