One of my pet peeves is the packaging that is used by many eBay sellers.  I have recently received several improperly packaged items that were damaged during shipping because of that packaging.   I have been selling mail-order for twenty years and do have some good ideas for eBay sellers about this topic.

     The first bit of advice I can give is to create a mindset for yourself that after you have sold an item it no longer belongs to you.  Therefore, it should be treated as someone else's property.   I also believe that most people would rather pay a little extra for handling to insure proper packaging, than to receive an item that is damaged.

     Here are some tips about packaging: 1.  Use heavy cardboard when packaging.   2. Do not use Post Office boxes turned inside out for shipping flat items; the cardboard is not heavy enough and things get bent!  It may sound silly, but most U. S. Post Office Boxes are to be used as boxes only!  3. Find a local appliance store, computer store, bread distribution center, supermarket, or a similar store.  Most are willing to let you have cardboard boxes - usually the cardboard is heavy enough for packaging.  4. Spend a few minutes extra with a sharp cutting tool and cut the boxes into the size you need.  5. Make sure that flat items such as various documents, magazines and sheet music are wrapped in plastic before they are placed inside the shipping container (this protects them if the cardboard gets wet).  There are wholesalers who sell bags for such purposes - or you can used food storage bags.  6. Make sure you write: "Please Do Not Bend" on the outside of your package. 7. Do not package flat items with a fold in the cardboard at the center of the item unless you re-enforce it. (It usually will bend at that spot and damage the item inside).  8. Be sure the cardboard is larger than the item you are shipping inside the package - corners and edges get damaged easily.  9. Be sure to use bubble wrap when shipping toys, glassware, plasticware, anything that can be damaged or is fragile, etc. - bubble wrap comes with large and small bubbles.  10. Fragile bubble-wrapped items should be then placed in the center of a larger box with crumpled newspaper or foam "peanuts" surrounding them, and the word "Fragile" written on the outside of the box.                        

If you start out wrapping properly when you first start selling on ebay, you will be ahead of the game and not have customers who are unhappy with merchandise that is damaged during shipping because of poor packaging.