It's great to locate that missing piece of antique glass for your chandelier, or buy a perfect vintage item on E-bay. But that's only the first part. After you've located it, bid for it, bought and paid, you have to get it. And more importantly, get it in the right number of pieces. That's what I'm writing about today. Packing, cost, and a little bit about USPS insurance.

1. CARRIERS: Assume we are using the US post office, second day priority service, instead of parcel post or any of the other great carriers that are out there. Why? Because 99% of shippers of small or fragile items use this service. Why Priority and not Parcel Post? They handle things by hand, (not big crates) greatly reducing risk of crushing.

2. MYTH: SELLERS ALWAYS PAD THE SHIPPING COST AND RIP OFF THE BUYER. Wrong. If you are buying a fragile item the last thing you want is the packer worrying that they are losing money in the process. It takes materials, time, care and creativity to pack well. It's reasonable to charge for it. Also keep in mind that double boxing is expensive both in materials and in increased shipping size and weight--but it's a lot more efficient than a protracted insurance claim and the mutual work and disappointment resulting. Worry if the shipping cost is too low--that means you've got a dollar-stressed packer.

3. MYTH: INSURANCE, it doesn't matter if it breaks--it's insured, right? First off, tell that to someone who spent a year looking every day for the missing slip shade that just broke in shipping, and you'll hear how wrong you are! Second, even though the purchaser PAYS for the insurance, it is the seller who BUYS the insurance and has the essential receipt which obviously can't be sent in the package.   Both parties must cooperate closely in the claim process. THE BOTTOM LINE IS THAT AN INSURANCE CLAIM IS A PAIN AND THE EASIEST THING IN THE LONG RUN IS TO MAKE SURE IT DOES NOT BREAK!!!! 

4. PACKING AND MORE PACKING. First off there is a size limit on how big a box can be when shipped by the post office. After a certain size there is a surcharge, and according to my sources at the Post Office there is a rate and size tariff change in the making, so get those details from your local office. I believe, at this point, the magic number of "can't go by post without huge surcharge" is 108 inches measured all the way around in long dimension and then once over the top. A 24 inch square box is pushing it, but check with your office or online for current details. Anyhow, why I bring this up is there is a limit to how many things can fit in a box of reasonable size and if you buy, say, a chandelier with slip shades, you're probably going to need two shipments. One for the fixture and one for the glass. The fixture, or any fragile irregularly shaped item needs to be bubble wrapped and padded to make it ball-shaped (not resting on fragile points) and in many cases it is best to dismantle it either partially or completely. Bag it to keep packing material out of the piece itself, pad it and double box it. DO NOT USE OPEN CELL FOAM--it aids the box in crushing the fixture--and make sure there is at leasst an inch of protected space between the item and the box on all sides.

5. Double boxing glass. You have two options here and three things to worry about. Worries: first, the box being crushed; second, something striking the outside of the box and fracturing contents; third, the contents breaking each other through banging against one another or crushing each other. The last is surprisingly the biggest worry, and why packing of multiples is so tricky. For the first worry, crushing--this one is the most clear of the PO faults, and why we want Prioroty service--think about being at the bottom of a semi load of boxes filled with bowling balls and you'll get the idea. Use a sturdy outer box, reinforce the sides with something stiff like cardboard or Styrofoam. Think of it like giving bones to a jelly fish. Get some structure in there. For the second, striking and fracturing: inside your first large box, lined with cardboard or other stiffener, and set another box several inches smaller than the first in all dimensions. "Float" this box in the center of the bigger, stiffened, box with a layer of shipping peanuts or newspaper. This makes a "safety zone" protected from crushing, and with space so that if something strikes the box it can't directly impact the contents. For the third issue, one item breaking/crushing another--or migrating to the side of the box where danger lurks--get out your bubble wrap. You want to tape each piece of glass in a THICK layer of bubble wrap, making sure the ends are well-protected. The you have a choice: either a cardboard sleeve or a smaller box within a box--yes, we are talking triple boxing here. The smaller box is good as it adds yet more structure, but there is a limit to how many boxes one can fit in a box and here's a trick that works well too. Take your bubble wrapped item and encase it in a sleeve of cardboard. The cardboard strip should be cut so the it is a bit wider than the item--the shape thus protecting the ends--take the cardboard and encircle the bubble wrapped object. If you have more than one item repeat the process and then tape the whole group of them together. This turns several fragile items into an immobile mass with a lot of structure and not much ability to move individually. Nest this group in the inner box, filling the edges with either peanuts or newspaper. Viola! Bulky, but safe. If you feel like you could safely throw your packed box across the room with no damage, you've done a good job.

6. Last notes: DO use strapping tape in the outer layer under the address and in all dimensions--you don't want your inner box or boxes spewing forth on the PO floor. DO tape over the address, but not the bar code for insurance and tracking. DO NOT assume that heavy items will stay in the middle of a box of peanuts. A few vibrations will send them right to the bottom to be dropped and broken. DO NOT assume that the PO is your enemy. The other items in the box are the biggest danger. DO NOT skimp on box size or fail to contact the purchaser if you have made a mistake in how much shipping will cost. When in doubt overpack--it's less trouble than the alternative