( 
)Hi fellow seekers and wanderers-
I have had so many customers tell me that they wished everyone would pack as carefully as I do...and one mentioned that "I should write something about proper packing...since I do it so well".
Well, so far as it goes, I haven't lost one yet and thought that, in light of a few very badly packaged items that I have received "in pieces", perhaps it is the time to give out some advice. Most of my purchases and sales are in the collectibles and antiques area- thus requiring more care and special needs. Many of my own items in my store are irreplaceable or totally fragile...some quite old and others just unusual.
To all of you who are sellers and senders, if you have ever had an item arrive at your buyer's destination broken, consider this carefully. I worked for the USPS for a month about 8 years ago, when my best friend, who is a Postal Delivery rural carrier, lost her drivers' license. I drove her route but she did the rest, so I got a first- hand look at the inside workings of a post office. I also got to see how the packages were loaded into the cars, trucks, vans and jeeps of Post Office employees who weren't "morning people" or just plain hated their jobs. Boxes were tossed, crammed, stuffed and bashed around. The jokes about the "USPS All-Postal Soccer Team" and the "Elephants who work at the Post Office" always resonate with me after that brief experience. I am talking small town and rural here- not even a piece of the whole picture. Imagine where your packages go once they leave your hands- how many handlers and how many other things piled on top- mile after mile of transport....carts, trucks, cargo holds. It is a miracle that things actually get anywhere intact.
So far, in my meager 600 plus feedback experience, I have not had any incidents. I follow these few basic rules and DO NOT deviate, no matter how low on materials or money I am when I send out a package. On hand at all times are the following:
CLEAR PACKING TAPE AND A TAPE MACHINE- The only proper way to fasten a postal package is with wide packing tape- Not duct tape-Not cellophane tape. Tape all seams and edges- and if you print your own labels on paper, as I do...tape the entire label to the box, leaving ONLY the bar code uncovered. USE THE SAME TAPE TO SEAL YOUR BUBBLE WRAPPED ITEMS! If you loosely bubble wrap something and use just a little slip of tape, the entire thing will work its way out. I had a beautiful 5-piece pottery set arrive in pieces because, although the seller used bubble wrap, he neglected to tape it sufficiently- and several things got loose. He also used newspaper as packing filler (see below) which also allows shifting.
LARGE BUBBLE, MEDIUM BUBBLE AND SMALL BUBBLE WRAP- find a reputable seller on eBay who is closest to you (cheaper shipping) and who carries the genuine product-NOT ALL BUBBLE WRAPS ARE CREATED EQUAL! You should be using the strongest type you can for the most fragile items- save the cheap flimsy, half-filled bubbles for basic protection of things that don't shatter, or maybe tiny things inside of other things that might rattle around. Wrap every item so that you cannot feel the item- the bubbles are the cushion. If they break, they don't protect.
PACKING PEANUTS- lots and lots, because these are the lightest and safest material out there for almost any package. If you are ecology conscious, there are a lot of dealers who sell the biodegradable peanuts for almost the same cost. NEVER scrimp on peanuts in a box- allow at least 2 layers or more of interlocking peanuts around every item and the sides of the box (2+ inches). Gently tap the box so that the peanuts settle and link together- add more- just enough so that you need to hold the box lid closed when taping. If you don't use enough peanuts, your item WILL shift- and if there is more than one item in the box, and they shift together- they will break each other!
TISSUE PAPER- tissue is nice for many items- such as pre-wrapping tiny parts of a set, wrapping things made with painted surfaces or paper, coated or tinted items. If you were to wrap certain things such as a painting, decorative box or a book directly in bubble wrap, weather and humidity, heat or cold, will cause the plastic to adhere to the item and ruin it upon unwrapping. Protect these things in plain white tissue first before bubble wrapping. Colored tissue also makes a nice finishing touch on your final wrap to a package- it is the icing on the cake and helps to hold in the peanuts-tuck a sheet on top of your final packing and it is the first thing the customer see! I put my packing slip with a business card under this. Your customer will feel like they are opening a special treasure- a nice touch that I learned from another seller when I was first starting out!
HEAVY BLANK NEWSPRINT PAPER is one of the best packing papers for non- breakables. It is perfect for wrapping frames, wooden things, tin, rustic items and generally things that need some protection from the surrounding filler. It is great to use as a stuffing or filler material for items that need to maintain shape or items that are in another container and might rattle around. Blank newsprint is ideal for filler also, because it is clean and works perfectly when crumpled and shaped around NON-breakables...just to keep them in place. I sometimes use it in combination with peanuts to add bulk.
YOUR BOXES FOR SHIPPING- I keep a weird collection of odd-sized boxes in my shed, because I sell so many different things. Frames, long thin objects and very large items need special boxes. You can dis-assemble a box that has graphics or printing, and turn it inside out- retaping it well. VIOLA! You will have a nice plain brown box! Whenever possible- for Priority Mail, order your box supply from the USPS website. Boxes for just about all things, envelopes, and stickers are all available on this site for FREE. FREE! The USPS boxes are new, light weight for safe, strong and lower cost shipping because of their construction. They are also pre-marked for Priority! I have been very innovative by putting several together for odd items- taping well of course. Ebay also has a link for the USPS shipping supplies that bear the eBay logo- also FREE! Never use a floppy old box if your item is fragile. Always use plenty of tape to make sure it is sealed on all sides...and also remember to put a few Priority stickers on any plain brown boxes, if this is your shipping method.
LABELS- You can get labels from the USPS site for FREE for Priority mail and address your own, OR ... You can print your own labels by using the PayPal shipping label function, right off of your customer sales record- prints out on regular computer paper and keeps a record and confirmation! It goes through PayPal so there is another record for tracking and security. Affix the label according to the USPS directions...for all methods of shipment. You can also schedule to have your postal delivery person pick up your packages- handy if you are in a rural area like I am. The postal workers also get some extra compensation for this- and there is no charge. You must have at least one Priority Package to schedule a pickup- done through the USPS website, and simple as pie!
INVEST IN A POSTAL SCALE- I own a 10 lb scale, purchased directly from the USPS site. This is a necessary item if you print your own labels, as you must be able to enter package sizes and weights for the final label process. Your cost is calculated for you, along with insurance or any other options, and automatically deducted from your PayPal account. A postal scale enables you to be fair and honest to your customers and give them the correct shipping costs. If you charge any additional amount for materials or handling please be up front with it and include this in the specifics of your listing. I charge a flat $1.00 materials fee on top of the shipping cost- unless an item is tiny, easy to send (using cheap or little packing materials) or is in an envelope.
ALTERNATE PACKING MATERIALS- NEWSPAPER OR SHREDDED PAPER, ETC. ETC...In a pinch, I have used shredded paper in place of packing peanuts. It is a good idea to know how your peanut supplier ships, or you could get stuck waiting for your peanuts and run out! I have a standard, inexpensive "over-the-wastebasket" shredder that makes good packing alternative stuff. It is a little bit messy, and tends to weigh a little more because it compresses, but I have used it safely- as long as the item it surrounds is well-protected with bubble wrap! Newspaper is a little bit of another story. Newspaper is dirty and is not a good material for any fragile or heavy breakables. It shifts and compresses- allowing items to move inside. It also can stain many things- porcelain, wood, painted things and sometimes even pale glass or boxes. If you are mailing something that is NON-breakable, and just needs surrounding filler, wrap the item in plain tissue or plain paper first, before padding it with newspaper. I have received heavily bubble-wrapped items nestled into newspaper stuffing, and they are always shifted up against the side of the packing box. Remember how far these things have to travel and how they are tossed and handled! Re-cycled styrofoam, foam and other packing materials work well, as long as they are clean and there is a good snug fit...mixing these with packing peanuts is best so as to keep the shifting to a minImum.
THE BASICS OF PACKING- CHOOSE A BOX WITH ENOUGH SPACE TO HOLD YOUR ITEM (INCLUDING ITS WRAPPINGS) AND LEAVE A COUPLE OF INCHES ON ALL SIDES OF THE ITEM FOR STUFFING FILLER SUCH AS PEANUTS.
PROTECT YOUR ITEM WELL.
PACK YOUR PEANUTS, ETC. SNUGLY AND A BIT OVER-PACKED.
TAPE ALL THINGS CLOSED- BUBBLE WRAP, BOX SEAMS, LABELS
INCLUDE A PACKING SLIP- JUST IN CASE THE ITEM IS LOST OR DAMAGED.
REQUEST FEEDBACK AND CONFIRMATION FROM THE CUSTOMER THAT ALL ARRIVED OK.
KEEP RECORDS OF CONFIRMATION OR DELIVERY CODES AND INSURANCE.
Sometimes a little extra effort saves a lot of problems- and your feedback and reputation will benefit. You will be a seller people can trust.
I have had so many customers tell me that they wished everyone would pack as carefully as I do...and one mentioned that "I should write something about proper packing...since I do it so well".
Well, so far as it goes, I haven't lost one yet and thought that, in light of a few very badly packaged items that I have received "in pieces", perhaps it is the time to give out some advice. Most of my purchases and sales are in the collectibles and antiques area- thus requiring more care and special needs. Many of my own items in my store are irreplaceable or totally fragile...some quite old and others just unusual.
To all of you who are sellers and senders, if you have ever had an item arrive at your buyer's destination broken, consider this carefully. I worked for the USPS for a month about 8 years ago, when my best friend, who is a Postal Delivery rural carrier, lost her drivers' license. I drove her route but she did the rest, so I got a first- hand look at the inside workings of a post office. I also got to see how the packages were loaded into the cars, trucks, vans and jeeps of Post Office employees who weren't "morning people" or just plain hated their jobs. Boxes were tossed, crammed, stuffed and bashed around. The jokes about the "USPS All-Postal Soccer Team" and the "Elephants who work at the Post Office" always resonate with me after that brief experience. I am talking small town and rural here- not even a piece of the whole picture. Imagine where your packages go once they leave your hands- how many handlers and how many other things piled on top- mile after mile of transport....carts, trucks, cargo holds. It is a miracle that things actually get anywhere intact.
So far, in my meager 600 plus feedback experience, I have not had any incidents. I follow these few basic rules and DO NOT deviate, no matter how low on materials or money I am when I send out a package. On hand at all times are the following:
CLEAR PACKING TAPE AND A TAPE MACHINE- The only proper way to fasten a postal package is with wide packing tape- Not duct tape-Not cellophane tape. Tape all seams and edges- and if you print your own labels on paper, as I do...tape the entire label to the box, leaving ONLY the bar code uncovered. USE THE SAME TAPE TO SEAL YOUR BUBBLE WRAPPED ITEMS! If you loosely bubble wrap something and use just a little slip of tape, the entire thing will work its way out. I had a beautiful 5-piece pottery set arrive in pieces because, although the seller used bubble wrap, he neglected to tape it sufficiently- and several things got loose. He also used newspaper as packing filler (see below) which also allows shifting.
LARGE BUBBLE, MEDIUM BUBBLE AND SMALL BUBBLE WRAP- find a reputable seller on eBay who is closest to you (cheaper shipping) and who carries the genuine product-NOT ALL BUBBLE WRAPS ARE CREATED EQUAL! You should be using the strongest type you can for the most fragile items- save the cheap flimsy, half-filled bubbles for basic protection of things that don't shatter, or maybe tiny things inside of other things that might rattle around. Wrap every item so that you cannot feel the item- the bubbles are the cushion. If they break, they don't protect.
PACKING PEANUTS- lots and lots, because these are the lightest and safest material out there for almost any package. If you are ecology conscious, there are a lot of dealers who sell the biodegradable peanuts for almost the same cost. NEVER scrimp on peanuts in a box- allow at least 2 layers or more of interlocking peanuts around every item and the sides of the box (2+ inches). Gently tap the box so that the peanuts settle and link together- add more- just enough so that you need to hold the box lid closed when taping. If you don't use enough peanuts, your item WILL shift- and if there is more than one item in the box, and they shift together- they will break each other!
TISSUE PAPER- tissue is nice for many items- such as pre-wrapping tiny parts of a set, wrapping things made with painted surfaces or paper, coated or tinted items. If you were to wrap certain things such as a painting, decorative box or a book directly in bubble wrap, weather and humidity, heat or cold, will cause the plastic to adhere to the item and ruin it upon unwrapping. Protect these things in plain white tissue first before bubble wrapping. Colored tissue also makes a nice finishing touch on your final wrap to a package- it is the icing on the cake and helps to hold in the peanuts-tuck a sheet on top of your final packing and it is the first thing the customer see! I put my packing slip with a business card under this. Your customer will feel like they are opening a special treasure- a nice touch that I learned from another seller when I was first starting out!
HEAVY BLANK NEWSPRINT PAPER is one of the best packing papers for non- breakables. It is perfect for wrapping frames, wooden things, tin, rustic items and generally things that need some protection from the surrounding filler. It is great to use as a stuffing or filler material for items that need to maintain shape or items that are in another container and might rattle around. Blank newsprint is ideal for filler also, because it is clean and works perfectly when crumpled and shaped around NON-breakables...just to keep them in place. I sometimes use it in combination with peanuts to add bulk.
YOUR BOXES FOR SHIPPING- I keep a weird collection of odd-sized boxes in my shed, because I sell so many different things. Frames, long thin objects and very large items need special boxes. You can dis-assemble a box that has graphics or printing, and turn it inside out- retaping it well. VIOLA! You will have a nice plain brown box! Whenever possible- for Priority Mail, order your box supply from the USPS website. Boxes for just about all things, envelopes, and stickers are all available on this site for FREE. FREE! The USPS boxes are new, light weight for safe, strong and lower cost shipping because of their construction. They are also pre-marked for Priority! I have been very innovative by putting several together for odd items- taping well of course. Ebay also has a link for the USPS shipping supplies that bear the eBay logo- also FREE! Never use a floppy old box if your item is fragile. Always use plenty of tape to make sure it is sealed on all sides...and also remember to put a few Priority stickers on any plain brown boxes, if this is your shipping method.
LABELS- You can get labels from the USPS site for FREE for Priority mail and address your own, OR ... You can print your own labels by using the PayPal shipping label function, right off of your customer sales record- prints out on regular computer paper and keeps a record and confirmation! It goes through PayPal so there is another record for tracking and security. Affix the label according to the USPS directions...for all methods of shipment. You can also schedule to have your postal delivery person pick up your packages- handy if you are in a rural area like I am. The postal workers also get some extra compensation for this- and there is no charge. You must have at least one Priority Package to schedule a pickup- done through the USPS website, and simple as pie!
INVEST IN A POSTAL SCALE- I own a 10 lb scale, purchased directly from the USPS site. This is a necessary item if you print your own labels, as you must be able to enter package sizes and weights for the final label process. Your cost is calculated for you, along with insurance or any other options, and automatically deducted from your PayPal account. A postal scale enables you to be fair and honest to your customers and give them the correct shipping costs. If you charge any additional amount for materials or handling please be up front with it and include this in the specifics of your listing. I charge a flat $1.00 materials fee on top of the shipping cost- unless an item is tiny, easy to send (using cheap or little packing materials) or is in an envelope.
ALTERNATE PACKING MATERIALS- NEWSPAPER OR SHREDDED PAPER, ETC. ETC...In a pinch, I have used shredded paper in place of packing peanuts. It is a good idea to know how your peanut supplier ships, or you could get stuck waiting for your peanuts and run out! I have a standard, inexpensive "over-the-wastebasket" shredder that makes good packing alternative stuff. It is a little bit messy, and tends to weigh a little more because it compresses, but I have used it safely- as long as the item it surrounds is well-protected with bubble wrap! Newspaper is a little bit of another story. Newspaper is dirty and is not a good material for any fragile or heavy breakables. It shifts and compresses- allowing items to move inside. It also can stain many things- porcelain, wood, painted things and sometimes even pale glass or boxes. If you are mailing something that is NON-breakable, and just needs surrounding filler, wrap the item in plain tissue or plain paper first, before padding it with newspaper. I have received heavily bubble-wrapped items nestled into newspaper stuffing, and they are always shifted up against the side of the packing box. Remember how far these things have to travel and how they are tossed and handled! Re-cycled styrofoam, foam and other packing materials work well, as long as they are clean and there is a good snug fit...mixing these with packing peanuts is best so as to keep the shifting to a minImum.
THE BASICS OF PACKING- CHOOSE A BOX WITH ENOUGH SPACE TO HOLD YOUR ITEM (INCLUDING ITS WRAPPINGS) AND LEAVE A COUPLE OF INCHES ON ALL SIDES OF THE ITEM FOR STUFFING FILLER SUCH AS PEANUTS.
PROTECT YOUR ITEM WELL.
PACK YOUR PEANUTS, ETC. SNUGLY AND A BIT OVER-PACKED.
TAPE ALL THINGS CLOSED- BUBBLE WRAP, BOX SEAMS, LABELS
INCLUDE A PACKING SLIP- JUST IN CASE THE ITEM IS LOST OR DAMAGED.
REQUEST FEEDBACK AND CONFIRMATION FROM THE CUSTOMER THAT ALL ARRIVED OK.
KEEP RECORDS OF CONFIRMATION OR DELIVERY CODES AND INSURANCE.
Sometimes a little extra effort saves a lot of problems- and your feedback and reputation will benefit. You will be a seller people can trust.
Guide created: 11/26/08 (updated 07/28/09)
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