( 
)As a seller on ebay since 1998 I pride myself on good communication and most of all SAFE AND STURDY PACKING..
I cannot tell you the number of times I have had horror stories from my customer about prior ebay transactions where the seller just threw the item in a box and shipped it out..To this day I myself, still receive items that have been haphazardly thrown in a box with ABSOLUTLY NO PACKING material around it..
It doesn't matter if it's glass or a cardboard valentines greeting, our customers deserve GOOD packing..The auction doesn't end when the gavel falls, it ends when the customer has received their item and are happy..
Believe me, a nicely presented package arriving at it's destination is a big PLUS to your sales...
You don't have to spend a fortune in packing and shipping materials to insure a good packing job...I keep my overhead down by going behind certain stores in my neighborhood and going to their recycle bin and getting good sturdy boxes of all sizes..If you don't have the space to store them, then just knock them down flat...
I also DON'T USE bubble wrap..Surprised?? Well, it just too expensive ..I use SHREDDED PAPER...Lots of offices in my neck of the woods shred their paper and I get as many bags as I can..NOT the small shreds but the larger one..The small shreds add too much weight to the package and don't buffer the item as well as the larger shreds..The smaller shred tends to "settle" when they sit for a while and leave spaces..
Another important thing is to wrap fragile or glass items in tissue paper...That too can be purchased inexpensively at Dollar Tree (A franchise Dollar store)..40 sheets for $1.00 and it goes a long way in addition to making the item safe from scratching and also giving it a nicer look...Going the extra mile will bring big smiles to your customers face and that's what this auction business is all about in my opinion.
I double box when need be and always make sure there is plenty of room in the box for adding a buffer between your item and the sides of the box..A "perfect fit" it NOT good..Make sure your item doesn't "rattle" inside the box..Secure all moving pieces with saran wrap..It sticks to itself and you can wrap it around the item numerous times (i.e. old typewriters where the carriage is apt to move back and forth)
Another thing is taping the box...Tape ALL SEAMS...Do it NEATLY...If the boxes I am using have Mfg writing on the outside I turn the box inside out rather then cross out the names with a magic marker...
A nice looking box with the contents SECURE inside and an extra measure of care goes a long way in bringing back customers and also having them recommend your site to others....
Guide created: 05/31/06 (updated 11/12/07)
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