Shipping collectibles 101

Double Boxing is Your Friend

As sellers the last thing we want to have happen is for one of our fragile collectible items to arrive at the buyers house broken. And believe me it is the last thing your customer wants also. This IS speaking from experience. Breakage during shipping can be costly. No matter how much we say not responsible after shipping, if you are running this as a business, you are responsible to get it to the buyer in the same condition it left your house.

One of the main things I’d like to talk about is double boxing. This may add weight to the shipment, but you are almost guaranteed the item will arrive in one piece. Which results in a happy buyer and positive feedback for you.

When packaging an item for shipment, I first wrap in either bubble wrap or tissue paper. I use tissue paper between some items then bubble wrap as a second layer when it is a more delicate item or if it is cold painted, a type of painting over the glaze which can wear off. After wrapping the item in either tissue paper and bubble wrap or in just bubble wrap. Find a box that fits the item. I have used priority mail tube boxes and have cut them down to fit or used other boxes. Whatever is handiest and works the best. (If using priority mail boxes for double boxing you must ship via priority mail only, you can not ship parcel post.) Place your bubble wrapped item in the smaller box and close box. Make sure you tape your inside box just as well as you do your outside box. They can still come open.

Find another box that you can fit this box into with some room for Styrofoam peanuts around it for cushion. This method of double boxing your items will insure that your item will make it to it’s destination in one piece. Also when packaging and shipping in this method, the post office is highly unlikely to deny your insurance claim if it does break.

As you can see from the pictures I use a bread knife or sharp scissors to cut my boxes down. I am including some pictures of an item as it was double boxed and getting ready to ship. As you can see it is a large ceramic lamp and I have removed the lamp shade holder for shipping. With this one I was lucky and only had to cut the box down a little by cutting down each corner slightly and then trimming the flap pieces. (Just this little bit can make a difference of an ounce or two for shipping weight.)

You can use this method for shipping most of your breakable vintage items.

I hope you found this interesting and helpful. The pictures should be able to give you a good idea of how to pack your item with double boxing.

Thank you, Debbie