posted on December 14, 2000 11:54:00 PM
When packing breakables what type of padding filler do you use?
Personally I use shredded paper and a box large enough to give you at least 2"+ in circumference around each breakable item and the box walls.
I have had no problems but it does add weight to the package and the buyer eats the cost of the extra postage that the shredded paper packing filler causes.
I find the tighter I pack the paper around the item the better. But the paper should not cause extreme pressure against the item (s) and box walls.
What I like about it is I am recycling junk mail, catalogs, and those unwanted non resaleable magazines.
I also use my own printed labels to mark the package FRAGILE on all 6 sides of the box. I also found that pre-printing my own labels that are marked "USPS INSURED" in Red Ink(instead of depending on the hand stamp the PO uses) works great.
posted on December 15, 2000 04:30:14 AM
Shredded paper will quickly compact into something resembling carpet padding, then is is no longer protecting anything. If it's firmly packed around the item, it can transmit shocks TO the item, and damage can happen.
The BEST protection is AIR! Yup, ship it double-boxed with the inner box using corner blocks (made of styrofoam or paper or cardboard) that hold it 2+ inches away from the walls of the outer box. Just check how scanners and other electronics are shipped - they have those things suspended in AIR with blocks. The inner box has to be packed so the item doesn't bounce around, but you are safer from collisions and dropping.
"I also use my own printed labels to mark the package FRAGILE on all 6 sides of the box" ... all you have to do now is teach the machines that handle your package to read the stickers and handle the package accordingly. The clerk that throws your box into a bin is usually the last human that will handle that box until it reaches the destination PO. Between you and your customer is a gauntlet of package-flippers, conveyers, chutes, bins, and automatic loaders.
posted on December 15, 2000 05:28:05 AM
I really have found that buying bubble wrap and packing peanuts (not lucky enough to have a free source of those, though many do) to be a good investment. The bubble wrap helps keep multiple items protected from each other, and the peanuts fill the void in the box without adding excess weight (and the cushioning properties of the peanuts are due to the fact that they're mostly air). Combined with the USPS's free boxes and packing tape, it makes for a very professional presentation on the customer's doorstep. In over 300 transactions, I've had only 2 cases of breakage, and I ship mostly pottery and glass. The USPS paid up in both cases, so it wasn't a matter of improper packaging.
always pickersangel everywhere
