darcyw
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posted on January 12, 2001 05:23:25 PM
I sell on eBay under one id; I buy with another id.
I purchased a 19th century comport. It arrived today, all in one piece and as described so no complaints there.
However, the seller packaged with popcorn. Yes, popcorn like from a movie theatre.
I opened the box to this awful, smelly horrible gruesome mess. It was absolutely disgusting. a gruesome, decaying, festering stomach-turning mess.
My house stinks. I can't get the nasty smell off my hands though I've washed my hands with all sorts of soaps and detergent.
I thought the worse packaging job I ever received was about two years ago. I had purchased a partial set of china. The seller shipped to me with only a thin sheet of newspaper between each dish and the dishes stuffed into copy paper boxes, not corrugated shipping boxes, but copy paper boxes with the lids. Ninety percent of the dishes were in tiny little pieces because they shattered and broke during transit and I ended up cutting my hand trying to get everything out of the boxes.
But this disgusting popcorn mess, this one equals the newspaper/copy box fiasco - or maybe is worse.
Darcy
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libbyparsons
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posted on January 12, 2001 05:45:32 PM
Oh my heavens that is SO gross. Styrofoam peanuts are NOT that expensive surely this seller could have managed to acquire some somehow.
I would have NEVER thought of sending merchandise packed in real popcorn.
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ExecutiveGirl
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posted on January 12, 2001 05:50:31 PM
Don't blame the seller. Blame Martha Stewart! I saw one of her shows where she actually popped popcorn and showed how great it works as packing material....
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tomwiii
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posted on January 12, 2001 05:59:09 PM
buttered? or plain unsalted flavorless?
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violetta
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posted on January 12, 2001 06:24:25 PM
I have received two packages with real popcorn used as packing material. It wasn't that bad (not decaying and not too smelly). I put it out to feed the birds. But I prefer foam peanuts because they weigh less, and I think they cushion better. 
Violetta
(Not known by this nickname anywhere but here.)
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darcyw
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posted on January 12, 2001 06:37:45 PM
I think if Martha Stewart is suggesting to people to use popcorn as packaging material she should package up a box and send it to herself. She needs to send herself a box with popcorn from a movie theatre that has gunk on it, make sure it is in transit for five days going from cold to warm, warm to cold.
Here is another packaging material I hate to get. I think it is the insides of mattresses and couch cushions. I'm not a prude but it is really disgusting to have to unpack a box that is filled with that stuff; it is decades old, really filthy and smells awful. What kind of germs are breeding in there? How can sellers stand to touch that stuff? Why do they want their buyers to touch it?
Another consideration is that I have an allergy to dustmites. Guess what breeds inside of mattresses? I open up the box, see that stuff, start sneezing, my sinuses clog up and then I have to touch it. It is hours before I can breathe normally again.
Darcy
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misscandle
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posted on January 12, 2001 07:37:37 PM
Darcy:
Boil some white vinegar on the stove and it should take the smell out of your house. Also, rub vinegar on your hands and wash again.
Don't get me started on that Martha Stewart person........
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lattefor2
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posted on January 12, 2001 08:05:26 PM
Martha Stewart did a whole segment on this: Introduced it as an economical, practical way to ship. Do you think she buys on Ebay? I'd like to send her a practical, economical
package. You know the kind with extra butter. Yup, she's the one.
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gravid
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posted on January 12, 2001 08:16:57 PM
I don't understand. I have used popcorn as packing before when I run out of styro. I pop it in an air poper and it is dry and clean. Did these people use something like microwave popcorn that has oil? That would sure be stupid.
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dman3
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posted on January 12, 2001 08:43:51 PM
I have not used popcorn as packing materal myself but if the popcorn is air popped and not cook in a pan with oil it take weeks to actually decay the key to useing it is lineing your box with a poly bag before adding popcorn for packing so it wont get moist, damp or wet in shipping.
POPCorn actually has a very long life check the experation date on the big tins of it you buy in the store if its in a bag sealed it can stay freash for months.
So if you ship with this stuff Pack it in a bag tightly sealed.
http://www.Dman-N-Company.com
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stusi
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posted on January 12, 2001 08:46:59 PM
what's next? pasta?????
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amy
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posted on January 12, 2001 08:59:12 PM
Popcorn as a packing material has been recommended for many, many years...long before Martha Stewart started pushing it.
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dman3
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posted on January 12, 2001 09:05:02 PM
Pasta is a little trickier to pack in If you use it uncooked it rough on the Item in the package if you cook it to long the Item kind mushes righ in to the stuff and becomes part of the Item then some Fresh homemade pasta has raw egg need I say more
http://www.Dman-N-Company.com
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pab53
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posted on January 12, 2001 09:11:29 PM
I just don't understand all this talk about popcorn and foam peanuts when newspaper works so well. That's all I use! I received a piece of porcelain packed in peanuts and they had moved around and settled and I really don't know why it wasn't broken, just luck, I'm sure. I wrap my items in tissue, then plastic, then newspaper.
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darcyw
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posted on January 12, 2001 09:52:35 PM
Did these people use something like microwave popcorn that has oil? That would sure be stupid.
I think it was a seller who recycles materials and carried it to an extreme. I think it was the popcorn made in the big machines at the movie house, so it would have oil and stuff on it.
I wrap my items in tissue, then plastic, then newspaper.
More than 50% of the antique porcelain I buy that arrives packaged that way arrives broken, chipped or cracked. If I pay a lot of money for antique china I want the seller to fill the voids with packaging peanuts, wrap thickly with bubble wrap, put in a box with more packaging peanuts, and then double box into a larger box with packaging peanuts around that. The worse damage in transit that occurs to antique porcelain is caused by the fluctuations in temperature and air pressure that the package encounters when going from outside to inside, from down to up, from region to region. These fluctuations can cause antique porcelain to flake, chip and crack if the china is not well insulated. The packaging methods I described are the best way to minimize the possibility of damage from temperature and air pressure changes. Single boxed with crumpled newspaper doesn't provide sufficent insulation. Might be ok for modern china though.
Darcy
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mzalez
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posted on January 12, 2001 10:26:10 PM
In addition to the popcorn, did the seller also ship in a used pizza box?
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nanastuff
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posted on January 13, 2001 04:03:58 AM
Just a note...when the Gulf War was going on, my daughter had a school project to draw a name of a service woman and send her a box of goodies (you know, those woman personals, ect). We were told, in the packing instructions, by our government that we HAD to use popcorn; unsalted and no oil or butter. Worked great.
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HartCottageQuilts
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posted on January 13, 2001 04:52:40 AM
My biggest concern would be that under any sort of weight popcorn compresses and crumbles - hardly stable packing material for heavy items such as glass.
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marc923
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posted on January 13, 2001 05:54:42 AM
I think I'm in love with Martha Stewart, even though the popcorn idea stinks.
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cdnbooks
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posted on January 13, 2001 10:44:30 AM
...I used popcorn for a long time as a packing material. Then someone told me I was supposed to pop it first....
Bill
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