posted on June 4, 2001 10:35:26 AM new
Maybe it would be enlightening to discuss the best ways to ship paper collectibles (magazines, brochures, posters, etc). I'm certainly open to learning a few tips.
I just spent $9.00 including shipping, to get a collectible booklet that was supposed to be mint, and it arrived with creases and a bit of edge damage. Newbie seller. She tried, but...
I always put it in a plastic sleeve then sandwich between pieces of cardboard taped along the edges, then put into a tyvek envelope or adequate box. Never had any damage (that I know of) or complaints. It's time consuming to cut the cardboard pieces though, and if anyone has any better ideas please let us know!
This item I received was slipped into a bubble envelope, then slipped into a thin and somewhat flimsy box. It would have been adequate IF the end of the box wouldn't have been smashed. In this case, sandwiching between two pieces of cardboard might have helped, and might not. I know it would have added a lot of strength and probably saved some damage.
So, I've got a piece that I paid a total of $9.00 for, that was supposed to be mint. Now, it's just a filler piece until I can get a truly mint one. No, I didn't insure the item because it cost less than $6.00. By the way, I'm not going to leave any feedback on this transaction.
posted on June 4, 2001 10:45:16 AM new
Thank you for the tips.
I've just started getting into paper: books, mags, sheet music, etc. and my philosphy is the same as it is for breakables. The USPS will break it if you let them!
It's kind of you to not leave feedback in this instance. I received a pottery item a couple of months ago that was rattling around in the box! There were packing materials, but the item wasn't secure. Amazingly, after inspection, there was no damage (no wonder the silly thing was still around after 40 years!). I emailed the seller just to give her a heads-up, and she responded thankfully (also a newbie). Since there was no damage, I did leave her a positive, but I also told her (kindly) in my email that it really takes less time to pack well than it does to hassle with postal insurance claims.
posted on June 4, 2001 11:01:09 AM new
I ship out collectible magazine advertisements on a regular basis. I purchase specialty stay-flat cardboard mailers to ship the advertisements in. These stay-flat mailers are made of sturdy cardboard that is difficult to bend. I now use only the self-adhesive mailers, after realizing that the kind with tabs can damage the merchandise inside when the tabs are inserted into the slots. I also seal the ads in a plastic bag before inserting them into the mailer. As a final precaution, I write in big letters on the reverse side of the envelope "Please do not Fold or Bend". This precaution was deemed necessary after a complaint from a customer indicated that her postman had forcefully folded the envelope to fit her mailbox. (not an easy task!) Following these guidelines have made my shipments, safe, quick and relatively inexpensive. The stay-flat mailers cost $0.55 - $0.75 apiece (more for larger sizes) and the plastic bag costs about a penny. I hope this info helps!
posted on June 4, 2001 11:05:01 AM new
Yeah, that's what I did also. I emailed her with a (not unkind) "heads up". She's not going to get any feedback because I asked her specifically to pack it in such a way that it wouldn't get damaged. It wasn't her fault the box was smashed, but if it would have been better protected it may have arrived in closer to mint shape.
Also, I'm pretty sure I won't get any feedback from her either. She has 12 or so but has only left one so far.
posted on June 4, 2001 02:22:56 PM new
This is the kind of item we ship in out business.
We have shipped a few thousand pieces this way.
We put the items in a plastic sleeve this goes into a priority mail bok.We leave the box flat and fold the ends over both sides and then tape both ends.
With 2 different size box's we can ship just about anything that way.
Folks are really happy with it and we rarely have problems.Unless we get an over zealous mail man that decides to bend it in 2 which is not easy to do.
