posted on January 28, 2003 04:28:36 PM new
Every year or so I get a purchase that uses odd packaging materials. Today it happened again. Actually the auction was odd. The item was rare and unique. The seller had the auction set up for private bidding, meaning you could not see who the bidders were. I bid, made the very reasonable reserve, and I ended up being the only bidder, paid with the Pay Now button instantly via Paypal, and a week later received the package. The fragile item was double boxed, and was better than I expected. What was different is that around the interior box, instead of peanuts or curshed newspapers, the seller used SIX BRAND NEW heavy cotton t-shirts in size XL to wrap around the box. The t-shirts have a logo on the upper left front. These are nifty t-shirts, totally awesome. What a pleasant surprise, and a positive experience.
Previously, the two odd packaging materials was one seller used popcorn from a movie theater, the kind with salt and oil on it, the box got wet during transit, and I opened a decaying festering nasty mess. Another odd box was the seller used the insides of a smelly old mattress with cockroaches in it, and that was a shock to open, particularly since I had to rush the box outside and burn it before any of the nasty bugs escaped into my house.
posted on January 28, 2003 04:58:01 PM new
That is too funny and awfull about the mattress & popcorn !
I've read about all the stuff sellers use to ship and pack items.
I've often thought about using clothing that doesn't sell to pack with but never have ....been sticking to brand new tissue paper and bubble wrap!
posted on January 28, 2003 05:56:54 PM new
The worst I ever received was spray foam that didn't dry. They put the stuff in plastic bags then filled the box up with great stuff.
If you ever thought about doing that it is a VERY bad idea.
posted on January 28, 2003 08:54:36 PM new
I received a new pair of shoes once wrapped in newspaper and then oily, dirty shop rags around that. It didn't really seem to hurt the shoes -they were black, like almost every shoe I own - but the shoes definitely smelled a bit. Fortunately, cedar shoe trees eventually took care of the aroma. I noticed some discreet complaints about packing in the feedback that posted between the time I won and the time I went to leave them feedback.
posted on January 28, 2003 09:16:53 PM new
Six new t-shirts would be a good surprise.
The worst I got was a dirty porcelain plate that was wrapped in a very dirty piece of padded mattress covering that smelled like a lethal chemical. So far no cockroaches or ants.
posted on January 28, 2003 09:44:59 PM new
The first thing I ever bought on eBay was a used printer. It was shipped in a second-hand box and the packing material looked like the contents of a trash can. There were old paper towels that looked like someone had wiped their mouth on after eating pizza, smashed milk cartons, and misc.
Plus, the printer didn't work. The guy said "it worked the last time I used it". Yeah, right before it broke. Amazingly, I continued buying on eBay for three years since then and have never had a problem. That one almost scared me off though.
posted on January 29, 2003 02:30:34 AM new
this thread is too funny...they just had an article in my antique paper about wierd packaging but the cockroaches and oiled popcorn beats anything they talked about!
I always thought the used pizza box was the worst, but I guess not!
posted on January 29, 2003 08:30:24 AM new
Lets see, six t-shirts at one half pound each is three pounds. Most ebayers would complain about the excessive weight.
posted on January 29, 2003 08:57:26 AM new
I think my padding is pretty unique. I bought a commercial cotton candy machine. I pad my items with a bag of cotton candy. Lightweight and doesn't hurt the environment if you have some kids around or adults with a sweet tooth. One repeat customer ordered several things from me and one was on order. I asked him if I should wait until it came in so I could send it all together and save him the extra shipping. He said go ahead and ship it separately, just make sure I get a cotton candy in each box!
posted on January 29, 2003 09:11:04 AM new
I bought a set of sterling flatware. It arrived with the spoons all bundled together, then the forks, etc. Nothing unusual about that. But each bundle was wrapped in surgical draping. You know, those rectangular plastic sheets that have absorbent padding on one side. Must have seemed like a good idea.
Unfortunately, the draping had been used. It had bloodstains and I-don't-even-want-to-think what else on it.
More sheets had been used as filler.
This happened a couple of years ago, but it makes me sick to think about it still.
posted on January 29, 2003 11:22:16 AM new
I just checked. No, I didn't leave her feedback. This was four years ago and I was still worried about negs then. She claimed in email that all the sheets were clean and unused.
Uh-huh.
Now, I know someone who is a nurse's aide who uses these same sheets to wrap pottery. And they work well for that. But at least he only steals unused ones from the hospital.
