Looking for packaging and shipping tips

[GrampaJim]

I am getting ready to ship a large Intarsia project - about 24" x 20". 

Anybody have any tips, so that I don't break the bank on postage and so that it gets there in one piece?  

Thanks,

Jim

[kmmcrafts]

Hi Jim,  I've not really sold any wood projects that large.. but rule of thumb is a minimum of inch larger box for air space than the actual item.. actually I believe that is what the post office requires as a minimum.. and if it doesn't have that much space they have a right not to pay out on an insurance claim.. 

IF the piece weighs less than 16oz after packaging First Class mail is the most economical BUT, I find that if the value of a piece exceeds about $50 then actually buy the time you add shipping insurance Priority mail is actually the better way to go.. The commercial mail system on venues such as etsy, amazon, and ebay... even shipping through PayPal.. the priority mail option includes insurance up to a certain amount.. I believe $100 on etsy but the others I think is only $50? not sure but you have to watch it with the different venues..

If the shipping destination is outside the USA you can mail it First Class if it's ( I believe ) under 2 pounds.. 

I try to make pieces that are sized where I don't have to keep thousands of different sized boxes on hand.. I order boxes from Staples online.. but also most my items will ship in the USPS free priority mail boxes.. NOTE: NOT THE FLAT RATE BOXES.. they have free priority boxes besides those rip off flat rate boxes.. I use their 12 x 12 x 8 and cut them down.. also use the Regional Rate size A.. These don't help you now.. but might with some of your other items.. Maybe they have larger boxes.. as they do have some that I get free that fit my portrait style cuttings.. like 3-4 inch high by 14 x 16 or something like that.. I can't think of the size off the top of my head.. 

I buy large bubble.. bubble wrap to wrap my pieces in.. I get it from this eBay seller, I see they don't have any right now.. hope they don't stop selling it as they always had the best prices.. https://www.ebay.com/str/SC-Recycling-Pros?_trksid=p2047675.l2563  I also by bubble mailers from them.. 

Smaller bubble wrap ( 3/16 ) the best deal is at sams club.. 

Packing peanuts I buy from staples online.. they have always had the best price on this.. but they don't have that great prices in store.. Just did a quick search and looks like maybe uline has good pries now and I also don't see the big bags I normally get at staples.. I buy the big bags.. tall as I am LOL usually get two at a time so I qualify for free shipping.. go through about 2-3 of them a year..

You can order the boxes from the post office.. just look for the free boxes.. I don't use the Flat Rate as it's usually not as low cost of shipping as their regular priority boxes.. Order online and they'll ship them to you.. They aren't too fast at getting them to you though.. so order in advance.. Usually about 10 days or so for me to get them..  

Post Office Shipping Supplies

Packaging oddball stuff.. I hate using packaging that has weight to it such as packing paper / news papers etc.. so on occasion since we keep ziploc style sandwich bags and freezer bags a couple times to take up space and keep weight down.. I've been known to fill the bags with some air and make bubble pouches .. works well in a pinch.. baggies aren't that cheap so I don't recommend making it standard practice.. LOL

Lastly.. I have a local store called Pak Mail and they offer packing and shipping.. not cheap for the packing end of it.. I just use them because they are closer than staples to me and they sell packing supplies.. many different box sizes etc to choose from..

Now.. any specific questions.. let me know.. be glad to offer some help or advice if I can

    

 

[oldhudson]

I shipped a flat screen TV to my mother last year. I took it to UPS. They did the all the wrapping and delivered it across country in 3 days. It wasn't cheap, but it was fast and easy. It arrived in perfect shape.

[jerrye]

On 4/14/2019 at 7:24 PM, kmmcrafts said:

I buy large bubble.. bubble wrap to wrap my pieces in.. I get it from this eBay seller, I see they don't have any right now.. hope they don't stop selling it as they always had the best prices.. https://www.ebay.com/str/SC-Recycling-Pros?_trksid=p2047675.l2563  I also by bubble mailers from them.. 

Smaller bubble wrap ( 3/16 ) the best deal is at sams club..

Packaging oddball stuff.. I hate using packaging that has weight to it such as packing paper / news papers etc.. so on occasion since we keep ziploc style sandwich bags and freezer bags a couple times to take up space and keep weight down.. I've been known to fill the bags with some air and make bubble pouches .. works well in a pinch.. baggies aren't that cheap so I don't recommend making it standard practice.. LOL

    

 

Most of what Kevin says is great advice. However, as a former professional packaging supply & equipment salesman, I need to offer a correction and a suggestion.

Large bubble, 1/2", is not designed for protection, but is designed to be used as void fill. Small bubble, 3/16", is what you want to use to wrap items for protection, as that is what it was designed to do. Always wrap items with the bubble out, as bubble can have an abrasive effect on finished items. Thicker foam, 1/8"-1/4" is a good alternative for bubble, but more expensive. Bubble and foam are both sold at Home Depot for a reasonable price in lesser quantities.

For larger void fill requirements, I have found empty.5 liter, or 16.9oz water bottles with the cap firmly tightened, a great option. They are strong, lightweight, and large enough to fill bigger spaces, and if you loosen the cap, you can slightly crush them to fit odd shapes, tightening the cap again after forming them. I shipped a laptop to a former employer using water bottles, and they performed well.

Edited April 16, 2019 by jerrye

[kmmcrafts]

You answered a question I always wondered about.. and that is what way to wrap the bubble wrap.. I've been doing it all wrong for the last 6 years, LOL

I did know that the larger bubble wrap was for filling more than protection.. I still use it kinda as a protection but my clocks I wrap about 5 times around.. most clocks  are 10 inch long and 5-6 inch tall I package then in the free 12 x 12 x 8 priority boxes but I typically cut the box down to more like 5-6 in high instead of 8.. then I fill in with packing peanuts.. Never had any issues with them.. Clocks are priority mail because of free shipping insurance and boxes.. so the only thing out of my pocket is the packing.. The cost range is $7- 10.50.. with average is mostly $8.50.. sometimes I make a buck on shipping and sometimes I loose a bit..  

The ones I always thought I'd have issue with is the delicate Christmas ornaments.. but I pack those in the little jewelry gift boxes that have cotton in them.. then i wrap the box with 2 sheets of the 3/16 bubble wrap by the time you fold that bubble wrap around the box there is about 2-3 inch of padding around the box.. Then i just mail it in a 9 x 6  bubble mailer.. first class mail usually cost $2.70 ish 

[Dee]

I use shrink wrap to keep the small pieces of my puzzles from seperating.  When I mail them, the shrink wrap makes the puzzle ridgid, a piece of thin cardboard and a couple of layers of bubble wrap protects them while the shipper tries to distroy them.  

If I ship very fragile items, I pack a box then place that box inside another that is slightly larger. Fill the space in with bubble wrap or popcorn and off it goes.

Hope this helps some too.

[sawdust1]

Kevin are the USPS free priority mail boxes , the ones you say to get the same as Priority Mail Regional Rate boxes.

Bob

[kmmcrafts]

29 minutes ago, sawdust1 said:

Kevin are the USPS free priority mail boxes , the ones you say to get the same as Priority Mail Regional Rate boxes.

Bob

Hi Bob, No the Regional Rate Boxes are different and in some cases Regional Rate is more expensive than just regular Priority mail..Just depends on what region they're going to..

 

These are the boxes I keep here on hand and my most used box for what I sell.. I normally cut them down to about 4-6 inch high rather than the 8" I normally order 3-4 25 packs at a time..you can bet I have plenty on hand before the busy holidays LOL..  most my car clocks mail out in these

https://store.usps.com/store/product/shipping-supplies/priority-mail-box---7-P_O_BOX7

These are the Regional rate boxes I use.. again I use these for the smaller clocks I make But I may stop using them.. as most times the region I mail to is more than just regular priority..

https://store.usps.com/store/product/shipping-supplies/priority-mail-regional-rate-box---a1-P_RRB_A1

These here work nice for smaller portraits..  I don't sell a whole lot of portraits and plaques.. but I use these most times when I do..

https://store.usps.com/store/product/shipping-supplies/priority-mail-box---1095-P_O_1095

These work nice for the puzzles like Iggy makes

https://store.usps.com/store/product/shipping-supplies/priority-mail-box---1097-P_O_1097

 

Now.. I might add... Be sure the post office isn't charging you for the flat rate box when you cut down that 12 x 12 x 8 to a smaller size.. They tried to pull that one on me one day when i dropped off a package.. she said whoa wait a minute.. she said you got a regular priority label on a Flat Rate Box.. I said NO that's a Regular Priority Box CUT DOWN.. LOL... then she was embarrassed.. But the large Flat Rate Box is also 12 x 12 X 5-1/2 .. so it's easy for them to assume it's a Flat Rate Box...

Hope This Helps..

  

[sawdust1]

Thank you Kevin.

Bob

[BadBob]

I shrink wrap puzzles, or if they are simple enough, use stretch wrap and wrap them tightly. I cut heavy box pieces to fit (two-layer corrugated paper) and wrap an tape it tight. Next, the whole thing goes into a bubble padded envelope. To date, I have never had one damaged. These get shipped first class 99% of the time with no insurance. It's cheaper for me to send them another puzzle if it gets damaged.

If I were shipping something more substantial and more expensive, I would add more layers and a box made to fit. I feel it is essential to make sure nothing moves around. I tape everything in place, including the bubble wrap. The only time I buy the insurance is for international shipping. I let my customers choose the shipping that they want to use. They rarely choose priority shipping.

I have packages coming in all the time, and I save a lot of packing material to reuse. Boxes under 12-inches long and all of the padded envelopes, air pillows, and bubble wrap. I cut the sides off the padded envelopes and roll my toys in it and tape it tightly.
I had one of my packages get dropped and run over without breaking the contents.

I wish I had enough sales that I needed to buy my packing materials.

[WolfmoonCT]

You can order boxes from Uline also.  And if you want to get good prices for shipping, get a free account with Pirate Ship.  They will quote you based on where, box size, and weight to ship with USPS, UPS, and I think.. DHL or FedEx..   you can then order the label and print it out right from them.   You save about 40% on average over standard USPS and UPS costs.  A box my parents wanted to send me from UPS was going to be $22..  Pirate ship send it for $14.  Pretty good discount if you ask me.