Bartertown.com

If you want to comment about the shipping of minis do it here!

The plastic bags you get from Wally World, Grocery Stores, etc. are good for adding filler to boxes, and to wrap your minis in after they have been wrapped in bubble wrap.

Also, it is a must to use a STURDY box for shipping. I have had several trades shipped in shoe boxes, Department store shirt boxes, and once, a cereal box. NO, NO, NO!!!!! If you spend the cash for Priority Mail, you can get very sturdy boxes for FREE. They will even supply the TAPE for free. if you have to use Parcel Post, then you should, at least, use a corrugated cardboard box. Go to a grocery store and get a good sturdy box that has not held hazardous materials. (If you need to use a paint or motor oil box, then use a Magic Marker to black out the markings, or else the post office may refuse the package. )

Make sure that you use packaging tape (either the clear or tan plastic tape or the white kind with filaments in it) and NOT masking tape or Scotch type tape.

Also, some of us get upset when our Gamesday minis show up in a manila envelope. If the mini(s) are worth any amount at all, then don't put them in an envelope (padded or not). That shows that you are a cheap SOB and may get you a neutral ITL rating, at least, because you don't care about the trade enough to take care of your minis. Envelopes are for Ebay, where most people don't care about the trade, only about the money.

If you are shipping across the border, then make sure you have filled out the proper customs forms, and it is customary here on BT to list the cost as GIFT, so your recipient won't have to pay customs. List every item, but list the worth as cheaply as possible.

Just think of it like this: How do you want your minis to come in the mail? If you insist on unbroken minis, then don't give the USPS an opportunity to crunch those minis you are sending to someone else.

Nuff said.

Cheers,

W. Wayne Gray

beowulfdahunter wrote:If you want to comment about the shipping of minis do it here!

You had at least 30 deals on Btown and you don't know how to pack boxes yet?? Here is a hint: carefully! How would you want to receive the item? How can you pack the item with the least amount of risk for damage during shipment? Does this need ANOTHER thread??

No, I think he's trying to get the original thread back on topic to assist Bartertown beginners in learning how to ship stuff the RIGHT way.

Here's the WRONG way:
Get a box. Don't care about the size. Toss stuff in. Crumble some newspapers, and maybe the leftover tin foil from reheating your dinner last night. Possibly old homework too. Jam it all in there real good.
Use staples, or better yet, scotch tape. Make sure you step on the box a couple of times to make sure everything's in there good.
Drop at least four times on the way to the post office, and DO NOT tell them it's fragile.
That concludes the WRONG WAY to send miniatures.

As stated in my post I know what I am doing but for the others we want them to know exactly how to do it. Also no one claimes to know everything so others might have a good idea to. We can learn from eachother if we choose to put the snarkyness aside.

That being said, I question the issue of blisters in a jiffy envelope. I think it is up to the person to specify. I mean when I get a single fig or two most often the blister or bag is tossed in said envelope. I could care less, I plan to rip off the envelope and tear the blister apart to paint the mini.

For me I try to have something shipped to me as cheap as possible. Where is the harm in that?

For me I try to have something shipped to me as cheap as possible. Where is the harm in that?

Some of us like the fact that some minis are, in fact, collectible. They have intrinsic value above the retail value placed on them by the trader. I, for one, enjoy recieving minis that appear to be New In Blister and not stomped on by the postman, chewed up by the dog, etc. I send my trades in a box. Period. I'm sorry to appear naive (after 60+ trades), but I prefer to use a box, and I prefer that my trading partners do likewise. Just a personal preference, but I've had too many trades appear on my door in less than NIB or Mint condition. Inexpensive does not mean cheap. That really means...NO ENVELOPES. Parcel Post is inexpensive. Manila envelopes are, well, CHEAP.

Cheers,

for most of my models, I wrap them individually with tissue of strips of foam, then pack them tightly in a box and use packing peanuts. works great for the most part...

-Anglacon

I've never had a problem with the bubble-wrap lined mailer envelopes for smaller deals, I just always make sure to wrap them in bubble wrap again before I put them in there, and put any small pieces in a baggie or an envelope in case of rips or tears.

Rhaalidor wrote: If you are shipping across the border, then make sure you have filled out the proper customs forms, and it is customary here on BT to list the cost as GIFT, so your recipient won't have to pay customs. List every item, but list the worth as cheaply as possible.

That is fine if you have all ready been paid for the items. But if you haven't and the other party doesn't pay you have no recourse since you are telling the postal service that you are giving these away.

If you are shipping across the border, then make sure you have filled out the proper customs forms, and it is customary here on BT to list the cost as GIFT, so your recipient won't have to pay customs. List every item, but list the worth as cheaply as possible.

I wouldn't say it's "customary." Many traders refuse to do that.

I won't tell you NOT to do it, but keep in mind that this is a Federal Offense, as you're lying to the post office about its' status.

kturock usually makes sure to point that out when someone mentions it, but I haven't seen him around lately.

Eric

I actually asked a postal worker about the legal issues of trading.
And the things is, as long as you dont exchange money, its (in my country, according to this guy at least) nothing that says you cant call that a gift.

Is it illegal to agree with someone you find trustworthy on the net to exchange gifts?
It is not necessary for the receiver to not know what gift theyre getting is it?

As such, trades could easily be made "legal" just by calling it a gift exchange site or something, or even just because both traders decided that they were giving gifts of equal value....

As to buying issues, its however illegal to call it a gift, which sucks when you live in a country that probably has the lowest roof in Europe on how much you can buy overseas without tax (18 pounds, 35 dollars)

Starspawn wrote:I actually asked a postal worker about the legal issues of trading.
And the things is, as long as you dont exchange money, its (in my country, according to this guy at least) nothing that says you cant call that a gift.

Is it illegal to agree with someone you find trustworthy on the net to exchange gifts?
It is not necessary for the receiver to not know what gift theyre getting is it?

As such, trades could easily be made "legal" just by calling it a gift exchange site or something, or even just because both traders decided that they were giving gifts of equal value....

As to buying issues, its however illegal to call it a gift, which sucks when you live in a country that probably has the lowest roof in Europe on how much you can buy overseas without tax (18 pounds, 35 dollars)

Hmm. Good point.
You're in Norway.

When shipping FROM the US, it's illegal to call it a gift if you are receiving something in return for it.
A gift is something given with no cash or items in return.

I think that covers it better.

(I wish kturock was here... He's better at this)

Eric

Hmm, what do you do at christmas then?
With some friends its usual to agree if youre gonna give each other a gift this year. And usual to agree on a approximate amount of value.
And some friends or family are overseas...

Is that illegal in the US?
We do have the same phrasing I believe (not receiving anything in return..) but what you receive is a gift as well, not goods or money.

So as there is no way to check that, and all it takes to bypass it is calling it a gift, they cant claim its not a gift if thats what you call it.

Some officials may claim that it takes wrapping etc to make a gift, but they dont have legal backing, just conventions supporting them (ie a gift should look like...).
I did actually get a customs claim on a packet that was marked as a gift reversed by complaining.

So please anyone with actual knowledge in the US reply, as I dont really want to force someone to do anything illegal (though personally I dont have that much love for giving money away to governments..)