Bartertown.com

I have a ton of minis I am planning on disposing of soon and I'm not really sure what the best way to ship them is. How much should I expect shipping costs to be? How do I best protect them so the otehr guy doesn't get a bunch of broken junk? How do I garauntee I dont get jipped? I was gonna sell some stuff a while back but a friend bought those so I didn't have to deal with any of thse issues.

I wrap each item into groups, and then pad the groups with bubble wrap or styrofoam so they don't bang against each other or the box. I always ship in a corrugated cardboard box, and I glue all edges for strength before taping shut. To date, this has worked quite well for me.

What doesn't work (and I see this all the time), is simply mailing stuff in padded mailers. Maybe if you take a mailer, cover it in cardstock, and then put *that* in a second mailer, that'd be OK. The only things I ship in mailers are rules.

But otherwise, corrugated cardboard boxes are your friend. A glued and taped box is extremely strong and crush-resistant.

Invest in decent packing materials.

DO NOT -
-Crumple newspaper or other paper for padding.. it continues to crunch and does a horrible job of protecting.
-Leave empty air space in the box, even a little air can cause models to shift.

DO-
-Use styrofoam peanuts, or air bag inserts to securely fill the box.
-Bubble wrap individual models (depending on the size of model)

I have also used foam to cushion models.. but that can get pricey. I work in a computer environment and we go thru a fair amount of packing materials, so I can loot the trash pretty easily.. I know not everyone can do that.


Another tip.. ALWAYS ALWAYS use Delivery Confirmation, or Signature Confirmation. If you sell at greater than a certain value (for me it is about $30), Use INSURANCE on the parcel. These ideas may not work if you are sending out of your own country though.

I recently had a parcel incoming to me, that seems to have gone *Poof*.. and the sender had not used DC on it.. so we never figured out what happened to it. He and I did talk about it, and got on the same page.. but I mention this to underline that lost parcels DO happen.

-Porkuslime

Good advice from the Pork man, as always.

To expound on something he said:

Another tip.. ALWAYS ALWAYS use Delivery Confirmation, or Signature Confirmation. If you sell at greater than a certain value (for me it is about $30), Use INSURANCE on the parcel. These ideas may not work if you are sending out of your own country though.

Not only should YOU always use it, but you should always insist that your trade partner use it, as well. It really IS for their own benefit. Lost parcels BLOW!

As for insurance... Pork's a bit more diligent than I am on this. I don't, by default, insure packages. If the recipient wants it insured, then we can work that into a deal. I'm of the "DC covers it" mindset, though.

There's some good info in this thread for you.

(I'm counting down the minutes until kturock finds this thread. LOL)


Eric

What doesn't work (and I see this all the time), is simply mailing stuff in padded mailers. Maybe if you take a mailer, cover it in cardstock, and then put *that* in a second mailer, that'd be OK. The only things I ship in mailers are rules.

That is true with most items,but unassembled minis are fine in padded mailers, as long as you bag them inside the mailer as well. I sometimes use the packaging from Privateer Press models to secure items in mailers as well. Been doing that for quite a while without any problems. Plus, as a rule, the envelopes are cheaper to send.

To agree with others, ALWAYS use Delivery Confirmation. I am just breaking my wife of the habit of not using it. I cringe when she comes back from the post office without that little green and white slip...

Stanislav wrote:To agree with others, ALWAYS use Delivery Confirmation. I am just breaking my wife of the habit of not using it. I cringe when she comes back from the post office without that little green and white slip...

My wife is no longer ALLOWED to send packages. ESPECIALLY my trades.
She always makes AT LEAST one error, even though she gets EXPLICIT instructions. LOL

As for anything personal she sends... It's always in a box that is WAY too big, so she unnecessarily overpays shipping, is packaged TOO tightly or TOO loosely, and is never EVER taped well enough when it's a heavier package.

..and she never buys a D.C. on our personal stuff, either. ::shudder:: <---------- There should be an emoticon for that LOL


Eric

ok.. i'm coming.. i should write up the 'instructions' as mm asked..

1st always pad the items.
the usps rule for insurance is 2 inches of padding around each item.
i use bubble wrap. i wrap each mini or pair of minis.
i have used bubble envelopes, but the items are wraped in bubble wrap as well as the envelope. sometimes even using cardboard inside the envelope as well.

always us filler. stryofoam peanuts are best. more bubble wrap or pieces/sheets of soft foam work also.

also good, especially for boxed items, like things still in blisters or boxes, are bags of air; like zip-lock style bags. also, crumpled plastic grocery store bags... but you must really over pack the bags in the box.. to the point of actually bursting/forcing the box open.

always use corregated, multi-wall boxes.
the items in you box might not be heavy, but heavy items can and will be DROPPED on it.

insurance & delivery confirmation.
i always insure items totaling more than $20. i give the option on everything less.
always use d/c. paypal includes for you for a small charge; even on 1st class items.

D/C WAS AUTOMATICALLY INCLUDED WITH INSURANCE, NOW IT'S NOT.
REPEAT. NOW IT IS NOT INCLUDED WITH INSURANCE.

with d/c you can check at usps.com and know when it was delivered.

insurance protects vs loss and damage.

at any time, your delicate minis can have a 70 pound box dropped on it.
the machines that sort [yes machines, no out-of-work elves] sort at a speed of about 15mph.

NEVER, NEVER, EVER, SHIP ANYTHING OTHER THAN A PIECE OR PIECES OF PAPER IN REGULAR ENVELOPES.
i work on these machines, as a mechanic. these machines move mail at 155 inches per second. with a gap between the HEAVY STEEL ROLLERS OF 1/8TH OF AN INCH.
when something jams in the machine, in one of the 6-12 turns, at 155 ips, it shreds, and everything behind it, for 12 inches, slams into it.
picture driving on the autobahn, in the fog, at night, and driving into a tunnel. the truck in front in front of you is too big.
it gets caught. everything behind it gets caught, after it hits it.

everything gets sorted and cancelled by machines.
some mailed items, like advertising pens, don't get sorted by machine, because the get sorted by the mailer.
if/when they get run/sorted on a machine, the envelope is shreded and the pen is broken into 2,3,4 pieces. the ink can be sprayed everywhere.

never mail spray paint. only ship it usps ground, because it can explode in the luggage compartment of airplanes.
if you mail liquid paint, either send only unopened bottles, or seal the bottle closed.
THEN put the bottle in a ziplock bag. that way when it breaks open, it wont leak onto everything else; both in and out of the box.

ALWAYS INCLUDE SHIPPING INVOICES INSIDE THE BOX. it should have both addesses, to and from. it should have a list of items sent. it should have the value of the items. that way if it gets broken opened, there is a chance it can be identified and put in the correct box.
yes, that will affect those of you who lie on customs forms, but it will protect you if the items are lost.

i think that covers everything. it's not in-depth, but a good starting point.

.

Achiles
Think that the mechanics and finances of mailing have been pretty well covered just leaving your question of being jipped. Not too sure what you mean by jipped. Jipped by the Post Office or the person you're dealing with or something else?
Wayne

Stanislav wrote:That is true with most items,but unassembled minis are fine in padded mailers, as long as you bag them inside the mailer as well.

Plus, as a rule, the envelopes are cheaper to send.

Envelopes are cheaper, but definitely not safer. Padded envelopes only work if you have extra padding and protection. And at that point, you might as well be using a proper box.

boxes and envelope cost the same.. well actually buying padded envelopes are about $1 each. yes they're cheaper in the dollar store, but so is the glue, padding and the size is a bit smaller.
weoght is weight.. but protection is a whole different story.

JohnHwangBT wrote:
Envelopes are cheaper, but definitely not safer. Padded envelopes only work if you have extra padding and protection. And at that point, you might as well be using a proper box.

Personal opinion on that one about "might as well". Been doing this for quite a while on Bartertown and never had a problem. Padded envelopes are more of a convenience thing for me, and like they say, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

To the OP, opinions are like @#$es, everyone has them, and take what you can from everyone to make it your own. Barring those of sanctioned Postal Workers.

oh.. btw.. my new hobby is shooting.

With all due respect, you really don't know what you're talking about, and you really shouldn't be giving advice.

Padded envelopes to NOT protect as well as boxes. All they do is save a little on shipping.

That is a fact.

I've got a small collection of these envelopes and seen items broken off sprue (that would never happen with a box).

umm john.. who are you refering to?

i never said padded work as well as boxes.. and yes boxes can be damaged also.. it just takes more force/weight.

items on spues should not be sent in boxes.
matter of fact, most letter carriers, fold or bend envelopes, even padded ones, to put the it in a mailbox; even if it's marked "Do Not Bend".

padded envelopes usually aren't cheaper. maybe by weight, but they usually can't be reused. whereas boxes are usually reusable.

JohnHwangBT wrote:With all due respect, you really don't know what you're talking about, and you really shouldn't be giving advice.

Padded envelopes to NOT protect as well as boxes. All they do is save a little on shipping.

That is a fact.

I've got a small collection of these envelopes and seen items broken off sprue (that would never happen with a box).

If you are talking to me, then I suggest you jump back and look at the bigger picture. I have been around quite a while here, and I think I am more qualified to give advice than you are. i.e. check my feedback

Not talking ebay feedback or gamesonthego feedback, but BARTERTOWN feedback. Telling me I DON'T know what I am talking about? I qualified my last post by saying that everyone has an opinion, and the best thing a noob here could do, is listen to all opinions, and take away from that their own version of the gospel.

Admittedly, I do not play GW games anymore, and since I do not, I have little to do with plastic parts or sprues. I deal mainly in metal. But, I have been on this website since it was a rolling list, so saying that I do not know what I am talking about is even with "all due respect" outright rude. I may not deal in plastics anymore, but long before you were even a member of this site, I was trading plastic and metal with the best of them.

And as for "never with a box", I have also seen some boxes that did not do so well either. Never is far too definite of a word to be throwing around from your high horse. From that height of oh-so-mighty-wisdom beyond reproach, something is bound to get broken.

If necessary, I will use a box. In fact, I used 2 today for shipments. I also used 3 padded envelopes. With 250 documented trades, I think my advice is as sound as the next guy, unlike your implying seems to say.

Rich

With 13,000+ members, I would be willing to bet I am in the top 5% regarding positive feedback, so whether you think I should offer advice or not, I beg to differ.