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Can someone tell me what sort of packaging will suffice for plastic and metal minis?

Also, the majority of my skaven army is a in pistol case filled with foam. The models themselves are magnetized to unit model trays. The trays have sheet metal glued to them, and that holds the models in place. Do you think this is good enough to ship via UPS?

How secure are the Skaven inside the pistol case? If you turn the case upside down, and shake it, will the models come off the trays? Will they be damaged?
Now, hold the case upside down at eye level, and drop it on the floor. Are they broken now?

In general, you really want to try to encase each model in some sort of protection, especially if they have small, thin parts like spears or blades. A Space Marine with a bolter is much less prone to damage than a Bretonnian Knight with a lance.
Without seeing your Skaven, I can only make a broad suggestion. I'd consider wrapping each tray in foam or a couple layers of bubble wrap. Then combine each tray "brick" side-by-side with another, and wrap all that in another layer of bubble wrap. Stack these in your shipping container, with layers of loose bubble wrap or foam between them.
Then fill all gaps between the "bricks" and the box with foam peanuts, wadded newsprint, or bubble wrap. When you seal the box, it should be tight. Shake it vigorously. If anything rattles or shifts, repack the gaps and try again.

What would happen if you put the case on your kitchen counter and accidentally dropped it on the floor? If they'll be fine, you're good to go. If not, do yourself and your trade partner a favor and use bubble wrap.

To be honest, I wouldn't even consider shipping them without individually wrapping the minis. If they're metal and painted they should at no time touch another model as they WILL chip during transit. Also, when I say individually wrap I mean in bubble wrap, foam or something similar. I do not mean newspaper, kitchen towels, tissue, etc... the models will tear through it and fly around in the package. Think of a hockey team using your package as a puck; that's what your package is going to go through behind the scenes at the post office.

LOL!!!

Think of a hockey team using your package as a puck; that's what your package is going to go through behind the scenes at the post office.

... or watch the beginning of the first Ace Ventura movie and get a little more reaslistic feel for what happens!

Seriously, your BEST bet is bubble wrapping each piece and then using brown paper, packing peanuts, air-filled bags... SOMETING that will segregate the mini(s) from the outher carton.

I think the USPS and UPS really try to get things to their customers safely and in an organized manner, BUT there are times that ANY employee can mishadle a package, so an ounch of prevevtion is worth a pound of cure, y'know?


Rick

joeb,
Lengthy discussion of packaging here:

viewtopic.php?f=40&t=82192

Everything is moved/sorted/worked on machines.

The xmas elves got laid off, so no one carries you package on a velvet pillow. [sarcasm]

but seriously, with some of the things i've seen, you'd think so.

someone actually mailed a tuberware style container of fish tank water; IN A TYVEK [SOFT PLASTIC] EXPRESS MAIL ENVELOPE.