Packing large lots of minis for shipping

[Ashnyr]

Hey folks,

I may, in the very near future, have to pack up and ship a large number of minis (three ~3k armies worth). I'm living in a place where I cannot readily get my hands on those nice foam trays (or pretty much anything else mini related for that matter).

How do you/have you gone about packing really large numbers of minis for shipping?

Any and all advice appreciated!

Thanks,

Gavin

[Adunaphel]

I personally think that a stop at an office store or department store to pick up a roll of bubble wrap would be a good start. I have always had good luck in "nesting" the box. Meaning, put a layer of paper in the box and then put the individually bubble wrapped figures in.

I have never had a complaint about the way I ship figures. There are all kinds of good ways to go about it though.

Two words to the wise. Don't EVER just put the figures in a box and ship them. NOT good. Also, don't have pubic hairs in the box...

Really.

Usually, a fairly tight pack job will work best.

BTW, I think you are probably going to have to ship too. I don't think you will find too many more Bartertowner's up in your neck of the woods.

Karl

[beowulfdahunter]

First you need a sirudy box, perhaps somehting that is double walled. Next go yo a fabric store and buy a few sheets of foam. Then go to a card store and buy a few packages of the tissue paper they use for the inside of boxes and gift bags

Wrap the minis in the tissue paper, and put them in the box making sure everyhting is tight. Then every full payer put down a sheet of foam until the box is tight. I have sent many armies this way with no problem.

FYI I have a Ebay Seller Rating in the 800s and a decently high BT rating so take that as you will.

[H W Raney]

I find that putting individual or small groups of figures in self-sealing plastic bags in addition to bubble wrap and foam peanuts works well, especially for multi-piece miniatures. If anything detaches (ie breaks), it is contained and not lost in the packing or even through a tear in the box.

[JohnHwangBT]

The overwhelming majority of my minis are in carrying cases. This was somewhat expensive, but having everything pre-cased is excellent for storage and moving. I've moved my armies a number of times, and they've had no damage whatsoever.

If you're not going with the cases, make your own. Buy / order foam and get / make (cardboard can be glued) some sturdy boxes. Then pack your stuff tight and full.

[Ashnyr]

Thanks for the advice guys. I've resigned myself that I'll have to send my armies to a buyer in "the south". Such is the life of the arctic gamer I guess

Please keep the advice and ideas rolling in, I want to make sure my boys make it safe and sound to their new home(s)

Thanks again!

Gavin

[montaa]

I have also had good luck with paper towel tubes. They are about the right size for a mini on its side plus packaging. Plus they bounce around nicely without transfering much of the jolt to the prickly bits of the models.

If you are shipping large numbers of smaller models I cannot recommend this method enough. They should be taped together to form a honeycomb-ish pattern. This will allow any serious impact to travel across the structure rather than into your mini.

Can anyone tell I'm a former logistics engineer

Ship well, play alot!!

[MagickalMemories]

The Warstore has some storage boxes that might work quite well for some or most of your collection.


Eric

[GearHead]

One of the wierdest I've seen was from my early days here. I bought a crapload of plastic space marine stuff, and the marines themselves had been wrapped up in (I kid you not) ace bandages. It was like a ball of yarn, with a core cluster of marines, with more added in layers as the thing got wrapped!

We were both new, so I didn't really say anything about it...

[MagickalMemories]

Wow, Gear... This thread's only a YEAR OLD!!!

LOL

Eric

[GearHead]

[MagickalMemories]

FOUR MONTHS LATER you have a response????

Gah!

I know how to stop this.