How to package a trade/sale

[Fanofyankees13]

Alright guys, after coming home to see a package on the stoop and being all excited to open it up, I was greeted with yet another batch of damaged goods. Once again, this could have been completely avoided by the goods being packaged properly. It seems as many sellers and traders don't understand how exactly to properly package items to prevent damage. Now, I'm not an expert, but I go the extra mile to really package my items well and have been told by many of my trading partners and buyers that I am one of the best packagers they have ever come across. So, I thought I'd start a thread and we can all put in our collaborative ideas as to how to best package items to prevent disappointment by the receiving party. From my experience, I break down my packaging method into 5 steps:

1) Use a sturdy box- I usually send items in USPS flat rate boxes, and I strengthen then with plenty of packaging tape before sending them out. Do NOT use flimsy boxes- this is absolutely asking for your package to be damaged in transit.

2) WRAP THE ITEMS- The biggest gripe I have with the majority of people I deal with is they do not wrap the items sufficiently or even worse, at all. Every single item you are sending should be at the very least wrapped in paper, but bubble wrap is really the best choice. This includes brick boxes- brick boxes are made of flimsy paper that can easily be damaged themselves if not wrapped, thus resulting in the decks inside being damaged. Don't assume that a brick box is never going to be damaged. I always always ALWAYS bubble wrap every single item I mail off- no exceptions. I expect the same from everyone I deal with, but am often disappointed to see terrible packaging once I open a box.

3) Line the box- After the items are properly wrapped, find the right box the ship the items in, and proceed to line the bottom and sides of the box with bubble wrap, paper, or some other suitable material. It gives the items a buffer between the walls of the box and can negate some damage from sliding or moving around.

4) Fill the box- When you've sufficiently wrapped the items, place them in the box (already lined with bubble wrap or paper) in an alignment so that they don't have the potential to damage each other, and then fill the box with newspaper or whatever you have by. This will prevent the items from sliding around in the box during transit, and once again, is another way to keep the items safe.

5) Reinforce the box- Before you send the box off, tape over every opening on the box, as well as any flaps (especially on USPS Flat Rate Small boxes), and the sides of the box. This gives the box extra sturdiness and will keep it rigid during shipping.

Naturally, it is possible that even if all of these steps are followed, items may still be damaged in transit- especially the further your package travels. However, if we all use proper packaging etiquette, I think the chances of that happening are next to nil. If anyone has anything to add, please don't hesitate. It may seem simple enough how to put a package together well, but it clearly isn't. Let's all start packaging our stuff better- it'll only have a positive effect in the long run.

[Don Boyer]

I'll add that boxes aren't a 100%-all-of-the-time requirement.  I've had much success (after a bit of trial and error) mailing items with the USPS Priority Mail Flat Rate Padded Envelopes and they're more cost effective than the boxes.  Of course all the other "rules" you mentioned apply about insuring items don't damage each other, filling the empty space, etc.  I'll generally bubble wrap and tape a package before sending it, and test it to insure there isn't a lot of give in the envelope.  You want the end result to be firm and have little to no "shift" of the contents inside.

There are two versions of this envelope - both are lined with bubble wrapping, but one has a paper envelope while the other is plastic.  I prefer the plastic, as it requires less reinforcement and is more resistant to adverse weather in transit.  But both make for fine shipping media, and with some care you might get up to a brick inside one of them.

One thing you should NEVER use are the UNPADDED versions of the envelopes, particularly the flat ones made of paperboard.  The USPS is getting picky about these, insisting that they don't bulge excessively - they're more made for sending a sheaf of documents than any kind of collectibles, and require insane amounts of padding and reinforcement.

Should you find yourself doing a fair amount of shipping, you can order USPS-specific shipping materials (boxes, envelopes, tube triangles, etc.) for free at usps.com, delivered to your mailing address, as well as calculate shipping rates and create shipping labels that have prepaid digital postage and (for shipping overseas) pre-filled Customs documentation.  Not only that, but for most Priority Mail Flat Rate options, buying such labels comes with a small discount AND a free option for Tracking and Delivery Confirmation.  Can't beat that with a stick!    If you use this label option a lot, you'll want to invest in extra packing tape (to waterproof labels) and maybe even printable adhesive paper.