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by
Dennis Prince
You read our tip, Packing
Merchandise, but you still wanted more. Well, more is what
you'll get. Let's face it: With so many different items to pack,
so many choices involving packing material, and so many places
to send the stuff, many of us are left pondering the best ways
to pack our precious cargoes. In our previous packing tip, you
learned where to get packing supplies, and which are the best
and most cost effective (e.g. free). Now, however, let's really
drill down on how to pack certain items, what to avoid, and,
most of all, how to keep your customers thrilled and delighted
when their treasure arrives.
Setting
Up Your Ship Shop
Believe it or not, many sellers overlook a key element in their
packing process--where they will pack up their items. You might
think you can grab a box, bubble wrap, and packing peanuts, and
do your packing anywhere at anytime. Certainly, you can take
that approach, but it's not the most efficient way to work, and
besides, a transient "ship shop" might have ill
effects on the items you'll pack.
If you do a significant
amount of business (and therefore pack a lot of goods), you're
best served if you establish a designated area for your packing
activities. Choose a clean, well-lit environment that is dry and
reasonably free from excessive foot traffic (not to mention
little hands and big hands that like to move, drop, and hide a
pair of scissors or a roll of tape). A good ship shop lends
itself to easy "staging" of items; it features a
sizable flat work area (like a large table or workbench) that
keeps the items free from damage and dirt; it provides easy
access to all your shipping supplies; and it helps you develop a
packing routine that will save you time while also ensuring your
customers' ultimate satisfaction.
What
Are You Shipping?
Here are a few rules of thumb the experts use when they approach
a particular packing job:
Photos or other
nonbreakable flat items: Use standard manila envelopes with
a same-size piece of cardboard for stiffening. For particularly
old or delicate flat merchandise, consider putting the item in a
plastic sleeve, then sandwiching it between two pieces of
cardboard. Don't just lick that envelope flap; use a strip of
packing tape to seal it shut. If it's a particularly large item,
consider rolling it (if it won't cause damage) and send it in a
sturdy (repeat, sturdy) mailing tube with both end-caps
taped down.
Glassware, pottery,
and other fragile items: Wrap the item in light tissue paper
first, then wrap it with bubble wrap. Put it in an
appropriate-sized box with a cushion of packing peanuts around
the item. Next, place this box inside another box, again using a
cushion of packing peanuts around the box within a box.
Styrofoam sheets also work great as outer box siding material.
Framed items:
Size matters here, and you'll need to size up the job to see
whether it's within your potential to do a good job and whether
you'll be able to work with the supplies you have. But for
starters, if the item is behind glass, it's best to disassemble
the piece and pack the elements separately (see the above tips
on flat items). Bubble pack and foam sheets are a must here, and
you should wrap frame corners with sheet foam to prevent them
from puncturing the packing box or causing damage to the piece
itself (be it a litho, photograph, or whatever). Although you
can find special packing boxes just for framed items, if the
piece is too valuable or too unwieldy for your comfort, take it
to a professional.
Big tickets: If
it's too big to handle, if you feel you'll have to improvise a
patchwork of packaging, or if you just don't think you'll be
able to get it in and out of your car when you're all done, then
by all means, hand the job over to a pro.
The little things:
Whether a small piece of jewelry, a stamp, or any other
"little" collectible or item that could have big
value, be sure it doesn't get lost in the mail. First, protect
it: Put the item in an appropriate-sized box with the right
amount of packing peanuts or foam sheets to cushion it. Next,
make it visible: Put that little box into a medium-sized box
with appropriate interior cushioning. The second box might add
more protection than required, but the goal is to be sure that
little darling doesn't fall into some crevice, crack, or piece
of mail-sorting machinery after which it might never be seen
again.
Shake
and Break?
One USPS employee imparted this bit of wisdom: "If you can
shake it, we can break it."
With that in mind, all
items you ship should be given the shake and rattle test:
Before sealing an outer box, hold the flaps closed and give the
item a few shakes. Do you hear any movement inside? If so, you
might want to add a bit more interior padding until it's
whisper-quiet in there. Movement could be the opportunity for
items to shift and become damaged during their journey to their
new home.
Help
Fight Wetness
Other postal and shipping employees tell of water hazards.
Somehow, even if there's not a cloud in the sky, items can get
wet during transit. Expect that most water damage is
irreversible, so take a simple step to ward it off: Put the item
in a plastic bag whenever possible. It typically doesn't have to
be hermetically sealed, but a simple ziplock bag or a larger
poly bag sealed with packing tape is usually enough to keep the
wet weather out. Also, experienced handlers recommend that clear
tape be used to seal the address label on the package's outside.
If that gets wet and smeared, your package might end up in the
Dead Mail vault for all eternity.
Don't
Give 'Em A Wedgie
OK. If a little cushion is good, a lot should be dynamite,
right? Not really. Too much interior packing can literally cause
an explosion. Remember that boxes will get bumped, stacked,
kicked, and tossed about on their sometimes perilous journeys.
Use enough interior packaging to keep the item safe and secure,
but if the box bulges like an overpacked suitcase, the item
that's inside will probably get damaged the moment you seal it
shut.
Well
Done or Overdone?
So the philosophy here is to pack reasonably. Not only will too
much packing lead to potential damage, but also an overzealous
packer might leave buyers with something of a challenge as they
try to wrest their treasure from an impenetrable
tape-and-cardboard sarcophagus. Seal the item enough to ensure
it won't accidentally open in transit, but don't feel you have
to extinguish an entire supply of tape, staples, and whatever
else to guarantee the item's safety. Many buyers tell of
accidentally damaging an item themselves as they struggle to
free it from its packaging. And don't forget, excessive
packaging adds excessive weight--which results in added shipping
costs.
Little
Extras Make a Big Difference
If the item is particularly fragile or will fare best if
unpacked by a certain method, put special unpacking instructions
inside that can be found the moment the recipient opens the
package. Also, be sure to include an extra shipping label inside
the package; often labels will come loose or become unreadable
during the journey or they might get wet. In some instances,
packages are opened by the carrier in the hope that he or she
will find an extra label to get the item on its way again.
Lastly, if you
accidentally overcharged the buyer by a dollar or more for
shipping costs, put a refund in an envelope and seal it up with
the item. That sort of honest service speaks volumes to buyers
and you'll feel better knowing you did the right thing.
Back to Auction tips &
tactics
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