posted on September 2, 2003 05:24:39 AM new
Factory seconds of blue underpads (and probably diapers as well) were (maybe still are) sold for use as packing materials. I used to buy them for packing glass for shows. Cleaner than newspaper, and easier to flatten and re-use than newsprint. Only drawback is that after a lot of use they would get very "linty" and start to shed.
posted on September 2, 2003 10:11:49 AM new
Omigod, Sue, really? That is SO cool. I think it's great to know there are still small presses.
Bring someone along to help you lift it. It was hard to find a roll SMALL enough to take, sometimes.
"And All Shall be Well, and All Shall be Well, and All Manner of Things Shall be Well"
posted on September 2, 2003 10:22:13 AM new
If it was clean & unused, what difference does it make. I bought a half case of Depends sometime ago. They are great for packing dinner cups.
posted on September 2, 2003 10:24:38 AM new
Dragonmom-
Yikes! What do you mean, bring someone along to help me lift it??? Just how big are these things? I'm picturing this to be as wide as an open newspaper - say the size of The New York Times.
I didn't go today because of the rain here in CT. I may not be going tomorrow either. And naturally I opened my big mouth & told the school I'd pick them up some too! LOL : )
posted on September 2, 2003 10:28:46 AM new
These will vary in weight, depending on when the press people take them off. Because it can be time consuming to swap in a new roll, they may take off a roll with a lot of paper still on it if they are about to run a large job that they don't want interrupted. With smaller runs, they will cut it closer and there may be less remainder.
I have gotten them in two widths, approx. 24 inches and 36 inches. I don't think any roll was more than 30 pounds.
posted on September 2, 2003 04:52:03 PM new
We've caught on to the newspaper rolls when we started doing our eBay thing more and more... I used to be in the newspaper business and actually owned one for about a year....
We also use it when we go to auctions for packing china and other breakables. Actually, we wrap just about everything in it so that it can make the trip home safely.
It's also pretty cool to put the roll in the trunk (about 4-5 inches of paper still left on it) and use an exacto knife when we're at the auction. If we purchase a set of dinnerware, we'll go out and slice through several layers and bring in the sheets to wrap.
You can get varying "weights" of paper as well. You can tell there's thicker stuff (used for cover wraps or special editions - it's whiter) then there's the standard weight paper - a little tanner or more gray than the other.
If you have a choice, take the standard paper for your eBay work. It's lighter weight and won't add as much to your shipping weight as the bright white stuff.
We have also used shredded paper, but here's the challenge: It can cost significantly more to ship than the peanuts. We have a debate ongoing about this, but I think I'm gaining ground. Case in point:
Nicely packaged item with heavy weight shredded paper tips the scales at 1 lb 2 oz. Cost for Priority Shipping across country: $5.75.
Put the same item in with cellulose peanuts and the weight drops to 15.8 ounces - under the magic 1lb USPS price point. Cost: $3.85. Difference on this one item is $1.90!
Do that a few times and the cost of 12 cubic feet of those peanuts is more than saved - purchased through U-Line.
So, please consider the other costs as you start "weighing" your shipping options.
Wayne
Trying to Make a Difference - One Satisfied Customer at a Time....
posted on September 2, 2003 04:58:54 PM new
Wayne; I have 2 Rubbermaid storage boxes that just barely fit in the trunk of my T-Bird, I have several china packers of various sizes plus several underpads that I use to wrap oddball pieces in. Never carry any paper or wrap pieces separately. I have cup boxes too so I can pack a huge set of china with no trouble. Been doing this for years. I probably buy at least 10,000 pieces of china a yr.
[ edited by sanmar on Sep 2, 2003 05:00 PM ]
posted on September 3, 2003 08:22:40 AM new
Well I am pleased to say I picked up my end rolls of newspaper today with no problems at all. In fact, it was a most pleasant experience. The guard didn't think I should take my 4 year old inside because it was too loud for her ears. He went & got someone to help me. This fellow said they normally charge .25/100lbs but that is for people who want massive amounts. So no charge. Next thing I knew there was a parade of men in blue uniforms delivering the partial rolls to my car! How is that for service?! I am happy & the kids schools will be happy too. Thanks again for great tip!
posted on September 3, 2003 09:45:08 AM new
I wish I could get newsprint like that! I used to get it here, but it has gotten too expensive. There isn't very much left on the rolls I get and they are up to $6-$10 a roll... it's just not worth it. Two years ago I was getting more per roll and the rolls were only $2 each.
