posted on August 15, 2001 10:51:04 PM
What's up with the anti-newspaper [for packing matter] mentality! It's in several current AW threads.
Packing with newspaper is fine - GET OVER IT/GET WITH IT.
I've sent out 5000+ packages in the last four years consisting of fragile pottery, porcelain, and glass. All were newspaper cushioned. No bubble wrap. No peanuts. Only 12-15 arrived damaged. Is your peanut/bubble wrap record any better? I doubt it.
There is an ART to packing. There is an ART to packing. There is an ART to packing. There is an ART to the way newspaper is crushed for packing matter. Tight little balls is not the answer. Get with the program. Learn to pack with common sense - fluff that paper! Get street/packing smart.
You can use all the peanuts/foam/bubble wrap you want; consequently, that does not make you a safe and efficient packer. Remember, packing is an ART. And, last but not least, I POCKET ALL THE MONEY YOU WASTE ON SAID SUPPLIES. You'd be surprised at how much money I make on shipping, while under-cutting most shipping quotes on eBay. But that's another story - sorry.
posted on August 15, 2001 11:37:26 PM
Hi Morgantown, on this one I have to disagree. Newspaper is heavy and dirty to the pinkies. Fluffing it up can lead to compression during shipping. (Speaking from experience.)
My favorite is new furniture wrapping foam. And it is free for the asking.
Especially the gray foam, just the right consistency and gets items there undamaged.
I try to package how I would like to receive something. Foam is clean, neat and light!
Long live plastics!
posted on August 16, 2001 04:59:40 AM
Well, here's the best of both worlds. If you like newspaper but don't like the mess the print makes, buy the "end of rolls" from your local newspaper.
This is the end of roll of newspaper which isn't used for printing. Newspapers remove rolls when they get to a certain point. Still plenty of paper there but they put on another roll and sell the ends cheaply.
It's also great to use when moving and you want to wrap china or pottery.
posted on August 16, 2001 05:40:01 AM
I find that newspaper tends to add unnecessary weight to packages and doesn't do as good a job immobilizing an item inside of a box. Here's 2-1/4 lbs of newspaper next to the same weight in styro peanuts. (overdramatized for effect)
posted on August 16, 2001 05:54:45 AM
Newspaper may be fine for some things, namely the unbreakable ones that hjust need a little filling out in the box, but if it is truly a fragile item i feel newspaper is a big risk and when you really try and do a super job the WEIGHT gets way out of hand.........my question to you is............Do the extra weight costs of a well packed newspaper package work out to be less than a bubble wraped item of lesser weight??,,,,,,i feel an honest answer has to be no, especially if you have a few free sources for the bubble wrap etc........
last spring my 3rd grader had a class project of porotecting an egg from a 2 story fall, i used that project to do a little test of my own...........
i used some shredded newspaper i had recv'd in packages i had saved one 1 egg and bubble wrap and peanuts on another egg. both went into the exact same size box, the only difference was the packing. the newspaper box had the egg wrapped in 2 sheets of newspaper and surrounded by the shreded...the other had 2 layers of the large bubble wrap surrounded by foam nuts...........the newspaper one broke both time i dropped it from the 2nd story window of our house while the bubble wrapped one survived both times........................
just for the record my son also passed the test with his egg stuffed inside a cotton type foam filled football, his idea. he said hey dad you can ship your items that way, of coursed he also wanted a $1 per package commission
posted on August 16, 2001 06:38:26 AM
Goodmorning,
I use a combination of newspaper and peanuts with the item bubblewrapped.
I found that with peanuts alone the item tends to shift its way to the bottom of the box(had one arrive broke and buyer said it was on the bottom).
So I line the bottom/sides/top with newspaper then fill the middle with item and peanuts. I pack it pretty tight, I really push it down to close the box. I don't want to leave any chance of it moving around in the box. Sometimes I double box.
Never again did I have an item arrive broken. I sell LOTS & LOTS of glass, porcelain & pottery.
If I'm useing a big enough box I will put egg cartons on the bottom and top for added protection.
I found that with using these combinations it keeps the weight down. When you use newpaper alone it can and does add un-needed weight.
I like the idea of getting the unprinted paper. Think I'll check with our newpaper here in town for some.
posted on August 16, 2001 07:19:13 AM
Not for breakables. I would never pack a breakable in newspaper! Bubble & peanuts and maybe some newspaper to fill crevices but not preferable as newsprint is not a good thing to get on the item and for people trying to unpack to get all over their hands & clothes. Not to mention the weight.
HOWEVER, I received a package from a seller once that had the most densely packed newspaper all around the item in a box. It was like those silver things that you heat and they conform around the breakable. It must have been two weeks of newspapers packed down HARD with the item in the middle forming a pocket the exact shape of the item. It arrived safely but the shipping was expensive because it was about 3 times as heavy as it would have normally been.
posted on August 16, 2001 07:29:28 AM
After 15+ years in this busness I can tell you that if you place a claim for damage the carriers will not agree with you. You can use what ever material you want & feel comfortable with for you product but have enough profit built in to civer your refused claims. As you say there is an art to it. This at least suggests that it is not easy.
posted on August 16, 2001 07:54:48 AMI've sent out 5000+ packages in the last four years consisting of fragile pottery, porcelain, and glass. All were newspaper cushioned. No bubble wrap. No peanuts. Only 12-15 arrived damaged. Is your peanut/bubble wrap record any better? I doubt it.
That statement helps justify that newspaper is not adequate for fragile items. As a buyer, I'd be more than irritated if a seller sent me glassware wrapped solely in newspaper. Newspaper can certainly be used for non fragile items. I've sent out hundreds of glass or porcelain items and have NEVER had any damage but then I don't use only newspaper. Newspaper may be recommended by USPS but it doesn't say its recommended for fragile items nor does their recommendation prevent them from denying a claim.
posted on August 16, 2001 08:06:30 AM
What is "furniture wrapping foam" and who provides it "free for the asking"?
thanks -
keziak
P.S. the only glassware I ever received that was damaged [shattered] was packed in peanuts, but that doesn't mean much because that's all they did...throw 4 bowls into peanuts in a box. No double-boxing, no bubble wrap. The P.O. paid the insurance despite the totally inadequate packing job; the sellers were uninterested in doing anything to make it right.
posted on August 16, 2001 08:34:01 AM
Just to amend the statement I made earlier: Peanuts, by themselves, are not adequate packing material. A plate or any 'thin' item can easily find its way to the side of the box. I wrap whatever I'm shipping in bubblewrap first, to give it some bulk, then immobilize it in peanuts. In over three years of doing online auctions, I've never had breakage (knock wood) and I've never paid for a bag of peanuts. (although I'm not telling where I get them )
posted on August 16, 2001 09:11:06 AM
Not to change the subject but where can I find that coragated stuff, that you can put between plates or around books.
It was discussed here quit some time ago and I don't even remember what its call.
I checked our stores around here and they don't have that kind of stuff.
posted on August 16, 2001 09:37:57 AM
Packer....I found the corrugated cardboard in rolls at a local company when I was looking for plastic bags to ship clothing in. This little company sells packing supplies to small businesses. I got about a three foot diameter roll for CHEAP.
Anyway, I guess you would look in your yellow pages for shipping supplies and call a wholesaler. That's how I found the place in my area. (They sell to the public, too). Good Luck!
P.S. The corrugated paper is fabulous, by the way! Say you have a figurine, I wrap it once in tissue paper, then one or two layers of bubble wrap, then make a cylinder out of the corrugated paper and tape it around the figurine. You can cut the cylinder to the length of the box you are shipping in, fill the ends with paper or peanuts or whatever, and pack the rest of the box with same. It works as well as double boxing and you can customize the size and save on weight, too! Highly recommend!
posted on August 16, 2001 02:29:55 PM
Another alternative to newspaper are those plastic bags from your favorite store. I use them all the time when I need filler. They are clean, they bend easily, are lightweight and they are free. Another plus-they multiply like rabbits.
But when I have breakable items I always use peanuts. I may use the plastic bags to separate glass things or eat up a little bit of unused space but the peanuts are my main packing materials for fragile items. Peanuts are the best cushioner.
There is only one thing I like about newspapers. I'm a readaholic and it's fun to see what's going on in a different part of the country. The big flaw with newspapers is that they are dirty. As a seller I never use them! As a buyer, I absolutely hate getting something wrapped in newspaper especially if the seller hasn't wrapped clean paper or bubblewrap around the item first!
posted on August 16, 2001 05:02:51 PM
For those who dislike items wrapped in newspaper because of the ink problems...here's an idea. A few weeks ago I received some collectible items and the seller filled a few appx. 8" x 12" clear plastic bags with crumpled newspapers. It worked fine, didn't look tacky and I thought it was so cost-efficient and clever! I plan to use this idea for some of my non-fragile items.
posted on August 16, 2001 05:12:28 PM
I'll agree that packing with newpaper (if done correctly) is plenty safe for MOST items. (extremly heavy items need ridgid foam, not paper, and not peanuts)
But it does add wieght. Styrofoam and bubblewrap is light as a feather so to speak.
I looked at a "Foam in place" machine a few weeks ago. Very neat machine for packing heavy stuff, but even used, the machine was $2500.
posted on August 16, 2001 05:24:09 PM
NEVER NEVER NEVER pack books in newspaper. I received some highly collectible books with d/j ( no mylar cover) and they had been packed in newspaper~ blacked the d/h. I have also received paperback books that were very black from the newspaper~ those I could clean~ I didn't leave negative feedback but was very upset!
posted on August 16, 2001 05:34:21 PM
Those white rolls of newspaper are called butt rolls in the printing trade. They are often gave away, free for the hauling!
Uh, as one who receives packages in addition to sending... I like reading the newspapers from different areas. I spread them out and enjoy every page.
Shipping books, I ALWAYS use a few sheets if it is going to a APO/military base. I'm sure at least one person there might enjoy getting news from home (or nearby.)
posted on August 16, 2001 05:46:02 PM
I've been using newsprint a lot lately. I just make sure the item is wrapped in plastic first. Newspaper has been used for years and it does work. Sure I like bubblewrap and peanuts, but I use what works and is free.
The real problem with newsprint is that packing is somewhat more labor intensive than peanuts or wrap.
posted on August 16, 2001 06:31:26 PMI've sent out 5000+ packages in the last four years consisting of fragile pottery, porcelain, and glass. All were newspaper cushioned. No bubble wrap. No peanuts. Only 12-15 arrived damaged. Is your peanut/bubble wrap record any better? I doubt it.
Yes, my peanut and bubble wrap has a better record. Over 4 years of this, I do not know how many transactions, I would have to go into my files to see the exact number, but about that much or more. And only glass or fragile items. Not ONE has broken. I've had ONE get lost.
Newspaper is too heavy and the cost adds up on shipping. I know exactly what each item will cost to ship priority by what I sell, and how I pack, in peanuts and bubble wrap.
I tried the shredded paper from the office for about a week. I was eating shipping costs, it was just too heavy. It is cleaner than newspaper, but its all still too heavy.
posted on August 16, 2001 07:18:04 PM
Furniture Foam? Go you your larger furniture store when they are receiving shipments. Most furniture is wrapped in these huge sheets of gray or white foam. Honestly---it is fantastic! Just cut to size and foam away. Very soft cushiony and oh so free. And very clean. Looked at a packing supply store on line and this stuff is expensive to buy first hand. Dat's dat.
Yes, I get alot of the gray furniture stuff to. If my item is extremely fragile I bubblewrap then wrap in that gray foam. But mostly I use it for clunky non-breakable items.
jeff,
We don't have those kind of companys around here. Nor do we have any shipping supply stores.
Is there any place on-line I could order it?
posted on August 16, 2001 08:11:41 PM
I use newspaper, foam peanuts etc etc anything I can find but one thing I always do it put the thing inside a plastic baggie... I buy the store brand one gallon size and go through boxes of them. Even when the thing goes into an envelope, padded or not, I will use a baggie.
posted on August 16, 2001 08:38:10 PM
Associated Bag www.associatedbag.com/1-800-926-6100, has white newsprint wrapping paper on a roll and sheets, corrugated wrap, bogus paper (that soft brown indented kind). I've only ordered boxes from them so I don't know if their prices are the best. I have had great luck (no breakage) SHREDDING my newpaper (thru one of those office type shredders)and using it as fill around my bubble wrapped dishes. I agree, peanuts always go to the bottom, especially in a big box. I'll peanut the bottom, and then use shredded newspaper to fill around and to the top.
posted on August 16, 2001 09:33:34 PM
Using newspaper for small items produces a weight that's only slightly more than peanuts and bubble wrap. I can ship a Hummel wrapped in newspaper cheaper than you can with peanuts and glory wrap - and just as safe.
Think newspaper is too heavy? Perhaps you should dump USPS Priority Mail and its inflated rates; then, you could afford a bit more weight on the larger items.
I can ship items much, much cheaper than USPS PM due to my love affair with FedEx and its resulting negotiated rates. But that's another story, one that's not popular here...
Anyway, I'm now taking moderate profits on shipping revenue while giving customers excellent service at lower costs. Call me greedy if you like, but it's a business. I'm keeping every possible cent without allowing service quality to drop.
AND to the person that though 10-12 broken items out of 5000 was not a good record, are you nuts? You should see some of the shipments I've sent out! I've done it all from the tiny to the HUGE. Try packing for dealers that buy 50-70 items and expect [and get] combined shipping. I am a shipping expert, and not afraid to say so. So there, take that!
