posted on August 23, 2002 08:31:11 PM new
Recently my business partner and I purchased a VERY large collection of ceramic cookie jars, vintage and new. In our first two weeks of selling these jars on eBay five, COUNT EM YES 5! of these jars have arrived shattered beyond recognition!! Naturally of course all of the jars we ship are insured, but five claims at the post office has become very time consuming and aggrevating if you could imagine. All of these jars are packed to withstand a direct hit from a 100 meagton nuclear device and this is still happening?!
Oddly enough, when the first batch went up on eBay we did have some people concerned about the jars arriving safely, e-mailing us with horror stories about past jars they had purchased that had arrived broken via USPS. One individual even mentioned the fact that Fed Ex may be the better way to go for the fact that if an insured package arrives broken from a Fed Ex carrier it comes out of the drivers paycheck!
Does anyone one have some helpful advice? PLEASE I AM PULLING MY HAIR OUT!!!
posted on August 23, 2002 09:01:14 PM new
Well if the USPS doesn't work try UPS with the next batch. Remember the scene we saw on TV when the baggage handlers from an airline were throwing USPS packages into a big large metal bin, that was probably your cookie jars. Really I would try UPS. I think they even will pick them up. I don't know this for sure but someone will. The USPS will certainly be out some dollars in these auctions, I hope postage doesn't go up because of this.
posted on August 23, 2002 09:22:12 PM new
slabholder had some really good comments! I too was going to ask if you double-box the cookie jars. I sold one old family cookie jar, Bauer, two years ago and got good advice at this site on how to pack it. Fill the jar itself with peanuts, double box with plenty of space for padding in the second box. The box arrived three states away in perfect condition.
And truly were the boxes themselves broken in, busted, caved in? Did the buyer send you pictures of the broken jar AND the boxes? By any chance did the same buyer buy all or most of these cookie jars? I'd hate to think someone was replacing his own busted cookie jar with one of yours, but it has happened. . . .
posted on August 23, 2002 10:26:29 PM new
Pottery is the hardest thing in the world to pack. No. 1, Double wrap with the large bubble wrap. No. 2, Pack in peanuts, be sure to over pack to compress the peanuts so they can't shift. No. 3, Double box with an inche of peanuts ALL of the way around, top, bottom & sides. I have been selling china etc for a dozen yrs. Try as I might, I still get breakage. It doesn't make one bit of difference whether it is USPS, UPS or FedEx. They all break them. The story about the driver having to pay out of his pocket is hogwash. The drivers are unionized & never have to pay for breakage. How would they know where it was broken?
posted on August 23, 2002 11:46:59 PM new
Were the broken jars new or vintage? If they were new, you probably have a case of what is known as " inherent vice", which means there is a minute manufacturing flaw in the jars. This can cause a jar to shatter suddenly no mater how well it is packed. The only way to detect these underglaze spiders is with an ultrasonic device such as the ones used by auto glass installers. This problem can be compounded by the temperature extremes between the place you pack the item, and the cargo hold of the aircraft that transports it. Changing from 90 degrees on the ground to freezing at 35,000 feet in 10 minutes is an invitation to disaster for any piece of glass or pottery. That is probably the reason the jars reached you in great condition via truck, but went to hell as soon as they got in the air. Ship the next batch via FedEx Ground , packing them exactly the same, and see what happens.
The light at the end of the tunnel will turn out to be an oncoming train.
posted on August 23, 2002 11:56:34 PM new
Double Boxed - Check!
Packing Peanuts - Check!
Bubble Wrap - Check!
These jars have been packed in all the above, plus other materials. Also, every incident has been isolated and the boxes themselves are not arriving damaged, just the contents. I suppose the shock of the impact of just being tossed a couple of feet is enough in some cases to put a hair line crack in a jar and by the time it reaches its destination there is nothing left of it. I am sure all the carriers suck when it comes to how they treat your packages, but we just may try a different one just to see what happens on this next batch. I have been selling on eBay for three years and I swear, this is the first time I have ever had to make an insurance claim and with the amount of jars we have I cannot imagine having to go through this every week! I am worried to death USPS may investigate us for fraud for making so many claims. WOW what a mess!
posted on August 24, 2002 07:47:26 AM new sparkz wrote:
Were the broken jars new or vintage? If they were new, you probably have a case of what is known as " inherent vice", which means there is a minute manufacturing flaw in the jars. This can cause a jar to shatter suddenly no mater how well it is packed. The only way to detect these underglaze spiders is with an ultrasonic device such as the ones used by auto glass installers. This problem can be compounded by the temperature extremes between the place you pack the item, and the cargo hold of the aircraft that transports it. Changing from 90 degrees on the ground to freezing at 35,000 feet in 10 minutes is an invitation to disaster for any piece of glass or pottery. That is probably the reason the jars reached you in great condition via truck, but went to hell as soon as they got in the air. Ship the next batch via FedEx Ground , packing them exactly the same, and see what happens.
interesting post sparkz, I never factored in the possibility of that happening!
posted on August 24, 2002 08:26:15 AM new
Use UPS. With the postal rate increase, UPS is pretty close in shipping price now. They are much better about insurance claims too. USPS damaged and even LOST a lot of our items.
posted on August 24, 2002 09:39:12 AM new
NWW: I have found that FedEx Ground is a lower price than UPS. Interesting that you haveing breakage when you are packing like this. I just shipped a 60 yr old Tureen from CA to Washington DC by FedEx Ground. Packed exactly like I described, came through in perfect condition
posted on August 24, 2002 11:34:41 AM new
Just a few thoughts (and I have successfully shipped cookie jars):
1. The 2" packing perimeter suggested by USPS is not enough for large, hollow items such as cookie jars. Double that amount, at least (and tripling it is even better).
2. Wrap in medium bubble wrap first, then in large bubble wrap.
3. Separate jar and lid so they cannot make contact with each other (for instance, with heavy cardboard in between them) - then tape the individually wrapped pieces tightly together so both are immobilized.
4. Everyone loves peanuts (and so do I, when they are appropriate), but they are probably the worst packaging material you can use for heavier objects. I use a lot of shredded paper (mostly folding computer, which my bank saves for me - clean and odor-free). Although I don't ususally use it any more, the humble newspaper, if used correctly is still a great packaging material. So, in your first box, stuff shredded paper on all six sides of the cookie jar, until the box actually bulges. Line the bottom of the outer box with shredded paper (or if none available, carefully and completely crumpled one-sheet-at-a time newspaper - never re-use), until you have a "pillow" for your inner box. Then stuff all around as tightly as you can, then do the same to the top, until it takes an effort to pull the lid together. (If I have some saved sheets of styrofoam, I may begin my bottom 'pillow' with a piece of it, before the paper, and top everything off with another piece under the lid....and sometimes pieces against the wall of the outer box.)
One of the advantages of paper is its insulating ability. Although styrofoam also insulates, the peanuts cannot be packed tightly enough together to prevent air passage, while paper can. The paper cools or warms slowly, meaning the contents do too.
I know this is a lot of trouble, and you can expect a 1-2 pound weight difference, but your cookie jars just might survive the trip.
Incidentally, in the winter time my "Item Shipped" email carries a caution to 'let package warm to room temperature before opening, as a sudden temperature change can cause glass/china to crack'. You'd be surprised how many of my customers have written back to thank me - although they are basically aware of the law (cold glass into hot dishwater, etc.), they had never thought about it in regards to a package!
posted on August 24, 2002 12:27:42 PM newOne individual even mentioned the fact that Fed Ex may be the better way to go for the fact that if an insured package arrives broken from a Fed Ex carrier it comes out of the drivers paycheck!
bawhaaahaaahaaa
Not true but it makes for a good story. FedEx packages go through a ton of hands, it would be hard to pinpoint the employee that basketball tossed the item.
FedEx is good, but not that good. They have their share of breakages just as any shipper does.
