Chev Chelios Posted October 28, 2011 Report Share Posted October 28, 2011 What is the best thing you guys have found for protecting minis for shipping ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ratty Posted October 28, 2011 Report Share Posted October 28, 2011 Foam. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yazza Posted October 28, 2011 Report Share Posted October 28, 2011 hmm, wondering, putting the mini in a cellofane bag, encasing that in expanding foam? might work Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sholto Posted October 28, 2011 Report Share Posted October 28, 2011 Cotton wool is my preferred method, even over bubble wrap and foam. Models in bubble wrap or foam can move, whereas models packed in cotton wool are much less likely too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mako Posted October 28, 2011 Report Share Posted October 28, 2011 A combination of custom cut foam and bubble wrap, that way the foam fits perfectly and the bubble wrap adds a bit of cushioning around the edges of the box for when the post carrier drop kicks it to someone... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CannonFodder Posted October 28, 2011 Report Share Posted October 28, 2011 I use grocery store shopping bags scrunched up. They don't rub the minis and compress well absorb shock. Best think I've found for 1 or 2 minis is a platic jar (old peanut butter jar) and put the shopping bags and model in there. The Jar is solid and the bags are filler. Toss the entire thing in a padded envelope just so that they can put the shipping label on it. Manilla envelops would break in shipping. Bonus is that you are recycling stuff that usually gets tossed in the garbage. I shipped a WM/H jacks with a couple single models, all go there without a scratch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Obscure_Ref Posted October 28, 2011 Report Share Posted October 28, 2011 Ok, some advise from a guy who works in the shipping industry. 1. Only ship papers in an envelope. More often than not anything that is not flat in the envelope will catch on something in the system and tear it open. I do want to note that we place all smalls in a tote before it goes on the conveyor system. 2. DO NOT LEAVE EMPTY SPACE IN THE BOX!!! I can't emphasize this enough. USPS, FedEx, and UPS all use conveyor systems to move the packages from the trailers to the package cars. I work in the second largest hub in my area, and we process between 36-40 thousand pieces in a 4 hour period. That is about 10 thousand pieces an hour, going to 6 different belt lines. The conveyor belts are about 5ft wide. This is fine as long as there is no empty space in the box. 99% of the packages that flow through our system are fine, that is how the system is designed. The packages that I see smashed are the ones where there is a small item placed in a large box, with very little padding. Please, find a box to fit what you are shipping. 3. Use a good, thick sided box. Aka, don't ship things in construction paper. 4. Kind of goes without saying, but have ample cushion inside the box if it is fragile. Please, if you have any doubts on the way you have packed your item, take it to a "professional," or someone who works in the industry. I hate having to clean up after the contents of a box has spilled out onto the belt while I am trying to load a package car. It just makes my life harder, and has a potential to damage your stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chev Chelios Posted November 1, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 1, 2011 Thanks guys. I kind of went the cotton wool way. Put each one in a little ziplock bag filled with polyfill. So each one was in its own pillow. Then packed more polyfill in the box. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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