safe packing and shipping procedures for pottery

updated fri 16 jan 98

Talbott on thu 8 jan 98

On the safe shipping procedures: Always ship UPS. I carefully
wrap each item with several layers of bubble wrap and securely tape the
bubble wrap in place. These wrapped items are then placed in a box and the
empty spaces are filled in with styrofoam or corn starch "peanuts" and/or
old newspapers, etc. in order to keep the items from moving around. That
box in turn is placed inside of a larger box which is at least 2 or 3
inches larger in each dimension than the original inner box. The empty
spaces between the inner and outter boxes are filled in with styrofoam or
corn starch peanuts or old newspapers, etc. This is called "double boxing"
and works well to protect the contents.
Always make sure that one item cannot hit against another. I
always try to isolate one item from another. Always wrap lids separately
from their companion vessels. NEVER write "fragile" or "handle with care",
etc.. on the outside of the box. Make sure that you properly insure the
contents of your box. After packing the box, try shaking it; you should
not hear any noise coming from inside the box. If there is noise then the
contents are shifting around and this means trouble... Then take
appropriate measures to stop the shifting. Use plenty of packing materials
to isolate each item from bumps and bangs and your pottery will arrive in
good shape. SAVE YOUR SHIPPING RECEIPTS along with the tracking numbers.
I hope this helps... Marshall

101 CLAYART MUGS (Summer 1998)
2ND ANNUAL CLAYARTERS' GALLERY - NAPLES, MAINE (Summer 1998)
E-MAIL ME FOR APPLICATIONS
http://fmc.utm.edu/~dmcbeth/cag/naples.htm

Celia & Marshall Talbott, Pottery By Celia, Route 114, P O Box 4116,
Naples, Maine 04055-4116,(207)693-6100 voice and fax,(call first)
Clayarters' Live Chat Room, Fri & Sat Nites at 10 PM EDT & Sun at 1 PM EDT
http://webchat12.wbs.net/webchat3.so?Room=PRIVATE_Clayarters
---------------------------------------------------------------------

Cindy on fri 9 jan 98

Just a note on the insuring bit. Don't count on it. If UPS breaks your
pottery, chances are slim to none of collecting. They will replace it if
they lose it. If it's broken, they'll tell you it wasn't packed well
enough. I haven't checked direct to the source, but a merchant friend tells
me that UPS will not insure ceramic items against breakage. I've used
Marshall's advise in shipping things and have, thus far, experienced no
breakage. It's time-consuming, but so is replacing broken items.

Cindy in Custer, SD


> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> On the safe shipping procedures: Always ship UPS. I carefully
> wrap each item with several layers of bubble wrap and securely tape the
> bubble wrap in place. These wrapped items are then placed in a box and
the
> empty spaces are filled in with styrofoam or corn starch "peanuts" and/or
> old newspapers, etc. in order to keep the items from moving around. That
> box in turn is placed inside of a larger box which is at least 2 or 3
> inches larger in each dimension than the original inner box. The empty
> spaces between the inner and outter boxes are filled in with styrofoam or
> corn starch peanuts or old newspapers, etc. This is called "double
boxing"
> and works well to protect the contents.
> Always make sure that one item cannot hit against another. I
> always try to isolate one item from another. Always wrap lids separately
> from their companion vessels. NEVER write "fragile" or "handle with
care",
> etc.. on the outside of the box. Make sure that you properly insure the
> contents of your box. After packing the box, try shaking it; you should
> not hear any noise coming from inside the box. If there is noise then
the
> contents are shifting around and this means trouble... Then take
> appropriate measures to stop the shifting. Use plenty of packing
materials
> to isolate each item from bumps and bangs and your pottery will arrive in
> good shape. SAVE YOUR SHIPPING RECEIPTS along with the tracking numbers.
> I hope this helps... Marshall
>
> 101 CLAYART MUGS (Summer 1998)
> 2ND ANNUAL CLAYARTERS' GALLERY - NAPLES, MAINE (Summer 1998)
> E-MAIL ME FOR APPLICATIONS
> http://fmc.utm.edu/~dmcbeth/cag/naples.htm
>
> Celia & Marshall Talbott, Pottery By Celia, Route 114, P O Box 4116,
> Naples, Maine 04055-4116,(207)693-6100 voice and fax,(call first)
> Clayarters' Live Chat Room, Fri & Sat Nites at 10 PM EDT & Sun at 1 PM
EDT
> http://webchat12.wbs.net/webchat3.so?Room=PRIVATE_Clayarters
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------

Elizabeth A. Ringus on fri 9 jan 98

I had to respond to the UPS suggestions. Ship UPS - unless there is a strike.
ALWAYS
put FRAGILE on all four sides and the top. I know Talbott was trying to say
that UPS handlers treat boxes with FRAGILE on them more roughly than other boxes
without -BUT if you have to make a claim on broken goods, you will have to
show how the original packing box was marked and if you don't have FRAGILE
written on the box on all four sides and top, then you may not have reason to
get your money back. I have been there and done that!! All boxes must be able
to withstand a 3 foot drop!! You can also write "TOP FREIGHT ONLY"
on the box which means that they should not place heavy boxes on top of your box
when loading the trucks. I have been shipping for over 10 years. My first box
out was a serious lesson in how not to pack. I have not (knock on wood) had any
breakage since then.
Liz (Three messages in one day - what a record!)

Talbott wrote:

> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> On the safe shipping procedures: Always ship UPS. I carefully
> wrap each item with several layers of bubble wrap and securely tape the
> bubble wrap in place. These wrapped items are then placed in a box and the
> empty spaces are filled in with styrofoam or corn starch "peanuts" and/or
> old newspapers, etc. in order to keep the items from moving around. That
> box in turn is placed inside of a larger box which is at least 2 or 3
> inches larger in each dimension than the original inner box. The empty
> spaces between the inner and outter boxes are filled in with styrofoam or
> corn starch peanuts or old newspapers, etc. This is called "double boxing"
> and works well to protect the contents.
> Always make sure that one item cannot hit against another. I
> always try to isolate one item from another. Always wrap lids separately
> from their companion vessels. NEVER write "fragile" or "handle with care",
> etc.. on the outside of the box. Make sure that you properly insure the
> contents of your box. After packing the box, try shaking it; you should
> not hear any noise coming from inside the box. If there is noise then the
> contents are shifting around and this means trouble... Then take
> appropriate measures to stop the shifting. Use plenty of packing materials
> to isolate each item from bumps and bangs and your pottery will arrive in
> good shape. SAVE YOUR SHIPPING RECEIPTS along with the tracking numbers.
> I hope this helps... Marshall
>
> 101 CLAYART MUGS (Summer 1998)
> 2ND ANNUAL CLAYARTERS' GALLERY - NAPLES, MAINE (Summer 1998)
> E-MAIL ME FOR APPLICATIONS
> http://fmc.utm.edu/~dmcbeth/cag/naples.htm
>
> Celia & Marshall Talbott, Pottery By Celia, Route 114, P O Box 4116,
> Naples, Maine 04055-4116,(207)693-6100 voice and fax,(call first)
> Clayarters' Live Chat Room, Fri & Sat Nites at 10 PM EDT & Sun at 1 PM EDT
> http://webchat12.wbs.net/webchat3.so?Room=PRIVATE_Clayarters
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------

Berry Silverman on fri 9 jan 98

I can't take the suspense. Why NEVER write "Fragile" on the outside
box? Is it just the perversity of human nature?

Berry in Tucson

Richard Aerni on sat 10 jan 98

Cindy,

I guess your experiences have been different than mine. I've been
shipping pots via UPS for twenty years now, and in all that time, I've
had just one time they've disputed a breakage claim of mine, and I will
admit that I packed that box wrong. I have less than 1% breakage,
overall, and generally have my claims handled promptly and with no fuss.
I am what is called a "ready customer" with UPS, meaning that I do the
packing, addressing, weighing, and fill out the forms and put on their
tags, then call for a pick-up, which costs me $5 per call(unlimited
number of packages). I pay attention to their packing hints, and have
always felt it is better to overprotect when packing rather than seeing
what I can get by with.

Hate to see a company which I consider competant get a bad rap.

Richard Aerni
Bloomfield, NY ex-USPO Parcel Post worker, who always ships UPS




Cindy wrote:
>
> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> Just a note on the insuring bit. Don't count on it. If UPS breaks your
> pottery, chances are slim to none of collecting. They will replace it if
> they lose it. If it's broken, they'll tell you it wasn't packed well
> enough. I haven't checked direct to the source, but a merchant friend tells
> me that UPS will not insure ceramic items against breakage. I've used
> Marshall's advise in shipping things and have, thus far, experienced no
> breakage. It's time-consuming, but so is replacing broken items.
>
> Cindy in Custer, SD
>
> > ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> > On the safe shipping procedures: Always ship UPS. I carefully
> > wrap each item with several layers of bubble wrap and securely tape the
> > bubble wrap in place. These wrapped items are then placed in a box and
> the
> > empty spaces are filled in with styrofoam or corn starch "peanuts" and/or
> > old newspapers, etc. in order to keep the items from moving around. That
> > box in turn is placed inside of a larger box which is at least 2 or 3
> > inches larger in each dimension than the original inner box. The empty
> > spaces between the inner and outter boxes are filled in with styrofoam or
> > corn starch peanuts or old newspapers, etc. This is called "double
> boxing"
> > and works well to protect the contents.
> > Always make sure that one item cannot hit against another. I
> > always try to isolate one item from another. Always wrap lids separately
> > from their companion vessels. NEVER write "fragile" or "handle with
> care",
> > etc.. on the outside of the box. Make sure that you properly insure the
> > contents of your box. After packing the box, try shaking it; you should
> > not hear any noise coming from inside the box. If there is noise then
> the
> > contents are shifting around and this means trouble... Then take
> > appropriate measures to stop the shifting. Use plenty of packing
> materials
> > to isolate each item from bumps and bangs and your pottery will arrive in
> > good shape. SAVE YOUR SHIPPING RECEIPTS along with the tracking numbers.
> > I hope this helps... Marshall
> >
> > 101 CLAYART MUGS (Summer 1998)
> > 2ND ANNUAL CLAYARTERS' GALLERY - NAPLES, MAINE (Summer 1998)
> > E-MAIL ME FOR APPLICATIONS
> > http://fmc.utm.edu/~dmcbeth/cag/naples.htm
> >
> > Celia & Marshall Talbott, Pottery By Celia, Route 114, P O Box 4116,
> > Naples, Maine 04055-4116,(207)693-6100 voice and fax,(call first)
> > Clayarters' Live Chat Room, Fri & Sat Nites at 10 PM EDT & Sun at 1 PM
> EDT
> > http://webchat12.wbs.net/webchat3.so?Room=PRIVATE_Clayarters
> > ---------------------------------------------------------------------

Tim Stowell on sat 10 jan 98

I have been shipping with UPS for years. The few times anything has been
broken I have recieved a check within two weeks. The key is contacting
them immediately. If the claim is over a couple of hundred dollars they
send a driver to the customers house and he/she examines the packaging
and the work. As one customer explained to me, the driver looked at the
broken piece in the box and said,"yup, it's broken" and then left. UPS
has only broken a few of our pieces over the years. Once they paid me the
full value of the box (returning it in pices) without me asking. The box
must have been inside a truck that had an accident. I personally think
that if someone is having a problem with breakage during shipping they
must be doing a poor job of packing. An occassional accident is going to
happen. If you ship regularly you should open an account. If you think
you might ship regularly UPS will actually conduct package tests of you
packing techniques and show you how you should pack your work. It is my
understanding that UPS will insure anything for shipping as long as it is
legal and packaged properly. ALL of our shipping costs are paid for by
the purchasers of our work - that includes shipping, packaging materials,
and my time to pack everything up. Always fill out the declared value, we
add the shipping into the value to assure we get back the cost of the
shipping.

Tim

Tim Stowell Gerard Stowell Pottery
Stacey Gerard 290 River Street
tstwll@juno.com Troy, NY 12180
(518)272-0983

Cindy on sun 11 jan 98

Richard,

UPS is the best, no doubt about that, and I've had no problems with them
myself, though I've never had any breakage. However, a variety of friends
from merchants to artists to relatives have been forced to fill out form
after form after form with no results forthcoming. The only one of them who
has ever gotten any satisfaction is an artist friend who has a regrettable
tendency to threaten people when he sees no other option. I still
do and will probably always ship UPS, and I severely overpack everything I
send.

Cindy
> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> Cindy,
>
> I guess your experiences have been different than mine. I've been
> shipping pots via UPS for twenty years now, and in all that time, I've
> had just one time they've disputed a breakage claim of mine, and I will
> admit that I packed that box wrong. I have less than 1% breakage,
> overall, and generally have my claims handled promptly and with no fuss.
> I am what is called a "ready customer" with UPS, meaning that I do the
> packing, addressing, weighing, and fill out the forms and put on their
> tags, then call for a pick-up, which costs me $5 per call(unlimited
> number of packages). I pay attention to their packing hints, and have
> always felt it is better to overprotect when packing rather than seeing
> what I can get by with.
>
> Hate to see a company which I consider competant get a bad rap.
>
> Richard Aerni
> Bloomfield, NY ex-USPO Parcel Post worker, who always ships UPS
>
>
>
>
> Cindy wrote:
> >
> > ----------------------------Original
message----------------------------
> > Just a note on the insuring bit. Don't count on it. If UPS breaks your
> > pottery, chances are slim to none of collecting. They will replace it
if
> > they lose it. If it's broken, they'll tell you it wasn't packed well
> > enough. I haven't checked direct to the source, but a merchant friend
tells
> > me that UPS will not insure ceramic items against breakage. I've used
> > Marshall's advise in shipping things and have, thus far, experienced no
> > breakage. It's time-consuming, but so is replacing broken items.
> >
> > Cindy in Custer, SD
> >
> > > ----------------------------Original
message----------------------------
> > > On the safe shipping procedures: Always ship UPS. I
carefully
> > > wrap each item with several layers of bubble wrap and securely tape
the
> > > bubble wrap in place. These wrapped items are then placed in a box
and
> > the
> > > empty spaces are filled in with styrofoam or corn starch "peanuts"
and/or
> > > old newspapers, etc. in order to keep the items from moving around.
That
> > > box in turn is placed inside of a larger box which is at least 2 or 3
> > > inches larger in each dimension than the original inner box. The
empty
> > > spaces between the inner and outter boxes are filled in with
styrofoam or
> > > corn starch peanuts or old newspapers, etc. This is called "double
> > boxing"
> > > and works well to protect the contents.
> > > Always make sure that one item cannot hit against another. I
> > > always try to isolate one item from another. Always wrap lids
separately
> > > from their companion vessels. NEVER write "fragile" or "handle with
> > care",
> > > etc.. on the outside of the box. Make sure that you properly insure
the
> > > contents of your box. After packing the box, try shaking it; you
should
> > > not hear any noise coming from inside the box. If there is noise
then
> > the
> > > contents are shifting around and this means trouble... Then take
> > > appropriate measures to stop the shifting. Use plenty of packing
> > materials
> > > to isolate each item from bumps and bangs and your pottery will
arrive in
> > > good shape. SAVE YOUR SHIPPING RECEIPTS along with the tracking
numbers.
> > > I hope this helps... Marshall
> > >
> > > 101 CLAYART MUGS (Summer 1998)
> > > 2ND ANNUAL CLAYARTERS' GALLERY - NAPLES, MAINE (Summer
1998)
> > > E-MAIL ME FOR APPLICATIONS
> > > http://fmc.utm.edu/~dmcbeth/cag/naples.htm
> > >
> > > Celia & Marshall Talbott, Pottery By Celia, Route 114, P O Box
4116,
> > > Naples, Maine 04055-4116,(207)693-6100 voice and fax,(call
first)
> > > Clayarters' Live Chat Room, Fri & Sat Nites at 10 PM EDT & Sun at 1
PM
> > EDT
> > > http://webchat12.wbs.net/webchat3.so?Room=PRIVATE_Clayarters
> > >
---------------------------------------------------------------------

KLeSueur on mon 12 jan 98

In a message dated 1/9/98 5:17:47 PM, you wrote:

<box? Is it just the perversity of human nature?
>>

I've shipped with UPS for 10 years. Have an account and that brown truck stops
or drives by every day. 1) Fragile will always be ignored. so many things
are packed in used boxes that "fragile" means nothing as to the contents. 2)
"Fragile" seems to be taken as a challenge to see how far a box can be thrown
across the warehouse. 3) Go to a UPS warehouse sometime an watch how things
are unloaded from the semis. No extra care is taken for ANY box from ANYONE.

The majority of breakage at UPS happens in the warehouse. The drivers are
generally careful when both picking up and delivering your package. No
surprise here. They're the ones who get yelled at.

I agree that if you are shipping from the counter they probably won't cover
breakage. If you have an account they usually will. UPS rarely even comes out
to inspect the packing anymore. To get an account to ship ceramics they will
probably want visit your studio and see how you pack.

A few hints to keep down shipping materials costs. In most large cities there
is a box "rewholesaler". Someone who sells both new boxes of stock sizes, box
overruns (extra boxes with printing on them that we run for some company), and
used boxes that are in good shape. The latter two are significantly less
costly than new boxes or those that don't say "Birdola" on them. Used boxes
are often a good buy. I use large box that Chrysler shipped parts in-$1.00.
Since using this box my breakage has been significantly reduced.

If you make friends with the delivery guys at a large furniture outlet you can
get bubble wrap for free. Most furniture comes wrapped in it.

If your community has recycling you can probably get all the peanuts you need
from the recycling center.

One of the things my customers (wholesale) like is that I don't charge a
packing fee. The above suggestions have made this possible.

Kathi LeSueur