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packing for shows

updated wed 1 aug 12

 

tgschs10 on tue 18 apr 00

------------------
This past week end I sold my works at a local art show - first time. Learned=
a
lot but one of the more cumbersome tasks was packing the pottery before and
after the show. I had quite a bit of variety and an array of different size
boxes. I packed each with paper and got by okay without any breakage but it =
was
easy or pretty. Any suggestion from veterans would be appreciated.
Tom Sawyer
Orlando, Fl
tgschs10=40msn.com

Cindy Strnad on wed 19 apr 00

Tom,

It helps to have as many boxes of identical persuasion as possible. That
way, the extra stuff stacks better under-table (I never put out more than
3-4 of a piece at one time), in your conveyance, and in your arms as you're
carrying them. I used to use clay boxes and peach crates, primarily, with
extras made up of whatever I could get my hands on. However you do it, it
*is* a lot of work, and hardly worth the trouble as I see it--at least
around here. Florida may well be a lot better for show sales than western
SD, though.

Cindy Strnad
earthenv@gwtc.net
Earthen Vessels Pottery
RR 1, Box 51
Custer, SD 57730

Earl Brunner on wed 19 apr 00

There is a potter here in Las Vegas that has purchased some
of those
large rubbermade storage containers, with lids. He sorts
hes work into
each container so that it is organised and easy to take out,
uses second
hand bubble wrap and paper between the pots. You can stack
these
containers two or three deep.

tgschs10 wrote:
>
> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> ------------------
> This past week end I sold my works at a local art show - first time. Learned a
> lot but one of the more cumbersome tasks was packing the pottery before and
> after the show. I had quite a bit of variety and an array of different size
> boxes. I packed each with paper and got by okay without any breakage but it wa
> easy or pretty. Any suggestion from veterans would be appreciated.
> Tom Sawyer
> Orlando, Fl
> tgschs10@msn.com

--
Earl Brunner
http://coyote.accessnv.com/bruec
mailto:bruec@anv.net

Knox Steinbrecher on wed 19 apr 00

Hi Tom

My then teenaged son helped pack my car (yes, car) on the way to a show. I
used boxes recycled from all sources. I sold well, left some boxes by the
garbage can at the show and when it came time to re-pack the car......what I
had didn't fit. Took over an hour and much humiliation to get me home. I
now own several plastic tubs, all the same size and shape. All are
Rubbermaid brand. I grab them up on sale at various discount stores. This
works well for me.
I also now get end rolls from the local newspaper. they are ink free and
make nice packing. I use the new stuff off the roll for customers and take
used paper home for the new pots to come. No more black hands froom print ink.

Congrats on your show and many more to come !!!!!

knox in Atlanta Ga. USA enjoying a warm spring day.

Jan Brown Gleason on wed 19 apr 00

Tom,

I work in an independant pharmacy and we often get glass prescription bottles
shipped in a wonderful bubble pack bag that has an adhesive on the opening.
I saved many of those and they are perfect for wrapping up smaller items -
mug size and smaller. Perhaps you could talk to your local pharmacist, or
other businesses that might receive glass items packed in the bubble bags,
and see if they could save them for you. Better to recycle than to purchase
new!

Jan Brown-Gleason (Rubenesqe@aol.com)
Expressions Pottery Workshop, Avon, Connecticut

"In life, as in art, the beautiful moves in curves."
~Edward G. Bulwer-Lytton~

Cheryl Tall on wed 19 apr 00

Hi Tom: I did a lot of outdoor shows in the 80's, including Coconut
Grove, Las Olas and Winter Park. At first I made dinner ware and
handbuilt fuinctional items and then larger handbuilt decorative
airbrushed vessels.

For smaller items, go to a liquor store and get the boxes with the
cardboard partitions already in it. It's a cinch to drop in mugs and
other small items with out even wrapping and they will be safe. I
learned not to use newspaper. After you have unwrapped everything, you
will be greeting the customer with ink stained hands. Most outdoor
shows have only portajohns and not soap and water for washing. You can
bring your own handiwipes. Or you can use newsprint with no ink on it.
(Available at art stores).

I found it best to use bubblewrap. It stays clean and can be reused.
For plates, you get a box a little bigger than the outside dimension of
the plates and simply stack them with a piece of bubble wrap inbetween.
For large vessels, U'Haul makes a dishpack, triple ply box that is great
for packing. simply wrap piece in bubble wrap and and place in the
box. Of course it is best to have a van or a large SUV so you can pack
all these boxes tightly so they don't move. Anyway, I always envied
the silk artists and the jewelry artists who could just close the case
and go.

Cheryl Tall in Stuart, Florida

Kathi LeSueur on wed 19 apr 00

The best box I've ever found is the banana box. I cut cardboard dividers
(like found in liquor boxes) to size for the items I make. For flat trays I
cut dividers from blue foam board (used to insulate houses). I also use
carpet padding around pots. It can be used over and over.

Kathi LeSueur
Ann Arbor, MI

Janet Kaiser on wed 19 apr 00

I do not know what sort of banana boxes are available in the US, but I have
noticed many makers are using the new ones here in the UK. A top lid and a
bottom box was usual, but the new ones have a top and bottomless centre
piece which slots in between the bottom and the lid, which are the same
size. This means that there is a double layer of cardboard around the sides.

They come complete with a compliment of once used and clean bubble wrap when
collected from the local supermarket. Because they are all the same size and
shape, they stack beautifully.

Just a thought...

Janet Kaiser
The Chapel of Art, Criccieth LL52 0EA, GB-Wales
Home of The International Potters Path
TEL: (01766) 523570
WEB: http://www.the-coa.org.uk
EMAIL: postbox@the-coa.org.uk

Jean Cochran on wed 19 apr 00

Dear Tom,

My way will certainly not be suitable for all potters but, for what it
is worth:

During my very poor years I used to obtain boxes from smaller grocery
stores which were used to pack and transport raw chickens. They were
uniformly sized and were wax impregnated.

Later on, I began accumulating "Action Packers," which are made by
Rubber Maid. Mine are (approximately) 17" wide at the top, 15" wide at
the bottom, by 25" long at the top, 23" long at the bottom, by 16"
deep. I need these big packers as I make a lot of big bowls. They are
quite heavy when filled. At the shows we arrange these boxes and cover
them with small color coordinated blankets (blankets don't wrinkle,
which is very important). We arrange chairs around these and put a few
pots on them. This is our "parlor" and weary patrons and fellow artists
frequently sit with us there. This is, also, where we do our eating
since it is very unprofessional to be chomping on food while dealing
with the public. I paid from $18. to $20. each for these and have about
$300. presently invested in them. It is worth it.

When we pack the pots in these, we use foam wrap which can be purchased
on a roll, perforated every 12". I have 1sies (1) 12" piece for such
things as saucers, 2sies (1) 24" piece for such things as cups. Also,
have purchased a roll of foam wrap which is thicker and wider which is
cut in to mediums and larges. These are for large bowls and the like.
Once my criteria were established, heaven help the guy to mixes up my
sizes of foam wrap. We use them over and over. No ink from newspapers
to soil our hands, the patrons hands, or the pots.

Now you know more than you wanted to know. Sorry, once I start
explaining I just can't stop.

Jean Wadsworth Cochran
ex-Floridian
Fox Hollow Pottery
in a real hollow in Kentucky

David Hendley on wed 19 apr 00

I know I'm an out-of-touch dinosaur because I haven't
bought any of those pretty plastic tubs for packing
pottery for shows. I love liquor and wine boxes with
built-in dividers. I've had some boxes for more than
20 years. Any pot less than 6 inches in diameter goes
right into a compartment, no wrapping required.

Get some boxes that held 'flasks', 'fifths', 1.5 liters,
and 3 or 4 liters (wine), and you'll have a size just
right for all your small items. Also, be on the lookout
for other boxes with dividers; I got box that held
gallon jugs of chain saw oil that is great for larger
pots.
Bowls and larger pieces still have to be wrapped,
but just dropping those small items into the boxes
saves a lot of time. Plus, you get to joke with the
other artists about how you can write off your
Jack Daniels as a 'business expense', since you
use the box for product packaging.
--
David Hendley
Maydelle, Texas
hendley@tyler.net
http://www.farmpots.com/



----- Original Message -----
From: tgschs10
To:
Sent: Tuesday, April 18, 2000 2:01 PM
Subject: Packing for shows


----------------------------Original message----------------------------
------------------
This past week end I sold my works at a local art show - first time. Learned
a
lot but one of the more cumbersome tasks was packing the pottery before and
after the show. I had quite a bit of variety and an array of different size
boxes. I packed each with paper and got by okay without any breakage but it
was
easy or pretty. Any suggestion from veterans would be appreciated.
Tom Sawyer
Orlando, Fl
tgschs10@msn.com

Dale A. Neese on wed 19 apr 00

Tom, I will be loading up the truck for a fair this weekend. I have done
away with newspaper and invested in a large roll of small-bubble, bubble
wrap that I have cut into several different sizes. Newspaper is so messy. I
use clean newsprint to wrap customers purchases in when I have a sale. You
have to watch that the children don't pop all the bubbles!! I also have done
away with using cardboard boxes. Such a hassle to keep them dry and they
don't stack to compact space. I use the cheap Rubbermaid 18 gallon container
with a lid and handles. When empty they stack inside one another and won't
melt if you get caught in a shower. I have bought them at K-mart or Home
Depot for around $4.99 each. I cut cardboard to make dividers in the
Rubbermaid boxes for mugs and goblets. Sometimes I use a post-it-note to
identify what is in each of the containers. In my truck bed, I can put a
layer of containers in the bottom, board across the bed above and put
another layer of containers on that. My tent and display are tied on the top
of the camper shell. I have done it so much that everything has a place. The
only thing is that I don't look forward to repacking what's left after the
show.
Dale Tex

Charles G Hughes on wed 19 apr 00

Usually when I pack for a driving trip(so far up to 550 miles), I do it VERY
loosely, I stack bowls with a single sheet of paper between them, in fact I
pack everything with a single sheet of paper between them. As long as I am
doing the driving and the stacking in the van, I know the boxes won't be
tumbling over, so there is no need to wrap each piece, I'd hazard a guess
that for most people the majority of breakage occurs, not with significant
drops or bangs, but with the simple and subtle vibrations that come with
travel in any vehicle. A sheet of paper stops the vibration. If I am
shipping my work, I pack to UPS standards, 4 inches of packing material
between the pot and box wall, then I add another box and more packing
material.

-Charles
----- Original Message -----
From: tgschs10
To:
Sent: Tuesday, April 18, 2000 3:01 PM
Subject: Packing for shows


----------------------------Original message----------------------------
------------------
This past week end I sold my works at a local art show - first time. Learned
a
lot but one of the more cumbersome tasks was packing the pottery before and
after the show. I had quite a bit of variety and an array of different size
boxes. I packed each with paper and got by okay without any breakage but it
was
easy or pretty. Any suggestion from veterans would be appreciated.
Tom Sawyer
Orlando, Fl
tgschs10@msn.com

Jennifer Boyer on thu 20 apr 00

Hi All,
A great time saver is to have a collection of pre cut pieces of
bubble wrap that are used(and reused) to pack pieces for a show.
I use a heavy duty(small bubble) bubble wrap from 2 sources: a
piece of swimming pool insulation I found at a yard sale, and
the shipping sleeves in which kayaks are shipped. I get these
for free from a kayak place near us. I cut pieces that are the
right size to put between platters and flat pieces. I also have
pieces the right size for wrapping vases and lamps. These pieces
are then stored in the packing boxes during the show. I use
fresh pieces of blank news print for packing sold pots in bags
for customers. I cut these off the roll ends that I buy from
the local newspaper. Hate using printed newspaper that gets my
hands all black if I'm selling a lot.
Take Care
Jennifer

tgschs10 wrote:
>
> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> ------------------
> This past week end I sold my works at a local art show - first time. Learned=
> a
> lot but one of the more cumbersome tasks was packing the pottery before and
> after the show. I had quite a bit of variety and an array of different size
> boxes. I packed each with paper and got by okay without any breakage but it =
> was
> easy or pretty. Any suggestion from veterans would be appreciated.
> Tom Sawyer
> Orlando, Fl
> tgschs10=40msn.com

--
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Jennifer Boyer jfboyer@sover.net
Thistle Hill Pottery
Vermont USA
http://www.vermontcrafts.com/members/ThistleHill.html

Check out these sites about web hoaxes:
http://urbanlegends.about.com/culture/urbanlegends/mbody.htm
http://www.stiller.com/hoaxes.htm
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Wade Blocker on thu 20 apr 00



----------
> From: Earl Brunner
> To: CLAYART@LSV.UKY.EDU
> Subject: Re: Packing for shows
> Date: Wednesday, April 19, 2000 12:10 PM
>
> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> There is a potter here in Las Vegas that has purchased some
> of those
> large rubbermade storage containers, with lids. He sorts
> hes work into
> each container so that it is organised and easy to take out,
> uses second
> hand bubble wrap and paper between the pots. You can stack
> these
> containers two or three deep.
>
> tgschs10 wrote:
> >
> > ----------------------------Original
message----------------------------
> > ------------------
> > This past week end I sold my works at a local art show - first time.
Learned a
> > lot but one of the more cumbersome tasks was packing the pottery before
and
> > after the show. I had quite a bit of variety and an array of different
size
> > boxes. I packed each with paper and got by okay without any breakage
but it wa
> > easy or pretty. Any suggestion from veterans would be appreciated.
> > Tom Sawyer
> > Orlando, Fl
> > tgschs10@msn.com
>
> --
> Earl Brunner
> http://coyote.accessnv.com/bruec
> mailto:bruec@anv.net


One of the best boxes for storage or for packing ware are the white
styrofoam boxes California grapes are packed in.They are sturdy, stackable
and lightweight.The supermarkets just discard them.Make friends with your
produce man and ask to save those boxes when the grape season begins. Mia
in ABQ

Ray Aldridge on thu 20 apr 00

At 02:10 PM 4/19/00 EDT, you wrote:
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>There is a potter here in Las Vegas that has purchased some
>of those
>large rubbermade storage containers, with lids. He sorts
>hes work into
>each container so that it is organised and easy to take out,
>uses second
> hand bubble wrap and paper between the pots. You can stack
>these
>containers two or three deep.
>

I've recently started doing shows again after a 20 year hiatus, and packing
pots is one of the biggest pains associated with this dire business.

Long ago and far away, I used to just pack them with newspaper into
whatever boxes I could find (liquor boxes are the best cardboard ones, by
the way). But life's a lot shorter now, so I've bought plastic RoughTotes,
and made my own dividers out of recycled cardboard. This is an idea from
the misty past, inspired by the aforementioned liquor boxes, which came
with cardboard dividers. The liquor bottles could just be dropped into the
boxes, and so can pots. I'll try to explain how I make the dividers--
let's say I'm packing mugs. I take a utility knife and cut a strip as long
as the box, and as wide as the mugs are tall. Say a dozen mugs will fit
into the bottom of the box, so I need two of these strips and three strips
the same width and as long as the width of the box (at that level--the
RoughTotes taper slightly.) Then by cutting slots halfway through each
strip where they intersect, I can push them together into a sort of grid
that has 3 rows of 4 pockets. I put this in the bottom of the box and drop
a dozen mugs into it. Then I cut a big piece of cardboard to cover that
layer of mugs, and make a base for the next layer to sit on. I make
another grid for the next layer, and so on. I can get three layers of mugs
in one container. It seems like a lot of trouble at first, but they last a
long time, and really make it easy to pack and unpack. I don't know why I
didn't figure this out before-- I'm sure a lot of folks must do this,
because it's so obvious. In retrospect.

This works well for uniform pieces, but large bowls are more difficult. I
still haven't figured out a system for packing them quickly. Ideas, anyone?

I make teapots with pulled overhead handles, and I pack them in cylinders
of cardboard. There should be ways to efficiently pack most shapes. I
think with a little thought you'll be able to work out a system for most of
your pieces, and some day when it's pouring down rain and all you want to
do is get packed and get away, you'll be glad you did.

Ray

Aldridge Porcelain and Stoneware
http://www.goodpots.com

Sheron Roberts on thu 20 apr 00

------------------
I have a friend who manages
one of the ABC (Alcohol Beverage
Control) stores in our area. Maybe
I should just say, the liquor store.
He is also a potter.
He saves for any of us who want
them, boxes that the whiskey, etc.
is shipped in. These are what I
use for packing ware for shows.
Most of the boxes have dividers
in them, and are great for mugs.
Crown Royal boxes are the best.
They stack together nicely in my
van, since most are the same
size.
All these boxes are reinforced and
sturdy. You can always tell the
Columbus County potters at a
show, we are the ones
with all the liquor boxes.
These boxes are also sturdy
enough for displaying pots on.
If I need extra space I turn them
over and cover them with one of
the several cloths I carry and
Voila' instance tables.
Sheron in NC

Gayle Bair on thu 20 apr 00

David,
I also am a dinosaur however I have found that
if I do a show with cardboard boxes and the
grass is wet or if it rains I have a big problem!
After near disastrous results with cardboard I
ran out and got Rubbermaid containers.
Gayle Bair
gaylebair@earthlink.net

-----Original Message-----
From: Ceramic Arts Discussion List [mailto:CLAYART@LSV.UKY.EDU]On Behalf
Of David Hendley
Sent: Wednesday, April 19, 2000 11:53 AM
To: CLAYART@LSV.UKY.EDU
Subject: Re: Packing for shows


----------------------------Original message----------------------------
I know I'm an out-of-touch dinosaur because I haven't
bought any of those pretty plastic tubs for packing
pottery for shows. I love liquor and wine boxes with
built-in dividers. I've had some boxes for more than
20 years. Any pot less than 6 inches in diameter goes
right into a compartment, no wrapping required.

Get some boxes that held 'flasks', 'fifths', 1.5 liters,
and 3 or 4 liters (wine), and you'll have a size just
right for all your small items. Also, be on the lookout
for other boxes with dividers; I got box that held
gallon jugs of chain saw oil that is great for larger
pots.
Bowls and larger pieces still have to be wrapped,
but just dropping those small items into the boxes
saves a lot of time. Plus, you get to joke with the
other artists about how you can write off your
Jack Daniels as a 'business expense', since you
use the box for product packaging.
--
David Hendley
Maydelle, Texas
hendley@tyler.net
http://www.farmpots.com/



----- Original Message -----
From: tgschs10
To:
Sent: Tuesday, April 18, 2000 2:01 PM
Subject: Packing for shows


----------------------------Original message----------------------------
------------------
This past week end I sold my works at a local art show - first time. Learned
a
lot but one of the more cumbersome tasks was packing the pottery before and
after the show. I had quite a bit of variety and an array of different size
boxes. I packed each with paper and got by okay without any breakage but it
was
easy or pretty. Any suggestion from veterans would be appreciated.
Tom Sawyer
Orlando, Fl
tgschs10@msn.com

Dorothy Weber on thu 20 apr 00

We currently use plastic containers all the same size and are no longer using
newspaper. It requires too much cleaning and very little bubble wrap. I have
been getting our wrapping material from one of the hospitals here in
Richmond. It is the wrapping material used to cover surgical trays. It is
removed prior to a case and discarded. A friend in the O.R. has been saving
them for me along with the sterile towels all of which are discarded and she
says they will gladly save these. The sheets I believe are made of tyvec (sp)
so it does not rip easily but can be easily cut to size and does not fall
apart if it gets wet. It is thicker than newspaper feels a bit like fabric.
If you are also interested in obtaining boxes, your local hospital has a
large supply of them. Most of the hospitals here put their boxes out to trash
around am and will gladly direct you to them if you want.
Feel free to contact me off line for any other information.

Thanks
Dorothy Weber
Manakin-Sabot, Va.

Enjoying my time off between jobs before going to work in the endoscopy unit
so I'll have fewer hours and more time for pots!

Beverly Crist on thu 20 apr 00

There have been lots of good tips about packing for shows - especially those
saying to use liquor boxes with dividers. Here's my two cents worth. I have
used both cardboard boxes and Rubbermaid plastic bins. They both have there
advantages and disadvantages. Cardboard boxes are cheap (often free) and
provide good padding but if they get wet - forget it. And if you're going to
be doing shows in Florida your boxes are going to get wet at some point. The
plastic bins seem like they would be the best bet but they are thin and no
matter how much bubble wrap I use I get more breakage with them. I'm thinking
of lining the bins with cardboard. I make handbuilt earthenware pots with
long handles so my work is more fragile then most.

Beverly Crist, Los Angeles

eden@sover.net on fri 21 apr 00

Hi Tom and all,

I have run through the responses and it seems nobody is using the garbage
cans that have those foxy little wheels. I used to use all the rubbermaid
(or whatever) lidded bins but now I pack primarily in the garbage cans with
wheels. I find that with the bins I waste energy trying to use the space
efficiently as I, too, have stuff that ranges in size and shape all over
the place. With the big garbage cans I have alot more lattitude. They fit
nicely in the Grand Caravan although I do admit that it is not me doing the
hauling up into the van.

I still use newspaper to pack. Rarely have breakage. One tip for
newspaper users: as I unwrap I flatten out the newspapers under where I am
working and when the pile gets big enough I roll it tightly and put it into
one of the empty garbage cans.....so when I am ready to pack up I have one
or two cans filled with rolls of paper ready to pack up with. Gone are the
days when newspaper was flying all over the place. Another tip: along
with the newsprint comes the baby wipes! Wouldn't go to a fair without them!

Eleanora

At 03:01 PM 4/18/00 -0400, you wrote:
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>------------------
>This past week end I sold my works at a local art show - first time.
Learned a
>lot but one of the more cumbersome tasks was packing the pottery before and
>after the show. I had quite a bit of variety and an array of different size
>boxes. I packed each with paper and got by okay without any breakage but
it was
>easy or pretty. Any suggestion from veterans would be appreciated.
>Tom Sawyer
>Orlando, Fl
>tgschs10@msn.com

...................

Eleanora Eden 802 869-2003
Paradise Hill
Bellows Falls, VT 05101 eden@sover.net

Jonathan Kaplan on fri 21 apr 00

We use industrial quality plastic tote boxes with hinged lids. They stack
perfectly in my Ford Explorer and we have configured dividers for some of
them. Our hard walled display stacks on the Yakima rack on the roof,
securely wrapped in plastic and tied down.

We have these in two colors. One color is for wholesale shows that just
contain our samples, and the other color is for retail stock.

We also have several that contain our display materials. All of the boxes
stack nicely on our hand truck also.

These stack quite nicely behind the display. While the initial investment
has over time paid for itself, we are not victim to cardboard boxes and
rain in outdoor shows, wet grass, etc etc.

I also like the added security of these hard-walled containers.

Jonathan

Jonathan Kaplan
Ceramic Design Group LTd/Production Services
PO Box 775112
Steamboat Springs, CO 80477
(970) 879-9139 voice and fax
http://www.sni.net/ceramicdesign

UPS: 1280 13th St. Unit13
Steamboat Springs, CO 80487

Kathryn L Farmer on sat 22 apr 00

Most of the ceramists that I've met use shredded newspaper for packing. It
seems to reduce handling that spreads the ink, and increase the cushion.

'Love the idea of the wheel garbage cans.

Kathryn
eden@sover.net

amy parker on mon 24 apr 00


>This works well for uniform pieces, but large bowls are more difficult. I
>still haven't figured out a system for packing them quickly. Ideas, anyone?

I just put a piece of bubble wrap on the bottom, then one into the largest
bowl, and start nesting bowl/wrap/bowl/wrap until I reach the top. I've had
no problem with 8-10 bowls, other than combined weight! My favorite
containers are the transparent plastic crates with flip-top lids. They
stack nicely - I've gone 3 high - and nest when empty. My display is
designed so that they fit underneath the bottom shelf.
amy parker Lithonia, GA
amyp@sd-software.com

Bill Campbell on tue 25 apr 00

If you do a lot of shows you may be interested in a trick that I learned from
Kent Follette. He starts his packing as he is leaving a show for the next.
Instead of packing like things together he makes sure that everything is out
on the shelves like he would like them to be at the next show and packs them
up. He marks the boxes so that when he gets to the next show all he needs to
do is set up his display and open those boxes first to have his show ready.
The rest of the stuff can be stowed until you sell something. Using plastic
boxes with flip top lids seems to be the container of choice for most potters
at craft fairs
Bill

Sheron Roberts on tue 25 apr 00

------------------
I don't know if this has been
mentioned yet, but when
I pack large bowls or vases
I use pieces of the stuff you
put under area rugs to keep
them from slipping or skidding.
I use the soft spongy kind. You
can buy as large or as small
a sheet as you like. Cut it to
fit or in squares. When stacking
bowls I place a sheet of this
in-between the bowls. It last
forever and there are no bubbles
to tempt you into popping=21
The best part is it clings to
the pots much like plastic
wrap is supposed to (but doesn't)
and I use it over and over and
over . . . . .
Sheron in NC where they tell
me that President Clinton is
visiting our little town Wednesday
(have noticed a lot of blue suits
walking around with notebooks the
last few days) wonder if he would
like a few 4 day old Easter eggs :)

Nancy Guido on wed 5 jun 02


I don't pack many pots and I don't do many shows anymore, but I found these
corrugated cardboard pads that come in many sizes and fit between my tiles.
Then I stack my tiles in old wine crates, which are then used for my
display.

I found the cardboard pads in a catalog from a company called Uline -
shipping supply specialists. You can access them online at www.uline.com.

Nancy
(a dedicated Wing-nut)

Marie Gibbons on wed 5 jun 02


I am just guessing this would be a good process for packing pots....
I work part time at a frame shop, big wooden frames come in with this
cardboard 'netting' type stuff... it is flexible, thick, and seems like it
might be really good to layer pots, plates etc between. you might check
into
your local frame shops... they throw this stuff away, along with alot of
other packing materials!

marie gibbons
www.oooladies.com

Darlene Beverlin on thu 6 jun 02


With a "seal a meal" I make standard size pockets from the sheet foam =
(comes in rolls) about 1/8 or thick. Just place my pot inside the =
pocket and roll. Then into the plastic containers that have the hinged =
lids. These stack very securely. The foam pockets don't take much =
room. I can stack over $10,000 of pots in my van. A free source for =
the sheet foam is your local furniture dealer. The wood furniture comes =
wrapped in the thin foam. It takes a little extra work but comes with a =
great savings.. in dollars and landfill. RECYCLE. =20


PS. actually I used a seal a meal for my first pockets but now have a =
shrink wrap machine that works great.

darlene
http://rarearth.tripod.com

Ann Brink on fri 7 jun 02


I use squares of upholstery fabric- all from thrift shops, garage sales,
etc.

It seems it's always windy when it's time to pack up to go home, and you
don't have to chase after fabric like you do some other materials. .

Ann Brink in CA- back with you after a 6 week car trip. The pottery-related
highlight of the trip was a visit to Seagrove NC., land of 100 potters. Met
one of the early ones- M.L. Owens. ALMOST got to visit Mel (we saw the
Minnetonka water tower) but he was out of town...darn. Still wondering what
your studio looks like, Mel.



KATHI LESUEUR on tue 31 jul 12


Like some others, I own a five by eight trailer that I use for shows. =3D
When I bought it (in 1984, Wells Cargo, still in really good shape) I =3D
calculated how many banana boxes I could stuff into it. I've always used =
=3D
banana boxes to pack, I tried crates but found they often cracked and =3D
they didn't fit the trailer as well. I pack pack a row on each side of =3D
the trailer the trailer cross way. The center row is packed lengthwise. =3D
The center row contains all of the stock for the first day of a show and =
=3D
leaves an aisle to get at back stock.

As for actually packing individual boxes, I make cardboard dividers for =3D
my boxes. Six sections for vases, utensil holders,and other tall shapes. =
=3D
Twelve sections for mugs, two layers with a piece of cardboard in =3D
between. Brie bakers and small bakers are packed on edge between =3D
dividers. My long and rectangular trays go in boxes that have half-inch =3D
blue styrofoam dividers. For large bowls, I nest them between pieces of =3D
carpet foam. I pack tall lamps in two in a box that I get from the =3D
supper market. Laid on their side with a piece of styrofoam between. If =3D
a piece has a lid, I tape it on with blue painters tape. That tape =3D
leaves no residue when removed. I don't use any bubble wrap around =3D
pieces. Just drop them in their slots. I've been packing like this since =
=3D
1980. It makes packing very quick and I don't get breakage.=3D20

KATHI LESUEUR
http://www.lesueurclaywork.com