Joan Berkwitz on fri 22 aug 03
I make ceramic horse figurines, and have shipped thousands of them. They =
are darned fragile. I have found the most efficient shipping material is =
foam. You can order large quantities of the grey foam, either with =
"fingers" or without, custom cut to fit your most common shipping box =
size. I order a two piece set (that fills the box) for a 16 x 16 x 10 =
box for about six dollars. Six dollars, you say? Isn't that a lot? But I =
don't need to double box, and save quite a bit there...it is much =
quicker to pack, save time there....it is lighter than a double box, =
save there...and I have had only two pieces broken in about the last =
seven hundred! So I don't even buy insurance any more, and save a bundle =
there! (To do this you must be willing and able to replace the product =
if it is lost, but that is very rare) If you were shipping a pot or =
vase, or other bulky item, you would simple hollow out the inside of the =
foam pieces to fit the item. Make sure to have at least three or four =
inches all the way around the item of foam.
When first using this foam, to test it, I packaged a horse, took it out =
on the driveway. Hubby and I KICKED it around, intentionally trying to =
break it, **drop kicked** it, tossed it to the ground from shoulder =
height, then (unopened) shipped it to a friend who did the same and =
shipped it back. Despite rips and tears in the box, dented edges, and =
general mutilation, the bisque earthenware horse inside remained =
unbroken.
We were sold, and have ordered foam ever since.
If you don't want to stock the foam, try using those foam mattress pads. =
Lots of folks chuck them out on trash day. Or go see if your local =
upholstery outlet has cheap remnants. Although the grey foam is the =
best.
BTW, when you put in a claim for either UPS or USPS, they almost always =
tell you that they can't pay it because the box was used, so it was not =
as structurally sound. This little undisclosed clause may cause you to =
back away. That is what they count on. Persist, and they will probably =
relent. Best of all, don't use boxes that have already been used, =
especially for high priced shipments or very fragile ones.=20
As I have told friends in the past, you can write new boxes off your =
taxes, but you can't write off hours scrounging behind the market or =
picking soggy lettuce leaves out of a discarded box. And nothing can =
beat the impression that it makes on the customer when a nice, clean, =
neatly packed box arrives. Good PR all around!
Joanie
Jennifer Buckner on sat 23 aug 03
All,
Here's a web site with some interesting packaging solutions for those of
you concerned about shipping fragile items. I have no connection with this
company at all.
www.sealedair.com/
Jennifer (Northern VT)
Jennifer G. Buckner jenniverre@earthlink.net
claybair on sun 24 aug 03
In 1966 I participated in Phila. College of Art's
"Make a container that would protect an
egg thrown off the 3rd story roof" contest.
It was a fun event. At the time I considered
it an utterly useless piece of information.
Who woulda thunk I'd be using it 37 years later!!!!
Gayle Bair - should have paid more attention
in Chemistry and math classes as well!!!
Bainbridge Island, WA
http://claybair.com
-----Original Message-----
snip<
I make ceramic horse figurines, and have shipped thousands of them. They are
darned fragile. I have found the most efficient shipping material is foam.
You can order large quantities of the grey foam, either with "fingers" or
without, custom cut to fit your most common shipping box size. I order a two
piece set (that fills the box) for a 16 x 16 x 10 box for about six dollars.
When first using this foam, to test it, I packaged a horse, took it out on
the driveway. Hubby and I KICKED it around, intentionally trying to break
it, **drop kicked** it, tossed it to the ground from shoulder height, then
(unopened) shipped it to a friend who did the same and shipped it back.
Despite rips and tears in the box, dented edges, and general mutilation, the
bisque earthenware horse inside remained unbroken.
snip>
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