Well, for breakables I use egg cartons to cushion all sides of the box and sometimes depending on how large the item is, I double box. Lots of bubble wrap and peanuts, sometimes I use newspaper but only when I've run out of peanuts because newspaper adds more weight than peanuts. Everything I use is either recycled or brand new depending on my supplies. Would you believe it that with all my shipping of breakables none broke and arrived safely. Instead, I sent a package of 3 plastic candle containers and 1 broke into tiny pieces, fortunately all of my shipments are insured and I happen to have replaceable containers. Hope this helps.

I pack my items the way I want to receive them if I were the buyer. When necessary I use bubble wrap (usually double layered) and peanuts or shredded paper, making sure there is no movement in the box when I am done. On occassion I have double boxed but not much.

I mostly sell collectible toys and always remember that the box is part of the value of the item so I make certain to keep the box in the as advertised condition.

I use USPS Priority mail mostly and have insurance as option, however, on items where I do not want to or can not refund or replace I always buy insurance should the bidder decide not to.

Hi, Maeve!

It depends on what is being packaged. For non-fragile items like clothing, I place a sheet of cardboard or other stiffener in back of the neatly folded item (so it doesn't get all scrunched in the journey), then wrap in white tissue if I am using a box, or thin bubble wrap or even plastic wrap if I am using an envelope. Then I place it with my packing invoice into a box or a tyvek, bubble, or waterproof envelope (I never use plain envelopes, because the item could get wet.) Usually I use boxes on clothing, but if an item is small and could easily travel in an envelope, I do so to get a better rate.

For fragile items, the packing is much more complex. However, it doesn't have to take a long time if you gather all your materials first and do all your packages "assembly line" fashion.

For example, if I am packaging a very delicate, 10" high vase:

Gather all materials:
A. 2 boxes, 1 about 2 inches larger than the item on all sides, the second one about 3 inches larger on all sides than the first box.
B. approximately 8 sheets of bubble wrap (for a 10" vase with a 5" diameter....more or less to suit your size)
C. 2 sheets of gift tissue, 20" long, or about 6 square feet. Make certain it is white....you don't want colors to bleed if it gets moist)
D. 4 peices of foam, (small peices will do, for taping to the corners)
E. approximately 3 cubic feet of packing peanuts
F. OPTIONAL IF THE ITEM IS EXPENSIVE (over $50):4 thin dowel rods (I have seen people use plastic coke bottles or sturdy paper towel rolls(empty) and it actually works quite well, but then you'll need a slightly bigger box). This step is completely optional if the item is less expensive.
G. OPTIONAL IF THE ITEM IS EXPENSIVE: extra bubble wrap to cover outside of inner box.
H. 2" packing tape, masking tape and labels.

First, fill the vase with packaging peanuts.
Second, wrap the vase in white tissue (never put bubble wrap directly against glass....some types of glass will get permanent round impressions from the bubbles) If the vase has a lot of decorative elements like handles, etc, make sure to use extra tissue on those parts, very gently, before bubble wrapping.
Third, wrap the vase in the bubble wrap and tape it very gently with masking tape....don't use too much tape or it will be too hard for the buyer to get it open.
Fourth, place the vase in the smaller box that has been filled with 2" of packing peanuts. Insert the foam pieces in each of the four corners to hold the vase directly in the middle of the box. Overfill it with more packing peanuts so that you have to VERY SLIGHTLY crush the packing peanuts to get the box closed.
Fifth, shake the box vigorously. If you hear NO MOVEMENT, go to the next step.....if you hear movement, start over.
6th, tape the inner box shut.
7th, OPTIONAL: This step is only if the vase is very expensive: BUBBLE WRAP THE INNER BOX!
8th, OPTIONAL: This step is only if the vase is very expensive: Place dowel rods in each of the four corners of the outer box. Tape them so they stand straight up and they will prevent the box from getting crushed in any way.
9th, Lay the box on a bed of packing peanuts at least 2" thick. (You might want to layer a sheet of newspaper on the packing peanuts to prevent shifting.)
10th, put your invoice on top of the box, then overfill all the sides and top with enough packing peanuts that you have to SLIGHTLY crush them in order to close the box. (You could also place foam pieces on each corner to be extra careful, but that is optional)
11. Shake the box vigorously to see if you hear movement....if you do, start over. If not, then tape the box shut and reinforce all of the seams of the box with 2" packing tape. Label and you are done! :^)


Now, as to materials.....yes it can be expensive to package properly. I do recycle all the bubble wrap I get, as well as boxes if they are used for non-fragile items. NEVER reuse a box for fragiles unless it looks completely new and has a bursting strength, listed on the box, of 200lbs or more. If it doesn't list the bursting strength, then you should not use it for fragiles because boxes can look new but their strength could still be compromised due to moisture or other factors, such as age.

Believe it or not, I got my packing peanuts in HUGE bags (bigger than me) for $5 from the local power plant. (No, they are NOT radioactive, LOL!) These can each last through approximately 15 packages such as I have described, making the total cost per package for packing peanuts only about 35 cents.

I do buy bubble wrap by the huuuuuge roll. Don't buy from office supplies.....go to gatorpack or some other business and buy in bulk. Store them in a storage room, if you can. Same with boxes. I really don't like recycling boxes simply because it takes more time to break boxes down to store them, then have to turn them around and retape them to use them later, than it is worth. And if you don't break them down, your storage area is very difficult to work in with boxes everywhere. If you wait for the sales at Link (one goes on every January, by the way!) you can buy in bulk, store them easily because they are all broken down, and not waste tape when you use them. And I believe customers like a good, strong, brand new box. Boxes go for as little as 20 cents including ship, depending on size, so it is worth it to me.


Anyway, this is just my 2 cents :^)

I use large amounts of microfoam and 1" thick styrofoam panels. (The styrofoam can be found in 4'x8' sheets in the insulation department of Home Depot, etc; I use microfoam instead of bubblewrap in part because I can get it free.) I rarely use peanuts, even for most fragile items and never use newspaper.

For boxes I purchase sizes that I regularly need and can't easily find to recycle. (Sturdy cartons 15"x15"x30" or 12"x12"x60" aren't commonly found at the grocery store!) I also purchase smaller boxes that I use in large quantities. I ship FedEx so don't use Priority packaging. In addition to the boxes I buy, I keep an eye out and regularly collect boxes that might be useful. I also make occasional trips to a nearby liquor store that saves their cartons for anyone who wants them. Those boxes are the perfect size for the old radios I sometimes sell, and very sturdy.

If I am shipping a set of glasses, I first line the carton in a couple layers of 1" styrofoam. The sheets are easy to score and break. Then I simply wrap the glasses in several layers of microfoam and stack them in the box. The glasses are so well protected by the microfoam that I can drop one on my floor and be confident it won't break. The styrofoam essentially serves the same purpose as others' double boxing. It adds cushioning protection on all sides (depending on the item I'll use up to 3-4 inches of styrofoam), keeps the item from shifting near the bottom of the box, and adds a lot of rigidity.

The styrofoam comes in thicknesses up to 2" but the thicker panels are more than proportionately higher in cost. (Two 1" panels are cheaper than one 2" panel.) I use the 2" panels for very fragile but heavy items, such as chandeliers and wall mirrors. A chandelier is one of the few "exception" items which I would also fill with peanuts.

I've been using this method for over three years and found it to be very reliable. Customers appreciate it too; I once got a positive feedback commending my "bullet proof packaging."

IN GENERAL -

Clothing
Folded and placed in a new, 3 mil thick clear poly bag, sealed with a piece of tape or folded over. Then placed in either a Tyvek envelope (never a poly clothes mailer) or a Box. No padding or tissue paper used.

Pottery and Glassware - 1 piece in the shipment
Item wrapped in 1-2 layers of plain newsprint. All hollow areas tightly stuffed with newsprint. Newsprint taped shut with one piece of masking tape. Object put in a box with at least 2 inches of space all the way around. Fill all that space and the box to overflowing with foam peanuts. If the object is very light and not super fragille (eg., a single coffee cup), I may mix shredded paper in with the peanuts. If the object is extremely fragile, I wrap a layer of thick bubble wrap around it over the newsprint and seal that with a few judiciously-placed pieces of packing tape. In those cases I don't tape the inner newsprint because the bubble wrap holds it in place.

Pottery and Glassware - 2+ pieces in shipment
Each item wrapped in newsprint, with hollow spaces stuffed tightly with the paper (see above). Each piece wrapped in bubble wrap, making sure all surface are covered. Close bubble wrap with a few pieces of packing tape. Pack in box with at least 1 inche of space between the items and 2 inches around on all 6 sides of the box. Fill all voids in the box with foam peanuts to overfilling. In some cases I also put a piece of bubble wrap on the top and bottom of the box.

Miscellaneous Tips
I never use the air pillow packing materials except to fill up empty space in a box that has a light, non-fragile item. For example, If I were shipping 3 paperback books in one box, I'd pack each book separately and then just toss in the air pillows to keep them from rattling around too much.Crumpled up plain newsprint does the same job.

I never use newspaper. I think it's sloppy and dirty. I use uninked newsprint. Also never use: papertowels, disposable diapers (I'm not kidding -- I've seen people use these, unused of course, as packing material), rags, tissues, food boxes or other non-standard packing materials.

I pay a lot of attention to the weight of the corrugated cardboard in boxes. Boxes come in different weights. Heavier boxes are better for heavier items.

When shipping multiple identical pottery items, for example, 5 dinner plates, I wrap each individually in plain newsprint and bubbe wrap and stack them in the box with at least an inch of peanuts between each plate and at least 2 inches of peanuts on all 6 sides of the box. I never tape the items together, although I have received items from other sellers who do use this technique. I find that it's hard to unpack the items when they are bonded together in this way and also I don't think it's as secure a method as wrapping each individual separately with plenty of peanuts between the items.

I rarely double box items, except if the item is extremely fragile (e.g., a laptop computer for which I don't have the original box, a crystal chandelier, crystal goblets).

Recycled or New Materials
I use free USPS Priority Boxes and Tyvek envelopes, also some of their tape. About 80% of my shipments go by Priority Mail. I have a source of clean, once-used (often internally delivered and not shipped) boxes that meet most of my box needs for the other 20% of my shipments -- heavy items that go by FedEx Ground, books that go by Media Mail and International shipments for which Priority Mail is not an option -- also odd size items that can't fit in a Priority Box, even when it's cut up and taped togther. I also have a source for peanuts and try to get bubble wrap when I can, but on occasion I do buy bubble wrap from one of the sellers on eBay. I buy plain newsprint from a local moving company. I don't use recycled or previously used envelopes or bubble mailers for small items. I buy these new at retail or online. I also buy plain (non-USPS Priority) Tyvek envelopes online that I use for sending clothing internationally (mostly to Canada). I purchase new poly bags (again, from a seller on eBay) in which I put all clothing before putting them in the Tyvek outer bag or in a box. Other expenses include: tape (various kinds), paper for printing out labels and packing slips, ink for the printer. Tools include: scale, tape gun, tape dispenser, utility knife.

The biggest piece of advice I'd give is to pay attention to items you receive through the mail, either from eBay sellers or from other online and mail order sellers. Pay attention to what you like and what seems well-packed and copy those techniques. Packing for shipping is quite different than packing for a move in a moving van. This is a common mistake that occasional sellers of pottery and glass make, often with bad results. Items should withstand being kicked down a flight of stairs, being tossed in a truck, falling off the conveyor belt on their way into an airplane, extreme of hot and cold and either be waterproof or contain items that won't be damaged if they get wet. Also, in my opinion, just because "it's only eBay," -- the world's largest garage sale -- this should not be an excuse for using garage sale quality packing materials and sloppy packing techniques.

Just make sure that you put that envelopes and bubble mailers offer no crushing resistance and are only good for mainly non-breakable items.

Sellers think bubble mailers will proect anything "its bubble wrapped afterall"

Lastly make sure to include that most carriers require 2" of packaging material all the way around the item and breakables need to be double boxed. When packed, the item should not shift in the packaging at all.

The biggest piece of advice I'd give is to pay attention to items you receive through the mail, either from eBay sellers or from other online and mail order sellers. Pay attention to what you like and what seems well-packed and copy those techniques.

Agreed!