Brian Wolfe Posted January 8, 2011 Share Posted January 8, 2011 (edited) Hello Everyone, Earlier this week I received a package that contained my latest addition to my optics collection. The item had been wrapped in bubble pak and then surrounded with those Styrofoam "peanuts" and shipped in a heavy gage cardboard box. When I opened the box and dug down through the Styrofoam "peanuts" what I found looked like a leg of mutton wrapped in bubble pack. This got me thinking about all of the great packing jobs, like this one, and all of the disasters I've encountered over the years. I would like to hear about your stories both good and bad regarding packages you have received. I'll post a few to start things off, please add to them and lets see who comes up with the best and worst experiences. I have one to post with photos but I am sure,like the rest of my stories, you may not have taken photos. No problem, your written words and our imaginations will do the trip, I mean trick. My mind must have drifted back to the 1960s for a moment. Oh yes, the tip (so this post fits the category). I've shipped everything from cast iron to porcelain plates, so thin you could see through them, with no problems. I use crumpled news paper. Wrap the item in tissue paper so the newsprint ink will not get on the item and then pack crumpled news paper around the item. Those Styrofoam shapes are good for sturdy metal objects but not delicate china etc. Styrofoam shapes will transfer the shock wave through each piece and then breaking porcelain and glass objects. Crumpled news paper will absorb the shock wave well before it reaches the packed item. Please add your tips and your experiences. Not only will it be interesting but educational. That almost sounds like something you'd say to get your kids tricked into playing an educational video game. Regards Brian Edited January 8, 2011 by Brian Wolfe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Wolfe Posted January 8, 2011 Author Share Posted January 8, 2011 I really can't say enough good things about Canada Post, the Royal Mail and the U.S. Postal service, I've found them to be top notch. I know there are many who would not agree and perhaps I have been lucky. It is some "shippers" that I have issues with. Canada Post will place a damaged package into a plastic bag and tag it as damaged. Then you can inspect it and, if necessary, make a claim. Some of these bags have contained letter-style envelopes with one or two medals in the group contained within dangling from a tear in the thin paper envelope, some have contained the broken glass shards of framed pictures. I usually put these in new frames anyway so no big deal. This post is in regard to the second well packed item that arrived earlier this week. The package arrived looking like it had been vacumed packed. At first I thought it was a shippment of yarn, wool or cloth material for Linda as she is always receiving such parcels and some of these dealers actually vac-pack the items. The package turned out to be mine and contained an item in a frame. I will not show the item in the frame as it is of a WWI Christmas theme and I intend to post it next Christmas, so you have a little under 12 months to wait. I think it is a cool item. The following series of photos shows the packing job that resulted in an unbroken delivery of a framed item with the glass intact. The first photo is the package as I received it. Regards Brian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Wolfe Posted January 8, 2011 Author Share Posted January 8, 2011 This is the package as it looked after the tape and the first layer of heavy plastic was removed. It reminded me of biology class witout the smell of formaldehyde. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Wolfe Posted January 8, 2011 Author Share Posted January 8, 2011 Next I opened the cardboard wrap that was exposed after the outter shell had been removed. This revealed the bubble wrapped item. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Boonzaier Posted January 8, 2011 Share Posted January 8, 2011 is it spelled "Horr"? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Wolfe Posted January 8, 2011 Author Share Posted January 8, 2011 Finally the framed document that was unharmed. I have covered the document because I am waiting until Christmas to reveal it to the membership. No it's not a naughty picture (in case you were wondering). It is always a treat to open parcels but parcels such as this are the best of the best. I hope you liked my little photo documentry. Regards Brian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Wolfe Posted January 8, 2011 Author Share Posted January 8, 2011 is it spelled "Horr"? Darn! I hate it when that happens. No, It should have been "horror". Thanks for pointing that out. Are you able to make those changes as I am unable to correct the title arae of the post. Thanks Chris. Regards Brian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Boonzaier Posted January 8, 2011 Share Posted January 8, 2011 Darn! I hate it when that happens. No, It should have been "horror". Damn.... I thought you were going to liven up my weekend with tales of your youth and ladies of easy virtue.. :-( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Wolfe Posted January 8, 2011 Author Share Posted January 8, 2011 Damn.... I thought you were going to liven up my weekend with tales of your youth and ladies of easy virtue.. :-( Ha ha. My youth and ladies of easy virtue = Zzzzz Regards Brian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuart Bates Posted January 8, 2011 Share Posted January 8, 2011 I have only had good experiences with packages, at least ones that were not damaged. If a package is delivered in a damaged state I always photograph it in front of the courier and then open it. Around here our mail is delivered by an Australia Post contract courier so you quickly get to know them. I guess that the only problem I have had is when a package got to the main Post Office in my area, then got shipped about 200 kms further West before being returned to Sydney. A complete cock up. Stuart Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuart Bates Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 Finally the framed document that was unharmed. I have covered the document because I am waiting until Christmas to reveal it to the membership. No it's not a naughty picture (in case you were wondering). It is always a treat to open parcels but parcels such as this are the best of the best. I hope you liked my little photo documentry. Regards Brian Come on Brian, you don't really expect us to wait until next christmas do you? Some of us may be dead and/or the topic may have been removed. Reveal all, well not quite my friend, as I can't wait to see what you have there Stuart Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Wolfe Posted January 17, 2011 Author Share Posted January 17, 2011 Come on Brian, you don't really expect us to wait until next christmas do you? Some of us may be dead and/or the topic may have been removed. Reveal all, well not quite my friend, as I can't wait to see what you have there Stuart I would but you know what a "pill" I can be, besides it really is worth waiting to see. Regards Brian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dieter3 Posted January 18, 2011 Share Posted January 18, 2011 One that stands out was a C&R rifle delivered to me by UPS that was supposed to have a signature for it so they wouldn't simply abandon the package on my porch. Well, not only did they leave the package sitting there while I was at work without getting the signature, the idiot sender had packed the thing with the bolt in place and it had managed to punch right through thin layer of bubble wrap and the side of the box since the rifle had a a bolt handle that sticks out straight instead of curved downwards. Box was too narrow for this, and UPS isn't exactly gentle in handling all of its packages. Fortunately, there was no damage to the rifle or the bolt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuart Bates Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 I looked in horror when my pillbox cap arrived. I did not see how it could have survived but astonishingly is was unharmed. More than one can say for the box itself. Stuart Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Wolfe Posted January 31, 2011 Author Share Posted January 31, 2011 The container has done its job admirably. I once asked, at the local post office, just how much good "Fragile" stickers and tape did. They just laughed at my question. I suppose that, in fact, answered my question. At least the contents were undamaged Stuart. Have you posted this particular pillbox cap yet? Regards Brian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuart Bates Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 Brian, yes I posted a photo of the Worcestershire Yeomanry pillbox. It is a photo that the seller took. Stuart Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paddywhack Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 i bought of off another forum a framed b-17 print and uniform to the same guy and the frame when it was put in the box the sender put the glass frame on the side that had one thin layer of bubble wrap and the other side had a ton of bubble wrap and styro-foam so as soon as it went into mail the glass was TOTALLY smashed to bits and went through the box if the seller had turned it the other way the glass could well of survived!!on the other side of posting stories i got a hj dagger in the post and it had been encased in a tube that was so well wrapped took me ages to take out but was perfectly received!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Theodor Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 I got one German Volks-radio put in a cardboard box. Nothing more, just the bakelite radio in a box that was exactly its size! I knew the radio case had some cracks, but when it arrived from another town, it was in two halves plus some small pieces! :speechless: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
new world Posted August 29, 2011 Share Posted August 29, 2011 Couple of times I received packages which packing job just made me so mad! They both were for Breitling watches. For those who is not aware - in standard Breitling set watch goes into a bakelite box, which is then placed in an outer carton. When I ship watches to someone - I normally place this set into large and sturdy box, with bubble wrapping and foam balls around. Well, two sellers juts placed Breitling box into foam envelope, which didn't protect at all - both bakelite boxes were damaged during shipping and loose pieces from the box even scratched the watch in one package. One watch was close to $2,000, another one was about $2,500 - I never understood how one can just drop fairly expensive object in the mail without adequate protection! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluehawk Posted September 29, 2012 Share Posted September 29, 2012 Finally the framed document that was unharmed... Just a safety suggestion, we used in museums when shipping anything framed with glass: Put down a 1" spaced vertical and horizontal grid of masking tape to the face of the glass. If anything cracks or breaks, the chances of damaging the artifact are greatly reduced, if not eliminated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluehawk Posted September 29, 2012 Share Posted September 29, 2012 One other recommendation tried and true: Place your artifact in one box, surrounded with whatever suits your fancy for protection. Put that box in a second box, surrounded by (of all things) cooked popcorn (no salt or butter, obviously). Popcorn is much better and cheaper than foam peanuts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted October 6, 2012 Share Posted October 6, 2012 I bought a WWI medal pair to a member of the AIF, included was his honourable discharge certificate (laminated ) and a photo of him with a group of AIF, all wounded. When it arrived the discharge certificate had been sent folded to a quarter of its size and to my horror the photo postcard had also been laminated. On another occasion an award certificate for the Iron Cross 2nd class arrived, it was in an envelope the exact same size; a snug fit. The envelope must have been covered in half a roll of sellotape making opening it a very long task. I eventually got in there but tore the certificate in doing so. Tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peter monahan Posted October 27, 2012 Share Posted October 27, 2012 A friend once received a packet labelled "Photographs Do Not Bend" to which some helpful sod at the post office had added "Yes they do!". And he was right! :( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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