eBay Sellers, Padded Envelopes and Backer Boards NOT SAFE for shipping!

[Chip Cataldo]

I would prefer that all my books came in a box, but that's not going to happen ... too much cost for the seller, I guess.

If a buyer requests boxed shipping and a seller comes up with this excuse, it's total and complete bullchit. USPS Priority Mail supplies are free, order-able from their website, delivered to your door for free, and they have everything you need to box up a comic safely and securely...for FREE.

[Dark Prime 0]

leave neutral or neg depending on what he does

 

if he offers a refund give a neutral, leave praise about the refund but mention about the packing in a neg/harsh way

 

neg him if he decides to do nothing, but follow your steps 1st this way if he responds you can say i tried to work it out but seller was unwilling

 

personal exp here but after the feedback if he writes you for what ever reason, blast him in the email about how his packing failed to keep the book safe and how it should have been done / fixed..........be polite but not nice, or in a harsh tone (side note doing this also helps with any pissed off fellings bc you can't phisicaly yell at the person for being rude and questioning your choice of feedback bc they can't see what they did wrong and basicly demand a postive)

 

for myself anytime i sell here or on ebay (don't do either often) everything is sent priority in a box no matter what, or in a box in general if buyer doesn't want to pay for priority

[Michelangelo]

Whenever I've shipped a raw books, it's been done in an envelope. Mainly because shipping from Canada is very expensive as it is already. To ship in an envelope going to the US will cost $16 with tracking already!!

 

However, I've never had an issue with comics showing up damaged because I pay careful attention to the way it's packed.

 

Here's what I do:

 

1. Cut 4 pieces of cardboard (slightly larger than the book)

Note: 2 with corrugation lines vertical; 2 with lines horizontal. This will help to ensure the cardboard cannot be bent at all in any direction.

 

2. Ensure comic is already bagged or double bagged and boarded.

 

3. Put 2 pieces of cardboard above comic (1 vertical; 1 horizontal)

 

4. Put 2 pieces of cardboard below comic (1 vertical; 1 horizontal)

 

5. Lots of tape to avoid anything moving

 

6. Plastic bag or bubble wrap (small bubbles) goes around the cardboard to give added protection and prevent anything from getting wet.

 

7. Place in envelope

 

8. Write "DO NOT BEND" on both sides of envelope

[Dmac538]

If someone contacted me and said they'd pay extra for a box, and I wasn't already shipping in one, I'd take their offer, their money, and send it in a box.

 

Why this seller wouldn't do that is beyond me.

I totally agree with you, i ship my raw books in padded envelopes, but i use a double corrugated box for each side and set the book in between them with tape so the book doesn't move around.If a person wants to pay for a box, i would gladly let them pay.

[InvstmntComcSuply]

 

8. Write "DO NOT BEND" on both sides of envelope

 

This must be in "Canadien" as American postal employees tend to disregard it on every other package I receive.

[the blob]

When I send in an envelope I use 3-4 pieces of solid cardboard as a sandwhich and the only time there was a problem was when I stupidly only used scotch tape and some of it came undone. Somehow I forgot to put the packing tape on there too. 2 a.m. packing probably. Sometimes I use a combination of tape and saran wrap.

 

Does all of this create the potential for someone damaging their books opening up the sandwich? I think not if they are careful. I haven't gotten an angry e-mail yet.

 

Boxes are great and expensive stuff goes in a box as does an order large enough. If someone wants to pay more for a box, g-d bless 'em, i will happily comply. but i am still going to do a sandwich inside the box anyway.

[the blob]

I usually write some form of

 

"Please do not bend, crush or leave in the rain" (leave in the rain depends on the weather) and "Thanks", sometimes with a smiley face

 

So far so good

[mystrymachine]

 

8. Write "DO NOT BEND" on both sides of envelope

 

This must be in "Canadien" as American postal employees tend to disregard it on every other package I receive.

 

Actually I wish sellers wouldn't do that because if the postal worker is having a bad day, they find ways to reduce their stress if you know what I mean.

[jcjames]

Whenever I've shipped a raw books, it's been done in an envelope. Mainly because shipping from Canada is very expensive as it is already. To ship in an envelope going to the US will cost $16 with tracking already!!

 

However, I've never had an issue with comics showing up damaged because I pay careful attention to the way it's packed.

 

Here's what I do:

 

1. Cut 4 pieces of cardboard (slightly larger than the book)

Note: 2 with corrugation lines vertical; 2 with lines horizontal. This will help to ensure the cardboard cannot be bent at all in any direction.

 

2. Ensure comic is already bagged or double bagged and boarded.

 

3. Put 2 pieces of cardboard above comic (1 vertical; 1 horizontal)

 

4. Put 2 pieces of cardboard below comic (1 vertical; 1 horizontal)

 

5. Lots of Four pieces of TABBED blue painter's tape over the backside edges of the bagged/boarded comic, one per side, taping it to the cardboard to avoid anything moving

 

5a. Four pieces of double-tabbed wide blue painter's tape taping all boards together into a sandwich, one piece of tape on each side.

6. Plastic bag or bubble wrap (small bubbles) goes around the cardboard to give added protection and prevent anything from getting wet.

 

7. Place in envelope

 

8. Write "PLEASE DO NOT BEND" on both sides of envelope

Betterfied it for you.

 

(thumbs u

 

 

 

 

[Michelangelo]

Whenever I've shipped a raw books, it's been done in an envelope. Mainly because shipping from Canada is very expensive as it is already. To ship in an envelope going to the US will cost $16 with tracking already!!

 

However, I've never had an issue with comics showing up damaged because I pay careful attention to the way it's packed.

 

Here's what I do:

 

1. Cut 4 pieces of cardboard (slightly larger than the book)

Note: 2 with corrugation lines vertical; 2 with lines horizontal. This will help to ensure the cardboard cannot be bent at all in any direction.

 

2. Ensure comic is already bagged or double bagged and boarded.

 

3. Put 2 pieces of cardboard above comic (1 vertical; 1 horizontal)

 

4. Put 2 pieces of cardboard below comic (1 vertical; 1 horizontal)

 

5. Lots of Four pieces of TABBED blue painter's tape over the backside edges of the bagged/boarded comic, one per side, taping it to the cardboard to avoid anything moving

 

5a. Four pieces of double-tabbed wide blue painter's tape taping all boards together into a sandwich, one piece of tape on each side.

6. Plastic bag or bubble wrap (small bubbles) goes around the cardboard to give added protection and prevent anything from getting wet.

 

7. Place in envelope

 

8. Write "PLEASE DO NOT BEND" on both sides of envelope

Betterfied it for you.

 

(thumbs u

 

 

Thanks

[thirdgreenham]

Doesn't matter.

 

I've had full cardboard wraps/holders that were packed so poorly that the comic was damaged inside because of the dysfunctional packing ability of the person packing it.

 

Three out of four times the person packing comics for mail will seal up the comic with so much packing tape all around the bag/board so that it cannot be easily or safely removed without either cutting very close to the comic edge or risk bending the comic trying to untape the mummified comic that is wrapped and sealed in so much packing tape.

 

Everyone should take one of their own HG comics, pack it as well as you would typically do for a buyer - and then ship it to yourself and see how easy it is to unpack your own HG book without damaging it. WAY too many people have no idea how difficult/impossible they make unpacking their books thinking that entombing it in packing tape and cardboard will make it safer. It doesn't.

 

Bottomline - it's not just the material you use, it's the METHOD of packing the book that is equally important.

 

 

 

 

Thank you!

 

I always wondered what the bottomline was.

[lizards2]

Doesn't matter.

 

I've had full cardboard wraps/holders that were packed so poorly that the comic was damaged inside because of the dysfunctional packing ability of the person packing it.

 

Three out of four times the person packing comics for mail will seal up the comic with so much packing tape all around the bag/board so that it cannot be easily or safely removed without either cutting very close to the comic edge or risk bending the comic trying to untape the mummified comic that is wrapped and sealed in so much packing tape.

 

Everyone should take one of their own HG comics, pack it as well as you would typically do for a buyer - and then ship it to yourself and see how easy it is to unpack your own HG book without damaging it. WAY too many people have no idea how difficult/impossible they make unpacking their books thinking that entombing it in packing tape and cardboard will make it safer. It doesn't.

 

Bottomline - it's not just the material you use, it's the METHOD of packing the book that is equally important.

 

 

 

 

Thank you!

 

I always wondered what the bottomline was.

 

Bottomline: It's not just the meat, but the motion? :shrug:

[joeypost]

I only ship using boxes.

[jcjames]

Thank you!

 

I always wondered what the bottomline was.

 

! Well, I could have said "At the end of the day..." but that line was already taken.

 

 

[StingerMcK]

Yeah I hate it when I get a raw comic that is tapped to a piece of cardboard and then all that taped to another piece. Trying to unseal this tomb without cutting the comic is a pain in the .

[AKA Rick]

...just box merchandise with internal padding/stiff support, and charge the buyer proper S&H for sending merchandise in a professional manner.

 

Too many try to do this "Free Shipping" or shipping on the cheap with collectibles.

 

The truth is, if you want quality merchandise delivered where condition is a factor, then it costs money to ship items professionally, also sometimes including the costs of packaging materials where a seller might need to add that "handling" fee, on top of the fact if selling on eBay that eBay charges the seller a commission on shipping revenue, so a seller is losing (an overhead cost) if they quote exact shipping fees, so cut sellers a little slack for the S&H fees.

 

It's when sellers use S&H as a profit center and ship shoddy that it's an issue.

[Shadow Images]

...just box merchandise with internal padding/stiff support, and charge the buyer proper S&H for sending merchandise in a professional manner.

 

Too many try to do this "Free Shipping" or shipping on the cheap with collectibles.

 

The truth is, if you want quality merchandise delivered where condition is a factor, then it costs money to ship items professionally, also sometimes including the costs of packaging materials where a seller might need to add that "handling" fee, on top of the fact if selling on eBay that eBay charges the seller a commission on shipping revenue, so a seller is losing (an overhead cost) if they quote exact shipping fees, so cut sellers a little slack for the S&H fees.

 

It's when sellers use S&H as a profit center and ship shoddy that it's an issue.

 

I agree but most people think you should cut them a super deal then ship for free.

[lizards2]

I only ship using boxes.

Me to. It is good to know all these folks who think envelopes are great idea.

[the blob]

If anyone wants to pay extra for a box I am more than happy to comply, but at some point sending an $11 comic sold with free shipping in a box does not make economic sense if the box (aside from what it may cost) adds $3-5 to shippin costs as I have never had damage in an envelope (other than the one time where I was apparently half asleep and omitted a crucial taping requirement)

[deathtohemingway]

Does the box weigh 7 pounds in this example?