q111111
06/24/2005, 10:45
You've made a trade deal and now what? Box it up, pack it well, and send that package out. I'm hoping to focus thoughts on what are all the box options are so you can get your package mailed quickly and arrive safely (and result in some good feedback accumilating). You probably didn't know that one person could have so many thoughts on a subject that most traders instinctively know already.
After getting the clix(s) gathered for the trade, the first step is trying to find a box that fits them all plus some room for packing material. My goal is usually to minimize the cost of mailing to make the value of the trade still worth it. An about equal value trade can go slightly askew if the mailing cost rises too much. You want a correct size box; having a too big box is fine but if you pack the figure well then you will add extra weight and thus cost to the mailing.
Sources for boxes include the post office, mailing stores, moving supply companies, booster boxes, shoe boxes, or boxes you find hanging around the house. Make sure they are sturdy!!! I've received packages where the box was a cereal box or something that was home made (basically strip of cardboard barely holding together) ... I don't recommend any of these since they could be crushed or fall apart during mailing. Once you've traded a few times, you'll just use the boxes from previous trades (so carefully open the packages you receive so you will have a box to use next time). So ... reusing boxes = save money. The cost of boxes is not big but they can be as expensive as the value of the trade. So why buy when you can reuse.
Believe or not, the USA postal service does have a minimum box requirement of 3.5 inches by 5 inches. Alot of postal employees overlook this rule and allow
smaller boxes to be mailed but not always. I recently had to repackage a box to meet this minimum requirement. This of course added time and effort to making the trade. So as of lately, I've been discarding small boxes from previous trades and only using the boxes that fit the minimum size. In most cases, upgrading from a below minimum size to a minimum size doesn't add any extra cost (unless you are mailing heavy clix figures). Also, it helps the post office to not lose tiny packages. I think this minimum size will exclude the booster boxes as mailing containers.
Also, odd shaped boxes may be charged extra postage so keep them rectangular or square. I've received trades in cylindrical boxes but I don't remember if any extra postage was required. But why chance it in case you get stuck with paying more?
After getting the clix(s) gathered for the trade, the first step is trying to find a box that fits them all plus some room for packing material. My goal is usually to minimize the cost of mailing to make the value of the trade still worth it. An about equal value trade can go slightly askew if the mailing cost rises too much. You want a correct size box; having a too big box is fine but if you pack the figure well then you will add extra weight and thus cost to the mailing.
Sources for boxes include the post office, mailing stores, moving supply companies, booster boxes, shoe boxes, or boxes you find hanging around the house. Make sure they are sturdy!!! I've received packages where the box was a cereal box or something that was home made (basically strip of cardboard barely holding together) ... I don't recommend any of these since they could be crushed or fall apart during mailing. Once you've traded a few times, you'll just use the boxes from previous trades (so carefully open the packages you receive so you will have a box to use next time). So ... reusing boxes = save money. The cost of boxes is not big but they can be as expensive as the value of the trade. So why buy when you can reuse.
Believe or not, the USA postal service does have a minimum box requirement of 3.5 inches by 5 inches. Alot of postal employees overlook this rule and allow
smaller boxes to be mailed but not always. I recently had to repackage a box to meet this minimum requirement. This of course added time and effort to making the trade. So as of lately, I've been discarding small boxes from previous trades and only using the boxes that fit the minimum size. In most cases, upgrading from a below minimum size to a minimum size doesn't add any extra cost (unless you are mailing heavy clix figures). Also, it helps the post office to not lose tiny packages. I think this minimum size will exclude the booster boxes as mailing containers.
Also, odd shaped boxes may be charged extra postage so keep them rectangular or square. I've received trades in cylindrical boxes but I don't remember if any extra postage was required. But why chance it in case you get stuck with paying more?