Lessons In Shipping 101

[JDKenada]

Kiddies. Do not ship HeroClix in envelopes. Even the big honkin' ones with bubble wrap. I now own a generic doing the limbo, and am in the process of correcting a Unique flyer who was nearly horizontal from the trip.

Also, again, if you glue your flyers...include that in your trade.

These two bits are more for new traders. The person I made this deal with was informed of these slightly erroneous decisions and as a new trader I provided them with PM insight into avoiding committing said practices in the future. I felt that was suffice, rather than neutral feedback at this time.

Anyone else care to chime in?

[d_knight7]

Pad the inside of the package well, not too tight, but you don't want clix sliding around or grinding together.

Grocery bags, newspaper, bubble wrap, packing peanuts; these all work well as packing materials.

[hail_eris]

There used to be a "How to Trade Internationally" thread stickied at the top of the trading forum. I'll have to go digging around and try to turn it up. It was full of really good information for US traders who would like to expand their options to include, well, the whole rest of the world.

Ah, found it - all kinds of good stuff in this thread (http://www.hcrealms.com/forum/showthread.php?t=151852). It's an ethics thread that rock810 started, eek, five years ago.

[KillerSavage]

I received a figure in the mail with an envelope once. The figure was inside a small tupperware container inside the envelope. It was something I bought off eBay coming from England. At first I thought "good lord who would do such a thing". The packaging was actually really good.

Another time I received a figure in a booster that was formed into a makeshift box. The figures were ok but I wouldn't recommend this method to anyone.

[KO Bossy]

I once bought a Professor Zoom LE from Icons on ebay, and it came in a padded envelope. But Zoom wasn't doing the limbo thankfully. After all, its hard to when your broken off the base! :tired:

Needless to say I left some rather annoyed feedback and haven't dealt with that seller since.

[DOOMBOTSKI]

Great idea on helping new traders.

I work for your United States Postal Service.
I have seen many a package, letter and what have you go destroyed and land in the loose in the mail hamper.

First make sure you package is sturdy. I use the white boxes that WK use to send their mail away items to us.

The sturdy card holder boxes work great, you may pay a little more because of the weight, but it gives you peace of mind that your end of the trade is securely shipped. You can use these more than once, you can even turn them inside out and use them again again.

Include a return of address on your package and inside the box.(in case your package does get undeliverable.)

Pack the box tightly, no rattling noise. Packing peanuts, tissues, paper towels, newspaper all can do this for you.

By all means, prior to the trade, disclose all unknowing problems(?) of your figures. Like flyers glued to the base, re-glued figures to their base, missing their character card...

Anyone with more tips would be helpful.

[d_knight7]

Needless to say I left some rather annoyed feedback and haven't dealt with that seller since.

Geez man, I wrote FRAGILE on it, I say blame the P.O. :p

I've got much better envelopes now, much more bubbly.


Oh, cards! Either have them flat on the bottom of the box under the clix, or put them in card protectors. No-one wants bent or holed cards.

[KO Bossy]

Geez man, I wrote FRAGILE on it, I say blame the P.O. :p

I've got much better envelopes now, much more bubbly.


Oh, cards! Either have them flat on the bottom of the box under the clix, or put them in card protectors. No-one wants bent or holed cards.

You mean Fra-gee-lay (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4xanQhHw6g)? I thought it was Italian!

[SentryWill]

....just please don't wrap your clix in toilet paper. It's disgusting!

[JDKenada]

You mean Fra-gee-lay (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4xanQhHw6g)? I thought it was Italian!

You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to KO Bossy again.

[d_knight7]

....just please don't wrap your clix in toilet paper. It's disgusting!

Even if you dry it out and take a scraper to it first?

Talk about hoity-toity!

[SentryWill]

Even if you dry it out and take a scraper to it first?

Talk about hoity-toity!

when they come like that , I leave them. use them as a swarm of white/brown symbiotes

[d_knight7]

I leave them. use them as a swarm of white/brown symbiotes

Sounds like a pretty crappy team.

I can do you a great cheese team instead.



Always use Delivery Confirmation when you're able, even insurance if it's a large trade and either of you are unsure.

If you're shipping international and can't get DC, at least take a picture of the box covered in postage, and save the Customs form copy.

[veguto]

Anyone know where you can get cheap 4x4x4 boxes?

[d_knight7]

Anyone know where you can get cheap 4x4x4 boxes?

Check online, their are various bulk sellers. We can't post links here.

[veguto]

Check online, their are various bulk sellers. We can't post links here.

I had a funny feeling you'd say that. I'll consult google.

[SentryWill]

Sounds like a pretty crappy team.


They wipe out opposing forces!

[KillerSavage]

Anyone know where you can get cheap 4x4x4 boxes?

Check online, their are various bulk sellers. We can't post links here.

I got the 4x4x4 boxes I use off eBay. It was about $28 for 100. So that's about .28 cents a box.

[Munchoboy]

Great advice all around guys. Thanks for starting the conversation around this again JDKenada. :classic:

I would also add that getting a new box to ship colossals and what not in is recommended. They're inexpensive (if not free altogether) and easily found.

I recently received a Starro (and other figures) that was shipped in its own box. I was not pleased (but the other trader and I resolved the matter to my satisfaction so no worries).

Regardless, to say I was shocked at receiving the Starro this way is putting it mildly (see photo below). :ermm:

[KillerSavage]

Great advice all around guys. Thanks for starting the conversation around this again JDKenada. :classic:

I would also add that getting a new box to ship colossals and what not in is recommended. They're inexpensive (if not free altogether) and easily found.

I recently received a Starro (and other figures) that was shipped in its own box. I was not pleased (but the other trader and I resolved the matter to my satisfaction so no worries).

Regardless, to say I was shocked at receiving the Starro this way is putting it mildly (see photo below). :ermm:
Yeah that is pretty lame. Something like that the box itself may have some value to you. All someone had to do was go to a retail/grocery store and ask for any empty boxes. In latveria I think they just force an abandoned child to just carry the item to it's destination. Still either of these methods are better than that.

[NoGoCat]

Another lessen learned recently. When mailing say 40 or more figures, it is not a good idea to just put all the figures together and then fill the box up with packing peanuts. Even though there isn't any room to more around, the shock absorbency is not there. I recently mailed a full CUR WoS set and a few of the figs snapped or came unglued. The best thing to do if you don't want to wrap each individual fig is to sprinkle in some packing peanut in between the figs while you are packaging

[naeblis501]

I have a small tip to contribute. When I ship out, I usually use a box someone else sent me previously. I have found writing the addresses on a note-card or piece of paper and taping that over the previous addresses to be very useful. I do this on every trade now. It really stinks when someone sends me some super odd homemade box/package that is too wild to re-use.

[Munchoboy]

I have a small tip to contribute. When I ship out, I usually use a box someone else sent me previously. I have found writing the addresses on a note-card or piece of paper and taping that over the previous addresses to be very useful. I do this on every trade now. It really stinks when someone sends me some super odd homemade box/package that is too wild to re-use.

Good tip, many of the folk I have traded with over the years are avid recyclers.

Another tact I like is turning a booster box inside-out and using that as a mailer (complete with the tray and packing materials).

[KillerSavage]

Another tact I like is turning a booster box inside-out and using that as a mailer (complete with the tray and packing materials).

I've received makeshift booster box as a mailer. I would not recommend the method that person used. I don't know that I like the sound of yours either muncho. No offense. If you haven't had any complaints it must work for you.

[Azrael0626]

Geez man, I wrote FRAGILE on it, I say blame the P.O. :p



I worked in the shipping industry for awhile. Putting FRAGILE on a package is pretty much putting a huge "KICK ME" sign on it. Writing something like "Do not bend!" is like just asking them to do it. This was mostly the case with UPS, but I would not recomend writing anything on the package.

I've received makeshift booster box as a mailer. I would not recommend the method that person used. I don't know that I like the sound of yours either muncho. No offense. If you haven't had any complaints it must work for you.

I have shipped multiple figures in booster boxes and have never had a problem. If you use the tray as well as a little packing material, then you should not have any problems unless someone goes out of their way to damage it. I would highly recomend using booster boxes with trays to ship figures in. It's cheap, sturdy and available to everyone.

[Munchoboy]

I've received makeshift booster box as a mailer. I would not recommend the method that person used. I don't know that I like the sound of yours either muncho. No offense. If you haven't had any complaints it must work for you.

Of course, one's mileage may vary, but I've had great success re-using booster boxes.

I have shipped multiple figures in booster boxes and have never had a problem. If you use the tray as well as a little packing material, then you should not have any problems unless someone goes out of their way to damage it. I would highly recomend using booster boxes with trays to ship figures in. It's cheap, sturdy and available to everyone.

Agreed. :classic:

[hail_eris]

Of course, one's mileage may vary, but I've had great success re-using booster boxes.
I found that the Golden Age corrugated cardboard boxes were much sturdier for shipping purposes than the Modern age ones. On the occasions that I used them, I'd wrap them in a couple sheets of typing paper to provide a clean surface (and to somewhat disguise the contents).

Wrapping in paper, incidentally, is a trick that some international traders might want to consider. I have no idea what the rationale is, but some countries have an entirely different pricing system (generally, it is much cheaper) for parcels wrapped in brown paper. In South Korea (and I think Italy), you had to top it off by wrapping it in twine, but I think you could get away with tape elsewhere.

[anonym0use]

I've shipped in bubble envelopes before with no problem.

Gasp! The horror!

Of course, the figure itself was inside the envelope packed inside a very solid American Crew plastic container, with little chance of it getting damaged. I could stand on those hair care product jars without them breaking.

Still - I think it bears mentioning, pack well!

[Ultim8 Avenger]

....just please don't wrap your clix in toilet paper. It's disgusting!

hahaha. QFT.

[Ultim8 Avenger]

i've been trading a while now, and i've always used these three rules with much success when shipping my end of a trade.

1. use sturdy boxes like the ones they use for CGs, your clix and receiver will thank you for it.

2. first class with DC #. in all honesty, EVERYONE should do this anyways -- in rare occasions when the PO wasn't doing their job, this alone has helped me track and locate missing packages. had to play phone P.I. but always found my packages.

3. package figs in bubble wrap or newspaper if you want to save some $$$

hope this helps anyone who wants to trade...good luck and ALWAYS ALWAYS check iTrader. you'll be glad you did!

[JDKenada]

Just giving this a friendly little bump as we've gotten new users and new traders in the last couple months.

[phantalien]

This was going to be a project of mine over the summer. That time was spent looking for a job. Good news is that I have a job.

I would like this list to grow and then the ideas can be made in a single thread to be stickied.

[torontcollectr]

Many people have this image in their mind that each package is individually and carefully loaded and unloaded by the post office, that sorting machines delicately place their items on belts, that potholes on the road do not cause the packages in trucks to move around, that airplane flights for packages are in secured safe compartments all buckled in, and that turbulence and landings are all smooth within the hold. that the people who handle your packages really care about treating them properly....

The bottom line is that every package is cargo , it is handled a multitude of times, loaded, unloaded, scanned, x-rayed, dropped, and moved all over. Small boxes can get mashed by bigger ones, they can be stepped upon and potentially worse.

Short of individual cut-outs secured by wood and steel, there is always a chance of breakage. Sometimes the clix don't even come glued properly to begin with!

A simple test is the 6 foot drop. If you drop the package from 6 feet it should still have all its integrity, if so odds are its good to go.

Learn from those you have received packages from.

And yes bubble envelopes on their own is not a good idea.

BTW Munchoboy - we have also had great success with the inverted clix booster box with packaging (we also reinforce the ends).

[JDKenada]

torontocollectr, I agree. I think the best way to look at it, when you're packing figures, is to think of the beginning of Ace Ventura when he's beating the living crap out of the package he's carrying. Some days, I'm pretty sure that's exactly what happens.

[Millwallads]

I've always traded using STURDY cardboard boxes, large enough to have two layers of bubble wrap and to let the figs have a gap between them, but not too big as to bring shipping costs up. I personally Gaffa tape the ends shut to provide additional strength.

But torontcollectr has a good point, don't ever delude yourself that the people you use to ship are all saints. They don't care about your package contents, they only care about getting their packages delivered for the day and to get home to their game lol. I've had boxes arrive with finger size holes in, dents that aren't due to bumps in the road (obvious fist marks sometimes) and even had one delivery arrive with what looks like pizza sauce all over it -_-

Bottom line, package really well, drop it a couple times from a height, press it to check integrity, seal well. That's all you can do to protect the figures inside, if they arrive at the other end damaged, it's out of your hands and nothing you could have done to avoid it.

[DARKKNIGHT188]

Pad the inside of the package well, not too tight, but you don't want clix sliding around or grinding together.

Grocery bags, newspaper, bubble wrap, packing peanuts; these all work well as packing materials.

This may just be me bit I hate getting clix wrapped up in TP, personally I got some that was used! Not for restroom purposes, (thank god) bit it looked like it was used to wipe pink marker of an ink board. So please us napkins or paper towels but for gods sake NO TP!!!!