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I
hope everyone had a good holiday season, and got lots of good
presents! And I am sure, a lot of you also got things that you would
rather not have received. Well now is the season to regift, and Ebay
is the perfect place to do that regifting. There are no worries
about your great aunt finding out you gave away that thingamajig she
gave. Now sell it on Ebay and ship it across the country with no
worry about your great aunt finding out about it. And of course you
are going to want to make sure that it arrives and the purchasers in
one piece and not destroyed in transit. So today we are going to
look at some safe packaging principles. I hope you were all
surprised and amazed at my last months stories about how brutal
shipping can be.
Ideally the best packaging is
the original packaging materials that the item came in, as it will
generally hold the item in place fairly well, but it will still need
more! Remember most packaging is for items that are generally sold
in retail outlets and not shipped across the country through the
mail, so you will have to beef up on the packaging. You will
probably want to double box it by putting it into a slightly larger
box with some packaging between the boxes.
Use
a new box whenever possible. A previously used box may not
adequately protect your shipment, because the more times a box is
used, the more it loses its original protective qualities. If you
must reuse a box, make sure it is rigid and in excellent condition
with no rips, punctures, tears, or corner damage. You also want to
make sure that all flaps are intact. Remove any labels and all other
shipment markings from the box. Choose a box strength that is
suitable for the contents you are shipping. Never exceed the maximum
gross weight for the box, which is usually printed on the Box
Maker's Certificate on the box's bottom flap. It is important that
you cushion the interior contents of your package properly. You must
be sure to wrap each item separately. Fragile articles need both
suitable separation from each other and clearance from the corners
and sides of the box. In general each item should be placed at least
two inches (5 cm) away from the walls of the box, and each
individual item should be surrounded by at least two inches (5 cm) of
cushioning material as well. This will protect your items
from the shock and vibration that can be conducted from
the exterior of the box to its contents in transit and
also protect from product-against-product damage.
In
order to protect your shipment fully, you must use proper cushioning
material, combined with a strong outer container. Make sure to use
enough cushioning material to ensure that the contents do not rattle
when you shake the container. Never use blankets, pillows, or
clothing as cushioning material.
Bubble
pack is probably the easiest to use and comes in sheets of various
sizes. It is designed to protect and cushion lightweight items Used
in multiple wraps and layers it can ensure that the item is
completely protected, especially on corners and edges.
Inflatable
packaging (air bags) are
Not recommended for items with sharp corners or edges and are used
primarily as void-fill materials for lightweight items. The problem
with them is that extreme hot or cold temperatures may affect the
ability of air bags to provide adequate product protection.
Expanded
polystyrene "peanuts" are among the easiest and messiest
packaging materials to use. They are used primarily
as void-fill material for lightweight items. Do not use them with
flat or narrow products that may move to the edge or bottom of the
carton while in transit. Due to the shifting and settling properties
of peanuts, it is recommended that a minimum of three inches (8 cm) of
cushioning be used around the contents and that flat pieces of
corrugated fiberboard be used between contents and peanuts to help
prevent migration through the peanuts. You must overfill the box
with peanuts, and then gently close the flaps, and seal securely.
The
gold standard for packaging materials is Foam-in-place
(a foam, sprayed into the box or mixed in packets, that expands and
forms a protective mould around contents). To be properly used,
there must be even foam distribution around the contents and you
must select appropriate density of foam to meet packaging needs,
which can range from void-fill applications to high-performance
cushioning.
The
simplest for of packaging is Crumpled
paper. It must be tightly crumpled, with at least
four inches (10 cm) of paper between contents and outer box. It
is used primarily as a void-fill material for light-to-medium
weight, non-fragile items and items that are suitable for such
packing materials.
Next month we will look at some
ways to source cheap packaging mate
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