I’ve been an ETSY seller for a little more than 2 years with about 750 sales of mostly fragile hard goods – vases, art glass, vintage barware, indoor planters, etc
In that time, there have been two heart breaking shipments; one pricey vintage statue and one of my own art pieces which took days and expensive supplies to create. In both cases, I had the thought that perhaps I should use a bigger box with additional cushioning but talked myself out of that as the shipping would be more costly. In the end, I had to accept the financial loss of both sales. Side note: For me, USPS insurance is just too time consuming and aggravating to pursue. So folks, there’s the first lesson: TRUST YOUR GUT.
Below is a list of what I’ve found to be necessary supplies:
- Boxes
- Scale
- Measuring tape
- Packing tape & dispenser
- Desktop tape dispenser
- Tissue paper
- Newsprint paper and/or styrofoam peanuts
Once the supplies are in order, these are my considerations:
- How to wrap the item
- Box size
- How to cushion the item
Generally, I wrap the item in tissue paper first and I use extra tissue to help secure fragile pieces (i.e. mug handles, glass stems, bird beaks, etc). Next I wrap the item in small bubble wrap and often another layer of small bubble or medium bubble. This is the first layer of cushioning.
After wrapping the item I find the appropriate box size. I’ve found that providing a minimum or 2 inches around the wrapped item is essential for safe arrival. Having a large and varied supply of boxes on hand will go a long way to ensuring you don’t cut safety corners on shipping.
Within the box, I often use newsprint type paper to provide the cushioning nest for the item. You don’t want any movement within the box when shaken. When shipping more than one item, i.e. a set of glasses, I always make sure to separate the items with cardboard within the box.
When to double box? I don’t have a defined threshold but generally as the fragile item gets larger, more delicate, or more expensive, I tend to double box. Again, I provide a 2″ cushion threshold.
I tape up the box in at least two directions on the top and bottom. I add a FRAGILE sticker (though I’m not convinced there’s any benefit). And then send it on it’s way.
If you’ve got some advice for shipping fragile items, I’d love to hear your suggestions.
Cheers
