Indy's Guide to Packaging/Shipping Comics

[IndySportsCards]

NOTE: For Single Issues, or a few at a time, I've been using these mailers with great success

Another Cheap and effective Tutorial to ship 1-3 comics at a time

You can hopefully learn a little bit from this thread for shipping 1 comics, to up to 10 or more at a time.

When I ship 1-3 comics, I typically only used sturdy cardboard and an envelope. The Vanilla 9x12 Office envelopes work really well. Walmart has them 25 for like $5 bucks or something near that price. I mark the packaged DO NOT BEND in big letters on front and back and have had good luck doing that.

When you receive anything via USPS in a Large Flat Rate box, SAVE THE BOX! You can re-purpose this box as comic protection. Each Large Flat rate box makes 4 individual comic holder/protectors. You simply cut the box into 4 equal sizes parts, then score the edges roughly 1 inch larger than a comic on each side of each of the four parts, then fold over and walla! you have a sturdy cardboard envelop you can use on 1-3 comics.. If 3 I tend to score it twice with about 1/2 inch between score marks to allow for more bend around the comics.

As you can see in the photo below, I did this for each individual comic I send into CGC today. The photo should give you a visual of what I'm talking about in regards to the Flat Rat Box Envelopes of Sturdy protection.



If sending to CGC or more than 3+ I used varying degrees of the following steps.


I then put up to 5 each into shopping bags. I limit it to 5 to keep each package from becoming too bulky and moving around more than needed.



I then tape the bag tight on all four sides of the edges around the card-boarded up books, this creates a tight brick of plastic around them and keeps them from moving.





5 Books Boarded, Bagged and Taped up into a solid brick


3 more books boards, bagged and taped up into a solid brick


Now we move on to even more padding and protection with small bubble wrap. You can pick this stuff up at Walmart for $4.99 for 15ft, which is a great price. The Large bubble wrap which I'll show you later when filling the box is also at Walmart for $4.99 for 15ft, as is the 14x14x14 box I bought. I got it at Walmart as well for .97 cents. It's all in the office supply section. Walmart is a great cheap place to find this stuff. I get my tape there too. ;0

Now, back to the fun..

Tape the bubble wrap around the brick-o-books a few time horizontally.


and then do the same thing vertically so you cover all sizes of the brick-o-books


Once that's done, tape up both of the open sides and make it nice and secure.




We now have a nice bubble wrapped brick-o-books ready to ship



For packaging we're going to need three more things.


Shipping Peanuts


Large Bubble Wrap


and a Big Ass Box

The box needs to have around 2 inches around the bubble wrapped brick-o-books to provide enough room for cushion, as well as a safe area in case anything protrudes into the box during shipping. I've had that happen before, so it's better safe than sorry. 2 Inches is usually enough. At least that's what my wife keeps telling me.


Place your bubble wrapped brick-o-books onto the peanuts and leave enough room around each side to stuff it with large bubble wrap protection.


Once that's done, cover the top with a few sheets of bubble wrap. If you have another bubble wrapped brick-o-books place it in the oppose direction top of the existing book so that there is equal weight on all sides, or as close as we can get to equal weight. And then do the same by filling in the sides and top with bubble wrap and/or peanuts.

Note: Never ship more than 10 comics at a time this way. You're only asking for trouble due to weight and potential loss/damage.

Since this is such a large box, I didn't want too much bubble wrap on top. I like to keep it around 2 inches, so I cut the box down on the sides to make it a little smaller, plus the smaller the box, the less you pay to ship it.


Cutting the sides of the box down about 4 inches.


Now you fold down the top


Before Taping it up, close it and lightly shake the box to make sure NOTHING is moving around. If you hear movement, you need more bubble wrap padding. It doesn't have to be jam packed into the box, but movement must be minimal.

Tape it up well


WRITE FRAGILE AND UNDERLINE IT ON ALL VISIBLE SIDES!!



When all that is complete, get your shipping label, slap it on the box and take it to the Post Office.

I've been shipping this way for a long time and have had great success with my methods. I hope you were able to learn something from my ramblings and shoddy photography.

[John91C]

I go one step further and wrap the cardboard up in large bubble wrap and peanuts in the box.

[IndySportsCards]

Originally Posted by John91C

I go one step further and wrap the cardboard up in large bubble wrap and peanuts in the box.

I'm not done typing it up, trying to edit these photos, upload, etc.. I do that too.

[DNOC]

A nice option if you don't mind spending an extra 38 cents+ a package is getting Corrugated Pads or Cardboard Slabs as they are sometimes called. I personally hate the time and effort of cutting, but then again I'm lazy sometimes.
- Box City

[IndySportsCards]

Originally Posted by DNOC

Box City

Any relation to Spatula City?

[DNOC]

Possibly. They might even own a chain of strip clubs

[LBSB333]

Originally Posted by DNOC

A nice option if you don't mind spending an extra 38 cents+ a package is getting Corrugated Pads or Cardboard Slabs as they are sometimes called. I personally hate the time and effort of cutting, but then again I'm lazy sometimes.
- Box City

Thanks for the tip. My wife sees me cutting cardboard up and just shakes her head every time. For some weird reason, though, I like to do it. Maybe it's therapeutic for a crazy and hectic day between work and kids.

[DNOC]

Interesting cause my wife yells at me for taking peoples cardboard saying I'm like a homeless person rummaging through the trash. Then my only time to cut slabs are during my son's nap time or when he is asleep.

[Hilfiger1975]

Originally Posted by DNOC

Interesting cause my wife yells at me for taking peoples cardboard saying I'm like a homeless person rummaging through the trash. Then my only time to cut slabs are during my son's nap time or when he is asleep.

I got a good chuckle from this.

[fastballspecial]

Originally Posted by DNOC

Interesting cause my wife yells at me for taking peoples cardboard saying I'm like a homeless person rummaging through the trash. Then my only time to cut slabs are during my son's nap time or when he is asleep.

You are not the only one. I am currently hunting down any sites that are selling 9 x 12 cardboard inserts. I had one that sold me 8x11, but that's too small I want them larger because I ship in 10x15 mailers.

[Jperez]

Thanks for the sticky Indy, great bit of information once I start selling on a more continuos basis...

Fragile, must be Italian.

[iam12fear]

Originally Posted by fastballspecial

You are not the only one. I am currently hunting down any sites that are selling 9 x 12 cardboard inserts. I had one that sold me 8x11, but that's too small I want them larger because I ship in 10x15 mailers.

Not sure what you are looking to spend and these seem high in price to me but Uline sells them:

9 x 12" x .022 Chipboard Pads S-9889 - Uline

[techtre2003]

Originally Posted by iam12fear

Not sure what you are looking to spend and these seem high in price to me but Uline sells them:

9 x 12" x .022 Chipboard Pads S-9889 - Uline

Those wouldn't be thick enough to add any protection, but you did give me an idea. Those could be used to separate and label different books in longboxes.

[iam12fear]

Originally Posted by techtre2003

Those wouldn't be thick enough to add any protection, but you did give me an idea. Those could be used to separate and label different books in longboxes.

I did not realize they were that thin; .022 is about the thickness of a cereal box. That thin of a board would not help much if at all.

These are about 1/8" thick but expensive:

9 x 12" 150# Corrugated Pads S-3384 - Uline

[fastballspecial]

Originally Posted by iam12fear

I did not realize they were that thin; .022 is about the thickness of a cereal box. That thin of a board would not help much if at all.

These are about 1/8" thick but expensive:

9 x 12" 150# Corrugated Pads S-3384 - Uline

That is exactly what I need, but like all others its not cost effective. If the boards are over say $.35 or so I will lose money shipping. I should just bit the bullet and mass order my bubble mailers as well. I pick them up by the box at Sam's and I can get them cheaper, but all have to buy alot.

I saw another person using those thin grey mailers you can get. I thought about using those with cardboard, but panic set in and my sanity returned.

Any nice thick cardboard box at my house dies a horrible death at the ends of my super sharp carpenter knife. Slash Slash Slash Slash and I get 4 to 6 long sheets of cardboard to make into sandwiches. Its free and cheap, but it does get old from time to time.

[21Pittsburgh58]

Where does one buy shipping peanuts? I've never seen them around (not that I have looked that hard). Thanks!

[DigsUT]

Originally Posted by 21Pittsburgh58

Where does one buy shipping peanuts? I've never seen them around (not that I have looked that hard). Thanks!

You can get them from Officemax/Depots. Those are the most local places I have seen. Other than that, probably UPS and FexEx stores.

[Texans81]

Originally Posted by 21Pittsburgh58

Where does one buy shipping peanuts? I've never seen them around (not that I have looked that hard). Thanks!

I'm pretty sure you can get them at office supply stores like staples or office max. I'd imagine you could also get them at a U-Haul store or something similar.

[IndySportsCards]

I buy these, one of the better deals I've found so far

[rokstarr99]

I know the answer or else you wouldn't do it, but you don't worry about the end of the flap of the cardboard sandwich putting an indentation down the middle of the book?

[IndySportsCards]

Originally Posted by rokstarr99

I know the answer or else you wouldn't do it, but you don't worry about the end of the flap of the cardboard sandwich putting an indentation down the middle of the book?

That's a good question. Anymore I put a backing board on top of the books to prevent that kind of damage.