How do I safely prepare my shipment?915

Originally Posted by Zombiebigfoot
I'll have to reconsider packing with "genuine Saskatchewan seal-skin bindings" though. Lol!!

Originally Posted by MR SigS
From my FEEDBACK thread:



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Originally Posted by comicalgems
Quote:

Originally Posted by edowens71
Just bought a stack of SA Fantastic Four books from Scott. Accurate grading, great prices, and an insanely awesome packing job! Kudos (thumbs u

Also recently bought books from Scott. I have to +1,000 the packaging job. Not only was everything secure but I didn't have to wield a samurai word (or box knife, or scissors) to get it open. It was a pleasant surprise for sure. I've recommended he do a how to video or post on that particular packaging method. It was pretty damn bad ass!

Also the books came in exactly the shape I expected. Honest seller. Top of the mark!

At comicalgems' suggestion, I'm going to post the methods I use when I ship several high value or high grade books.

This is a LOT of work, and I wouldn't expect everyone to adopt a form of this method as their own, but if you buy books from me, know they'll be safe. For CGC submissions- I wouldn't do it any other way.

When I ship 1-3 books, I use priority envelopes, but the 2-3 sheets of cardboard I use is VERY sturdy. The following photo is of 1 sheet to show just how strong they are. The corrugated grain goes with the length of the sheet, not the width. Imagine your book(s) between 3!



Front view of 1 sheet that I use.




I'm not going to illustrate how to tape a couple books to a sheet of cardboard. That's fairly easy to figure out. However, if you don't have access to strong cardboard and plan to use a weaker style (such as USPS cut up boxes) it's IMPORTANT that you use at least 4 sheets. You should also crisscross the corrugated grain for added strength. The cardboard should be sized so at least 4 sheets + the books will fit, and the books should be taped to one of the inner sheets so they don't shift in transit.


For shipments that require added strength and security, such as the following example of 8 books, I'm using a Medium Flat Rate Box. I cut the same cardboard as above to fit the inner dimensions of the box.




These 8 will be surrounded by an outer shell of 4 full sheets (2 on each side).






For the inner sheets, I use enough so they're just a little thicker or taller than the books when stacked. I score the sheets to dimensions larger than the bagged/boarded comics, then "pop" out the centers. These centers are used for envelope shipments.







Using one of the hollowed sheets, I trace a pattern on one of the whole sheets. This will be a guide for when I tape the books to this sheet. The stack of hollowed out sheets should fit right over the books if placed correctly.




Stacking the books in the usual manner of (in this case) 4 books facing inward to the other 4 books facing inward, I surround the 2 outer sides with 2 comic bags filled with several cheap backing boards.
I like to use 3M vinyl tape when making a brick. It has some stretch to it allowing for a more secure fit, being careful not to stretch it TOO tightly as this can damage the edges (even with the outer backing board support). I always make pull tabs at the ends of the tape because I know everyone hates picking at the tape in order to remove it (no more than me). And as comicalgems stated, this is WAY better than putting any cutting device near the books.
Once the brick is made, I place it within the traced pattern.




And then of course I tape it to the 2 outer sheets.




Once I'm satisfied that the brick is securely positioned and fastened to the sheets, I place the hollowed out sheets over the stack. Note that I "X" the pull tabs and number the ends. I place a message with the shipments instructing to pull tabs "1" and then Tabs "2".




With one of the "popped" out centers I carefully yet firmly press down on the stack so I can tape the hollows to the whole sheets at the four corners.







Now I place that last 2 outer sheets on the open side and tape them to the whole stack. I sometimes place a little bubble wrap here if there is a slight gap between the hollow and the outer sheets.




When finished, I have a solid USPS proof brick that can be used as a football and still arrive safely.




With a little more bubble wrap, this fits perfectly inside the MFR box. If the edges of the box are struck by a baseball bat, the brick edges will stop the impact from reaching the books.