How do you post a guitar??

Coveredinbees!!!! · 29 December 2007 at 11:47AM

I bought an electric guitar some years back and it's been sitting in the back of a wardrobe for most of that time, I'm not the next Eric Clapton after all

I was thinking of selling it on Ebay but it would be nearly impossible to pack up to post and pick up only would limit things too much ( I would think). How would you pack something like this to post?

geordie_joe · 29 December 2007 at 12:16PM

Try a box such as the ones flat pack furniture comes in. Failing that a LOT of bubble wrap and a strong bin liner with plenty of sticky tape. The PO has size limits but I don't think couriers do.

custardy · 29 December 2007 at 3:20PM

all couriers have size limits!

for me i would bubble wrap and then put it in a firm box.
also fit internal strengthening pieces of card vertically to make it stronger.

Lorian · 29 December 2007 at 3:25PM

There outer box should be at least 30 cm (bigger is better) than the guitar, and filled with polysturene beans or similar. The guitar itself should be wrapped in about 2-4 layers of bubble wrap, then a layer of corrugated cardboard, then put in center of the box full of beans.

Thats what I'd do anyway.

Avoriaz · 29 December 2007 at 3:39PM

I buy and sell guitars regularly on ebay.

I prefer collection but I often receive and send them by courier. Couriers will not normally insure a guitar unless it is in a hard case so bear that in mind. You are taking the risk yourself so make sure you protect it properly. I have not had a broken or damaged one yet.

Ideally you should pack it in a cardboard guitar box with plenty of bubble warp or similar. If you have a local music shop, they may give you a box for free as it saves them paying to have it removed.

I use long pieces of scrap wood to help protect the neck from damage but the people who send them to me don’t bother with that.

If you cant get a proper guitar box then improvise with large cardboard boxes cut up and taped together.

I charge £20 for p&p which is average on ebay.

It only costs me about £8 so the balance covers time and materials and the risk of eventually having one damaged during delivery or having a fraudulent PayPal claim. I don’t normally use a PayPal approved delivery unless the sale is £100 plus so I do take that risk.

Ishtar · 29 December 2007 at 3:54PM

We sold a mandola on eBay and packed it pretty much as suggested above - plenty of polystyrene chips, bubblewrap and scrunched up newspaper. We managed to find a box to fit - the mandola was around 6 to 8 inches shorter than a guitar - and packed it in tight, but not so much that there wasn't a little 'give'. Oh, and we also supported the neck with some polystryene blocks that we had lying around.

We sent it via Parcel Force and it cost around £10.

Hope that helps!
D.

janedoe_3 · 30 December 2007 at 12:23AM

Or even just list as collection only, sometimes people will arrange their own courier to pick up so they are paying their own postage but it would still need to be packed securely.

How do you post a guitar??

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