Packing and insurance advice for fragile items

clearingout

The great clearout continues!

I have got rid of all the baby stuff and am now starting on the more interesting items! I have a large quantity of my mum's Hornsea Pottery that she no longer wants. Having sat watching items for some weeks now, it is clear some of it will sell for good money so will be listing in the next few days.

Obviously, there is big difference between packing up a pair of dungarees and a 44 piece t-set! I would be grateful for advice in the following areas:
a) what I need to do with more fragile items to ensure that they arrive at their destination in one piece. I have a ton of bubble wrap as I recently moved house and am also have boxes of every shape and size. Any tips? Items include plates, egg cups, cups, dishes, cotainers.
b) do I need to insure items in case of breakage? if so, how do I do this? is this a service I ask for at the Post Office when posting?

Sorry if I sound daft, but just want to get things right as I know with fragile items, there is the potential for disaster!

martindow

Most carriers, including RM, will not insure china and glass

http://www.parcelforce.com/portal/pw/content1?mediaId=26000667&catId=25900691

This means they have to be well packed as you are bearing the risk of damage. I would bubble wrap they and put them in a cardboard box. This box would then go in an outer box with loose fill packaging between the two boxes. You have got to be happy to drop the package onto a concrete floor. If you are worried about doing this it needs more packaging.

Make sure you estimate the postage cost on the packaged weight not the item's weight.

I would send these with normal first or second class, or SD if you think they will go for high prices. SD will not insure it but is ultra-reliable.

amcluesent

>there is the potential for disaster!<

IMHO it's crushing that is the biggest risk and cardboard boxes aren't good enough for glass/china. You need to use a crate with frame or a plastic storage box that'll hold up to having stuff piled on top.

7roland8

I have posted some glass and china - last was some glass victorian epergnes. I uses bubble wrap and polyst. broken up in a large box. I get my stuff insured if valued over £28 - didn't rtealise that glass and china not covered!

Have also bought odd bits of china off ebay and its all arrived fine I think - except for some fools who packed cat ornaments in a bubble envelope thinking it sufficient.

only problem might be the cost fo posting such a large set and whether anyone is willing to pay that amount - perhaps get them to collect in person first off - mgiht save yout he hassle.

Pembroke

Well I sell a bit of glass and china on Ebay including to The US and Australia and haven't lost any items to breakage yet.

Here's what I do. First off wrap the item in bubble wrap, the object is to get two to three layers of bubble wrap around all areas but also to make a more uniform shape, if there are handles then use small pieces to pack then out so they are level with the sides of the main object. If you're using a roll of wrap then make the piece at least three times the width of the item then once you've wrapped it around turn the ends over the sides and tape them on.

Then get a piece of corrugated card and form a cylinder around the bubble wrap once again make it longer than the size of the item, tape it up then use a craft knife to cut down the sides of the cylinder to the top of the bubble wrapped item and fold and tape in. You should now have a pretty solid object, shake it to make sure nothing is loose and it doesn't rattle.

You should pack each item separately, even lids, then you can put all these bundles into a heavy duty box with packing chips. Make sure you include the weight of all this packing in the price you charge.

clearingout

thank you all. some food for thought there - perhaps not as simple as I thought it was going to be! will try some small items to start with and see how that goes!

thanks again!

Crowqueen

Pembroke wrote: »

Well I sell a bit of glass and china on Ebay including to The US and Australia and haven't lost any items to breakage yet.

Here's what I do. First off wrap the item in bubble wrap, the object is to get two to three layers of bubble wrap around all areas but also to make a more uniform shape, if there are handles then use small pieces to pack then out so they are level with the sides of the main object. If you're using a roll of wrap then make the piece at least three times the width of the item then once you've wrapped it around turn the ends over the sides and tape them on.

Then get a piece of corrugated card and form a cylinder around the bubble wrap once again make it longer than the size of the item, tape it up then use a craft knife to cut down the sides of the cylinder to the top of the bubble wrapped item and fold and tape in. You should now have a pretty solid object, shake it to make sure nothing is loose and it doesn't rattle.

You should pack each item separately, even lids, then you can put all these bundles into a heavy duty box with packing chips. Make sure you include the weight of all this packing in the price you charge.

Too true. I sold a graphics tablet I had as a Christmas present a few years back and hadn't used, and packed it full of bubblewrap to stop things shaking about in transit...which then bumped it into the next postage bracket.