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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: nsrexler on Tue, 02 April 2013, 09:31:09

Title: Shipping Keyboards
Post by: nsrexler on Tue, 02 April 2013, 09:31:09
How do you normally package keyboards for shipping? I've got a few keyboards I'm planning to sell in the near future and I no longer have the original boxes.
Title: Re: Shipping Keyboards
Post by: badcop on Tue, 02 April 2013, 09:37:09
USPS board game boxes work for 104 keyboards.  wrap in bubble or foam $16 bucks to ship it if i remember correctly.
Title: Re: Shipping Keyboards
Post by: fohat.digs on Tue, 02 April 2013, 10:46:10
The USPS has flat rate Priority Mail boxes that are perfect for up to 2 full-size Model Ms. They are called "Game Board" boxes and go for the large flat rate box rate, about $16 including tracking. I had one delivered from Georgia to Alaska in under 48 hours, but don't count on that every time.

These boxes are not available at brick-and-mortar Post Offices, but if you go online to USPS you can order them, free, delivered to your front door in about a week.

Note - they come in boxes of 25, so order quantity = 1 or else you will have half a ton of cardboard to deal with.
Title: Re: Shipping Keyboards
Post by: mushupork on Tue, 02 April 2013, 11:21:07
Yeah - I tried 3 different post offices before I discovered they are not waiting for pickup.
Title: Re: Shipping Keyboards
Post by: nsrexler on Tue, 02 April 2013, 11:23:27
Hm, 25 count seems like a lot... I'm only planning on selling 2 or 3 keyboards, and this is not going to be a recurring thing, so I would end up with a lot of wasted boxes. If I just show up at UPS or FedEx with a keyboard and ask them to package it for me, will they do it? I don't mind paying a little extra if I can avoid dealing with the hassle of getting rid of a bunch of unneeded boxes.
Title: Re: Shipping Keyboards
Post by: fohat.digs on Tue, 02 April 2013, 11:37:44
Hm, 25 count seems like a lot... I'm only planning on selling 2 or 3 keyboards, and this is not going to be a recurring thing, so I would end up with a lot of wasted boxes. If I just show up at UPS or FedEx with a keyboard and ask them to package it for me, will they do it? I don't mind paying a little extra if I can avoid dealing with the hassle of getting rid of a bunch of unneeded boxes.

First, the boxes come in quite handy (heh heh) so you should keep a few.

Second, you can take the unused ones back to the PO or Mailboxes etc and just leave them in the corner with the other packing supplies - someone else will come by and pick them up.

Funny how people even find problems with free stuff!
Title: Re: Shipping Keyboards
Post by: mushupork on Tue, 02 April 2013, 13:17:51
Based on this email I just double checked my order ... I wanted 10 boxes but each item on the order is 25 boxes ... so I have 250 boxes on the way to me.  Maybe I will build a fort! (but I will probably just take most back to my local PO)
Title: Re: Shipping Keyboards
Post by: AKIMbO on Tue, 02 April 2013, 14:30:17
Based on this email I just double checked my order ... I wanted 10 boxes but each item on the order is 25 boxes ... so I have 250 boxes on the way to me.  Maybe I will build a fort! (but I will probably just take most back to my local PO)

^I made the same mistake.  I ended up receiving 5 cartons (5 x 25 game board boxes per carton= 125 game board boxes).  The mail lady was pissed at me. XD
Title: Re: Shipping Keyboards
Post by: mushupork on Tue, 02 April 2013, 14:36:33
Yeah - I imagine the mail person will be angry with me too but USPS should consider making it clearer on the website.  Afterall, it is free to me including shipping so the Post Office is eating all the extra cost on this - you'd think they would be extra careful on the website listing.  (not that it was easy to find anyway - terrible design)
Title: Shipping Keyboards
Post by: daerid on Tue, 02 April 2013, 14:51:56
I keep all my keyboard boxes. Makes them more attractive when I decide to sell them, and easier to ship too