Recommended Packing Materials For Shipping

[mashby]

I've had a couple of classifieds recently and found the packaging the items to be one of the more frustrating aspects. So I was curious what everyone else uses?

For a full-set of keys, I found the Priorty Mail Small Box to be the best way to go. That provides both the container and shipping and is pretty easy to do via PayPal.

What do you use for a single key?

What do you use for a small set, like RGB?

I'm interested in what type of packaging you use and what method of shipping for CONUS.

Thanks in advance!

[esoomenona]

Wrap it up in foam paper or bubble paper, and stick it in a bubble mailer?

[bavman]

I don't even wrap them up, just stick them in a bubble mailer and you'll be good. I've sent hundreds of mailers like this and I've never had problems with keys getting damaged

[esoomenona]

Be careful if they're PBT when doing that. They can easily shatter, being that they're brittle. I would also be careful doing that with ABS anyway. I bought a set shipped to me like that, and one of the caps had a crack in it. I didn't ever notice it, and I ended up selling it like that. Sucks. Now I'm trying to find a replacement for it.

[mashby]

Any particular size of bubble mailer you guys use? And do you ship just first class?

[bavman]

Maybe that was just bad luck? When I ran the meme gb a long time ago I shipped the majority of the orders that way and they were PBT keys and I don't think I had a problem with broken keys.

I think you might run into a problem if you put too many keys in a mailer and it's not a single layer anymore. If someone puts pressure on the outside they might damage each other if they're stacked.

The ones I've used have been #0/00/000, and I just use first class for them.

[fohat.digs]

I like to wrap keys in bubble wrap, then fold a piece of cardboard over it. With one side folded and 3 sides stapled, you have an irregular rectangle-ish mound that provides good protection, weighs little, and fits well into smaller envelopes.

First class mail is usually almost as fast as Priority, and there is a breakover point somewhere under a pound where it can be a good deal cheaper. However, Priority Mail now includes tracking at no cost, and flat rate is a great deal for heavy stuff.

Styrofoam egg cartons make great filler for larger packages, and weigh almost nothing.

[jdcarpe]

Yeah, for just a few keys, I usually stick them in a baggie and then inside a bubble mailer and off it goes via first class mail.

I recently bought a huge box of #00 poly bubble mailers (for shipping the Krytox 103), so I'm using those lately.

[IvanIvanovich]

I generally use bubble mailer for keycaps unless the buyer makes it a point to request a box. Boxes and bubble wrap for keyboards. Ship everything first class unless priority is cheaper.