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Ok, I've been a bit stoopid. I ran into the swap shop all happy and excited to relieve myself of my infuriating space marines. I now need to send them very soon and have realised

I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA HOW TO SAFELY SEND MINIS...

PLEASE HELP

http://www.postpack.co.uk/acatalog/foam-lined-mailing-boxes.html

Thanks alot

Anytime - the big brown slider pack (that sounds way too dodgy) is a good buy if there's a bunch of minis - £3.81 for a foam lined mailer roughly 2'x1'.

If you've got lots then use the sample deal - you can order five (different) items for £5.88 and you get a voucher for £5.88 to use against future orders.

Bubble wrap padded envelope is a must and within that you can wrap the figures individually in tissue paper or more bubblewrap. Ask yourself how *you* would like to receive them. Painted figures need more attention.

As you're in the UK, you can get multi-packs of padded envelops in poundshops.

If you're sending lots of figures get a cardboard box and pack it well with bubblewrap. I've never had any complaints over breakages.

Do not send assembled minis in a bubble envelope. Send them in a box, wrapped in bubble wrap. Preferably, padded further with foam peanuts.

If you give us an idea of what you're sending and it's condition (on sprue, assembled, etc), those of us with hundreds of trades under our belts would be happy to share our collective knowledge.

Eric

MagickalMemories wrote:Do not send assembled minis in a bubble envelope. Send them in a box, wrapped in bubble wrap. Preferably, padded further with foam peanuts.

Oh god no, I was assuming unassembled.

Well I am in a similar position on sending a model, its a single plastic space marine...

There are two rules to sending models: Make sure they can't move, make sure they can't be crushed.

I will send them individually wrapped inside a postage box with the voids taken up with whatever I have to hand for it (be it packing peanuts, bubblewrap offcuts, newspaper, etc).

After I pack it, I give it a shake. If it rattles, it gets repacked until it doesn't.
Then it gets sent. I worked in shipping and logistics for 17 years. Habit.

Not as FW have sent me stuff.

Oh, it came in a box - but the various baggies were free to tumble against each other and the sides of the box (the goods took up a tad over a third of the volume). For the money I spent I at least expected SOME form of voidfill.

Other models I've got from other suppliers (Old Crow, Pig Iron productions, etc) have done this (use voidfill).

This is why I like those mailer boxes I linked to which are filled with egg-box foam. The foam traps everything nicely.

I got a rhino from ebay that was wrapped in bubble wrap then stuck into a pop-tart box. I was amazed at how perfectly it fit, and it arrived in perfect condition. I thought it was pretty funny too, but it seemed to work so well I figured I'd share.

As far as minis go, I have to agree that nothing should be rattling around. That'll typically mean wrapping things as chromedog described above. I did get a box once that used a very creative, if possibly ill-advised packing material though: bitz. It was a sturdy USPS flat-rate box filled with minis then so stuffed with bitz that nothing rattled around. I wouldn't suggest this as a packing method for showpiece minis, but if it's a bunch of random crap you're trying to get rid of...

Scott-S6 wrote:This is why I like those mailer boxes I linked to which are filled with egg-box foam. The foam traps everything nicely.

I've not seen that type of packer/shipper here as of yet, hence why I do things the way I do. If they were available here, I'd use them without a thought.

Talarn Blackshard wrote:Well I am in a similar position on sending a model, its a single plastic space marine...

When I am sending a single plastic marine, I will almost ALWAYS slide him into a plastic pill bottle. Maybe some foam in there in case of rattling. That can go in a bubble envelope and be secure.

-Porkuslime

The man has done over 550 trades on Bartertown and... What? Seventy-something here?

When Porkuslime talks about trading. *I* listen!

Eric

Wrap minis in bubble wrap, individually. Put them in a box with more bubblewrap, tissue paper, newspaper, packing peanuts, or what have you. Same way you'd ship any other fragile item.

Zefig wrote:I got a rhino from ebay that was wrapped in bubble wrap then stuck into a pop-tart box. I was amazed at how perfectly it fit, and it arrived in perfect condition. I thought it was pretty funny too, but it seemed to work so well I figured I'd share.

As far as minis go, I have to agree that nothing should be rattling around. That'll typically mean wrapping things as chromedog described above. I did get a box once that used a very creative, if possibly ill-advised packing material though: bitz. It was a sturdy USPS flat-rate box filled with minis then so stuffed with bitz that nothing rattled around. I wouldn't suggest this as a packing method for showpiece minis, but if it's a bunch of random crap you're trying to get rid of...

Please, anyone shipping me a mini, pack in all the bits you like. Go on, stuff em in there.

MagickalMemories wrote:The man has done over 550 trades on Bartertown and... What? Seventy-something here?

When Porkuslime talks about trading. *I* listen!

Eric

You are low, old man.. low..

I think I am at 680 on BT.. and 80 or so here..

muahahahaha..

It also helps a lot that my work in a computer environment gets me access to a lot of free packing material...

One of the better ideas I have seen for void-fill on packing.. ziploc sandwich baggies filled with air and taped shut.

porkuslime wrote:

MagickalMemories wrote:The man has done over 550 trades on Bartertown and... What? Seventy-something here?

When Porkuslime talks about trading. *I* listen!

Eric

You are low, old man.. low..

I think I am at 680 on BT.. and 80 or so here..

muahahahaha..

It also helps a lot that my work in a computer environment gets me access to a lot of free packing material...

One of the better ideas I have seen for void-fill on packing.. ziploc sandwich baggies filled with air and taped shut.

Agreed.

If there is a person to suggest taking packaging advice, there is always porkuslime.

As an additional rule, I will never send out miniatures in envelopes. I tried once and it failed miserably.

Always rely on trusty box of good size, enough bubblewrap to circle the globe and extra padding material just because.

chromedog wrote:

Scott-S6 wrote:This is why I like those mailer boxes I linked to which are filled with egg-box foam. The foam traps everything nicely.

I've not seen that type of packer/shipper here as of yet, hence why I do things the way I do. If they were available here, I'd use them without a thought.

These are fairly close: http://www.cameronpackaging.com/foam_lined_pistol_boxes.html

MagickalMemories wrote:Do not send assembled minis in a bubble envelope. Send them in a box, wrapped in bubble wrap. Preferably, padded further with foam peanuts.

If you give us an idea of what you're sending and it's condition (on sprue, assembled, etc), those of us with hundreds of trades under our belts would be happy to share our collective knowledge.

Eric

agreed. a person i traded with who shall remain nameless padded the heck out of this painted mini but that only helps against clumsy drops... not against heavy boxes put on top of it at the post office. : ( my nicely painted mini came in 4 pieces including a snap that wasn't through a glued joint but just broke the white metal.



boxes add rigidity while foam adds cushion; both are needed when sending painted and/or assembled stuff. unassembled raw metal or bits on sprue are fine in just a regular padded envelope.

I work shipping and receiving, don't know prices or regulations in the UK but I suggest.

Find a suitable size box & place in it enough bubble wrap to cover the bottom (2 layers min) & pad the sides.
Place the models as you see fit into plastic bags (usually limit 1-10 per bag depending on what they are, the fewer the better) - Not necessary for vehicles but I would do it for the bits that come off.
Place them on the bubblewrap & pace another layer on top.
Repeat until out of minis
Fill box with bubble-wrap / newspaper

Never had a problem doing it this way.

I just put them in an egg carton and wrap the carton in foam padding and ship as is in a box. works a treat. [at least, with 25mm bases...]

Scott-S6 wrote:
These are fairly close: http://www.cameronpackaging.com/foam_lined_pistol_boxes.html

If you look, Chromedog is from Australia, not America, so no, not close at all

porkuslime wrote:I think I am at 680 on BT..

Well, that *IS* over 550!

Eric

I just throw them in plastic bags, then fill up a box with peanuts, then organize the plastic bag so it doesn't get near the top.... basically. If I was sending something that was painted very well, I'd invest in some foam instead of plastic bags.

Nothing I ever send is in anyway delicate, so I don't have to use silly padded boxes. Peanuts do the job fine.

Assembled minis in plastic bags bump each other in transit and can cause breakage.
Not just ungluing... actual breakage.

Of course, this means less if it's not something you paid for. maybe one you found on the FLGS floor and didn't return to it's owner... but, if you paid for it, it means that much more.

Of course, I'm not saying I've never used a plastic baggie, just that I'm aware that it's MY responsibility if there's damage in transit.

Eric

I always send assembled models in boxes, unassembled in padded envelopes, both use bubblewrap as extra protection.

No ones ever complained and breakages are kept to a minimum.

Hire a Zen monk to hand carry it on a planequin made from feathers every night via the underground railroad.

It's the only way to be sure.