I’m currently trying to sell my pack and I was wondering if anyone had any tips for packing/shipping the pack. Any stories regarding the post office, or the shipping process itself is also appreciated. Right now I plan on using bubble wrap or something similar, as a filler to make the pack less “angular” and thus make it less prone to damage. Oh, and a buttload of packing peanuts.
Tex
yeah, mark the thing as fragile and put insurance on it!
Bubble wrap EVERYTHING. Think you have enough bubble wrap on it? Put more on.
Wadded newspaper: tuck this stuff in all the little nooks and crannies of the pack.
Don’t ship it with the thrower hooked.
a LOT of packing peanuts will be needed.
Also, I HIGHLY recommend you ship it UPS so you can constantly track the thing.
Zeta, I’m getting ready to ship out my trap, should I put a disclaimer page on top identifying it as a movie prop?
Is it an actual prop used IN the movies? If not, nope.
List it as a movie prop reproduction.
UPS is your worst possible choice both price and service wise.
Jack I agree. After looking into USPS shipping I found it was cheaper in the long run and they also provide tracking numbers.
When I shipped mine last year UPS was the cheapest by a lot…so long as you print the label yourself and drop it off there. No telling what a UPS store would charge.
Also UPS, unlike the USPS has accurate tracking info and the insurance rates were cheaper last time I looked.
Package the thrower in a separate box. I used 1-2" thick foam corner caps on top and bottom and put it in a large box like restaurants get Styrofoam cups in. Make sure its packed firm enough with newspaper wads and/or peanuts and/or air bags so that it can’t move much. Mark it fragile and put insurance on it…done.
heh, I’m the exact opposite due to my post office losing packages after I drop them off and ready to go. Also, from my experience, the USPS tracking is only as good as saying “yeah, we got it”, but I like to actually see where my package is at any given time, ya know?
I think when I shipped mine from New Jersey to Alabama, it ran me about $80.
Some have had poor experiences with UPS: GBFans.com
Yeah, that’s a good point. Because you’ll know exactly when they’ll destroy and/or loose it, and the insurance will come it handy, all right.
DON’T go with UPS. EVER. And look at the thread above. Please. Especially that post:
I shipped my trapped with ups. It was the detailed tracking, insurance and delivery confirmation that sold me. Especially with selling items in this hobby.
just ordered some resistors from you last week on ebay thanks again I left you feedback this morning
might be different in canada or crossing borders but down here UPS is the only one who can manage to deliver my packages on time and in one piece…DHL was a joke, Fedex always made me meet them somewhere, and USPS is usually great but heaven forbid it start being late because they don’t track for shit…
every one of them has horror stories…but UPS has always done me right and on large packages a LOT cheaper…cost me only $60 to ship the last proton pack ground with $1200 insurence on it
Fedex tried their hardest to deny the only claim I’ve ever filed with them, took FOREVER to get a check after they wrecked a Marshall tube guitar amp (that I had to drive 20 miles to pick up because they wouldn’t come to my house)
One more quick question: what’s a good place to get a box that will fit the pack snugly but not tightly?
Well, here’s an update on my proton pack shipping adventure:
I decided to go with UPS and I couldn’t be happier. I went to the UPS store to buy the materials and the guy there was really nice. I got a 30"x30"x16" box, 3 big bags of packing peanuts, and 3 big rolls of bubble wrap. I probably could’ve got 1 more of each, but it ended up being just enough, and cost about $50. I used UPS.com and arranged for a pickup at my house since the box was too big for my car. The shipping, including the pickup, was $75, and they showed up right on time. The pack shipped from Pittsburgh, PA on Wednesday 10/13 and arrived at College Station, TX today 10/15, which is great. I had written " ^THIS END UP^ " and “FRAGILE” all over the box and apparently the pack got there in great shape, with only a few hot-glued pieces coming loose. All in all, a very good experience with UPS, though I have nothing to compare it to, with respect to the other carriers.
Hope everyone finds this to be informative, especially this close to halloween
Tex