We're talking about my experiences shipping vintage jewelry. My stated goal is to hear NO sound or movement whatsoever when the package is ready for shipment so it arrives in the condition in which it was shipped.
1. Make sure the item is clean and in "as described" condition
2. Place in appropriate size zip-lock bag. Choose the bag to be as small as possible so the item is held in position. The zip-lock bag protects the jewelry from getting wet in case the package is left out in the rain or someone drops it in a bucket of water. It also will retain any stones which may fall out during the shipping process making them easier to replace.
3. Place the item in a fairly substantial cardboard or plastic jewelry box holding the item(s) securely but is large enough for it to lie flat. Place a business card in the box. Fold the customer copy of the invoice to fit in the box if at all possible without crowding. These two items are often sufficient to hold the jewelry firmly in place. Move the box around gently to see whether there are sounds of anything moving in the box. If you hear anything, add additional tissue paper or bubble wrap. Seal the box and then wrap with tissue paper for an attractive appearance.
4. For Priority Shipping, use one of the many sizes of boxes available, preferably one of the flat-rate sizes, and wrap around the center with clear shipping tape so the side tabs don't come open during shipment. Wrap the boxed item loosely with packing paper and place in the box, making sure the box is full. Do the shake test again to be sure all is secure. Seal the box, using shipping tape over the glue-down flap as well. Apply the label and the package is ready to go.
For especially fragile or very expensive items, use a layer of bubble wrap in addition to all the other compulsive steps.
For 1st class shipping, follow steps 1-3 using a bubble-wrap self-sealing mailer.
5. Ready to ship
There are, of course, other methods but this one has been successful time and time again.
1 comment:
Thanks for your clear and concise instructions for shipping. Any problems I have ever had with "mail order" buying and selling have come from the seller not packing an item appropiately.
A suggestion: put your business card and invoice in the ziploc bag, too. If necessary (like for very small items) put the paperwork in a ziploc and then put the item (in its own ziploc) in the same larger bag. If the package gets totally trashed and they can't read the address on the outside, your address and the goods are still together in one ziploc.
Thanks again for the helpful instructions.
Rebecca
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