After the sale

ripock

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Once an instrument is sold and you need to ship it, where do you folks find the materials to do so: i.e., a box that is appropriately shaped and sized, all that bubble wrap, etc.
 
Well, there's my way: order so many instruments and save all the boxes and packing materials that you are never without :)

There are three good ways I know of:

1. Many music stores are happy to give you the boxes their instruments arrived in. They usually end up in the recycle bin anyway.
2. You can purchase boxes and packing materials at UPS and FedEx, and you can even have them do the packing for your, although it's a bit pricey.
3. If you have time to order, Uline has just about every type of box and packing material you can imagine: https://www.uline.com/
 
Always plenty of spare cardboard here, which I slightly score with a razor to form into the box size I need, then wrap and tape the uke in bubble wrap, using bunched up newspaper to cushion all around in side the box, then tape the box up well. With all these free packing materials around, no need to buy anything other than packing tape. Of course, if I have a spare pre made box, bubble wrap and packing peanuts from a purchase, I'll use that first.
 
Always plenty of spare cardboard here, which I slightly score with a razor to form into the box size I need, then wrap and tape the uke in bubble wrap, using bunched up newspaper to cushion all around in side the box, then tape the box up well. With all these free packing materials around, no need to buy anything other than packing tape. Of course, if I have a spare pre made box, bubble wrap and packing peanuts from a purchase, I'll use that first.
There was a thread here a couple of years ago about bubble wrap. It had left marks on the finish in hot weather if I remember correctly.
The solution was to wrap the ukulele in newsprint before bubblewrapping. Just a thought.
 
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There was a thread here a couple of years ago about bubble wrap. It had left marks on the finish in hot weather if I remember correctly.
The solution was to wrap the ukulele in newsprint before bubblewrapping. Just a thought.

Correct. I made this mistake early on. Here are my tips (having sold over 40 ukes):

1. In the case, put something wadded up paper or something soft under the headstock area b/c if the case is dropped, the headstock can "whiplash" unless you fill this area.

2. You don't need to wrap the uke if it fits well in the case. If it there is room for it to move around, add a cleaning cloth or something soft to eliminate the slop.

3. Do NOT put bubble wrap directly on the uke. If for some reason, you want to bubble wrap the uke, wrap it it first in plain brown paper.

4. Make sure you have a box that is suitably strong and that is sized appropriately for your case. I like about 3" on all sides of the uke and I either wrap the case in bubble wrap and/or fill the box with popcorn.
 
Well, there's my way: order so many instruments and save all the boxes and packing materials that you are never without :)

This! LOL!

I have a uke collection, and a box collection!
 
1. Many music stores are happy to give you the boxes their instruments arrived in. They usually end up in the recycle bin anyway.

This is what I do. The boxes are usually from guitars but they cut down pretty easily for ukes. I've never shipped a uke without a case before, but my method is: uke in case, bubble wrap around case, put in smaller box, which then goes into a larger box with bubble wrap or peanuts or crumpled brown paper or whatever packing materials I have around. At least 6 ukes have shipped safe and sound using this method.
 
This! LOL!

I have a uke collection, and a box collection!

yea, me too - a side-effect of UAS and never throwing anything away because I 'might need it someday'. :)

or maybe I'm just a hoarder and dont know it yet :p
 
I always keep boxes from instrument shipments, as well as other packaging materials, just because I am cheap and would never spend good money on such items. They go up in the crawlspace over the garage, where there's plenty of room to stash and forget about 'em until a need arises.

The only thing I'd add to what others have written is that you should have all your ducks in a row before the sale, not after! After the buyer pays, he or she is quite impatient to get the item, and doesn't want to wait for you to find packaging materials....:uhoh:

bratsche
 
There was a thread here a couple of years ago about bubble wrap. It had left marks on the finish in hot weather if I remember correctly.
The solution was to wrap the ukulele in newsprint before bubblewrapping. Just a thought.

Yeah, I was describing packing a uke not in a case, and you are right, wrap the uke in something else like paper before the bubble wrap and tape. One uke I received was wrapped in a T shirt, then bubble wrap and tape, surrounded by a thick layer of well packed-in peanuts. Double boxing is also good with lots of padding if no case is included. If in a case, I loosen strings a bit, and pad behind the headstock inside the case to avoid whiplash by the UPS gorillas, then bubblewrap case and enclose in a box firmly surrounded by padding. In either scenario (case or no case) it's important to make sure the padding is firmly packed, so it doesn't settle while in transport, allowing the uke to flop around inside the box.
 
...The only thing I'd add to what others have written is that you should have all your ducks in a row before the sale, not after! After the buyer pays, he or she is quite impatient to get the item, and doesn't want to wait for you to find packaging materials....:uhoh:

I agree.

As per the 'seller recommendations' on eBay, they suggest that the items are photographed, packed and weighed, with shipping calculated prior to listing for sale.

One reason they give is to avoid any delay in physically shipping an item once it is sold. Sellers can be penalized for extra long shipping delays and accounts suspended for repeat offenders.

I know that many folks have a love/hate relationship with eBay, and that they do not in fact 'rule the world' or anything like that, but it just seemed like common sense and good practice to me when I read that.

However, to each their own, and I'm sure everything will work out how it needs to be. :)
 
Packing material is really expensive!- Peanuts and those big bubble blister boobs. I keep almost everything I get from whatever is posted to me, including that styrofoam stuff most white goods are packed in. My shed i full of packing material.
Boxes from Uline or officedepo.
 
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