Cramming an item into a box that avoids DIM weight

[pvcliff]

At what point would you cram a soft item into a smaller box to avoid dimensional weight? Just listed a crazy quilt from the 1880s, and I knew by looking at it that I had an 18x18x6 box that it would fit it perfectly the way it "naturally" wanted to fold up. It is very delicate and starting to show its age in that some of the silk squares are splitting. My thought is that if it sells anywhere above $100 (listed at auction for $250, I expect I'll need to lower price and list it numerous times) that the buyer needs to pay whatever the DIM weight calculates at and factor that into their bid. I'm thinking if it is not worth at least $100 that I may change the description to "damaged quilt for craft projects" and then gently stuff it into a standard large PM box. I expect it would fit with just folding it differently, but am loathe to even try that now because it is so delicate. Thoughts??

[flipper2flipper]

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@pvcliff wrote:

At what point would you cram a soft item into a smaller box to avoid dimensional weight? Just listed a crazy quilt from the 1880s, and I knew by looking at it that I had an 18x18x6 box that it would fit it perfectly the way it "naturally" wanted to fold up. It is very delicate and starting to show its age in that some of the silk squares are splitting. My thought is that if it sells anywhere above $100 (listed at auction for $250, I expect I'll need to lower price and list it numerous times) that the buyer needs to pay whatever the DIM weight calculates at and factor that into their bid. I'm thinking if it is not worth at least $100 that I may change the description to "damaged quilt for craft projects" and then gently stuff it into a standard large PM box. I expect it would fit with just folding it differently, but am loathe to even try that now because it is so delicate. Thoughts??

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The Post Office makes a Large Flat Rate Board Game Box that measures about 24 x 12 x 3 :

https://store.usps.com/store/product/shipping-supplies/priority-mail-large-flat-rate-board-game-box-...

But I can't find a shipping cost for it anywhere .... either on the PO web site or on the Ebay shipping label.

So that particular box might now be a discontinued service ..... even though you can still order the boxes from the Post Office.

[slippinjimmy]

If you can reduce the box size to 18 x 18 x 5 then DIM weight won't apply.

That's not much "cramming".

[mcdougle4248]

@pvcliff 

I have several family quilts made in the early 1900's.  Mine are cotton, so have held up very well.  Personally, I would never consider "cramming" something so beautiful into a box.  IMHO, I think the buyer that would be interested in your quilt would want it to arrive just the way you show it in your pictures and would be willing to pay up in shipping costs to get it to them safely.  

[nobody*s_perfect]

The "Board game"box is a Large flat rate box which ships at the same price as the original Large flat rate box.  

The original box has a volume of 792 cubic inches and the "board game" box has a volume of about 830 cubic inches.  So it's bigger, but not significantly so, and both of them are significantly smaller than the 1-cubic-foot threshold (1728 cubic inches) for dimensional rate.  

The volume of your 18x18x6 box is 1944 cubic inches, which is not that much more than 1728.  So try stuffing the quilt into a box that's at (or just below) that 1728 cubic inch threshold for dimensional weight.

[the*dog*ate*my*tablecloth]

If the silk is shattered, cramming it into a box will damage it further

[ozarkjoe]

Would a plastic vacuum space saving bag work with cloth items?  I use them for storing clothes at home and they work nicely at shrinking the size.

[fashunu4eeuh]

Receiving nice items crammed into small packaging in order to reduce shipping costs is one of my greatest frustrations when shopping on eBay. 

You have clearly indicated the quilt is fragile and are already reluctant to cause further damage by using inadequate packaging. Thus cramming it is out of the question. Doing so would suggest to the buyer a lack of care about what state it arrives in, as long as shipping costs are the cheapest possible.

With the new DIM rates it may be that some items will no longer be suitable for sale on eBay for some sellers. But it’s been my experience that serious buyers and  collectors of antique items are willing to pay a premium for safe transport.

[bbravo65]

That Priority Large Flat Rate Board Game Box is still provided. You can order the supply through USPS websites. The flat shipping price is $19.80 regardless weights to anywhere within US Domestic Areas.

[a_c_green]

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@pvcliff wrote:

I'm thinking if it is not worth at least $100 that I may change the description to "damaged quilt for craft projects" and then gently stuff it into a standard large PM box.

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But the only reason for it to be "damaged" is because you crammed it into a too-small box. 

I'm sorry, but I'm finding this whole idea a non-starter. If it's worth $100 or $250 or more, it's worth handling properly and shipping properly. Otherwise what's the point? I share the viewpoint already expressed, that one of my biggest peeves is a seller who mashes the item I bought (for $100 or $250 or more) into a package that's too small to hold it safely.

Don't be one of those. Just figure out what it needs for safe travel in the condition in which it was sold, work out the Calculated Shipping for that, and then whoever buys it will be happy with what they receive.

[slippinjimmy]

If it fit easily into an 18 x 18 x 6 box then reducing the box height by ONE inch isn't going to make much difference other than the cost of shipping.

If it's a really tight fit in that 18 x 18 x 6 box then DIM weight is probably unavoidable.

Thing is.....ONLY the OP knows, everyone else is making assumptions. it's not clear they have even tried to see how easily it fits in the handy box and if it could be cut down slightly.

[pvcliff]

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@slippinjimmy wrote:

If you can reduce the box size to 18 x 18 x 5 then DIM weight won't apply.

That's not much "cramming".

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That's a great point, and actually I rounded up to 6" and didn't even look that closely at the depth once I saw it was bigger than 5". The quilt is not all that "fat" when folded, so I'll look at the box again with an eye toward taking an inch of depth off it.

[a_c_green]

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@slippinjimmy wrote:

If it fit easily into an 18 x 18 x 6 box then reducing the box height by ONE inch isn't going to make much difference other than the cost of shipping.

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I agree, but I'm going by the OP's choice of words such as "cramming" and descriptions of potential damage, which make me trust his judgment that damage can occur if he does go with a smaller package than he would otherwise choose. Right now, it hasn't been damaged yet, so I'm just voting against mashing it into a smaller container.

If it does fit safely into an 18" x 18" x 6" box, then yes, I would not worry about getting it into an 18" x 18" x 5" box instead, but I wouldn't try for something much smaller than that.

[pvcliff]

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@a_c_green wrote:

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@pvcliff wrote:

I'm thinking if it is not worth at least $100 that I may change the description to "damaged quilt for craft projects" and then gently stuff it into a standard large PM box.

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But the only reason for it to be "damaged" is because you crammed it into a too-small box. 

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No, it already has silk squares that are damaged. Thing might only be worth 20 bucks in the condition it is in.  I won't know if someone thinks it is worth having the fabric stabilized so it can be hung, or whether it would be used as scraps to make Christmas stockings until I see if anyone even bids on it.

[yuzuha]

I would NEVER risk potentially damaging an item (especially an item like an antique quilt) by trying to shove it into a box that was too small.  A buyer who genuinely wants the quilt will understand the cost to ship it safely.  If they aren't willing to pay the cost, then they obviously don't want it THAT much.