How to package a collectible anime figurine

[donnajosbooks]

My son asked me to sell his rather large collection of anime figurines.  I will start by selling them individually, since I've found by selling other collectible items that is how to get the most money.

They are all still in the original boxes and in mint condition.  How do I package these so they keep their collectible status (i.e., never removed from the box) yet keep them safe from damage during the shipping process?  

[bonjourami]

Double box, with enough insulation between the boxes, so the figure doesnt get slammed around in the inner box.

[janet9988]

Double box them and add packaging materials so the collectable box does not get smashed.

[1786davycrockett]

@donnajosbooks 

Wrap each of the figures very carefully in several layers of bubble wrap; then begin filling a USPS Priority box about 1/2 way with packing peanuts.  Nestle the figure carefully in the middle of the nest of packing peanuts; then fill the rest of the box with more packing peanuts.  Seal the box at ALL openings with 2" shipping tape, and ship at the appropriate USPS Priority rate.

Good luck!

[yuzuha]

What kind of figures are we talking here? $200-400 scale figures, or cheaper prize ones? The packaging methods are going to be different depending on which kind.

[mn467462]

Sounds like the son's responsibility.  He can't have mommy and daddy do everything for him. 

[hartungcards]

I hope you're getting a healthy cut from your son for undertaking this project.  Don't forget to tell him about the FVFs on shipping and sales tax as well, or he'll be here complaining about that.

[donnajosbooks]

You are jumping to conclusions. My son asked me to sell his figurines because he's giving me an opportunity to make some money. Yes, he's paying me a commission. He grew up with me selling on eBay (and me talking about it a lot) so he knows all about the fees I have to pay. 

Next time, ask first before insulting someone's son.

[donnajosbooks]

They range between $30 to $200. 

[12345jamesstamps]

I would probably do Domestic Shipping  and not International Shipping. I tried selling that stuff and the International Shipping wasn't worth it.

Corners of  box is very important. Collectors will get upset with just a small dent. 

Take photos on all 4 sides of box plus top and bottom of box and point out and show any dents anywhere. Also show if there is a price tag on box. Box collectors are really picky.

I would prefer to take item to USPS post office to get a real cost to ship it. Insurance is for something lost and not damaged. USPS post office have free boxes to use for your shipping and are rather stronger and usually have the same rate for shipping price in the USA. I like the boxes since they have the same shipping cost and are easy to pay for. Collect newspapers for padding which is the only thing free. Buy good tape since the post office does not give out tape for free. I usually get a good deal on tape at CVS stores.

I would start selling a few and not everything all at once.

You can also look on eBay for other sellers selling the same items and go a little less in price in them to sell and actually might get some great titles and descriptions.

It can be such a fun experience and good luck!

[powell-memorabilia]

You have received good advice on packing.  Drop me a line when you start listings - I do like anime, as do my kids.  

[yuzuha · Accepted solution]

---

@donnajosbooks wrote:

They range between $30 to $200. 

---

The lower-end ones are going to be prize figures-- the condition of the figure box really doesn't matter with those for the vast majority of buyers (they get taken out of the box to be displayed on a shelf sans box), so they don't need to be packed with as much extreme care as the more expensive ones. This is the majority of what I sell, so my packing advice is as follows:

I don't waste bubble wrap on those; I just used wadded-up newsprint to suspend them in the box and keep the box from bashing around inside the shipping box. Since they aren't heavy, that's all you really need to hold them in place. They usually weigh a little under 2 lbs when all packed up. I ship them in 12"x10"x8" boxes-- that's plenty of room for the average prize figure box. I've shipped a couple hundred of them this way and never once have I had a buyer tell me that they got damaged in shipping.

For the more expensive ones, I would in fact bubble wrap the box, and then place them in a box filled with packing peanuts with at least 2" of clearance on all sides. Give it a good shake once it's packed to make sure you don't hear any movement and you should be good to go. There's no need to double-box figures because they're already in a box and are packaged in a way to prevent them being broken in shipping; all you need to do is provide enough protection in the shipping box.

Since I sell a ton of these, feel free to message me if you need any advice!

[donnajosbooks]

Thanks everyone, for the advice!  The advice y'all are recommending is similar to how I package my dishes so I'm familiar with that.   So, I have all the supplies I need for that.  Thanks!

I started taking pictures and writing ads yesterday, and pending approval from my son (for at least the initial few), I'll start listing them.  I think his idea for the listing is to have much more detail than anyone on eBay or the collectible anime figure sites have, so we'll see how that goes.  He just wants to get the best price that he can so he can pay off some bills.  I think he'll be pleasantly surprised that it doesn't have to be so complicated.

[blessedlife30]

Hi, I’m just wondering, if it says usps ground advantage, can I ship in a medium size usps priority flat rate box? This is only my 2nd thing selling 

[a_c_green]

---

@blessedlife30 wrote:

Hi, I’m just wondering, if it says usps ground advantage, can I ship in a medium size usps priority flat rate box? This is only my 2nd thing selling 

---

As long as you put the correct postage (label) on the box for a Priority Mail Flat Rate Medium box, you'll be fine. Priority packaging from the post office has to have Priority postage applied. For Flat Rate packaging, you need the specific Flat Rate label for that size of box.

You can upgrade from your Shipping method stated in your listing if you want (though you cannot charge the buyer extra). You cannot downgrade the Shipping method below what the buyer paid for.