Most Memorable eBay Package

[copper.boom]

Story time. Tell us some of your most memorable experiences opening packages of items you purchased on eBay. Doesn't matter if it's funny, horrifying, exhilarating, or tear-jerking... as long as it was a memorable moment.

Several years ago my cousin ordered a set of vintage salt and pepper shakers. The seller failed to take note that the salt shaker was full before they shipped it. Salt was spilling out from every crevice of that box when we opened it. The carpet was not pleased with the shower it got. We were vaccuming that thing up for weeks and ultimately had to have it professionally cleaned.

Another time I purchased something for my mom. She had a favorite item that broke and thought that was it since it's not made anymore. I found a replacement on eBay and I let her open the box. She was so surprised and excited. She couldn't believe that I found it. I won't soon forget the look on her face.

[rainbowcolorz]

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@chiaretta wrote:

I've been buying, though on a very irregular schedule, from a lady in Northen England, since some time in spring 2005.

As she never seemed to list consistently, I wasn't too surprised when more than a year passed without anything coming up, I've had her ID, which remains the same to the day, on my Favorites (now Followed searches) almost as long.

Then one day an email comes in saying there was a new listing from her, as it was indeed something I was interested in I bought it almost as soon as I saw it.

A few hours later an email comes in through my personal address, not ebay's, stating more or less "I'm Sophie, Sue's daughter. My mum is very ill, and is barely able to talk nowadays. But when she saw I was preparing a new listing she murmured a name, yours".

Got a knot in my throat as I type this, the only regret is we never managed to meet, something I have done with a couple recurrent sellers.

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^^^^ I was sad reading that.  It reminded me of a wonderful lady buyer of mine who purchased probably 15 - 20 items from me back in October of 2013.   She told me she had stage 3 colon cancer.   I think she was buying lots of gifts for her children and grandchildren for Christmas.     

I've thought about her many times through the years and decided to send her a message via eBay this past February.  She is still a member ... but I got no reply.    

[gymbo_limbo]

I can't be positive it was the most notable but very cherished came from @thenobletuckylife when I bought some candles. I actually had been searching for some candles like his but had been using the wrong search terms. Anyway, they showed up wrapped so lovely I felt like I was opening a Christmas gift and in fact there was a gift

[*madison]

An expensive watch I purchased that was packed in a tampon box.

Seller didn't even wrap the box, just stuck a stamp on it and my address on a label.

I dont mind recycled packaging, I agree with it, but I have my limits. 

[z50com]

My most "memorable" package was a return!

I sold a Voltage meter and it was returned smelling like cigarette smoke, it smelled so bad I had to take it outside and leave it there!

It took 3 months for it to stop smelling and it still smelled if you put your nose to it.

I can't even fathom how it got to smelling as bad as it did.

Do they make liquid cigarette flavored smoke?

It really smelled that bad, I can't emphasize how bad it smelled. . .

[ersatz_sobriquet]

Ok, some of you are making me cry. Here I am with my morning coffee and teary eyed. The sport equipment for the kids and the woman ill in bed are really touching stories. 

I don't have anything like that to tell, but what does stand out is the pleasure I get from replacing someone's childhood memory. I love doing that. I'll get a note or feedback after the sale telling me that they had that item as a child and how happy they are to own it again. I know the feeling, I've purchased a few childhood memories myself on here. It's what makes ebay special, and replacing childhood memories has given me more satisfaction than the big ticket items I've sold. 

[loveyourimagination49]

Yes, they make liquid cigarette flavored smoke.

[rainbowcolorz]

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@gymbo_limbo wrote:

I can't be positive it was the most notable but very cherished came from @thenobletuckylife when I bought some candles. I actually had been searching for some candles like his but had been using the wrong search terms. Anyway, they showed up wrapped so lovely I felt like I was opening a Christmas gift and in fact there was a gift

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Wow, Mr C is awesome!  

[bste9835]

I recently sold a vintage pin and earring set, and received a lovely email from the buyer, saying that she was so pleased to find this set as her grandmother had worn the same in a cherished family photo.

I sold a vintage Barbie to a woman who emailed to say she cried when she got it, because she'd had the same doll as a child.

Most things I've purchased have been well packed.  Probably the best was a large handmade Christmas wreath made of ornaments.  It arrived in a huge sturdy box with a round heavy cardboard "pipe" in the middle to prevent it being crushed.

The worst was a small vintage porcelain teapot to match a rather rare set I inherited, and it came wrapped in paper mesh with a little tape holding it shut, and the label slapped on.  I couldn't believe it had survived.  Oh.  And the jewelry packed in a Laughing Cow container, with the label stuck to the outside.  There was a rhinestone loose in the package, but I was able to reset it.

I love selling and buying on eBay!

[moondogblues]

"I don't have anything like that to tell, but what does stand out is the pleasure I get from replacing someone's childhood memory. I love doing that. I'll get a note or feedback after the sale telling me ..."

I had forgotten about a sale like that. I sold a book to a buyer and got the sweetest thank you message that their uncle had written it. It was OOP and they'd been searching for it for a long time. I got teary eyed too.

[ms.rodriguez*]

I collect hot wheels redlines, the expensive ones.  This was one of my first ebay purchases,  an Orange VW Bug.  The seller took 2 sheets of loose leaf paper and wrapped the  car inside.  It looked like a crumbled paper ball.  He then stuck a shipping label and added a few stamps.  It did arrive safely  but it looked like those paper balls that you crumbled in school and tossed into the trash.

I also got a hot wheels inside a Marlboro cigarette cardboard box.  Let me say that I was NOT amused.  Cigarette odors and plastic do NOT go well together.  The plastic got the cigarette smoke. After 2 days, the car still stunk.  So I emailed the seller and chewed him out and asked to return the car.  I was reimbursed.   He didn't realize that was bad. I also got a hot wheels inside a box of DOVE soap.   The same did come off.

My most expensive bad package was a very rare  GI JOE window box of a ra GI JOE outfit with accessories.  Packaging is important with gi  joe items. This was around 300 dollars.  The idiot seller put it inside a paper bag  that he got in the supermarket and wrote FRAGILE on it and stapled the bag closed.  The box was crushed.   Bear in mind that the box was worth more than the contents.  It was a miracle that enough of the paper bag was left on it that the post office was able to deliver.  I emailed the seller and told him to charge his camcorder and be ready to see how an item is supposed to be packaged.  I asked for a full refund,  the cost of the return postage and the cost of the international money order.   It took about a month to get the money back .  The seller was naive.  They were new to selling. This was in the around 1998/1999 when I first started on ebay (with a different name that is now exclusively a seller acct.)   

[odditiesandantiquities1]

A piece of ceramic wrapped in a diaper, then 1000 yards of tape around it. At least the diaper hadn't been used...lol.

[tunicaslot · Accepted solution]

Great thread copper! With all the recent upheaval it's nice to remember good times and why many people still enjoy Ebay!

[copper.boom]

Thanks Tunica. I love this type of thread where we share experiences that aren't all about site issues and SNADs and scammers and 'all business all the time'.

Stay tuned for the Sunday night (or maybe Monday evening) awards! In the meantime keep sharing your stories, everyone. 🙂

[daysoffuturepast]

I am a long time buyer. here are 3 short stories...

Bought a portfolio of prints. It came wrapped directly in newspaper! No cardboard - just newspaper. Amazingly enough it was not bent and had no ink stains.

Bought a beautiful very collectible calendar - quite long and narrow. Seller folded it to fit in a Priority envelope! When seller was rude and nasty when I sent a message, I left a very short factual negative. She tried to get me to remove it.

The best? I bought a large framed picture (36" x 18") with glass from Canada. It was wrapped in a plastic garbage bag and put in a cardboard box with a couple of those air pillows on top. My poor mailman was holding it flat with both hands and said - I don't think it is suppoesed to sound like this is it?  The glass was shattered in a bazillion pieces. When I contacted the seller, the response was... We don't use bubble wrap in Canada and we do not write Fragile on packages. Our mailmen treat every package as fragile. 

Great topic.

[hawaiibeads]

A surprise gift from Ebay!

I still have an EBAY Tshirt that I got as a gift from EBAY itself, back in the Heyday of fun selling here.

It is an extra large, and great fun to wear. A really nice shirt!

I was very happy and surprised to get it.

Ahhh, reminds me of the good old days of bidding wars, auctions that sell...LOL

I remember when I could not list fast enough...sales day and night, and Ebay rewarded me for all my hard work.

Now I am not even a powerseller...but working just as hard.

Will say, still come back to Ebay as my go to place to sell.

One other thing...a repeat buyer of my handmade jewelry wanted to return a pair of earrings from the UK. No problem. Well, she shipped them back in a plain white envelope. They were 12mm White shell pearls!! Arrived in perfect condition.

Whew.