... Tired of USPS damaging stuff ...

[mr_lincoln]

... just had the 3rd cast iron skillet damaged in shipping by USPS.  I have shipped more fragile items and heavier too without issue but for some strange reason USPS seems to break large cast iron skillets.  Well, not all of them as many go through without issue and sure, I can process the insurance claim and get the money back but these items are old and rare and collected, used and/or treasured by many people.  And while it is still a very low % of damaged shipments it just simply bums me out ...

Anyway ... mild rant over, thanks for listening ...

[echo_and_zip]

1. Big bubble

2. Box

3. Foam

4. Box

= Safe arrival

[krazzykats]

Extra cardboard padding...

[nobody*s_perfect]

Cast iron is brittle.

[7606dennis]

It may be that you need to review how you're packing them.  Cast iron is heavy but brittle and even dropping from a low height may cause it to break.  Extra cushioning is often needed.

[dasarock]

based on what I have seen of the OPs posts, he is quite knowledgeable seller and am sure that he is packaging competently.  I my self have noted the trend by usps in recent months to lose and damage and/or lose well packaged and padded items across the spectrum of weights and sizes.  it just seems that less care in handling items is the cause due to increased volume.

[ersatz_sobriquet]

Sorry to hear that Mr Lincoln. Hopefully not that high priced one you sold recently. 

[mr_lincoln]

---

@echo_and_zip wrote:

1. Big bubble

2. Box

3. Foam

4. Box

= Safe arrival

---

Adding this to your list:

5. Hand deliver ....

[brestradingpost]

I have wondered that myself curiously. In the past, if any of my items have been broken...it is usually priority mail. Is USPS on such time constraint, that shipping is rushed and carelessly handled...? Or could it be freezing temperatures along the route that cause brittle/fragile items to break easily? I ship a lot of glass which is sensitive to severe temperature changes...anyway to protect against that...?

[calntom]

If it is a tough ship. Ship it better.  

[mr_lincoln]

@brestradingpost 

---

@brestradingpost wrote:
I have wondered that myself curiously. In the past, if any of my items have been broken...it is usually priority mail. Is USPS on such time constraint, that shipping is rushed and carelessly handled...? Or could it be freezing temperatures along the route that cause brittle/fragile items to break easily? I ship a lot of glass which is sensitive to severe temperature changes...anyway to protect against that...?

---

Good thought on the temperature and yes, that could certainly come in to play.  This was a coast to coast shipment but the other 2 were not.  The other thing that can happen is unseen stress fractures or weak spots in the molded material.  80 to 100 year old pieces can have some built in demons ...

[mr_lincoln]

---

@ersatz_sobriquet wrote:

Sorry to hear that Mr Lincoln. Hopefully not that high priced one you sold recently. 

---

Sadly it was ...

[sapphireseal]

Yeah, my understanding (from having a roommate who used to collect cast iron) is that cast iron is . . . not fragile exactly, but also it doesn't stand poor treatment very well.

OP, is there anywhere where cast iron sellers congregate that you could ask other skillet sellers for advice?  Unfortunately it's inevitable that packages are going to get jostled, have other packages land on them, etc, during transit.  But maybe there are some packing tips that can help the skillets survive.

Sorry to hear that your latest sold skillet was broken.  (BTW there is a postal service that you can pay extra for where they WILL literally carry your package, very gently, from place to place instead of having the machines sort it on that big conveyor belt thing.  But it's very expensive.)

[mam98031]

USPS does a great job for me 99.9 percent of the time.

I get shipments of products that I sell via UPS mostly and dang they are hard on packages.  I've had to put in several damaged claims.

[ersatz_sobriquet]

---

@mr_lincoln wrote:

---

@ersatz_sobriquet wrote:

Sorry to hear that Mr Lincoln. Hopefully not that high priced one you sold recently. 

---

Sadly it was ...

---

sorry to hear that.

All I can suggest is that your cast iron is double boxed. Now that doesn't have to be an actual box, it's the theory of double boxing, which is once padded well surrounding the cast iron with tightly packed peanuts-they do an excellent job--then create a faux box around the cast iron. Then peanuts again surrounding the faux box you have just created, this system should handle the force of usps conveyor belts dropping your box 4' into their bins. Normally I do not use peanuts, but with heavy things bubble wrap is useless as the bubbles will burst  and paper can't take the impact. Styrofoam can be too rigid.