Recently, the podcast team had a great conversation about handy tips that were posted on the eBay for Business Facebook page. The topics included tips for packaging, supplies, organization, and how to show professionalism in your shipping. You can listen to the podcast here or read about the tips below, straight from Facebook.
Packaging:
Marilena Celii L.
Use foam pool noodles to ship coffee mugs. Cut a piece the height of mug. Slit open one side, slide over handle. Then wrap in bubble wrap and ship.
Karen C.
We use the noodles for all kinds of items. I sell a lot of vintage bone China and porcelain miniatures. The noodles are perfect for them! When shipping bowls, split a section of a noodle and place around the rim of the bowl. Plates the same. All kinds of great ways to pack with noodles.
Desiree G.
Pool noodles are great for shipping. They are very versatile but we mostly use them when shipping framed art. We slit them down one side and wrap it around the frame, then we used shipping plastic or plastic wrap around the face and back of the artwork. That keeps the glass floated safely. We have gotten a lot of compliments about the creativity of our shipping methods and haven't had any art arrive damaged.
Lisa S.
When I'm in need of box filler I create air pillows by blowing up zip lock bags with a straw and sealing them with my food saver machine. Super easy, lightweight and inexpensive.
Nancy B.
For every pkg, I put a layer of crunched newsprint, then bubble wrap the item (i sell mostly breakable stuff), place it in the middle, then i put more paper in snug all around it & then put paper on top. I add an ebay thank you note, personally signed, and also add a business card offering them a discount on all future purchases. In 1.5 yrs, i've only had 2 items break & one of those was a wooden item which was a freak accident by the post office. So this way works well for me. 😊
Penny C.
I usually ship breakables so I pack them with the understanding that the USPS will drop them, shake them, kick them, throw them, step on them, etc. I don't get angry with the post office employees, I pack my items so they can not break my stuff.
Tracy R.
Protect DVD's in cardboard by making a cardboard slipcover out of Free boxes from Aldis or other stores. For a regular DVD case cut the cardboard 14" x 8" and put the dvd on the edge of the short end of the cardboard and roll it across bending the cardboard at every edge of the dvd. Fold the last inch over to completely enclose it so that every edge of the dvd is covered. Slip in the packing slip with a nice Thank You stamp or ebay thank you note😃tape the packing slip on the cardboard before slipping into the bubblemailer. This same method can be adjusted for cd's, books and vhs.
Cathy L B.
Use cardboard paper towel and toilet tissue rolls to protect things that fit into them such as legs and arms of dolls
Jessica P.
When I used to work for online order fulfillment, the rule was that nothing could move around in the box. I agree with everyone who’s been saying that on here!
Shaun R.
Pack every package so your 240lb body can stand on it and make zero dents in the box. 7000+ sales and only 1 damaged because it looks like a semi ran over a 4' long box and had tire tracks on it.
Lynn E.
Fold clothing and package in a cello bag before packaging. The item will look much nicer when your buyer receives it! I hate getting clothing that’s just tossed into a bag or box.
Supplies:
Griff: Our next group of tips are about packing supplies;
Leslie F.
Over estimate what you need prior to the holidays, especially USPS Priority boxes
Alissa Z.
Get a nice box resizer and you can trim down boxes to reduce items’ movement inside AND of course to cut down shipping weight by trimming excess cardboard. (I got an awesome box resizer from Garage Flips!)
Clark W.
My best advice for packing is to know how you’re going to ship an item before you list it and have all of the shipping supplies on hand. There’s nothing worse than selling an item during the holidays only to find that you don’t have a box to ship it in and/or it’s going to cost more than you thought to ship it because of the box dimensions or weight.
Heather R.
Reorder packing supplies before you run out (I should take my own advice)
Lauren U.
My neighbor is a huge online shopper. Most of my boxes come from her.
Stu G.
I buy sheet cardboard and custom make my own boxes. They fit perfectly, reduce packing material, ship more securely. It takes less time than filling voids.
Jenny E.
USPS has free priority boxes and envelopes
Organization/Operations/Shipping Station:
Griff: Now we’ll focus on tips about Staying Organized!
Amy Brookbank B.
Use an ironing board as a packing table for small items. Adjustable height will save your back!
Anca P.
Ship quickly! Having a well-organized shipping station makes packing very easy. If it ships in a box add a candy 🙂
[she included a photo of her shipping station]
Jeffrey C. R.
Save and breakdown all boxes you receive in the mail, for reuse- stack them vertically to optimize storage in the meantime.
Raymond S.
Invest in a gummed tape dispenser. Once you've used gummed tape, you'll never want to go back to plastic tape. They're pricey new...$325, but you can pick them up on our favorite platform <<<eBay>>> used for between $100-$200. The tape is stronger, and doesn't peel off in the cold like some plastic tapes can. It's cost effective too because you don't have to tape a heavy box with a gazillion layers. Often times commercial auction sites (like Grafe...just google it) liquidating commercial and industrial spaces will list them. I have five of them...all purchased on eBay...some over 60 years old...they are simple machines and practically indestructible 😃
Used to work at a USPS Processing/Sort center 12 years ago while in College...
First keep your barcode on a flat surface somewhere on the package even if it means putting the label on where it does not look the best. If it is curved or over an edge, it is was an inconvenience (to use a nice word).
Maybe things are better now, but assuming they are not (i.e. assuming equipment is NOT upgraded), please do NOT tape over the entire barcode on the label! I know a sellers who sell hundreds of items a day on all different platforms, and tape over everything. Back in 2008ish, we had to hand-scan all those packages that were entirely tapped over because the glare from the tape caused it to be unreadable by the automated scanners on the conveyer. Looked up the phone numbers and called the big sellers about it, and those we could not contact we mailed them a form letter if we recognized enough volume from them.
Unless the scanner is better now and this information is deprecated (unlikely USPS has all significantly new/better tech)...
Instead, use regular office supply tape (it is also lighter and does not add 0.3 - 0.5 ounces) and tape over the weight or size info, so they know the postage is correct if that barcode gets damaged, tape under the 3D barcode in the upper-right but not on the code with a thin strip of tape. Another thin strip over the To and another over the from address.
For the tracking number, use a thin strip over the actual human readable numbers, but cover about a 1/4” or a bit less of the barcode in tape. This leaves 85%+ of that barcode uncovered by tape easy for normal automated scanning while protecting the human readable number and protecting a thin strip of the barcode that will survive a monsoon rain with Gail-force wind, so a mail carrier can hand scan the undamaged 1/4” - at that point human interaction will be necessary anyway (it still beats typing it!).
Use regular office supply tape not packing tape for this is my recommendation because it is also lighter.
See attached for how I tape over my own labels:
@netwizz760 wrote:Used to work at a USPS Processing/Sort center 12 years ago while in College...
First keep your barcode on a flat surface somewhere on the package even if it means putting the label on where it does not look the best. If it is curved or over an edge, it is was an inconvenience (to use a nice word).
Maybe things are better now, but assuming they are not (i.e. assuming equipment is NOT upgraded), please do NOT tape over the entire barcode on the label! I know a sellers who sell hundreds of items a day on all different platforms, and tape over everything. Back in 2008ish, we had to hand-scan all those packages that were entirely tapped over because the glare from the tape caused it to be unreadable by the automated scanners on the conveyer. Looked up the phone numbers and called the big sellers about it, and those we could not contact we mailed them a form letter if we recognized enough volume from them.
Unless the scanner is better now and this information is deprecated (unlikely USPS has all significantly new/better tech)...
Instead, use regular office supply tape (it is also lighter and does not add 0.3 - 0.5 ounces) and tape over the weight or size info, so they know the postage is correct if that barcode gets damaged, tape under the 3D barcode in the upper-right but not on the code with a thin strip of tape. Another thin strip over the To and another over the from address.
For the tracking number, use a thin strip over the actual human readable numbers, but cover about a 1/4” or a bit less of the barcode in tape. This leaves 85%+ of that barcode uncovered by tape easy for normal automated scanning while protecting the human readable number and protecting a thin strip of the barcode that will survive a monsoon rain with Gail-force wind, so a mail carrier can hand scan the undamaged 1/4” - at that point human interaction will be necessary anyway (it still beats typing it!).
Use regular office supply tape not packing tape for this is my recommendation because it is also lighter.
See attached for how I tape over my own labels:
I have been a mail carrier since 2000. We have NEVER been unable to scan through clear packing tape even many layers of it.
I TOTALLY recomend, after years of trying to decipher smeared and or rubbed through tracking numbers and sometimes addresses, PLEASE !!!!!! tape over the whole label.
@netwizz760 wrote:Used to work at a USPS Processing/Sort center 12 years ago while in College...
First keep your barcode on a flat surface somewhere on the package even if it means putting the label on where it does not look the best. If it is curved or over an edge, it is was an inconvenience (to use a nice word).
Maybe things are better now, but assuming they are not (i.e. assuming equipment is NOT upgraded), please do NOT tape over the entire barcode on the label! I know a sellers who sell hundreds of items a day on all different platforms, and tape over everything. Back in 2008ish, we had to hand-scan all those packages that were entirely tapped over because the glare from the tape caused it to be unreadable by the automated scanners on the conveyer. Looked up the phone numbers and called the big sellers about it, and those we could not contact we mailed them a form letter if we recognized enough volume from them.
Unless the scanner is better now and this information is deprecated (unlikely USPS has all significantly new/better tech)...
Instead, use regular office supply tape (it is also lighter and does not add 0.3 - 0.5 ounces) and tape over the weight or size info, so they know the postage is correct if that barcode gets damaged, tape under the 3D barcode in the upper-right but not on the code with a thin strip of tape. Another thin strip over the To and another over the from address.
For the tracking number, use a thin strip over the actual human readable numbers, but cover about a 1/4” or a bit less of the barcode in tape. This leaves 85%+ of that barcode uncovered by tape easy for normal automated scanning while protecting the human readable number and protecting a thin strip of the barcode that will survive a monsoon rain with Gail-force wind, so a mail carrier can hand scan the undamaged 1/4” - at that point human interaction will be necessary anyway (it still beats typing it!).
Use regular office supply tape not packing tape for this is my recommendation because it is also lighter.
See attached for how I tape over my own labels:
Or buy a 4x6 thermal printer and stop wasting money on paper, ink, and clear tape.
