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I am not sure if anybody has discussed this previously or not. But I am curious, where do you guys get shipping boxes to ship Legos that you sold on eBay, amazon, bricklink, etc?
As a collector, I realize the importance of protecting the Legos so they arrive to the buyer in perfect condition.
I have ordered some free boxes from USPS but they are just not big enough for the bigger sets.
Any input is appreciated. Thanks!!!
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Comments
Otherwise I get some boxes from uline.com.
Thanks again bud!
If you only need three just drive around the back of strip malls and other retail centers. Plenty of boxes to be had.
I hate dealing with boxes for shipping, if you couldn't tell. I have a tiny living space, so I can't afford a closet just for tossing used boxes into to save for future shipments. So when I actually DO need a box I usually have to go buy one. One particular box was $12.25 at the UPS store! It was only 24"x24"x20" I believe. Not tiny, but it wasn't like I needed to ship a rocking chair either. I was floored by the cost.
most staff are pleased to get rid of them as it saves them a ton of hassle with the baling machine.
Anyone have experience using these and if so, did they work to protect your Lego box in transit? Seems like the shipping box shouldn't be much more than 3/4"-1" bigger than the Lego box on each side for the protectors to be able to stay in place:
http://www.uline.com/Product/Detail/S-6064/Protectors/3-5-8-x-3-x-2-Foam-Corner-Protectors
I used to get packing peanuts from B&N when I used to run an eBay business fulltime, they would leave them on their back loading dock in big bags. However one of the things I learned from that business (where I was shipping 30-40 packages a day), was that "free packing supplies" were for the birds...having nice new boxes and new bubble wrap was a huge time server and well worth the investment, just work it into your business plan. Working through uline or a similar box company you can get "right-sized" boxes for a dollar or less per box and not have to fool with awkward packing situations, especially since Lego set boxes are all slotted into distinct sizes (like the largest box for modulars and exclusives, next one down for PotC ships and SW AT-AT, etc).
The boxes that come from TRU, Target and [email protected] are usually way too big for their contents and while free, can be a pain to pack when you have to stuff it with extra packing material.
Didn't know about the B&N thing, however -- would have been a nice savings for some other things I used to sell.
I buy boxes from uLine, worth every penny... They sell 24x20x4" boxes that fit the modulars perfectly, leaving just enough room for bubble wrap around each side. For the valuable sets, I then stick them in a larger box and off they go. If I'm selling a $1,200 Cafe Corner, $5 in purchased packing supplies goes a long way. Amazing that so many people selling sets in this price range are so cheap.
When I buy stuff off eBay and it arrives other than as promised, usually due to the seller being cheap with packing, it ends up costing them more because either they have to take it back, or adjust the purchase price to compensate.
As everyone says LEGO.com boxes are great but if haven't got those and don't want to pay for boxes keep a look out for boxes that have held high-end electronics like Hi-Fi or business grade IT kit as it is usually double walled and considerably stronger than most of boxes.
Can anyone recommend a good shop/website (in the UK) where I can find some Large Lego set sized good quality boxes?
I've done a few searches but most cardboard box websites don't have and boxes that really suit large Lego sets. Sure I can order custom sized boxes which I may have to do but I was hoping someone might be able to advise me of a good (cheap) place to buy them.
Also, check whether the set box is massively important to the buyer. If they just want sealed and new, but not necessarily a mint box, then don't use a premium lego shipping box, but use something else with plenty of airbags.
But would be very interested if somebody knows a vendor for boxes which can hold Lego sets, e.g. 54 mm x 28 mm x 5.5 mm or some such.
Lego set boxes can come in quite strange proportions, come to think of it...
Sorry, I meant cm. ;)
195 x 70 x 145mm for smaller sets £0.16 per box
385 x 90 x 285mm for bigger ones £0.27 per box
Prices were low only because I ordered something around 3500 boxes at once.
Both are single wall board but overlapping flaps make them unusually resistant to rough handling. The bigger box easily takes my weight without being crushed. I can step on it and nothing happens (85kg if anyone is wondering). Since getting those boxes I had no complaints about crushed parcels.
Opening being in the longer side allows to use the boxes as telescopic boxes in case the LEGO set we pack is bigger. It works this way:
So for a big set like #2507 that is around 58 x 38 x 9 cm I would use 2 separate boxes and everything still looks neat, tidy and most importantly protects the contents well.
When it comes to even bigger sets like #10214 I'm reusing [email protected] boxes if I can. If not i still have some boxes I got from ebay a long time ago from http://stores.ebay.co.uk/WER-Online-Shop. I have only few left and will need to start looking around soon for some more.
Curious what @LegoFanTexas has to say about this topic. ;)
you have so much space!
U-LINE appears to have a decent range of side-loading boxes that might work, while I also saw these on Home Depot's site.
Does anyone have a preferred box style for shipping bigger sets? I'm looking for something multipurpose, since LEGO boxes tend to vary pretty widely.
Those side-loading boxes could be a pain. Since I generally use packing paper and/or newspaper to pad the sets, it might be hard to get even padding coverage on a side-loading box.
24x20x4 are perfect for modulars, IS, HH, AA, Orthanc, ewok
24x20x6 for bwing, TB, TH, SOH
24x16x4 for xwing, jabbas palace, vampire castle, etc
20x16x4 for new winter village sets, 20x12 for the older ones
24x20x6" boxes perfectly fit sets like the B-Wing and Tower Bridge
24x20x4" boxes perfectly wrap a modular size box
24x16x4" boxes perfect wrap a Jabba's Palace size box
They have various boxes for smaller sets too.
I use their 24x24x24" double-wall 275lb test boxes for shipping in bulk. They aren't cheap, at almost $5 a box, but when packed you can stand on them and they don't require protection in the box, you can pack them wall to wall with no filler materials. Load them up to 70lbs and the cost per lb is pretty reasonable when doing bulk shipments.
They have great quality bubblewrap and packing tape. If you pack a lot, spring for the 3" wide tape, it is worth the time and trouble saved, it does a better job holding boxes closed. If you pack at home, they have quiet tape that is really quiet, the family will thank you. Expensive tape, but worth it when the kids are sleeping.
You can get discounts the more you buy. Even more than their web site, you just have to call and work with a rep, but I've often been able to haggle down 30% or more off their published prices when buying over $1,000 worth at at time. Clearly you need to be a larger shipper to do that of course.
If you don't buy enough or can't get free shipping, ULine gets much more expensive.
Boxes need to be purchased locally, so if you don't have a ULine nearby, there will be a box supplier of some type nearby. Your phone book is a good place to start actually...
If I was doing this part time from home, I'd reuse boxes as well, but when you're paying someone else by the hour to pack, the cost of a stack of new boxes vs. paying them to sort used boxes rather washes out after awhile.