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Mailing Records...I got a question?

EscalanteEscalante 197 Posts
edited April 2005 in Strut Central
I'm about to get an ebay account going. My question is, what do you all suggest for packaging records. My main concern is heat and warping. I live in AZ so its hard enough to keep my records cool indoors. What suggestions do you all have??

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  • hcrinkhcrink 8,729 Posts
    ice-packs?
  • BreakSelfBreakSelf 2,925 Posts
    I'm about to get an ebay account going. My question is, what do you all suggest for packaging records. My main concern is heat and warping. I live in AZ so its hard enough to keep my records cool indoors. What suggestions do you all have??

    I use strictly cardboard lp mailers (usually from bags unlimited). I usually use bubblewrap for packaging the lps, cause it tends to keep the weight under a pound. For big ticket items I use cardboard inserts. 3M packing tape is your best friend.

    Don't know what to suggest about the heat, I live in Michigan.
  • BreakSelfBreakSelf 2,925 Posts
    ice-packs?

    yeah, replace bubblewrap with ice-packs...or little tiny fans.
  • hcrinkhcrink 8,729 Posts
    I'm about to get an ebay account going. My question is, what do you all suggest for packaging records. My main concern is heat and warping. I live in AZ so its hard enough to keep my records cool indoors. What suggestions do you all have??

    I use strictly cardboard lp mailers (usually from bags unlimited). I usually use bubblewrap for packaging the lps, cause it tends to keep the weight under a pound. For big ticket items I use cardboard inserts. 3M packing tape is your best friend.


    Do you think cardboard inserts are more protective than bubble wrap? I've wondered about this before...
  • hcrinkhcrink 8,729 Posts
    ...or little tiny fans.

    haha!!!

    might be costly though.
  • BreakSelfBreakSelf 2,925 Posts
    I'm about to get an ebay account going. My question is, what do you all suggest for packaging records. My main concern is heat and warping. I live in AZ so its hard enough to keep my records cool indoors. What suggestions do you all have??

    I use strictly cardboard lp mailers (usually from bags unlimited). I usually use bubblewrap for packaging the lps, cause it tends to keep the weight under a pound. For big ticket items I use cardboard inserts. 3M packing tape is your best friend.


    Do you think cardboard inserts are more protective than bubble wrap? I've wondered about this before...

    the packages 'feel' more sturdy when I'm done. Not sure though!
  • EscalanteEscalante 197 Posts
    ...or little tiny fans.

    haha!!!

    might be costly though.

    I'll charge it to the buyer...HAHA
  • KARLITOKARLITO 991 Posts
    I live in AZ
    If you want to be safe don't ship LP's once it gets into the 90's. That means no e-bay bussiness late April -> October. That also means if you are a lazy ass like me you will have 250 lp's you meant to e-bay this winter and never got around to
  • EscalanteEscalante 197 Posts
    I live in AZ
    If you want to be safe don't ship LP's once it gets into the 90's. That means no e-bay bussiness late April -> October. That also means if you are a lazy ass like me you will have 250 lp's you meant to e-bay this winter and never got around to

    So I got a couple weeks to get it started...great.. Your down in Tucson right?
  • KARLITOKARLITO 991 Posts
    Your down in Tucson right?
    yes. I mean maybe you could push it right up untill the ice breaks but I feel like high 90's could be just as deadly to the wax as low 100's. Then again it's really more dirrect exposure to the sun like sitting out in it or in a window or car seat that will warp 'em. As you know if you stash them bitches under the car seat even in summer they are kosher if you keep the window craked a little, even then your car is still reaching like 150+ temps I bet.
  • EscalanteEscalante 197 Posts
    Your down in Tucson right?
    yes. I mean maybe you could push it right up untill the ice breaks but I feel like high 90's could be just as deadly to the wax as low 100's. Then again it's really more dirrect exposure to the sun like sitting out in it or in a window or car seat that will warp 'em. As you know if you stash them bitches under the car seat even in summer they are kosher if you keep the window craked a little, even then your car is still reaching like 150+ temps I bet.

    I'd much rather wait out the heat then have some pissed off customers...
  • handcorkscrewhandcorkscrew 255 Posts
    I live in AZ
    If you want to be safe don't ship LP's once it gets into the 90's. That means no e-bay bussiness late April -> October. That also means if you are a lazy ass like me you will have 250 lp's you meant to e-bay this winter and never got around to

    I got paranoid last summer (I'm in FL) and had all my wax shipped to my work instead of sitting on my porch all day. Didn't get any warps traceable to that (it gets above 90 here but the real killer is the humidity) but couldn't hurt. The secretary for my department was kinda pissed tho
  • EscalanteEscalante 197 Posts
    I live in AZ
    If you want to be safe don't ship LP's once it gets into the 90's. That means no e-bay bussiness late April -> October. That also means if you are a lazy ass like me you will have 250 lp's you meant to e-bay this winter and never got around to

    I got paranoid last summer (I'm in FL) and had all my wax shipped to my work instead of sitting on my porch all day. Didn't get any warps traceable to that (it gets above 90 here but the real killer is the humidity) but couldn't hurt. The secretary for my department was kinda pissed tho

    Yea..I used to get all my record orders shipped to my old job. I worked at a radio station so it wasn't unusual to recieve records, and it also wasn't unusual for me to use the fed ex acount to mail out records..
  • davesrecordsdavesrecords 1,802 Posts
    i don't think warping is a problem in sturdy boxes. the only warping i've had from the sun is leaving stuff in the car. i think as long as it is out of contact with the sunlight it won't warp (not sure about really hot weather though).

    some more suggestions about mailing records...

    if you are starting to mail records or any product of any kind mail order your best friend is one of those handy tape guns. you can buy them at staples for not much. i used to do the taping by hand and those guns are the best thing since sliced break. makes things so much easier (and faster).

    another thing you might want is a scale. you also get them at staples for about 40. they are very useful for international orders which have crazy mailing prices. and for pricing go to the rate calculator at usps.com

    of course boxes, bubble wrap and cardboard fillers (i don't use bubble wrap because i've had broken/warped records in the past). bubble wrap makes it cheaper but you might end up getting a whole bunch of complaints later about broken records.

    another thing you might want as well if you are going to mailing a lot of stuff is some kind of label making software. that can also be purchased at staples. printing the labels is a pain in the ass if you are mailing a lot and things get returned to you occasionally cause they can't read your sloppy writing.
  • EscalanteEscalante 197 Posts
    i don't think warping is a problem in sturdy boxes. the only warping i've had from the sun is leaving stuff in the car. i think as long as it is out of contact with the sunlight it won't warp (not sure about really hot weather though).

    some more suggestions about mailing records...

    if you are starting to mail records or any product of any kind mail order your best friend is one of those handy tape guns. you can buy them at staples for not much. i used to do the taping by hand and those guns are the best thing since sliced break. makes things so much easier (and faster).

    another thing you might want is a scale. you also get them at staples for about 40. they are very useful for international orders which have crazy mailing prices. and for pricing go to the rate calculator at usps.com

    of course boxes, bubble wrap and cardboard fillers (i don't use bubble wrap because i've had broken/warped records in the past). bubble wrap makes it cheaper but you might end up getting a whole bunch of complaints later about broken records.

    another thing you might want as well if you are going to mailing a lot of stuff is some kind of label making software. that can also be purchased at staples. printing the labels is a pain in the ass if you are mailing a lot and things get returned to you occasionally cause they can't read your sloppy writing.

    Thanks for the tips. I keep that all in mind.
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