FYI packing peanuts from UPS

[Justgotohm]

This very large bag of peanuts is $40 at my local USP store, I would assume the same pricing all around. I ship international a good bit and this saves a ton of time. The little bags in the front of the store are $5 and this will fill 20 of them. I also wrap the shipments first with (cool....subjective!) Tshirts from goodwill at $1 a piece. Never any brand names just local stuff from colleges, sororities, fraternities, etc. Most people dig an obscure Tshirt especially from the other side of the planet and I think it's kinda fun.

 

[MaxxVolume]

I would not ship anything valuable and weighing more than about 20 pounds using just peanuts. If dropped (more likely, "WHEN dropped"), it`s far too easy for a corner of say a receiver to punch right through those peanuts, and impact whatever hard surface it comes in contact with....(the T-Shirts are a great idea ! )

 

[EastPoint]

Just FYI, if you call up your local grocery stores, you may be able to get packing material for free. I haven't paid for peanuts or bubble wrap ever.

 

[hjames]

I buy 1" thick pink foam at Home Despot when I am packing speakers or heavy electronic gear,
Hand cut and I custom "wrap" with it for valuable gear,
and the buyer pays for it - I NEVER had a complaint!
I would never use that peanut junk

 

[wlhd1610]

I buy 1" thick pink foam at Home Despot when I am packing speakers or heavy electronic gear,
Hand cut and I custom "wrap" with it for valuable gear,
and the buyer pays for it - I NEVER had a complaint!
I would never use that peanut junk

Exactly!

Too many times I've received units purchased off eBay where they used peanuts only to find that the item had "settled" over to the far side of the box leaving it totally unprotected from damage.
I always give detailed packing instructions saying "no peanuts or crushed newspapers please" but apparently some think peanuts are ok for 40-50lb electronics.

Bob

 

[Justgotohm]

Ugh, Now I'm freaking out. I packed up a set of seriously mint Lancer 77's going to Tokyo. On each speaker I did cover with two T-shirts, three complete rotations in both directions with large bubble wrap and four inches of peanuts on all sides and double boxed. Geez I hope they make it, it would be a shame if they got damaged. I sent a Sansui BA2000 and a CA2000 to Australia in separate boxes. I did wrap each one in a T shirt then three rotations of large bubble wrap. I did make a sort of brace system inside each box so no pressure would be applied to the faces, filled all voids with peanuts. I sure wish I had read the post above before shipping. The funny thing is I asked the guy at UPS if they use peanuts on high value, high insured items, he said yes they do so I went with it. Man, please make it half way around the world intact. Thank y'all for the pointers, haha I thought I found a deal on shipping material. The moisture barrier foam is a great idea.

 

[blhagstrom]

Peanuts and bubble wrap are crap.


Unless you get industrial bubble wrap.
I salvage that at work, but only use it on flat areas.

Polystyrene is the dream. I snag that stuff.

Sushi fish coolers are great. Hard styrofoam.
They usually throw them away on tuesday's here. A rinse with the hose and a day outside kills the fish smell. I cut the with a hot wire.
Putting a Sushi cooler corner on each corner of a speaker, them taping across to hold them, then rolling all that in cardboard makes a perfect package. I've shipped 70 pound speakers like that.

Furniture stores throw out nice styrofoam.

Egg cartons make great packing.

Foam rubber is nice as padding.
Old couches, pillows, beds.
Heavy though so just use it where needed.

Cardboard rolled up can make good blocks to hold other packing in place or help hold parts in place. As a tube it can squish if needed. As a roll of proper length it serves as a block.

Rolled up bubble wrap is ok to pad with but not in critical spots like corners.

Peanuts can make good pads. Fill plastic sacks (bags) and make pillows out of them. Double bag so the bastards don't get loose.

Padding top, bottom and tight blocked corners is the key. Room for the box to crush if needed.

Solid styrofoam encasement is nuts. It's too solid. Every hit to the box goes right to the parts inside. Let the box and packing die if needed.

 

[toxcrusadr]

Furniture stores have great foam and some heavy duty bubble wrap.

I get free peanuts from stuff people send me or watch CL or talk to friends who work in offices and anywhere that gets equipment and supplies by mail. They often have bags and bags they just throw away.

$40 is a complete ripoff IMHO. But not unheard of. I saw a roll of very light duty bubble wrap about a ft wide and maybe 20 ft long, in Staples, for $22. Crazy prices for stuff I can scrounge for free.

Maybe the triple layers of bubble will get your speakers to Tokyo.

 

[matt e.]

Polystyrene foam insulation boards work well for heavy equipment, but it doesn't have much absorption qualities. Double box and select shock absorbing material appropriate for the weight of the item. I've used carpet pad between the boxes which works pretty good. I once caught my UPS driver literally holding packages above his head and throwing them onto my front yard. Complaining will get you nowhere. Since then, I ship everything heavy by Fedex and find them safer and more responsible in package handling.

 

[Justgotohm]

UPS - United Pot Smokers, I was told that by a UPS manager. I ship With USPS if they will take it, then I'll use Fed Ex. I use UPS maybe 10% of the time. I do notice a lot of things I order come via UPS.

 

[toxcrusadr]

Polystyrene foam insulation boards work well for heavy equipment, but it doesn't have much absorption qualities. Double box and select shock absorbing material appropriate for the weight of the item. I've used carpet pad between the boxes which works pretty good. I once caught my UPS driver literally holding packages above his head and throwing them onto my front yard. Complaining will get you nowhere. Since then, I ship everything heavy by Fedex and find them safer and more responsible in package handling.

A combination of rigid and compressible packing is good. We've had that discussion here I think. I like to use the stuff that gives a bit right next to the unit, which will absorb shock and gently cushion the unit, progressing to more rigid material on the outside which protects it from hard knocks and punctures.

 

[MaxxVolume]

This is my favorite material for protecting valuable/fragile items when shipping. This polyurethane foam will compress about 20% when squeezed, then immediately return to it`s original shape. Easy to work with, cuts with a sharp or serrated knife. I always use it to protect control panels, and corners also get surrounded with it. Have collected the stuff for years, got most from recycling dumpsters behind furniture and optical stores.
Also got a bunch of foam rubber underpadding scraps from some carpet installers who were finishing up a big job, traded a couple of 6-packs for it. Good for padding between inner & outer boxes.

 

[Archguy]

Polystyrene foam insulation boards work well for heavy equipment, but it doesn't have much absorption qualities. Double box and select shock absorbing material appropriate for the weight of the item.

A combination of rigid and compressible packing is good. We've had that discussion here I think. I like to use the stuff that gives a bit right next to the unit, which will absorb shock and gently cushion the unit, progressing to more rigid material on the outside which protects it from hard knocks and punctures.

It bears repeating, and I wish the intelligence were shared on the various auction/sales sites. Too many people think that peanuts (on the one hand) or hard styrofoam (on the other) alone will do the trick. The business of absorbing shock remains obscure to many shippers. About UPS/FedEx/USPS it seems to be up to individual employees and what sort of mood they're in that day.

 

[w1jim]

Best deal on larger quantities of bubble wrap is Uline, they'll ship it by truck.
https://m.uline.com/h5/r/www.uline.com/BL_468/Uline-Industrial-Bubble-Rolls?keywords=

 

[Justgotohm]

Thank y'all for the great advice on my next shipments. Thank heavens the Lancers have arrived safely in Tokyo, I can sleep a little more soundly now. Just waiting to hear about the BA/CA combo to Australia.

 

[ConradH]

My hope is that peanuts are made illegal to manufacture or use for shipments. Even if they protected the shipment, which they generally don't, they make a huge mess and are an environmental problem because nobody will recycle them. At least not around here. I hate getting anything shipped with peanuts!

 

[Justgotohm]

I know at some point there was or is a company that sells biodegradable packing peanuts. Mass wise it would seem they are less than hard foam and possibly bubble wrap. I would say I would melt all three based on volume and measure the outcome but I'm pretty sure that would be counterproductive. I do know I will never ship heavy items as I have recently.

 

[faber12]

This is my favorite material for protecting valuable/fragile items when shipping. This polyurethane foam will compress about 20% when squeezed, then immediately return to it`s original shape. Easy to work with, cuts with a sharp or serrated knife. I always use it to protect control panels, and corners also get surrounded with it. Have collected the stuff for years, got most from recycling dumpsters behind furniture and optical stores.
Also got a bunch of foam rubber underpadding scraps from some carpet installers who were finishing up a big job, traded a couple of 6-packs for it. Good for padding between inner & outer boxes.

View attachment 990221

This stuff is awesome. I have used it with success. Pool noodles are similar foam, and work great for corners.

 

[toxcrusadr]

The degradable peanuts are made of cornstarch, and will dissolve instantly in water. They have a different texture so you can pick them out. Never figure 8 shaped or colored, always white and tubular like baked Cheetos.

I never throw out peanuts. I collect them in a bag and if I have too many, I offer them free at work or on CL or Freecycle. Always plenty of takers.

Peanuts may be useless for heavy stuff like audio, but they're fine for lightweight items to keep them from bouncing around in an oversized box. Although I like the air pillows better and they seem to be using more of those now. Less plastic involved.

 

[SoCal Sam]

Ugh, Now I'm freaking out. I packed up a set of seriously mint Lancer 77's going to Tokyo. On each speaker I did cover with two T-shirts, three complete rotations in both directions with large bubble wrap and four inches of peanuts on all sides and double boxed. Geez I hope they make it, it would be a shame if they got damaged. I sent a Sansui BA2000 and a CA2000 to Australia in separate boxes. I did wrap each one in a T shirt then three rotations of large bubble wrap. I did make a sort of brace system inside each box so no pressure would be applied to the faces, filled all voids with peanuts. I sure wish I had read the post above before shipping. The funny thing is I asked the guy at UPS if they use peanuts on high value, high insured items, he said yes they do so I went with it. Man, please make it half way around the world intact. Thank y'all for the pointers, haha I thought I found a deal on shipping material. The moisture barrier foam is a great idea.

Japanese friends will love western Tee shirts...if the speakers arrive safely. Yes, you are going to lose some sleep on this until you get positive feedback or get a message indicating satisfaction. You may not get either and you may have to sweat it out for the six months it takes for the claw back period to expire. Oh what fun.

Speakers need cormer blocks to keep the cabinet corners away from cardboard corners. Unfortunately, peanuts compress and shift which will allow the speaker to shift. Someone mentioned pink styrofoam which I assume is hard construction foam. Not good. It is too hard and transmits shock which can lead to cabinet cracking and broken drivers. I use medium density white styrofoam which has structure AND give. It's free from furniture store dumpsters but expensive if you have to pay for it.