eBay strikes again...

You are so right, eBay has absolutely no seller protection policy. I'm sick of them. And packaging, ye gods, I received a Mitzy DA-A15DC amp and it was trashed. You could see it quite clearly throuh the holes in the packaging. I absolutely tore the seller a new A@$ H*&^...I told I would not even ship cabbages the way he had sent that beautiful amp. I got my money back but that piece of hifi history is now doomed for the dump...maybe spares at best.

I've beat buyers before. YMMV.

The real question w.r.t. ebay turntables and hifi gear is, "Would you rather take a chance and maybe be disappointed, or let that gorgeous piece of equipment get trashed in the mail going to someone else?" If it makes it to you intact, you've gotten a good deal. If it doesn't, it's likely it was going to get trashed no matter who bought it, and if it wasn't it's likely whoever bought it wouldn't take as good care of it as you would have. If you live somewhere like I do, finding anything vintage locally is either going to get you stuff that's garbage tier or way overpriced unless you're willing to scour craigslist for a year for what you're looking for.
 
Best method has been posted here on the AK site, it is more than bubble wrap. Ideally you have rigid foam between the inner and outer box, that is far more protective than bubble wrap, especially if shipping a heavier table. In a nutshell, here is how I pack a TT and I have never had a complaint let alone damage of any kind.

  1. Remove the following from the table:
    • Dustcover
    • Counterweight
    • Platter
    • Headshell/Cartridge
    • 45 adaptor
    • Anything else that could possibly work its way loose (RCA or power cables, accessories like damping troughs, etc)
  2. Use a twist tie to secure the tonearm to it's rest - the clip built into your rest is not adequate and can easily break in shipment
  3. Wrap the entire table with stretch wrap to keep everything stable, then bubble wrap in both directions (side/side and front/back)
  4. Wrap with bubble wrap and place the dustcover on top of the wrapped plinth, and unitize the cover/plinth with (tight) stretch wrap and then an additional layer of bubble wrap. Once this is done, put the assembly into a large plastic bag (kitchen trash bag works well) and tape securely
  5. In the bottom of the first box, place a piece of rigid foam that fits the box dimensions. Place the platter on top of this - I usually secure the platter to the foam by poking holes through the foam and using twine or twist ties through those holes and the access holes in the platter.
  6. Place the wrapped table on top of the platter, feet side down
  7. Use rigid foam to fill any spaces around the turntable sides.
  8. In a low-profile box that will fit on top of the turntable, pack and place all the other stuff you removed. I normally bag things separately and separate the components in that box with bubble wrap. If you are shipping a cartridge, take care that is packaged properly. My wife does work with rhinestones and I take her discarded jewel jars, and drill the lids with 2 holes 1/2" apart, then I mount the cartridge to the lid and re-apply to the jar so the cartridge is 100% protected. If I have the original cartridge packaging I pack the cartridge in that instead. Make sure this box is well packed, seal it up and place on top of the turntable, making sure any voids along the sides are filled with foam (best) or bubble wrap.
  9. Cover the top of the first box with a thick sheet of cardboard, and seal it up
  10. Construct the outer box, which ideally is 2" larger in each dimension than the inner box (I use brand new boxes)
  11. Cut a sheet of 1" thick rigid insulation foam so that two pieces fit to the exact dimensions of the bottom of the carton. Place one sheet in the bottom, then place the packed inner carton on top of it.
  12. Cut sheets of rigid foam such that they fit exactly on each side and come up to the top of the inner carton. Place the other large cut foam sheet on top of this. The inner carton should now be completely encapsulated in rigid foam.
  13. Place a thick sheet of cardboard on top of the top foam, and seal the outer carton securely.
  14. Bring it to FedEx (I won't ship a turntable any other way)
I've shipped three turntables using this method, and never had an issue (I use the same process for shipping other components too). When its all said and done, I have between $30-$50 invested in this, but to me its worth every penny to ensure it arrives to a buyer in the same condition it left my audio rack in.

The only better system I've seen is the packaging for a SOTA table, where the table is bolted to a piece of plywood and placed in special packaging where the turntable "floats" in the shipping carton.

Yeah, saw this method, thanks. Looks great, although I've never had a problem with my method, and I've shipped many, many things more delicate than a turntable, as well as several turntables. The best method is the one that works for you.
 
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