Helping to prevent McIntosh shipping damage

[VintageMac]

Having extra time on my hands during the coronavirus shutdown, I decided to add a section on the McIntosh Compendium that deals with shipping of McIntosh units.

My hope is that this will help stave off damage due to improper packaging that we see so often.

The PDF can be found on the first page of the Compendium and is attached here. Hopefully, Google will soon find this and it will be available to those who may be looking. Feel free to distribute this to sellers that will be shipping to you.

I think it is fairly complete and will encourage shippers to use the proper shipping carton. I did not get into the can of worms regarding which is the better or worse parcel delivery company, nor whether the faceplate should be removed and shipped separately.

Stay safe!

Larry

 

[Yamaki]

Thanks, Larry. That is good info!

 

[twiiii]

You have done great work presenting proven knowledge to novice Mcintosh owners. AC shipping containers have 2 times the structural strength and penetration protection. They are pricey, but well worth the investment. I now have a box for the 5 1/2 inch , 7 inch, narrow units from the past and new boxes or originals for the wider units. But if I had a packing issue I wouldn't hesitate to order a new box to ship my valuable Mac pieces.

 

[Mike Gibson]

Thanks for all your hard work Larry. It is really appreciated.

 

[L-82]

Nice work and I vouch for AC cartons.

 

[seacliffe301]

Having extra time on my hands during the coronavirus shutdown, I decided to add a section on the McIntosh Compendium that deals with shipping of McIntosh units

Thank you Larry for the very informative tutorial. "Essential" reading for anyone who is considering the shipment of fragile equipment.

Unfortunately, there is no cost effective means to 100% insure the safe delivery of undamaged goods. Your own words said it best,
"To have the greatest probability of your new-to-you McIntosh arriving unscathed..."
This is actually a very discouraging statement when you consider that as consumers, our only recourse is to employ a service where there is a strong "probability" that damage will occur,
regardless of the integrity of the carton used. Obviously accidents occur, but recklessness and neglect within this process do exist. The compensation for damage process that you've cited
is even more frustrating.

Regardless, your recommendations should be viewed as gospel.

 

[62caddy]

I'm starting to come to the conclusion that glass faceplates should be removed altogether and shipped separately whenever a McIntosh unit is to be delivered by way of common carrier. This is especially true for heavier units and even more imperative for replacement glass panels where supplies are rare- if they exist at all.

 

[jlovda]

When I sold a C33 a few months ago, I removed the knobs and glass panel and put them in a separate box. It cost an additional $25 shipping but everything arrived just fine. You have to provide decent instructions for the buyer to put everything back together. I also did it a few years ago with a C39. A LOT more complicated. My instructions were almost a page long because there was a rotating door, tiny screws and pushbuttons (with connectors) attached to the glass. The alignment was also trickier.

 

[VintageMac]

I think there is a difference between those of us who know how to safely remove the glass panel and those who don't. First, they may face issues with removing the knobs if they are stuck. If they pry on the glass, they may break it.

Then, the uninitiated may be unaware of the fragile silk-screening on the back of the glass. They may do more damage in removing the glass and packaging it than if they had just left it alone. And, would you want them to remove tuner glass with the fragile dial lettering?

Larry

 

[TR6man98]

Larry.
These are great instructions and will make sure i point a seller to them if I ever buy McIntosh on eBay again.

Last item I bought was MPI4 seller already packed with the cabinet. Big no no but he was not willing to open and send separately after “good packaging “.
Only reason I proceeded (besides the price) was AC had a spare glass in stock.
Sure thing, it came cracked...
it ended up well for me but seller lost some $$$

 

[damacman]

Larry.
These are great instructions and will make sure i point a seller to them if I ever buy McIntosh on eBay again.

Last item I bought was MPI4 seller already packed with the cabinet. Big no no but he was not willing to open and send separately after “good packaging “.
Only reason I proceeded (besides the price) was AC had a spare glass in stock.
Sure thing, it came cracked...
it ended up well for me but seller lost some $$$

He insisted he knew better. And there you have it. This goes along with the other thread on cracked glass.

 

[MRL_Audio]

Thanks for all you provide to the McIntosh community. Appreciate all you do. I only own a single piece at this point. A recently acquired C-32. I'm bordering on being a seasoned citizen at this point and have always spend time drooling over McIntosh gear. Happy to be a part of the "club".

 

[Archguy]

Having extra time on my hands during the coronavirus shutdown, I decided to add a section on the McIntosh Compendium that deals with shipping of McIntosh units.

My hope is that this will help stave off damage due to improper packaging that we see so often.

The PDF can be found on the first page of the Compendium and is attached here. Hopefully, Google will soon find this and it will be available to those who may be looking. Feel free to distribute this to sellers that will be shipping to you.

I think it is fairly complete and will encourage shippers to use the proper shipping carton. I did not get into the can of worms regarding which is the better or worse parcel delivery company, nor whether the faceplate should be removed and shipped separately.

Stay safe!

Larry

Great work Larry, and much needed. Creating a set of instructions like this was somewhere down on my 'to-do' list and you've saved me the trouble. Not to mention how much trouble you'll be saving buyers and sellers in the years to come. I'll link this on eBay unless you want to. Thanks very much.

 

[VintageMac]

Sure - go ahead!

Larry

 

[rl1856]

I built a plywood box to ship a MR71 with case. I secured the tuner in the case, then made a Styrofoam cover for the glass face, and wrapped the tuner in several layers of bubble wrap- 2 directions, front to back and side to side. I took measurements of the wrapped tuner then had Lowes cut 1/4 in plywood and 1x2 boards to fit. Materials cost was about $25, and box construction took less than 30min, not including my trip to Lowes. The crate was then boxed in a heavy duty cardboard box, with plenty of insulation.

This may not be feasible for something like a 2105 with case, as it would weigh 75 lbs+ inside of a crate.

I just shipped a 1500 receiver. I pulled the output tubes (and labeled each tube for proper installation), then used several inches of bubble wrap, including extra padding for the face. The wrapped receiver was double boxed with plenty of insulation. It arrived today, without damage.

If one gives the matter some thought, and is willing to invest time, then it should be easy to pack a Mac (or anything else that is as valuable and fragile) to withstand the rigors of shipping. Heck, I've shipped Mac, Marantz and even an EV 30inch woofer ( !! ) to Asia without damage.