Thanks USPS
 

I really appreciate it!

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Ugh...that sucks! Sorry this happened

What kind of package was it in.

How was this packaged when received? I ask because it may not have been the carriers fault.

True and I hope there was some form of insurance.

It was sent in a bubble envelope (the same way I have done it a couple of hundred times without incident), the buyer was trustworthy - this was the way he received it, and, for the LAST TIME IN MY LIFE, I did not include insurance.
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SUXALOT
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A lesson learned. I can ONLY be philosophical about it.
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I am watching 'Big Bang Theory' to make myself feel a little less like a loser.
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FYI - This card will be listed on the 'BAY ( as having a heavy through-and-through crease ) starting at 99 cents tomorrow night with a $5.00 insurance charge. The winning bidder will also receive the part of the PSA holder shown in the scans...for no extra charge! EBAU username is 'clydepepper' - bid or you can just send flowers, huh?
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Raymond
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After surviving 81 years in virtually flawless condition, it only took one trip in a govt vehicle to destroy it. Shame.

That stinks! I hear/see horror stories like this. I have been so lucky. So sorry, Raymond!

if you only put the slab in a bubble mailer alone w/o any further protection then you've just been lucky the last 200 times....i don't even ship $20 cards like that, much less a psa8 goudey.

Raymond--
 

I'm betting that card was NOT in a cardboard sandwich, regardless of the padded envelope.

Either way, that damage sucks!

Agreed. Bubble mailers are crap.

When I saw it was an 8 I thought the same thing, sorry. It happened to me once with a t206 Doc White psa 6. Nothing I could do but suck it up.

400 count box is the way to go......doesn't cost much more than a bubble mailer and provides WAY more protection.

How about putting the bubble mailer envelope INSIDE a Small priority mail rectangular box. Cost is $5.95 2-3 days generally.

Thanks for all the suggestions, guys. I do appreciate it.
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Also, check out Collector's Insurance - they insure your collection and it includes when things are in the mail. In other words, your annual premium means you never have to add insurance when you ship (unless the card is over $2500 in which case you can call the company and they will sell you the additional for what it would cost with the shipper). The minimum claim is $50, but nobody would bother with that anyway (fyi Priority Mail comes with $50 for free if you like to have insurance 100% of the time).

+1

Or put it in any box, like the 400-count box Tom mentioned above. The extra $ would be far better spent upgrading the packing materials than in adding insurance. Personally, I'd much rather receive a bomb-proof uninsured package than something in a bubble mailer with a sticker on it to reassure me that if the contents are damaged, the USPS will make the seller whole.

From what I've heard a small bubble mailer will go through the sorting machine since it's thin and small and it isn't a gentle process.

A thicker package such as securing it further in extra cardboard, bubble wrap, etc or even better a small box as others have mentioned before me would be hand sorted keeping it a bit more safe. Just a head ups moving forward!

had the same thing happen one time to a SCG slab in bubble mailer. Fortunately the buyer was understanding and I offered to trade the same card and grade E121 card and he said not needed and we moved on. Learned to package better after that one .

I recently purchased and received a 1951 Bowman Mickey Mantle in PSA 3 that was shipped in a bubble mailer. I have never been so excited and afraid to open a piece of mail in my life.

Lol
I've got a Lennox and a Carolina bright t206 waiting for me at the post office tomorrow morning.... I'm now terrified!!

bubble mailer
 

As a long time Postal employee, I would NEVER put a slab in a bubble mailer unless it was sandwiched between 2 pieces of heavy cardboard. If this had been properly packaged it would have arrived in one piece. A small priority box would have automatically included $50 of insurance at no extra cost, and if you print your own priority mail postage through ebay/PayPal, $100 of insurance is included at no charge.

The clerks at the PO always are supposed to ask - " does this package contain anything liquid, FRAGILE, perishable, or potentially hazardous?". In this case, fragile would have been the appropriate answer, and a good clerk may have suggested a different form of packaging.

If the package was mailed in a bubble mailer with no extra support, you should get a refund from the mailer.

Rick

+1 no reason you should eat this one.

This issue totally resides in the seller's court.

They must fix this.

I don't sell that much, but when I do, I go out of my way to make sure it is securely packaged.

I hardly use bubble envelopes, but when I do, I use rigid cardboard to secure the card.

Very sorry this happened to you.

Seller
 

I thought he was the seller/sender and was simply saying "lesson learned"

I think Mr. "Pepper" was the mailer, and not the mailee.:eek:

If you ship a lot look into getting insurance it will save you money over buying insurance each time you sell. Even the personal policies cover shipping of your collectibles.

Clyde---I use bubble mailers, but only for cards valued under $50---I use small priority boxes shipped for $4.95---your cards are more protected that way---I usually get one broken case in 300 mailings---it does happen since the card goes through machines at the postal center (I wouldn't blame the mailman, more so the system----but a high number psa 8 1934 goudey should have been shipped in a box.

Yep, and if you do that with all of your slabbed cards, and charge the customer, you will get dinged for excessive shipping costs - not every time, but often enough to possibly affect your ebay seller fees discount. Those of us operating on thin profit margins, without a team of shillers in our back office, have to consider such things. But I agree with expensive slabbed cards, simply because a buyer deserves priority service and the 'appearance' of a more safely packed item is important for your relationship with your customer.

As Raymond said, he's shipped hundreds of times in bubble mailers without incident. With me it's been thousands of times. On the other hand, I have had small priority boxes arrive with ends opened - removing the card or bubble mailer from such a package would be an easy next step for a thief. As a customer I would rather not pay the extra $3 for shipping.

As others have mentioned, the cardboard on either side of the slab is extremely important.

Tape.

If I were mailing a slabbed card to some of the guys participating in this thread, it would definitely go in a priority box - I would hate for someone to be angry when they saw a bubble mailer in their mail box. I would rather they be excited about opening the package and seeing their card.

You don't have to ship Priority to use a box. If you're getting tracking, you're paying for a 3 ounce package regardless. On single cards, packing in a 400count box vs a bubble mailer typically makes zero difference in postage cost. Even if it goes up to the next ounce, you're talking about an extra 21 cents. All in, including buying the box vs a bubble mailer, you might be looking at a difference of 50 cents when shipping 1st Class. In most cases, not even that much. But it makes a world of difference in perception on the receiving end when your item arrives in a box vs a bubble mailer, even if you pass on the added expense to the buyer.

The problem with bubble mailers is that shippers think they have some special power to whisk the contents off to their destination in a protective cushion of air. They don't. Think of them more like a brown paper bag: good for concealing their contents, but providing very little protection beyond that. If you wouldn't feel comfortable putting the item in a paper bag, wadding it up, and shoving it into a hole slightly smaller than the item, it's probably best to beef up the packaging. On the other hand, if it's something you would normally drop in a manila envelope except that you need to be able to add tracking, then a bubble mailer might be okay. As long as you're okay with your envelope alternative getting folded in half to fit into a too-small mailbox.

I use the small flat rate priority boxes $4.95---and always tape the ends and top----the glue on those boxes are horrible, but taping does the job---I use bubble padded sleeves for $20 card range--and usually they make it with no problem, but every now and then, one does break---but for money cards always use small rate priority boxes---and knowing it is a expensive card, I do charge $5 shipping.

packages
 

I wish I could show you guys the way we receive our packages. Picture a large plastic hamper, about 4' long, 3' wide, and 3' feet high. When it leaves the processing plant, it is filled with packages. It may contain 10-12 larger packages, or it may may contain 300-400 small packages, or it may contain a mixture of a couple of hundred large and small packages. If your package with the unprotected slab in a bubble mailer happens to be on the bottom of 300 small packages, with a dozen heavy packages on top, you may very well end up with a damaged slab.

The processing plant is sending hampers of packages to 150 or so different post offices, some of them are 100 miles from the plant, and the only efficient way to send them is in these large hampers. So, always package your item as if it will be on the bottom a hamper with 300 other parcels.

I do the same thing. Small flat rate box for expensive items, always with extra tape around the edges because the glue on the box is not good enough. Also I stamp the outside of the box in several places with my "fragile" stamper prior to taping it up, and pack the inside of the box with extra bubble wrap or peanuts to prevent shifting of contents.

Finally, I hand carry the package to my PO, where over the years I have established a good rapport with all the employees, and get it scanned with receipt. So far no problems with this method in 20 years.

Shipping
 

I buy Elmer's foam board at Walmart it cost about $6.50 for a 4 pack. You can cut it with a utility knife to size, and you can get quite a few pieces out of a sheet. It is very light weight and very rigid. Depending on the value, I put one or two pieces taped to a bagged slab and then mail in a bubble envelope. The stuff is tuff to bend, so tuff I also use it for comics as well. Luckily never had a problem and buyers love it.

Amazing stuff. The safest way to ship would be to personally carry each item to its destination and the least safe would be to stick a stamp and address label diectly on the slab. Everything between is a matter of opinion.

Ughhh... Just repackaged outgoing shipment to include cardboard sandwich.

I agree, plus they give you $50 worth of insurance included.

Likely the machinery, not the carrier. Them high-speed ollers eat padded envelopes. Fatten em up and they get hand sorted. Sorry for the loss.

Not to pile on, but just shipping a card like that by itself in a plain old bubble mailer is just begging for trouble. I take all my high dollar cards and wrap them in bubble wrap long enough to go over the card at least 4 times! It costs so very little to do it that way, and adds nothing extra in the way of weight hardly.

Cardboard is free and bubble mailers are cheap. As Lance pointed out, cardboard boxes can also be used for priority or 1st class shipping - the problem is finding enough of them if you are a volume seller, but quite honestly, I never considered it. If I get a large batch of graded cards in the future, I will definitely look into buying small boxes in bulk.

Lance is always thinking outside the box <=== get it?

I just had this happen on an order from PSA. Thank goodniess my cases were only cracked and reholder was success! They shipped in the small brown PSA box. The two cards on the end were cracked. My guess is that USPS carrier somewhere played football with the box.

.... I will definitely look into buying small boxes in bulk

Priority mail boxes are free at usps.com

I shipped the each newly sold card in fitted plastic sleeves bookended by previously mentioned cardboard strips bound by two rubber bands, and for the multiple-card order, I wrapped them in bubble-wrap fitting snugly in one of the afore-mentioned PSA boxes.

Just for overkill, I also insured each package for their full amount.


Thanks for all the input and advice...I have indeed learned from it.

Any further 'assistance' can accurately be depicted as 'pilling on'.
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Scott (and anyone else that cares too listen), you might take a look at BCW (bcwsupplies.com) for collecting supplies that can double as shipping supplies. In addition to the aforementioned 400-count boxes, I recommend the 330-count boxes for shipping a single baseball in ball cube (they also sell cubes), and the various sleeves and toploaders for flats of all sizes. If you have a tax number, it's worthwhile to register for a dealer/bulk account (no "free shipping" but the discount more than makes up for it). If memory serves, being on the west coast should help with shipping costs too.

I like the card boxes for shipping small items because they are very lightweight, yet also very sturdy due to the way the flaps of the lid lock into the sidewalls of the box. They do have boxes specifically sized for slabs, but last time I checked, other sizes like the 400 count boxes worked just as well but at a lower price.

Fwiw, with a 330 count box closed firmly around a ball cube turned on its side (I know, a cube turned on its side sounds weird, but trust me), I can stand on the box and hop up and down without cracking the cube. And packed that way, the package weighs 12oz, meaning it can be shipped 1st Class.

Sure, the post office will provide a Priority box for free, but then you're locked into paying for Priority shipping. If you're shipping primarily lightweight items, and doing so frequently, it may be worth checking into alternatives that will allow secure shipping while staying under the 13-ounce cutoff for 1st Class, even if it means buying your own boxes.

Thanks Lance. After I finish selling my current inventory, I may concentrate on graded cards - that was my original business plan, but it evolved to 'miscellaneous cool shit'.

I noticed some dealers use the white (I'm guessing ~300 count) card storage boxes to ship graded cards - I always save these when I get them for my own use because they are a real hard cardboard - actually better than priority mail boxes.