[Discussion] Do You Buy, Sell, Trade Records? COME INSIDE !

[ethereal]

This will probably get buried and/or ignored but whatever, figured I’d ask for the hell of it.

 

Hopefully this can be a beneficial discussion for the community.

 

THE QUESTION: 
Those of you who pack and ship records in mailers where the contents are clearly moving around and not protected (other than mailer)

Why do you do it?

 

To clarify: I understand there are mailers that have splash guards and wrap around where the reference to extra protection does not apply, I am talking about the standard white/brown mailers most people use (and re-use over and over again)

 

It seems like there is a current misconception that as long as I “throw the record in an appropriate mailer” all is well type of mentality but over the past year it seems like this has gotten significantly out of hand and seems to stem from these two aspects of shipment:

 

Also to preface: This is not a “new seller/buyer” issue and have seen this from 300+ feedback accounts as well as popular record labels, although new sellers have been known to do this as well.

 

a) If the contents are MOVING inside of the mailer after you seal it, it is THRASHING in the mailer for the entire duration of transit; and without extra protection, these albums arrive in miserable condition because the album is taking the hit from the thin cardboard surrounding of the mailer. USPS/postal services are rough in transit, this is a known thing and not exactly their problem.

Solution: a good test shake before dropping it off, if it moves around, open it up and fix it in place.

 

b) If there isn’t extra cardboard padded into these types of mailers, these mailers are too thin to prevent damage and thus albums will arrive in miserable condition.

Solution/Example: Pack your shipment and if you are confident of the packing - drop it from 3-4ft off the ground (postal bin height) and see if it damaged anything, chances are it did if nothing was done for added protection and foresight.

 

Both of which are VERY easy to avoid with an extra minute of patience in the packing process.

 

so let’s start the discussion, are you guys doing this? a victim? think I’m full of shit? let’s hear it!

Edited August 2, 2019 by ethereal

[One Hundred Fifty-Two]

A couple extra pieces of cardboard go a long way

[Buffbloom]

Mighty Mailer + Padder or bust!

[Fowty Dollaz]

So long as the damage is masked in the frame, it doesn't matter. 

 

Seriously though, I don't know why people think mailers are so indestructible. FAT used to be really bad about it, but now I just order 2+ at a time. They also seem to throw in a stiffener at no cost now, so that's nice.

[unknown pleasures]

Can I mention again those miserable excuse for mailers that are so often used by many UK shops and labels? I see them slightly less than I used to but still way too often. You know the ones I’m talking about: they’re really just thick paper envelopes and not cardboard. If you’re lucky, you get an insert to stiffen it (and for some reason inserts in the UK seem to be half as thick as US ones). I’ve seen them used for both singles and LPs. You’re 100% guaranteed corner damage and probably some warping. They're rare in the rest of Europe but the Brits seem addicted to them...

[Derek™]

It’s far less about the durability of the mailer and way more about the wiggle room inside the mailer.  I wish people would grasp that.  It’s why my orders from the UK that arrive in snug cardboard envelopes are mint 99% of the time, and my stateside orders show up with seam splits despite shipping in mailers that pass as tanks.

 

After you package your record up, and before taping the mailer closed, I’d encourage everyone to give the mailer a shake.  Nothing intense, just like a kid on Christmas morning who gets to the tree before his parents are awake.  If you feel any shifting inside, I’d strongly encourage some additional packaging.  It can be more cardboard, bubble wrap, spare jacket laying around, newspaper, whatever.  Just get it all to “hug” inside and you’ll save a ton of headaches.  Thick mailers and corner protectors are great for saving dog-eared bends or creases, but dings and seam splits are way more common from my experience. And easily avoidable once you eliminate that extra space inside the mailer.

[zdkaiser]

Derek is 100% correct.