PACKAGING CAST IRON FOR SHIPMENT

MANY OF US HAVE RECEIVED ITEMS PURCHASED ON EBAY BROKEN ON ARRIVAL.  THIS IS MOST DISAPPOINTING!  FOLLOWING ARE SOME SUGGESTIONS FOR PACKING CAST IRON OR GLASS FOR SHIPMENT:

1.  SELECT A BOX THAT HAS AT LEAST TWO INCHES OR MORE SPACE BETWEEN THE PIECE AND THE OUTSIDE WALLS OF THE BOX ON ALL SIDES.  ALSO, MAKE SURE THE BOX IS A STURDY ONE, MADE OF CORREGATED PAPER, AND NOT THIN CARDBOARD.  SHOULD YOU NOT HAVE TWO INCHES ON A SIDE, PUT A PIECE OF STYROFOAM OR SUCH BETWEEN THE PIECE AND THE OUTSIDE WALL OF THE BOX.

2.  WRAP THE PIECE TO BE SHIPPED IN MATERIAL THAT WILL PROTECT IT.  BUBBLE WRAP IS GOOD.  IF THERE ARE MORE THAN ONE PIECE TO THE ITEM TO BE SHIPPED, I.E. A WAFFLE IRON OR SKILLET & LID, WRAP EACH PIECE INDIVIDUALLY AND BE SURE TO PUT AT LEAST TW0 INCHES OF PACKING MATERIAL BETWEEN EACH PIECE.  IT IS NICE FOR SMALLER PIECES TO BE DOUBLE BOXED---PUT THE PIECE IN A BOX THAT FITS IT AND THEN INTO A LARGER BOX WITH TWO INCHES AROUND ALL SIDES.  PUT PACKING MATERIAL IN THAT TWO INCES ALL AROUND, TOP-BOTTOM AND SIDES.

3.  PACKING STYROFOAM PEANUTS ARE THE BEST MATERIAL TO USE TO PACK AROUND THE ITEM OR BETWEEN THE PIECES.  SOMETIMES, USING A PIECE OF CORREGATED BOX TO PLACE BETWEEN PIECES IS ADVISABLE, TOO.

4.  TAPING THE BOX ON ALL OPEN EDGES OF THE BOX IS MOST IMPORTANT.  DO THIS ON THE TOP AND BOTTOM.  ALSO, TAPE THE SIDE WHERE THE BOX IS PUT TOGETHER.

5.  SKILLET HANDLES ARE FREQUENTLY BROKEN OFF DURING SHIPMENT.  WHEN THE SKILLET SHIFTS DURING ROUGH HANDLING, THE HANDLES GOES RIGHT THROUGH THE SIDE OF THE BOX AND HITS A HARD OBJECT AND BREAKS.  PLEASE INSURE THAT THE HANDLE IS WRAPPED HEAVILY AND PLACE A THICK PIECE OF STYROFOAM OR SUCH BETWEEN THE HANDLE AND THE SIDE OF THE BOX.  ONE SHIPPER MENTIONED HE COVERED THE HANDLE WITH PAPER AND THEN CUT A PIECE OF THIN WOOD TO BE A LITTLE LONGER THAN THE HANDLE AND THEN TAPED IT TO THE HANDLE.  IT IS AWAYS BETTER TO FACE THE HANDLE TOWARD A CORNER OF THE BOX AND NOT TO A SIDE.

6.  WRAPPING THE PIECE IN NEWSPAPER AND PUTTING IT INTO A BOX TO BOUNCE AROUND INSIDE THE BOX IS THE WORST THING YOU CAN DO.  DEALING WITH CARRIERS FOR INSURANCE CLAIMS TAKES A LOT OF TIME, BUT THE WORSE PART IS THAT A MOST VALUABLE PIECE OF COLLECTIBLE CAST IRON OR ALUMINUM MAY BE PERMANENTLY DESTROYED.

IF YOU ARE SELLING CAST IRON OR ALUMINUM COOKWARE, PLEASE DO TAKE TIME TO PACKAGE IT WELL SO THE COLLECTOR OR USER OF THE ITEM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED.  MOST ALL OF THEM ARE WILLING TO PAY FOR THE EXTRA WEIGHT DURING SHIPPING.