A personal note to all boombox sellers:

Hard sheets of styrofoam insulation (broken apart to fit inside a box) are NOT an acceptable packing material. They do NOT provide cushioning. They are hard. They are flat. They produce of hundreds of tiny static-filled styrofoam balls when they are broken apart. Those static-filled balls then fly around the room (and spread over carpeting) when the shipping box is unpacked; they stick to everything they touch; they are hard to pick up and throw away; and (worst of all) they get inside places like a boombox's louvers and tuner, where they can't be removed (without disassembling the boombox). Do NOT use hard styrofoam sheets.

Instead, start with a box that is nicely larger than the boombox to be shipped (and isn't already crushed from multiple shipments), wrap the boombox inside in multiple layers of bubblewrap, use lots of styrofoam peanuts on all sides of the boombox (top and bottom, as well as sides), and double-box when necessary, using more styrofoam peanuts between boxes. Skip the crumpled and/or shredded newspaper, dirty rags, bread wrappers and used underwear.

I've received way too many cracked/twisted/bashed boomboxes simply because the seller was too lazy or too cheap to use good packing materials and pack carefully. I pay you for packing. I want the boomboxes I buy packed properly!! Filing a claim with a shipper is a tedious, time-consuming, mind-numbing task. I shouldn't have to do it!

Who dares to disagree???

BB is right - and nobody will dare disagree

i just kind of toss it in a box and close the top with gum.

UE uses these...

LOLOLOL!!!!!!!!!

quote:

Originally posted by Joe Cool:
UE uses these...

quote:

Originally posted by SINISTER:
i just kind of toss it in a box and close the top with gum.

You mean you actually go through the trouble to keep it sealed?

quote:

shredded newspaper, dirty rags, bread wrappers and used underwear.

But BB what if that's all I have left in the house to pack with? You can't possibly expect me to get in my car, drive over to a shipping store, buy proper packing material then drive home just so you can receive your boombox in one piece. Crap, some buyers are so unreasonable.

See this thread. You will see how I packed the JVC PC-55 I sent to Germany.

This has been such a pain in the a**

I thought my JVC was packed pretty well. I use 3/4 inch hard foam piece in the bottom to ensure somthing like a bolt ot rock has a harder time penetrating the cardboard on the bottom.

Then I put about seven inches of packing peanuts in bottom. I use the packing paper around the sides of this layer so that if anything happens peanuts won't pour out the sides.

Another 3/4 inch hard foam piece and more peanuts til' it's about 22cm or 9 inches thick.

One piece - Foam Wrap, Bubble Wrap, Foam Wrap, Bubble Wrap.

Multi-Piece - If it has the wide steel plates on the sides to rack the components (i.e. JVC PC-55 or Sanyo C-9) I leave the amp/deck together and seperate the speakers. It won't come apart since you'll have about twenty screws or speaker bolts holding it together. And nothing beats steel for protection. If it has narrow rails (Panasonic RX-C300) I disassemble the whole thing.

The main sections are double wrapped as noted for the single piece. The speakers are bubble wrapped and foam shielded as well. Handles, brackets, cables are bubble wrapped.

I set the unit in the box on the 22cm/9" build up. If a multipiece, main sections are stacked, (if steel plates in place, set as a single piece), then set one speaker, face up at the rear, one speaker face up at the front.

I line the sides of box with the stiff packing paper and fill around the unit and speakers with packing peanuts, adding that 7" layer on top. (At the sides its about 5")

I then add accesories if neccessary, cap with 3/4" foam, bubble wrap, stiff packing paper, and use newspaper to top off and wedge any gaps on top.

The fun part is actually closing the box. Lots of clear packing tape. Heavy Duty.

Make a clear address label, written or printed, and place in waterproof sleeve with sticky back on top of box.

Mark "TOP" and "FRAGILE" on top side of box. On sides make a large arrow poiting to the top of the box on all sides marked "THIS SIDE UP". Write "FRAGILE" on corners.

The box will have a slight bulge.

What do you think?

quote:

Originally posted by oldskool69:
I thought my JVC was packed pretty well.
What do you think?

Everything was going well, until you marked the box FRAGILE...

JC, are you saying that's like issueing a dare to the shipper to try and break it?

I've heard sad stories from "insiders"...

Well she made it in one piece! No rattles, squeaks, or otherwise! See lower left of Tom's rack.



Tom said all functions worked but no soound. Still waiting to see what happened.

MB84 can verify i ship very similar to this but it is not 100% safe, nothing is 100% safe. I have been shipping boxes for almost 8 years now. I had a GF-777 i shipped just last month. It was double boxed, foam peanuts, bubble wrap, packed like a tank, the whole 9 yards but it still arrived broken, and i tell you it was BAD it all depends on whose hands it falls into on its journey from the seller to you. if somebody is pissed off on a particular day they will toss it around or drop it without any cares. So i believe it is simply luck if you receive a large heavy box undamaged.