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July 09, 2013, 10:20:01 PM |
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I'd like to take this opportunity to remind people about how to ship metals (gold/silver/etc) properly, due to seeing some creative shipping lately, some successful, some less so.
First, I'd like to thank Amagi for doing it right. You guys rock. Your packages are incredibly frustrating to get into without something sharp and a lot of time, and there's absolutely no way for someone to open your packages without it being really obvious.
I've also seen some far less-good shipping, and thought I'd offer a few suggestions on shipping. This is US based, but the general concepts apply other places as well.
First, if it's a single coin or a few coins, a padded mailer is probably OK. You should secure the coins inside the envelope though, so they don't rattle. I've seen this done a few ways, and stapling "pockets" over a piece of backing cardboard is one of my favorites - it holds them securely. However, if you're shipping multiple coins, it is well worth boxing them - wrap them in some paper if they're loose, and then stuff the box with packing peanuts or packing paper.
Another option is to secure the coins or small bars to a sheet of cardboard with tape, then fold the cardboard over on itsself, and pack this into a mailer. This keeps them separated and avoids noise.
For larger orders or bars, the best way to do it is a box. USPS offers free flat rate boxes, and these are well worth the money. Whatever you do with the metal, make sure it doesn't rattle or clank against other bars - there's a very distinctive ring to silver especially in large bars. Packing things tightly in bubble wrap works well, but tape the bubble wrap closed so things don't shift. If you're shipping a partially filled tube of coins, stuff the rest with something so they don't rattle around and make noise. Once you've got the box packed tightly so it doesn't rattle at all, tape it heavily. If you have the fiber stranded tape, it's worth using, otherwise just ensure that there's no way it can open by accident.
Basically, if you can shake the box and have a decent confidence of what's in it, you're doing it wrong. It should be just a heavy box with nothing obvious in it. This stands a very good chance of getting where it's going.
The attacks you're worried about in transit are twofold. The first is just pure package failure. Metal, getting rattled around, and going through somewhat abusive sorting machines, will find it's way out of flat rate envelopes and similar even without any help. You want to ensure it can never gain the momentum to break out - it has to be firmly fixed in place.
The second attack is the contents being "helped along" on their escape. The defense against this is to simply make the package look boring and well secured. If someone can rip the corner of an envelope quickly, empty it, and then tape it up claiming it broke in transit, they get the contents. If the metal is rattling around, this is much more likely.
Basically, the recipient should, on receipt of the package, be somewhat annoyed by how long it takes to get into it. This means it's packed right.
Other comments on shipping are welcome.
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