Thanks everyone, I will be collecting feedback and in a week or two making an updated version.

Thanks again for all of the suggestions (here and in PM)

Steve

Nice work Steve, I have added this to my book
Skip

Dear Steve,

Nice job!

One comment is on your diagram of the machine, the spool pin remains, whereas in the instructions, you hope that the spool pin will be removed. In order to visually encourage the packer to really get the idea of removing the spool pin, I might consider erasing the spool pin from that diagram where you have the blue and red and green sircles.

Also a question: You say 1" is better than 3" of padding; may I ask why? (I have no experience in packing machines. But one day I am going to buy Miriam's Pink Atlas and I will want to check her packing prowess ;-) hee hee)

-Cecilia.

3" allows too much movement. The point of two layers is that they support each other, but if too far apart they will not.

I see your point about the pin. I think I may just use a different color and point out the "removable" parts.

Thanks for the feedback, everyone's input makes the end result that much better

Wow! Thanks! Your illustrations are super. I'm subscribing to this thread for future reference.

The worse thing you can do is write fragile on the box! I shipped a video game and the post office clerked stamped fragile on the box so hard, it flipped. The box of the game actually was bent from this (yes it was inside a shipping box). Luckily the buyer wanted the game to play and wasn't a collector. But he did let us know the box was bent, luckily we had taken good pictures for the listing and it was clear the box was in excellent condition at that time. First and last time I said a package was fragile! I'll take my chances.

I doubt that FedEx, UPS, or the Post Office really pays much attention to packages that are marked as fragile. The sheer volume of packages handled, coupled with the fact that machines do a lot of the initial handling and sorting, almost assures that they don't. Then you have the videos of the drivers just tossing the boxes over a fence when they deliver them.

I usually make a pretty good cocoon of large bubble wrap around a machine before placing it in a box, so even if it does move a little, nothing is going to get broken.

One of my postal employee friends said the warnings on the outside imply they don't take care with all packages. I guess meaning, at the least, it does no good, and could probably incite a worker to frustrated carelessness.

The instructions and illustration are much appreciated. When sending an eBay purchased SM, I'll use this to show purchaser how it will be packed. Thanks, Steve.

Good information Steve. The big problem is finding low cost or free shipping material. The rising cost of postage and shipping materials is making it very difficult to justify buying and selling low value machines through the mail. Think I'll stick with small attachments and light stuff.

Jon

Yeah well the secret is twofold.....

1. Buy more machines than you sell and keep the packing materials....
2. Have a local company that does not mind you "harvesting" the materials that they receive things packed in.

My company occasionally get's too much packing material in and when that happens they let me know that I can swoop on some.

Twice now, I have even packed a box within a box and that box fully packed with just foam and shipped it to a seller in advance and said "please use these materials" they were thrilled to not have to deal with finding the right stuff. Funny that the virtually empty boxes arrived with almost no damage at all....

FYI - STAY AWAY from peanuts (foam or bio material...) they allow too much settling and shifting.