Best way to ship exactly 24 chips? (2 Viewers)

[Mental Nomad]

Looking for the best, quickest, cheapest way to pack and ship 24 chips.

I'm asking for a friend.

Oh, and 12 of them are 43mm.

 

[links_slayer]

Shipping in the US? I'd probably sandwich them in some cardboard, plastic wrap and tape the heck out of it, and ship em in a USPS flat rate bubble mailer ($7.20).

 

[MegaTon44]

I'd put them in a sandwich bag, roll the bag tightly and tape. Surround with bubble wrap generously, put in a bubble mailer ($0.50 or so from Walmart), then ship first class (about $3.00 and comes with tracking)

 

[Mental Nomad]

No concerns about them sliding around inside, banging each other?

 

[MegaTon44]

No concerns about them sliding around inside, banging each other?

Nope, let the chips overlap each other at the bottom of the baggie, then roll tightly and tape. They won't move.

 

[Mental Nomad]

Nope, let the chips overlap each other at the bottom of the baggie, then roll tightly and tape. They won't move.

Actually meant that question to @links_slayer ...

 

[btbmason]

No concerns about them sliding around inside, banging each other?

I use a similar method to @MegaTon44 , except I use cling wrap and then put a piece of shipping tape on the top and bottom (pressing into the plastic that is covering the chips) to keep them from sliding around against each other. Then after that I wrap it in bubble wrap. I usually test them before sending to make sure the chips aren't moving/sliding, and if they are I add more tape to keep them stiff.

 

[Mental Nomad]

I'd put them in a sandwich bag, roll the bag tightly and tape. Surround with bubble wrap generously, put in a bubble mailer ($0.50 or so from Walmart), then ship first class (about $3.00 and comes with tracking)

I'm liking this. Good process for something one might do, say, 51 times...

 

[links_slayer]

I'm liking this. Good process for something one might do, say, 51 times...

Ah. Yes. I get the picture now. I've shipped plenty using the "wrap the flattened/overlapping stack" method. Works well

 

[BGinGA]

Nobody has asked the most important question..... what are they worth?

 

[rowlin]

First Class package should be about half the Priority Mail cost - $3.50-ish vs. $7-ish. I think the limit is 13 oz.

 

[Mental Nomad]

Nobody has asked the most important question..... what are they worth?

Excellent question. Only about 60 cents a piece. (New SUN-FLY hybrids.)

 

[Mental Nomad]

First Class package should be about half the Priority Mail cost - $3.50-ish vs. $7-ish. I think the limit is 13 oz.

7.9 ounces of chips, plus packaging.

 

[BGinGA]

I'd go three layers of 8 chips (cardboard between) in a first-class bubble mailer. About four bucks including the envelope.

I don't like overlapping chips in a bubble envelope, one good shot and something gets broken. Less of an issue with ceramics vs clay chips, but hybrids do have a thinner (and weaker) middle section.

 

[Psypher1000]

I'd put them in a sandwich bag, roll the bag tightly and tape. Surround with bubble wrap generously, put in a bubble mailer ($0.50 or so from Walmart), then ship first class (about $3.00 and comes with tracking)

Tried and true method for me, having shipped barrels/smallish lots this way well over 100 times now.

Use size #0 envelopes and buy them in packs of 25-50 to save a few coins.

 

[Mental Nomad]

I just wrapped a full stack of 20, but did it in two baggies as sets of ten, to get them to lay flatter. Stretch-wrapped tight, it's quite firm little package. No wiggle room at all.

I don't like overlapping chips in a bubble envelope, one good shot and something gets broken. Less of an issue with ceramics vs clay chips, but hybrids do have a thinner (and weaker) middle section.

The overlap method places rims over the centers. Ends up quite tough, like scale mail - a serious impact would be spread across them. I think a rod spiking the package would be more likely to break a center if they were flat-packed between cardboard.

Also, there is the time to pack to consider. There are over 50 sets to pack, and the wrap and roll method is quick, as well as tidy and secure.

I don't feel good about cardboard sandwich because the chips can slide inside, so edges can rub. I don't want to tape them down, because labels might peel and adhesive might stick to chips. If these were more valuable, I might spend the time to put some sort of barrier between them on a flat-pack (like a grid adhesive of door jamb insulation), and then stretch-wrap the chips to the cardboard... but I think that's more cost/effort than appropriate for a 60-cent chip that can still be manufactured.

 

[Blaster]

First class, w/ lots of bubble/foam padding all around them. Taped like a barrel deep in the center of the bubble/foam, & it will take a re-entry drop like the mars airbag lander ...

 

[upNdown]

I think a rod spiking the package would be more likely to break a center if they were flat-packed between cardboard.

Applause for being concerned about worst-case scenarios, but when does this happen?
Those coin collecting pocket pages are good for this sort of thing, but the standard one (which will hold a 43mm chip) only holds 20 chips, so not ideal here. And there's a cost associated with those.
For what it's worth, I think you should be tacking on a premium of at least a couple of bucks per sample set, just for having to deal with the shipping headaches. The orders of hundreds or thousands of chips contribute something to the group buy, theoretically, by increasing the numbers and driving down the total costs. The sample set orders are really just parasitic.

 

[moojersey]

Why not small flat rate box?

 

[72o]

Why not small flat rate box?

You could use a small flat rate box but you would need to use the 'offset' method or make a bunch of small stacks (like 5-6 chips each maybe) and orient them like the bottom scenario in the picture below to get sufficient padding. If you use the 'barrel' method, it doesn't leave much room for padding as shown in the top scenario.

 

[jbutler]

24 carrier pigeons imo.

 

[courage]

No concerns about them sliding around inside, banging each other?

I'm not sure the gestation period, prolly depends on the kind of chips, but even if they bang there would probably still be only 24 upon arrival.

 

[Chippy McChiperson]

 

[btbmason]

Why not small flat rate box?

The cost of this is also high compared to first class, especially for cheaper chips.

 

[Mental Nomad]

I'm not sure the gestation period, prolly depends on the kind of chips, but even if they bang there would probably still be only 24 upon arrival.

But think about the spread of disease, especially with cheap chips.

Why not small flat rate box?

The cost of this is also high compared to first class, especially for cheaper chips.

Yeah, base cost is just over $7 for SFRB (which is also Priority Mail), and about $3 for first class mail (but may vary by number of zones distant, not sure about that.)

 

[Blaster]

No zone price difference in 1st class.

 

[Mental Nomad]

You could use a small flat rate box but you would need to use the 'offset' method or make a bunch of small stacks (like 5-6 chips each maybe) and orient them like the bottom scenario in the picture below to get sufficient padding. If you use the 'barrel' method, it doesn't leave much room for padding as shown in the top scenario.

You can get plenty of padding on a barrel in a SFRB; the box assembles around the padded barrels and can bulge slightly as you seal/tape it. You're not strictly limited to the engineered interior dimension. I've shipped a couple barrels of 43mm chips banked with a couple barrels of 39mm chips, all wrapped in double bubble in SFRB and the package was accepted with no concerns.

 

[72o]

You can get plenty of padding on a barrel in a SFRB; the box assembles around the padded barrels and can bulge slightly as you seal/tape it. You're not strictly limited to the engineered interior dimension. I've shipped a couple barrels of 43mm chips banked with a couple barrels of 39mm chips, all wrapped in double bubble in SFRB and the package was accepted with no concerns.

Well is it possible? I guess so. But I don't like it let's put it that way.

 

[Mental Nomad]

Well is it possible? I guess so. But I don't like it let's put it that way.

Let me know if the 100 chips I have in the mail to you come through OK!

 

[btbmason]

Well is it possible? I guess so. But I don't like it let's put it that way.

I ship all of my chips that way too