I'll second this. I recently received a bike that had been packed by an LBS that received more damage in shipment, due to poor packing, than in its 30 prior years of existance. An LBS employee tied the front wheels and handlebars to the frame with no protection between, and just tossed the pedals, saddle and even the front QR skewer into the box loose. Luckily, UPS had been gentle shipping the bike across the country, but one of the pedals found its way into the main triangle and created at least 30 new chips in the original paint and decals. The spokes from the front wheel also did a number on the formerly pristine Campy left crank arm. One would have thought that a bike like this would have received special treatment, but I can only speculate on how or why someone working as a professional mechanic would treat a vintage bike so poorly. When I receive an item that has been packed by its owner, it is typically over-packed.
Pay special attention to the size restrictions when shipping. I recently shipped out a frame in a box that had come to me with a label clearly showing that it had been sent to me at a cost of around $12. The PO wanted over $100 to ship the box, while UPS wanted $75. I repacked the frame, getting the size down to the smallest possible, and the shipping (via Airborne Express) dropped to less than $10. I don't know how the box slipped through the system when it originally came to me, but I should have checked it. The size restrictions are listed on all the carriers' websites.
Steve Barner, still touching up the paint chips and scrounging up Paramount decals in Bolton, Vermont
> Date: Tue, 6 May 2003 21:08:03 -0400
\r?\n> From: "Tom Sanders" <tsan7759142@attbi.com>
\r?\n> To: <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
\r?\n> Subject: [CR]Packing a bike for shipment
\r?\n> Message-ID: <015d01c31435$1cdf6310$ead2f50c@C1921978A>
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\r?\n> There is a huge difference in how even "professionals" pack bikes. I =
\r?\n> have received them wonderfully and terribly packed. =20
\r?\n> the worse two ever were from "professionals". I would disagree with the =
\r?\n> revered List meister somewhat (for the first time ever). If you know =
\r?\n> for sure how they do the job, by all means have them do it. If you =
\r?\n> don't it is such a crap shoot that you should do it your self. Here's =
\r?\n> how.