Snipped:
>I wish I could ship a frame and fork for what some folks say they
>can...$20-$30...but I can't. How do you all do it?
I didn't say it was cheep! And unfortunately, with crude oil up to over $50. a barrel, it's only going to get worse. I never manage to ship that cheap. My boxes are pretty heavy when I'm done.
My husband has his own business, and he gets stock shipped in all the time. So lucky for me, I just recycle all the packing materials. I very rarely have to actually buy something to use with packing. I've also become a very shrewd eye of good heavy boxes that are just the right size. I'm not above scrounging boxes. The last frame I shipped went in a box that I found from a tux rental place (with proper reinforcement, of course). But I'm short, so any frames I ship are smaller (less than 50cm).
I just figure in my time as the cost of doing business. Luckily, I have a full time job, so I don't depend on eBay for my income. I do use the UPS customer counter to ship tho'-there's one a block from where I work. You're right, it is cheaper. I never use those authorized shipper places. I also pack items for godzilla drivers. You never know when they might mistake a bike frame for a basketball & try to dribble it.
I think that with things the way they are now, people need to add about $50. or so to the cost of any bike or frame. I always ask if I can pick up, tho', if the seller is local.
I've found "professional" packing to be a 50-50 proposition. Some were packed so well it took almost an hour to get 'em out-so I could at least see where my money went. Others, well, let's be kind & say not so much value. I've gotten the same from sellers that pack their own-some great, some not so well packed.
But I think good packing comes down to taking a little pride in what you do, and taking a few minutes to think about it before you do it. If I get a bike with lousy packing, I wonder how good the bike is. I
FYI. I got a frame from Rivendell a few years ago-now THAT was a pack job! It took forever to get that frame out. I think I could have jumped all over that box.
Cheers!
Mary Kaminski
Philly, PA