How do you now package trains you've sold for shipping? Current shipper no longer accept paper rapped packages.
This is a problem when selling multi-car sets and engines. Tracking down boxes is a major hassle. Any suggestions?
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Many retail outlets (eg. Home Depot) sell rigid cardboard boxes of various sizes for this purpose which afford a fair amount of protection while in transit.
800 card baseball card boxes fit traditional sized rolling stock (and some scale sized cars). They're available on Amazon.
I’ve occasionally had to ship trains for repair or sale. It’s why I always save the original packaging and shipping cartons.
Original foam cradles are great, but not always available.
I recently received some auction items. Individual cars were separately wrapped in brown paper, then wrapped in bubble wrap, then surrounded by styrofoam peanuts inside a sturdy box, which did the job. For items with fragile details, adding a smaller box within the main box should be sufficient.
IMO, the keys are to pack items so that they're snug but not compressed, separated from each other, can't move around within the box, with some cushion around the exterior. Make it so that it can be dropped from chest height.
I go to a mail box type store. He has a gizmo that zip, zip, zip cuts a box down to fit whatever I'm shipping. I ship a lot of RC airplane kits and the boxes are around 48"-60" x 12" x 6" and he always is able to make a shipping box. It is getting very expensive to ship these days.
The USPS makes a mailer box that is just right for shoes and will hold a box car with ample packing material safely.
I get sturdy, almost crush-proof boxes at 84 Lumber's free pile, also NAPA is a good source. As others pointed out, pack with liberal cushioning & allow no movement inside the box. A strong box is your starting point.
Rich
