Shipping bottles and vials
Bottls
Contents |
[edit] Equipment
- Scissors, for cutting tape and bubble wrap.
- Bubble wrap
- Tape: the tape in this guide is electrical tape. People use other kinds of tape, as well, such as masking and plumber's tape. Some people use transparent office tape, but I have found that to be difficult to remove from vials.
- A padded mailing envelope or box. If you are shipping in a box, you will also need packing peanuts or other padding to keep the contents of the box from being tossed around during shipping. Do not use white envelopes! Their bulk might be considered "suspicious" by the US Post Office and their contents confiscated by the Secret Service.
[edit] Sealing and wrapping vials
A vial should be sealed around the cap, to reduce the chance of leakage:
Vials should then be secured in bubble wrap to protect them from the abuses of shipping:
[edit] Sealing and wrapping bottles
Bottles also need their lids sealed:
And to be wrapped in bubble wrap:
Make sure it fits snugly, or tape over the excess on the top and bottom.
[edit] Packing
Time to pack up! If you are using a box, make sure that the contents are snugly padded inside.
It is also a good idea to include a receipt in the box that includes a name they would recognize from their acquaintance with you, whether that is your real name or an online handle, and a list of what was sent as well as the price (if this was a sales transaction) or a list of what is being swapped. If you have a place where feedback should go, mention it as well.
[edit] Extras
It is customary in many circles to include fun extras with shipments, such as:
- Packets of tea
- Stickers
- Small candies
- Extra samples