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HoardCopperByTheTon
Administrator
USA
6807 Posts |
 Posted - 03/23/2008 : 22:01:21
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Someday you may sell some of your pennies. If you do you will want to ship them safely. I have heard some horror stories about penny shipments busting open during shipment. I would hate for that to happen to any of our forum members. I thought I would share some shipping tips here. Hopefully others can share some ideas as well.
If the shipment gets damaged in transit it is bad for both the buyer and seller. I have been shipping large quantities of pennies for several years. I shipped about 2 tons last year. I once shipped an entire mint sewn bag in what is now a $4.60 Flat Rate envelope.. it was $3.20 back then. The mistake most people make is not properly reinforcing the box. Assume the post office is going to bounce this box a few times. They sometimes abuse heavy flat rate boxes. First, you need lots of the good 3M tape. Costco is usually the best place to get that. You run 5 stips long ways across the bottom.. then 5 strips crossways to that.. going to about the middle of the outside of the box on each end.
Then you need to tape the entire middle of the box. The place most people have their flat rate boxes fail is on the corner seams of the box. You run 3 strips all the way around the box. This cucoons the box in tape and also adds moisture resistance and structural integrity. Now for the interior of the box you want to add additional reinforcement. You take a second box (they are free) and tear into 4 sections at the seams. You will have 2 narrow sections and 2 wide sections. You place the narrow sections on the bottom with one flap up on each end to reinforce the bottom. Next you will take the wide sections and cut off about half of one end tab on each. Then you place them in the box on the bottom with one flap running the length on each side. When you finish it will look like you assembled a little interior box inside the main box. Next you tape the 4 inside corners. This gives your inside reinforcement more structural integrity. Now you add the pennies. Standard shipping quantity is 7500 coins in 3 packages of 2500 each. If shipping 2500 or 5000 pennies use 1 or 2 stuffed $25 penny boxes as spacers. You can ship them loose by using the free tyvek priority bags and taping them after sealing to create tyvek penny bricks or you can roll all the coins up and place them in 3 penny boxes. The penny boxes fit perfectly in the Flat rate box but if using those you might want to eliminate the 2 reinforcing side flaps so the sides don't pooch out. Also, tape the penny boxes closed just in case they get bounced hard. Next you want to put packing material on top to eliminate movement of the contents. Many boxes fail because the weight shifts and tears the box during handling so you want to make sure there is no place for the pennies to move. Best and cheapest way to do this is with used penny wrappers. You don't want them loose in there so they fly everywhere when the box is opened so you make a packing pillow by stuffing them into one of the free tyvek envelopes and sealing it. This is a good way to get rid of your used penny wrappers. Now you close the lid. Tape it just like you did the bottom.. 5 strips each way. You can print a priority shipping label through PayPal and you get Free delivery confirmation if you do it that way. Then you just tape the label onto the box. I also print a seperate address sticker and put it on the box under where I attach the shipping label just in case the PO manages to destroy your shipping label. I also put a seperate return address label in the upper left hand corner of the box. Also not a bad idea to include a packing slip inside the box as well as attaching an extra shipping label to each interior package. You have to take the package down to the post office since anything over 1 pound is considered a potential bomb.
Hope everyone's penny packages arrive safely. 
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If your percentages are low.. just sort more. If your percentages are high.. just sort more.
Now selling Copper pennies. 1.6x plus shipping. Limited amounts available. |
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Tourney64
1000+ Penny Miser Member
USA
1035 Posts |
Posted - 03/23/2008 : 22:40:32
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| What are the approximate box dimensions that you ship them in? |
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Ardent Listener
Administrator
USA
4841 Posts |
Posted - 03/24/2008 : 08:05:36
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| Thanks for this important information and I think it is great that you restricted it to our membership. I'm going to make this thread sticky for a while. |
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Think positive. |
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Ant
Penny Hoarding Member
USA
894 Posts |
Posted - 03/24/2008 : 11:55:56
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All that for just $4.60! Mad props to you -- you sure know how to get your money's worth!! Impressive! :)
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Lovely dimes, the liveliest coin, the one that really jingles. --Truman Capote
Coins are the metallic footprints of the history of nations. --William H. Woodin |
Edited by - Ant on 03/24/2008 11:56:30 |
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HoardCopperByTheTon
Administrator
USA
6807 Posts |
Posted - 03/24/2008 : 13:33:00
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Actually it is $8.95 for the flat rate box Ant. They changed the rules on the $4.60 envelopes saying you can't reinforce the outside with tape now.. makes shipping decent weight with those a bit more tricky now.. involving making an inerior sleeve etc.  In the old days they didn't have the flat rate boxes.. I think they must have come out with them just for me. So much easier than the way we used to ship bags of wheat cents in 2 Flat Rate envelopes. |
If your percentages are low.. just sort more. If your percentages are high.. just sort more.
Now selling Copper pennies. 1.6x plus shipping. Limited amounts available. |
Edited by - HoardCopperByTheTon on 03/24/2008 13:35:10 |
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the_cent_guy
Penny Pincher Member
USA
114 Posts |
Posted - 03/24/2008 : 17:13:51
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| PICTURES ARE NEEDED! |
"It's funny,you know me and the boys are talking about what to do with all this extra coin. And I was like.. I'm renting a clown.. Ha, and I did! Bobo here.. And uh.. I really underestimated the creepiness.."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gdfvWAp5GUw
Copper Cents For Sale:
http://tinyurl.com/5ec4mp |
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Ant
Penny Hoarding Member
USA
894 Posts |
 Posted - 03/24/2008 : 17:58:14
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quote:
Originally posted by HoardCopperByTheTon
Actually it is $8.95 for the flat rate box Ant. They changed the rules on the $4.60 envelopes saying you can't reinforce the outside with tape now..
See, that's just The Man trying to keep us down! Fight the power! |
Lovely dimes, the liveliest coin, the one that really jingles. --Truman Capote
Coins are the metallic footprints of the history of nations. --William H. Woodin |
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longhorn
Penny Sorter Member
80 Posts |
Posted - 03/25/2008 : 21:38:15
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| Your description makes me want to buy a box just so I can see how you do it. |
Obey Gresham's Law |
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HoardCopperByTheTon
Administrator
USA
6807 Posts |
Posted - 03/27/2008 : 21:52:27
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| I'm sure we could arrange that. I just put one up for auction on eBay. |
If your percentages are low.. just sort more. If your percentages are high.. just sort more.
Now selling Copper pennies. 1.6x plus shipping. Limited amounts available. |
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copperpennies
Penny Pincher Member
USA
222 Posts |
Posted - 03/29/2008 : 22:00:55
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| For Christmas my mom got something that i think was in a flat rate box. The only problem is that the banks that i get coins from are serviced by Garda which has Harrison and Son's CWI boxes. I believe that a HArrison and sons box is bigger because of the way they put the pennies in. The CWI boxes are 4 inches thick and i think the other boxes are a little thinner then that. Could you measure a brinks box and tell me? The only way to fit in the box is to put one on its side. |
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HoardCopperByTheTon
Administrator
USA
6807 Posts |
Posted - 03/30/2008 : 04:49:27
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| I have shipped both types of boxes in the flat rate shipper. The Brinks box stands upright.. the other type box goes in sideways. 3 boxes fit perfectly across the bottom. |
If your percentages are low.. just sort more. If your percentages are high.. just sort more.
Now selling Copper pennies. 1.6x plus shipping. Limited amounts available. |
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HoardCopperByTheTon
Administrator
USA
6807 Posts |
Posted - 03/30/2008 : 04:51:54
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quote:
Originally posted by longhorn
Your description makes me want to buy a box just so I can see how you do it.
I'm sure that could be arranged. I have one up for auction on eBay right now. Check the Buy/Sell section for a link. |
If your percentages are low.. just sort more. If your percentages are high.. just sort more.
Now selling Copper pennies. 1.6x plus shipping. Limited amounts available. |
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the_cent_guy
Penny Pincher Member
USA
114 Posts |
Posted - 03/30/2008 : 20:37:13
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| Any suggestions for insurance? Should you use the face value? Or the sale value? Does anyone have experience with this? |
"It's funny,you know me and the boys are talking about what to do with all this extra coin. And I was like.. I'm renting a clown.. Ha, and I did! Bobo here.. And uh.. I really underestimated the creepiness.."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gdfvWAp5GUw
Copper Cents For Sale:
http://tinyurl.com/5ec4mp |
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HoardCopperByTheTon
Administrator
USA
6807 Posts |
Posted - 03/31/2008 : 00:09:26
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| Something to think about. If the buyer wants to pay for insurance I go ahead and insure it. But if you think about it, you would have a heck of a time ever collecting on a claim. If you read the fine print on the priority box it says you are not supposed to ship cash or cash equivalents. So they probably would not pay off if they lost it. You are probably just wasting your money paying the insurance. |
If your percentages are low.. just sort more. If your percentages are high.. just sort more.
Now selling Copper pennies. 1.6x plus shipping. Limited amounts available. |
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etdaddy
New Member
USA
12 Posts |
Posted - 03/31/2008 : 23:51:10
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Great advice. I also have lost a couple of coins when the corners of the box give out.
However, I just received a really nicely sent package. It was the $8.95 flat rate box with 6 individually sealed "Priority Mail" mailing boxes inside. They hold 10 pounds each for a total of roughly 9000 pennies. I believe you could fit $100 worth in a flat rate this way and the maximum weight is 70 lbs? Anyway, these boxes are all free and VERY secure.
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A person who won't read has no advantage over one who can't read. |
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Art Tatum
Penny Collector Member
USA
400 Posts |
Posted - 05/08/2008 : 02:40:50
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| holy cow Chuck! |
my machine is running! |
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insurrection1517
Penny Collector Member
USA
262 Posts |
Posted - 05/28/2008 : 14:50:33
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When you say that you are no longer allowed to reinforce the outside of a flat rate envelope with tape, do you mean that you are not allowed to plaster it with tape so that it holds massive amounts of weight? Those envelopes are cheaply made and the seams need to be taped even for shipping a book or a light weight item. I would tape it up securely even if I was sending a few pieces of paper. The glue around the side and bottom seams is very weak.
Who told you this rule? A local postal worker? or is official? |
Check out my auctions on ebay!: http://shop.ebay.com/lutheranamerican/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_from=&_ipg=&_trksid=p4340
http://www.mrrebates.com?refid=413556 - 3% cash back on everthing at Ebay - including coins, precious metals, etc. Much better than Ebates.
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HoardCopperByTheTon
Administrator
USA
6807 Posts |
Posted - 05/28/2008 : 19:02:38
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| The local post office told me and then produced a copy of the memo from the main regional post office outlining the new rule. The way around this it to get 2 of those envelopes and cut one down slightly and tape the heck out of it.. then slide it into the outer sleeve. |
If your percentages are low.. just sort more. If your percentages are high.. just sort more.
Now selling Copper pennies. 1.6x plus shipping. Limited amounts available. |
Edited by - HoardCopperByTheTon on 05/28/2008 19:03:42 |
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insurrection1517
Penny Collector Member
USA
262 Posts |
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HoardCopperByTheTon
Administrator
USA
6807 Posts |
Posted - 05/28/2008 : 19:42:55
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| Well most of my packages go by Flat Rate box now anyway. Interesting note though.. I heard from one of my customers that their local postal person told them I was not supposed to tape up the outside of the box.. LOL. |
If your percentages are low.. just sort more. If your percentages are high.. just sort more.
Now selling Copper pennies. 1.6x plus shipping. Limited amounts available. |
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NotABigDeal
1000+ Penny Miser Member
USA
3890 Posts |
Posted - 05/28/2008 : 19:58:39
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I tape the outside of the envelopes always. Anyone from this board that has received something from me has the taped envelope to prove it. Never a problem. Of course I drop most off in the 24 hour drop in the Post Office lobby....
Deal
p.s. Different regions I guess.... |
Live free or die.
Plain and simple.
"If you love wealth more than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, depart from us in peace. We ask not your council or your arms. Crouch down and lick the hand that feeds you. May your chains rest lightly upon you and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen."
- Samuel Adams |
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jadedragon
Administrator
Canada
3788 Posts |
Posted - 06/02/2008 : 01:09:23
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| So forgive my ignorance (I live in Canada so don't use the USPS much). Can I take a nice full $ 25 face box of coin and ship it inside a flat rate box? It is mint sealed so I would rather not open it and rearrange it. Got to get my hands on some of these flat rate boxes, reinforce them at home, and haul them back across the border. |
“The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man.” – George Bernard Shaw.
Why Copper Bullion ~~~ Interview with Silver Bullion Producer Market Harmony
Passive Income blog |
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Saul Mine
Penny Collector Member
USA
343 Posts |
Posted - 06/02/2008 : 08:43:15
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| Uh, they are only flat rate if you ship from a US post office. Check with your Canadian post office to see what's available there. Go to usps.com to check US rates. |
A penny sorted is a penny earned!
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HoardCopperByTheTon
Administrator
USA
6807 Posts |
Posted - 06/02/2008 : 13:43:33
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| legacy.. if you drive back and forth across the border to do it and are shipping from a US post office to a US address it will work. You can fit 3 of those boxes in a flat rate box. |
If your percentages are low.. just sort more. If your percentages are high.. just sort more.
Now selling Copper pennies. 1.6x plus shipping. Limited amounts available. |
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kavajava
Penny Collector Member
USA
490 Posts |
Posted - 06/15/2008 : 14:05:45
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When getting a box full of heavy coin it sure is nice to immediately see that it was packaged well. Helps keep the good will in the transaction.
Very disappointing to receive a package that is not properly secured--makes you very hesitant to do business with that person again, even if there were no problems this time. |
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kavajava
Penny Collector Member
USA
490 Posts |
Posted - 06/15/2008 : 14:10:49
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oops--forgot to mention the importance of having everything inside the box secured as well, as mentioned above. Hard to believe that some folks just toss rolls of coin into the box and put a minimum amount of filler in. Seems common sense to keep everything from moving around. I really like the idea above of using several pri mail boxes inside the one big box--keeps it secure, and hey--they are free as well!
I recently received some BU nickel rolls, and two rolls had split and spilled all over the inside of the box. Don't think any left the box as the edges were sealed, but, makes me hesitant to buy from that guy again (or at least will give him some suggestions for packing next time). |
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Shipping Pennies the Proper Way
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