Another question for the ebay sellers...

VMan · Jan 21, 2004

Hey guys,

Well, as you may know I've begun to sell a few items on ebay. Â One of the items is a complete suit, another is just a suit jacket. Â How would you reccomend packing the suit and jacket for shipping so they don't arrive extremely wrinkled and creased? Â Thanks for the help.

-Eric

Carlo · Jan 21, 2004

I went through several iterations on this. The 'usual' seems to be to stuff it in a priority mail box and let it get crushed, seems a tad unfortunate.

We have custom boxes made that allow us to hang jackets and suits on the hanger, wrapped in a heavy plastic bag. For pants, sweaters, shirts and the like we use a heavy duty cardboard box that even my fat butt won't crush. Adds an extra cost but nobody will be offended if you charge an extra $5 for your suit packaging and explain what they are paying for.

If someone pays $500 for a jacket they don't want it arriving looking like it came from a garage sale

...your headaches are just beginning but you are asking the right questions. Get a label printer for your shipping (Fedex or UPS), this saves time.

VMan · Jan 21, 2004

Thanks for the reply, Carlo.

My dad does a lot of selling on ebay, so he has the scale and label printer already.

I take it that the suit boxes are approximately the size of the jacket, maybe 2.5' wide by 3' long by 3" deep? How much does something like that cost to send in the US on average? Any suggestions for alternative boxes I might find at the post office?

Carlo · Jan 21, 2004

We went wayyyy too big on the first batch and wasted a lot of tape. Ideal is about 4"deep, 22 Wide, 3' tall. have the top close with a seam in the center so you can stick a dowell through to hold the hanger.

Think my cost on them is around a buck and a half - buck seventy five.

That falls within limits for Fedex Ground so you don't get the oversized charge, for priority mail or express it would kill you. Figure $10 shipping, plus cost of materials.

VMan · Jan 22, 2004

We went wayyyy too big on the first batch and wasted a lot of tape. Â Ideal is about 4"deep, 22 Wide, 3' tall. Â have the top close with a seam in the center so you can stick a dowell through to hold the hanger.

Think my cost on them is around a buck and a half - buck seventy five.

That falls within limits for Fedex Ground so you don't get the oversized charge, for priority mail or express it would kill you. Â Figure $10 shipping, plus cost of materials.

Thanks for the help, Carlo.

Unfortunately, I'm running a small-time operation here and it would be very impractical to custom-order boxes.

Do you think the jacket would arrive okay if I first placed it in a large heavy plastic bag with tissue paper covering the jacket on each side (between the jacket and the plastic), folded it in half down the back seam, then folded it across the waist and placed it carefully in a large enough box (of course packing it full with tissue paper to avoid unnecessary shifting)?

A Harris · Jan 22, 2004

Do you think the jacket would arrive okay if I first placed it in a large heavy plastic bag with tissue paper covering the jacket on each side (between the jacket and the plastic), folded it in half down the back seam, then folded it across the waist and placed it carefully in a large enough box (of course packing it full with tissue paper to avoid unnecessary shifting)?

Yep, I've shipped probably 1500+ jackets that way and have never had a complaint. In fact, I've recieved packages back (undeliverable) 6+ months later and unapcked them to find no appreciable wrinkling. Unless the wool is sacked out (lost all of it's natural oils and wrinkle-resistance due to excessive dry cleaning) you shouldn't have any problems.

A tip - large size FedEx and USPS priority mail boxes fit jackets and suits perfectly without need for stuffing the box.

When you are folding the jacket, make sure to arrange the sleeves carefully. It takes a bit of practice to get it right, but after twenty or so you wil be able to do it in your sleep.

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Another question for the ebay sellers...

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