Shipping picks: A word to the wise...

[AlanN]

Recently, I've purchased and traded picks via the classifieds here. No problems with the sales/purchases/trades. However, the picks I've received in the mail have been taped, either together or to pieces of paper. The problem is that tape residue has adhered to the picks and is a pain to remove.

This can easily be mitigated by packing the picks up in folds of paper and then taping those folds to an insert in the envelope (how I do it). Not a big deal, but rather an avoidable annoyance...for the next time.

pick on...

[Denny Gies]

Wouldn't a little denatured alcohol take the sticky stuff off?

[Northwest Steve]

I put a Red Bear pic in an envelope and did not really protect it. I really did not think they were very fragile. It arrived in about 3 or 4 pieces. so some pics need to be packaged with a little extra care.

[Stevo75]

Same thing happened to me mailing a casein EML pick (same material as Red Bear). That material is definitely fragile.

[Dave Greenspoon]

Yeah, those Red Bear picks are way too fragile, especially for the price point. Shipping picks in a padded envelope with extra bubble wrap around the picks has been foolproof for me, at least so far.

[jhammond]

Agreed. I usually ship in a box or wrapped well in a fold piece of thin cardboard/thick paper or lots of paper then taped up. Especially for horn or shell or something I know could be broken in a box/cardboard wrapped. I would think that Casien and thin bone would have an extremely high likely hood of being broken.

[V70416]

I just sent a member here on the Cafe a bunch of old(1950's?) Japanese clown barf picks and am guilty of taping them together to fit into an envelope. I think you can rub off most of the adhesive.

But I get the point. It's just an extra to-do thing.

PS:No telling what those old clown barf picks are made of(I heard they were melted down toothbrushes;IDK). Not sure how they might react to solvents.

I keep my Red Bears away from any liquids.

[Nevin]

WD40 is good for removing tape residue. Of coarse you then have the slippery WD40 to deal with but dish detergent will fix that.

[dorenac]

Goo Gone works great!

[AlanN]

Yes to all those solvents (which I typically eschew the use of). Again, no big deal but it's a pain that is easily avoided by some forethought and common sense.

[V70416]

Common sense just ain't that common.

[sgarrity]

Yeah, those Red Bear picks are way too fragile, especially for the price point. Shipping picks in a padded envelope with extra bubble wrap around the picks has been foolproof for me, at least so far.

Buying a Red Bear pick is a good way to waste money!

[Jeff Mando]

Years ago, when eBay first started I sent things like picks and screws in a regular letter envelope with a stamp on it. Of course, there is no tracking when you send it that way. What I found was 9 times out of 10 everything was fine. One time out of 10 the item would get "torn" out of the envelope and lost or ruined, sometimes the customer received a empty sealed envelope with a torn or open edge. I asked at the post office and they said envelopes go through some kind of a roller powered sorter that reads the address and shoots it along. In this case, the roller "squeezed" the item out through the paper.....

Having learned the hard way, I now use a 4x4x6 inch box that costs me a quarter when purchased in bulk. Seems like overkill, but it isn't. The USPS shipping is $3.75-3.90 depending on location in the US, that includes tracking. People love tracking and they love receiving their item undamaged even better. Oh yeah, avoid anything sticky like AlanN says, just common sense and courtesy.