Shipping Boxes

[Graphic Extremes]

80% of shipping boxes we use are USPS Boxes. 20+ per week.
Turn them inside out, tape them back together, fill them up and ship them out, (FedEx, UPS, USPS)
And they are FREE at your local Post Office, Five sizes to choose from.

That is so sneaky, don't think I would do anything like that, but I have received boxes from people that have done exactly that.

 

[unclebun]

That is so sneaky, don't think I would do anything like that, but I have received boxes from people that have done exactly that.

Yeah, I've received packages in USPS boxes turned inside out and it really makes me think a lot less of the company that did it. The box looks like crap that way, the pull string is on the outside, and they are weak when they are ruined that way so the contents get crushed. It's pretty rich on the one hand to denigrate the Post Office for being short on money and on the other hand to take a box they gave you free with the expectation that you would pay them $10 or $20 to ship something in it, and turn around and pay a different shipper to take the package. To me it shows that you are an untrustworthy vendor and one I probably shouldn't do business with.

 

[gnubler]

To spend the time to bust down a box to turn it inside out and re-tape it together? Lame, and not a good look for business.

 

[Gino]

This makes me laugh inside. All this about a shipping box from the very people who are looking for the cheapest inks, media, laminates and not telling people what they're really getting complaining about a re-cycled cardboard box.

What's next ??

 

[gnubler]

There's cheap and there's frugal. I'm the latter, and would never dream of "stealing" boxes from the post office to reuse as my own. Tacky, man!

 

[Notarealsignguy]

Yeah, I've received packages in USPS boxes turned inside out and it really makes me think a lot less of the company that did it. The box looks like crap that way, the pull string is on the outside, and they are weak when they are ruined that way so the contents get crushed. It's pretty rich on the one hand to denigrate the Post Office for being short on money and on the other hand to take a box they gave you free with the expectation that you would pay them $10 or $20 to ship something in it, and turn around and pay a different shipper to take the package. To me it shows that you are an untrustworthy vendor and one I probably shouldn't do business with.

It's illegal too. Says it right on the box.
"Whoever steals, purloins, or embezzles any property used by the Postal
Service, or appropriates any such property to his own or any other than its
proper use, or conveys away any such property to the hindrance or detriment
of the public service, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not
more than three years, or both; but if the value of such property does not
exceed $1,000, he shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more
than one year, or both."--18 U.S.C. sect. 1707.

 

[Texas_Signmaker]

This makes me laugh inside. All this about a shipping box from the very people who are looking for the cheapest inks, media, laminates and not telling people what they're really getting complaining about a re-cycled cardboard box.

What's next ??

Looking for a deal and stealing are not the same.... But I guess if you steal then you got a good deal... free.

 

[Notarealsignguy]

Boxes are relatively cheap. I don't know why so many people focus on saving money with the absolute cheapest parts of their business while ignoring real issues like production efficiency.
As far as the stamping on the bottom of legit boxes, I think it has something to do with making damage claims through UPS and the like. I'm not digging for it but it's out there if anyone is curious.

 

[Boudica]

Looking for a deal and stealing are not the same.... But I guess if you steal then you got a good deal... free.

Free until you get busted. Then it's a lot more.

 

[garyroy]

HOUSTON!..... we have found the money leak in the US Postal Service. We now know why your in debt for 100's of millions.
An older gentleman wearing coveralls in Florida is using all your boxes. Swarm, swarm, swarm.

 

[Stacey K]

Are people using boxes for pick-up orders also?

For pick-up orders, I use clear bags from Uline that are 12"x30" and 6" bags for decals. I buy 1,000 at a time - lasts a couple years and they are super cheap. Almost every single order I do, including smaller shirt orders goes in that bag. I cut them down and put a sticker on them to fit the size of the order. Vinyl decals get rolled up.

I order a fair amount of stuff on Etsy/Ebay and I don't mind a beat up or inside out box. If they have to buy a new box then the price goes up. But - those are usually crafters, not actual businesses.

 

[Boudica]

We get the plastic tubing by the roll from Uline. We have 3 sizes and a sealer, like a seal-a-meal. We also get shipping tubes. For the occasional pickup need, like a bunch of small signs, we'll reuse boxes. The things we typically ship are in tubes. The other day I fabricated a sleeve to ship some decals.

 

[garyroy]

ULine has a really nice shrink wrap kit.

Shrink Wrap Kits in Stock - ULINE

Uline stocks a wide selection of Economy Shrink Wrap System. Order by 6 p.m. for same day shipping. Huge Catalog! Over 41,000 products in stock. 13 Locations across USA, Canada and Mexico for fast delivery of Economy Shrink Wrap System.

www.uline.com

 

[RabidOne]

We both bought boxes from a local box maker and made custom boxes. Guy I worked with wrote a program to generate a cut file for the Zund. Enter your dimensions and what kind of lid you wanted and cut and score away. We used to by 4x8 corrugated by the skid so it was pretty inexpensive.
Buying boxes was usually cheaper but only of they had the size we needed and that was pretty hit and miss.

 

[gnubler]

I don't ship anything, it's all either local delivery or pickup. I use plastic bags too for stickers & smaller things. I avoid rolling decals and will tape them flat to a piece of cardboard trimmed down. I get endless free sheets of cardboard from my substrate deliveries.

 

[Stacey K]

We get the plastic tubing by the roll from Uline. We have 3 sizes and a sealer, like a seal-a-meal. We also get shipping tubes. For the occasional pickup need, like a bunch of small signs, we'll reuse boxes. The things we typically ship are in tubes. The other day I fabricated a sleeve to ship some decals.

I always thought about getting the tubing and the sealer Gary posted. Hmm, maybe that will be my next purchase! I wouldn't have to cut any bags down then.

 

[Boudica]

I always thought about getting the tubing and the sealer Gary posted. Hmm, maybe that will be my next purchase! I wouldn't have to cut any bags down then.

That's just like the one we have

 

[Zendavor Signs]

I don't ship anything, it's all either local delivery or pickup. I use plastic bags too for stickers & smaller things. I avoid rolling decals and will tape them flat to a piece of cardboard trimmed down. I get endless free sheets of cardboard from my substrate deliveries.

+1 to putting decals on a sheet. We avoid rolling unless really big

 

[garyroy]

OK, here's one for you, I ordered (100) 9 X 12 manila envelopes from Staples yesterday.
They were delivered today in a Priority USPS box, from Jam paper in NJ.
Funny thing, they were delivered by UPS. Staples vendor, Jam Paper isn't even turning the boxes inside out, they are just using Post Office
Priority Mail boxes and shipping them through UPS. I wonder how much money they're saving on boxes.

 

[binki]

We don't ship that much but we do reuse boxes.