Topic: Star of Edinburgh Glasses

[LemonFresh]

Hello, I bought a large amount of Star of Edinburgh crystal glasses. I intended to sell them in my shop however, I feel we are about to go back into lockdown in Scotland which will result in the shop being closed.

Given this, I'm pondering selling on Ebay. I am however very wary about the safety of the glasses. Can I ask people on here how they package their stock and what they have found to be the most effective way of sending. Is there a preference or industry standard for sending glasses? I would hate to have losses. Someone has kept these glasses safe for years and I want to keep them that way!
Thanking you for any advice.

[chopin-liszt]

I've found the best thing for packing glasses is an old inner cardboard roll from carpets. They're thick, strong and round. You need plenty of packing top and bottom. A saw is the easiest way to cut them down to size.
I always double box. And put a layer or two of bubble wrap around the inner box.

Cling film is great for securing bubble wrap, much better than loads of sticky tape.
And I shake the parcel to make sure nothing can move inside.

I once saw porters playing rugby with the instruments belonging to an orchestra when I was flying. Since then, I have made parcels secure enough to withstand that.
Given this often means the parcel gets fairly big, a courier might be far more economical than RM.

"Star of Edinburgh" is one of Edinburgh's most prestigeous classic cuts. It is not one that gets outsourced. Good luck. 

[Ekimp]

I am often surprised at how well glass survives quite shoddy packaging (within the U.K.). I’ve only received two broken items, one was a pair of wine glasses that were packaged touching each other and another was a dish that had only one layer of bubble wrap. I think I might have once received an item double boxed and well protected...maybe I don’t spend enough 

If you’re using Royal Mail, there is wrapping and packaging advice here: https://personal.help.royalmail.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/86/~/wrapping-and-packaging-advice---general-and-item-specific , scroll down for fragile items. If you are hoping to claim off Royal Mail for a damaged item, then I don’t think they pay unless you follow their packing advice as a minimum (I’ve had no personal experience of this). If you read Royal mail’s compensation policy it might put you off completely:  https://www.royalmail.com/retail-compensation-policy-damage

[chopin-liszt]

AFAIK, they do not compensate for glass. The only way to get insurance for it is to use Special Delivery.
I have had something good survive lousy packing, but damage from bad packing is far, far too common.
I'm too fond of glass to take risks with it. 

[LemonFresh]

Thank you everyone for your advice. As expected we are now in a 3 week lockdown so my shop will be shut. I'm loathed to move to online selling but also dont want stock laying out unsold so Ebay it is! I have invested in a giant roll of bubble and multi pack of fragile tape so wish me luck! 

[Ekimp]

Good luck! 

I sold something rather good a few years ago and read up on packaging as I didn’t want to take any chances. I remember reading that bubble wrap itself can damage glass, as the bubble can leave a mark where it touches and it’s best to use paper first.

AFAIK, they do not compensate for glass. The only way to get insurance for it is to use Special Delivery.
I have had something good survive lousy packing, but damage from bad packing is far, far too common.
I'm too fond of glass to take risks with it. 

You sound like one of the good ones 

In the Royal Mail compensation policy in the link, it doesn’t say they don’t compensate for damaged glass or other fragile items (that I can see), but excludes compensation where “...a breakable item has not been packed in a strong container with enough packaging material to protect the item against pressure and knocks, and where the item has not been marked with the words ‘FRAGILE HANDLE WITH CARE’ in capital letters on the cover or envelope above the address”. The only things it says must go special delivery are valuables (i.e. money and jewellery). It might be buried in the terms somewhere I suppose.

[LemonFresh]

Oh I didnt know that the bubble can cause damage so thank you! It's all just fraught isnt it...I'm worried about using a courier company because they have such bad reputations but the Royal Mail is really pricey. I see alot of ebayers sell glasses singularly which would be much easier to pack but sets are nicer and I have many many glasses!!

[chopin-liszt]

Can you make the auction so that people are able to buy sets or singles?
Star of Edinburgh should sell as both. Some folk will want singles to make up broken sets.
I've seen sellers who have several glasses list them as singles, but the auction itself shows how many are available, so the option for buying more is there in the same advertisement.

With couriers, you do not have the same troubles with size and weight restrictions, you can get a lot more really secure packing on.