Mailing Models - flat envelope vs. tube

[paperscalemodels]

Seems like mailing models is a risky business
Envelopes are getting crushed , squized, bent and tortured.
It does not matter if the envelope is marked with warning:
"DO NOT BEND" or not.
One of the alternative solutions is using 2 inch tube .
What do You think about delivery like that ??

Of course three or four models packed together are hard to bend
even by most vicious mailmen and his revenge for yapping chow chow dog

[rickstef]

Use the freely available USPS shipping supplies
the envelopes and boxes

I have not gotten a single bent or crushed model when shippers use those items

[airdave]

I have been shipping items back and forth for years now.
I buy and sell many things.

The flat items that arrive safely (incoming or outgoing)
are the envelopes that contain a solid stiffener or backing board.

[I am forced to ship larger artworks, by rolling them into tubes and boxes
but theres always a risk of creasing.
And if the box gets crushed, then there are many creases!]

anything up to 12"x 16", I usually ship flat
with strong backers and card inserts.
(I have even used very thin wood paneling pieces!)

For the cost of proper mailing tubes, you could buy 40x60 sheets
of illustration board, matte board or heavy card
and cut out a dozen or more backing boards.

other than that, use the suggested shipping boxes

[Keds_Girl_Lala]

I would not use the tube. I have no issue with models packaged in card board and then put into a box (that is how paper model store does I think).

[SCEtoAUX]

It has been my experience that very little of anything that should be flat and mailed to me in envelolpes arrived bent or malformed in any way. Everything that that should be flat and mailed to me in tubes have all arrived curled and required extra action on my part to flatten out. Not a big deal most of the time, but some times .

[GreMir]

Flat, packed with cardboard stiffener with big "DO NOT BEND" on both sides.
I try to pack everything into Priority Mail boxes and for larger models, ea A3 format I pack them into plastic bag which goes into one flattened box and this goes into second box. All boxes are freely available at the post office.

[Keds_Girl_Lala]

In the USA if you go to the post office web site you can arrange to have the boxes mail for free to your house.

[Darwin]

I agree with flat....tho I sometimes think the "DO NOT BEND" stickers just gives them a challenge....

[Retired_for_now]

My vote is for flat - once it's curved it will never be straight again. Some cheap luan/doorskin plywood could also be used to cut a stiffener the size of the pattern sheets (like to see them bend that!).

Yogi

[Moshe]

Originally Posted by Darwin

I agree with flat....tho I sometimes think the "DO NOT BEND" stickers just gives them a challenge....

Does it apply also to the USPS supplied boxes? Or that's how they fight their competition? :D