Posting guitars

Stevepage

Hi everyone. How do you all ship your guitars? I've had some one interested in my Prs but it doesn't have a hardcase. I'd struggle to get to a guitar shop to get a cardboard box so I'm at a loss.

Who do you use and who is best to use if you can't be at home sat waiting for the courier turn up?

meltedbuzzbox

If its an SG I usually post it in a Tesco bag with a bit of sellotape and act amazed when it gets smashed to pieces....

Fortheloveofguitar

meltedbuzzbox;352209" said:

If its an SG I usually post it in a Tesco bag with a bit of sellotape and act amazed when it gets smashed to pieces....

You can't beat an old bin bag with holes, strapped up with cable ties.

John_P

You need to sort some kind of protection for it and as much as you can...

Postage is easy - I use interparcel, and the standard option is via ups - I can have it collected from work or drop it off at one of several local shops that act as agents (surprised me how many there are).

GIJoe

Have a read here:

http://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/23515/advice-on-ebay-sale-for-my-protection#latest

monquixote

I've posted a cheapo bitsa in a cardboard box, but I wouldn't post a PRS in one. 

If you do either say you need to include the price of a cheapo hardcase in the price or take the neck off. 

Philly_Q

For UK sales I use Parcelforce (yes, the organisation popularly lampooned as Parcelfarce), it's easy to organise collections from work or home and they're not too expensive.

I don't know what to suggest about packing - I buy and sell so much that I always have guitar boxes lying around. >:D<

If I'm sending something in a gigbag rather than a hard case I usually double box it.  Failing that, a really sturdy box and lots of padding. 

LooseMoose

Buy a guitar box from eBay? Or better, suggest you buy a hardcase for it and add that to the price?

Philly_Q

Maybe the buyer would like to choose his own hard case?  I had someone do that once, he bought a case and had it shipped to my work address, then I brought the guitar in and packed it.

I thought I'd even be able to re-use the box the case came in, but that backfired - it turned up in a heavy duty black plastic bag so I had to go all the way home again and get a box.  

stimpsonslostson

My advice is also posted in the thread alluded to earlier.

I'd politely ask in your local guitar shop.

1- they are likely to have good packaging going spare: guitar boxes and the like.

2- they will know the best courier to use

3- in the case of my local guitar shop, for £20 they'll send it for you using their own courier account (so long as it's packaged to their satisfaction. 

meltedbuzzbox

stimpsonslostson said:

My advice is also posted in the thread alluded to earlier.

I'd politely ask in your local guitar shop.

1- they are likely to have good packaging going spare: guitar boxes and the like.

2- they will know the best courier to use

3- in the case of my local guitar shop, for £20 they'll send it for you using their own courier account (so long as it's packaged to their satisfaction. 

You can also use a TV box, a bike box, washing machine etc there are so many big objects that come wrapped in card its not all that hard to source a box. 

sunshinewelly

I tend to keep all my boxes so usually have some to hand - what i did was double box it with lots of bubble wrap. put some paper between the strings and neck to protect the frets, bubble wrap the neck and loosen strings and then pray to the parcel gods.

if its a USA PRS i would not want to risk that if it does not have a hard case.

Phil_aka_Pip

I'd put it in a gig bag, place said gig back carefully in the back of my van, and take it myself.

bobblehat

I've always used bike boxes from Halfords. They are usually pretty strong and leave enough space for plenty of Packing material.

Halford always happy to give them away.

With regards to couriers I've used Interparcel (UPS service) with no issues. 

I'd be nervous about shipping a PRS though and always check the couriers insurance policy.

Neil

Always in a hard case IMO. 

iseverynamegone

I've never done this with an expensive guitar but a few epiphones way back.

B&Q sell sheets of polystyrene large enough to lay the guitar on , draw it's silhouette and then get a blade and cut out the shape. Do this to 3 or 4 sheets - depends how thick guitar is - and then stick a layer on top and bottom , pack with newspaper where it's not 100% supported and gaffa tape the life outta the bastard . Job done - probably protects it as well as a case but still doesn't get you insurance valid. Costs a few quid mind.

thomasross20

EXCELLENT thread because I want to sell some guitars.... no luck on gumtree so have to use ebay.... but no hard cases!! I will read this with interest... in past I remember charges being a little high but fair enough. How high are ebay charges these days?
I just can't imagine not shipping in a hard case, but then imagine having to BUY a hard case just to sell!?

Philly_Q

thomasross20 said:

How high are ebay charges these days?

Basically a flat 10%, whatever the selling price.  Plus the listing fees, if any - they often have free listing weekends (and even if they don't listing is pretty cheap).  Plus PayPal charges of about 3% if you get paid that way.

thomasross20

Christ, that's gone up then, no? Bit steep!

Philly_Q

They're always sneaking them up.  It recently went from 10%, with a maximum selling fee of £75, to 10% of the whole selling price (up to £2,500 I think, although I've never sold anything for that much).

They even take 10% of the postage charges nowadays.  Although having said that, I've sold two guitars recently and they don't seem to have taken 10% of the postage charges.  Maybe it'll appear at the end of the month.... 

TTony

thomasross20 said:

Christ, that's gone up then, no? Bit steep!

Yes.  And yes.

But that's not really the worst part of evilBay nowadays.

You've got to be *very* aware of the full range of scams (a range that's continually expanding) and also the balance of sellers vs buyers rights/protection offered by eBay and PayPal.  

But, it's a much bigger shop window than other options.