Materials guide for LEGO selling & shipping including postage box sizes

[exciter1]

3 hours ago, gmpirate said:

I'm switching to LTL this year so I'm looking to stock up on like sized boxes.  What is the consensus for where to get boxes for large sets right now?  The 18x18x24 seem to be popular from HD/Walmart/etc but they obviously don't fit the large sets.  I can pick up locally from Uline but was wondering what my options are.  Uhaul?

The dumpster behind Quizno’s

[gmpirate]

1 hour ago, exciter1 said:

The dumpster behind Quizno’s

Are they still around?

[exciter1]

1 minute ago, gmpirate said:

Are they still around?

 

[joesnow2005]

6 hours ago, gmpirate said:

I'm switching to LTL this year so I'm looking to stock up on like sized boxes.  What is the consensus for where to get boxes for large sets right now?  The 18x18x24 seem to be popular from HD/Walmart/etc but they obviously don't fit the large sets.  I can pick up locally from Uline but was wondering what my options are.  Uhaul?

How much do you save by LTL compared with individual boxes?

[joesnow2005]

6 hours ago, gmpirate said:

I'm switching to LTL this year so I'm looking to stock up on like sized boxes.  What is the consensus for where to get boxes for large sets right now?  The 18x18x24 seem to be popular from HD/Walmart/etc but they obviously don't fit the large sets.  I can pick up locally from Uline but was wondering what my options are.  Uhaul?

HD does not carry the 18x18x24 any more. They replaced it with 22x16(w)x15(h) for the last couple of months, and now it was replaced again with 21x15(w)x16(h). 

[gmpirate]

5 minutes ago, joesnow2005 said:

How much do you save by LTL compared with individual boxes?

I think weight wise its about half.  At least that's what I gather from a little reading . . .

Edited May 24, 2021 by gmpirate

[thegraverobber]

I've looked through this thread for some ideas, but wondering if anyone has any new recommendations!

For the past few years I have been primarily buying for my personal collection, and turning any excess clearance finds into more Lego funds via Marketplace/Offerup and the like. I've accumulated a decent amount of duplicates that I am not having any more luck selling locally, and am looking into listing them on eBay. 

I'm having some difficulty finding box sizes for a lot of the larger/longer sets (like Defense of Crait, D-O, etc). Does anyone have any box/shipping recommendations for someone like me, who won't necessarily be selling frequently or in large quantities? More of a small part-time thing.

Thanks!

[gmpirate]

46 minutes ago, thegraverobber said:

I've looked through this thread for some ideas, but wondering if anyone has any new recommendations!

For the past few years I have been primarily buying for my personal collection, and turning any excess clearance finds into more Lego funds via Marketplace/Offerup and the like. I've accumulated a decent amount of duplicates that I am not having any more luck selling locally, and am looking into listing them on eBay. 

I'm having some difficulty finding box sizes for a lot of the larger/longer sets (like Defense of Crait, D-O, etc). Does anyone have any box/shipping recommendations for someone like me, who won't necessarily be selling frequently or in large quantities? More of a small part-time thing.

Thanks!

go dumpster diving

[fuzzy_bricks]

Probably a stupid question, but do I have to use USPS flat rate pricing if I am using their Priority Flat Rate boxes, or can I use standard Priority rates?  I was pulling out some boxes I picked up from USPS and they said flat rate on them.  I'd like to avoid getting a package bounced back to me.

[thelovemachine]

if u use USPS flat rate boxes, u will need to use USPS flat rate postage.  If they see it at buyer's post office, they will charge the buyer

[Pseudoty]

8 hours ago, fuzzy_bricks said:

Probably a stupid question, but do I have to use USPS flat rate pricing if I am using their Priority Flat Rate boxes, or can I use standard Priority rates?  I was pulling out some boxes I picked up from USPS and they said flat rate on them.  I'd like to avoid getting a package bounced back to me.

What I have seen some places I order from will turn them inside out or cover them with shipping paper so you can still save on the cost of a box. A lot of coin dealers do this with USPS Priority Mail Small flat rate boxes since a single coin is an ounce.  

[raindog]

11 minutes ago, Pseudoty said:

What I have seen some places I order from will turn them inside out or cover them with shipping paper so you can still save on the cost of a box. A lot of coin dealers do this with USPS Priority Mail Small flat rate boxes since a single coin is an ounce.  

At least 13 years ago the USPS started printing on the inside of the boxes so that you can no longer turn them wrong-side out.  I know because I worked for the USPS then.

[fuzzy_bricks]

2 hours ago, Pseudoty said:

What I have seen some places I order from will turn them inside out or cover them with shipping paper so you can still save on the cost of a box. A lot of coin dealers do this with USPS Priority Mail Small flat rate boxes since a single coin is an ounce.  

I've heard this too from here, but someone else said that if the dimensions match one of their boxes their machines may catch it.

[Darth_Raichu]

3 hours ago, Pseudoty said:

What I have seen some places I order from will turn them inside out or cover them with shipping paper so you can still save on the cost of a box. A lot of coin dealers do this with USPS Priority Mail Small flat rate boxes since a single coin is an ounce.  

I know people still do this but I would not recommend it.  All it takes is a USPS employee noticing he misuse and charge the receiver upon delivery.  All the sudden you are in the situation where the package is late AND the customer needs to pay extra for delivery.

[scrapen]

If you get boxes walking into USPS they are all flat rate.

You can order them from USPS in packs of 10 or 25 in all kinds of sizes and they are free. I’d recommend getting 10 of each in your first order and then you’ll soon enough figure out what sizes work best in your application.

[exciter1]

12 minutes ago, scrapen said:

If you get boxes walking into USPS they are all flat rate.

You can order them from USPS in packs of 10 or 25 in all kinds of sizes and they are free. I’d recommend getting 10 of each in your first order and then you’ll soon enough figure out what sizes work best in your application.

I only use them to line and support sets inside of corrugated boxes. USPS boxes are too thin to ship sealed LEGO sets.

[fuzzy_bricks]

15 minutes ago, scrapen said:

If you get boxes walking into USPS they are all flat rate.

You can order them from USPS in packs of 10 or 25 in all kinds of sizes and they are free. I’d recommend getting 10 of each in your first order and then you’ll soon enough figure out what sizes work best in your application.

They have Priority boxes that are not Flat Rate.

2 minutes ago, exciter1 said:

I only use them to line and support sets inside of corrugated boxes. USPS boxes are too thin to ship sealed LEGO sets.

I use them.  If that makes me a bad person, I'll add that reason to the list of others.  Depending on the set, depends whether I use them or not.  Sold a Duel on Bespin set, I used a new corrugated box for that one, but lots of City sets that go for $30-40 will get the free USPS box treatment.

[Jackson]

Those flat-ish, rectangular free USPS boxes often get crushed in transit, which means the LEGO box gets crushed too.

[$20 on joe vs dan]

recently I rec'd a few sets (from Ebay sellers) that use the USPS "free" boxes as an internal box.  I can appreciate the extra care (I guess); if not for the fact they literally covered the entire outer box w/ packing tape...it's really annoying to have to carefully use a blade to extract a set from someone who got a brand new roll of tape (for free obviously) and felt the need to use it all on a medium size box.

I know this is better for the complaint thread, but it's currently undergoing a social experiment 

[Pseudoty]

4 hours ago, fuzzy_bricks said:

I've heard this too from here, but someone else said that if the dimensions match one of their boxes their machines may catch it.

I remember that same “fear mongering” post back in the good old days when all we had to worry about was the size of our boxes  

I use the free boxes all the time.  I order them online and have them delivered to my house in bundles. As others have stated they are great for adding extra protection. 

[Bricklectic]

Anyone know the length of the empire state building box? Is it same as Trafalgar or longer?

[severalads]

4 hours ago, Bricklectic said:

Anyone know the length of the empire state building box? Is it same as Trafalgar or longer?

Same as trafalgar in length and width but about 1 cm deeper (fatter)

Edited August 28, 2021 by severalads

[Bricklectic]

23 hours ago, severalads said:

Same as trafalgar in length and width but about 1 cm deeper (fatter)

thanks. perfect for home depot medium double walls then.

[gmpirate]

How are you guys getting pallets?  I've been calling around locally in Socal and people seem to be out of stock.  I see them at Uline for $25 a piece but that's high.

[maestro]

Best place to buy boxes in Ireland? EU please? Thanks