c666187 Posted April 21, 2013 Share Posted April 21, 2013 I travel a lot for work, frequently flying to Vegas on Southwest Airlines (note that you get two free checked bags on Southwest). On a previous trip I did not pick up a Police Station for $50, because I did not have enough space in my suitcase. On this last trip I managed to find a couple 9468 Vampyre Castles on clearance for $69 at Wal-Mart. I purchased them without hesitation, but soon I got to thinking how in the heck will i get these home with the boxes in decent shape? These are too big for my suitcase, so I figured I would look into shipping them home via UPS. It looked like my best option would cost about $18-$22 for shipping, but I would also have to pay for a box and packing materials pushing the total up near $30. This clearly would take most of the deal out of my score. Luckily I discovered "The Luggage Box" at the UPS Store. You can see the product sheet here: http://www.theupsstore.com/products-services/packaging-shipping/Documents/Luggage-Box-Info.pdf Vampyre Castle is about 24" x 15" x 4" and the large box is 26" x 16" x 12" so you can easily fit 3 of this size box in there (Vampyre Castle, Falcon, Helms Deep, Jabba's Palace, Malevolence, etc are all the same size) This box is very sturdy when assembled has a handle like an old-school suitcase and only cost $9.95 at the store. I purchased the box, a $1 roll of tape at Wal-Mart, and a couple old newspapers from the hotel and I had my score packed securely. When I checked this as my second bag at the airport I did have to declare that there were "Toys" in the box, in an attempt to avoid embarrassment I said "My kids will be so happy" (I use that line way too much). Anyways, after a 3 hour flight back home that included a rain storm at my destination, my box arrived on the luggage carousel in excellent condition. It is entirely possible that the baggage handlers could destroy one of these boxes, but since I can bring an additional suitcase on Southwest I think it is a much better option than paying for shipping home. The smaller box is a 22" x 14" x 9" so it would not work for this haul, but it would be acceptable as a carry on if you were worried about the baggage handlers. If you happen to be on the road for work, don's pass on any clearance deals just because you don't have any more space. You can still get your scores home cheaply and safely if it all works out. I have attached pics for a reference. I hope that this helps someone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
terrymc4677 Posted April 21, 2013 Share Posted April 21, 2013 very nice! thanks for the tip. i am sure it will come in handy and be used by many going forward. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
c666187 Posted April 21, 2013 Author Share Posted April 21, 2013 very nice! thanks for the tip. i am sure it will come in handy and be used by many going forward. No problem. By the way, the pictures of my box are after it traveled with me home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hollywdbri Posted April 21, 2013 Share Posted April 21, 2013 Thanks, this is really good advice. Box looks nice and strong too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maverick2k1 Posted April 21, 2013 Share Posted April 21, 2013 Are you planning on keeping the box for storage? That seems pretty sturdy, worth picking one up to store my VC's? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
c666187 Posted April 21, 2013 Author Share Posted April 21, 2013 Are you planning on keeping the box for storage? That seems pretty sturdy, worth picking one up to store my VC's? That's a good idea, yes the box is very sturdy. I probably wont buy them for all of this size set, but I will definitely put 3 of my mintiest boxed in this one... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmatthie Posted April 21, 2013 Share Posted April 21, 2013 I'm out of town and need to ship home 5 9467s tomorrow. I got a cardboard box for free from the store and planned to just check it as baggage on my United flight. I'll pack it with clothes and other things to cushion the cargo. It's within weight and size restrictions so I'm good that way. Do you think the baggage fee of $25 is the way to go instead of paying for UPS/FEDEX to ship it for me? It's a Sunday and I'm within a time constraint with this obviously, but I'm leaning toward the $25 checked bag route. Thoughts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
c666187 Posted April 21, 2013 Author Share Posted April 21, 2013 I'm out of town and need to ship home 5 9467s tomorrow. I got a cardboard box for free from the store and planned to just check it as baggage on my United flight. I'll pack it with clothes and other things to cushion the cargo. It's within weight and size restrictions so I'm good that way. Do you think the baggage fee of $25 is the way to go instead of paying for UPS/FEDEX to ship it for me? It's a Sunday and I'm within a time constraint with this obviously, but I'm leaning toward the $25 checked bag route. Thoughts? I think that I would check it. $25 is likely less than the cost of shipping. As long as your box is sturdy, it should be fine. That is why I live southwest airlines, 2 free checked bags. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kerrmando Posted April 22, 2013 Share Posted April 22, 2013 I've had some bad experiences checking luggage with sealed lego boxes on planes. For starters they don't care at all if they damage it and will not replace it. I ruined a town plan shipping it to richmond from san fran. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
c666187 Posted April 22, 2013 Author Share Posted April 22, 2013 I've had some bad experiences checking luggage with sealed lego boxes on planes. For starters they don't care at all if they damage it and will not replace it. I ruined a town plan shipping it to richmond from san fran. I would be a little Leary about a transfer flight as well. Packaged properly, i'm not sure they could destroy this box without trying. Anything special, I would definately insure and ship Something common, like VC or HD, should be no problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.