Re: [Epic] Tips on packaging and mailing minis

From: Dirk Vormann <DVormann_at_...-duisburg.de>
Date: Tue, 17 Mar 1998 13:37:55 +0100 (MEZ)

> Recently I starting trading minis with Dirk Vormann (same continent) and
> Aaron P Teske (different continent), and I'd like some tips on how to
> package and mail minis to people all over the world.
>
> I had put the minis in an old blister, taped thouroughly together, and put
> this blister in a sturdy envelope with 'bubbly' plastic, to ensure that the
> minis won't get damaged. On the envelope I put a sticker with an airplane
> on it and with the words 'A prior' on it, which (according to the secretary
> I got the sticker from), means that it will be treated as letter mail, but
> not as 'printed matter mail', which would be slower. It is, however, not
> air mail and while it is quick enough to be sent over the same continent (in
> my case from Belgium to Germany).
>
> The trades I did with Dirk (Germany - Belgium) went very quickly, as they
> were put in the mail on a Friday and we both received it on a Monday (say it
> took about 3 days). The trade with Aaron (USA - Belgium) took considerable
> more time. I received my minis within a week, but Aaron hasn't received
> them yet... and I put them in the mail on February 2nd 1998.
The record from the US to me stands at 4 days (or was it 3?), while the
"negative" record is close to the 40 days mark (air mail!). Patience is
the most important thing concerning intercontinental trades.
Germany-Japan only needs a few days, that connection is really fast.

> I do believe Aaron sent his packet by airmail, which result in a speedy
> delivery, but I have absolute no idea how long it takes to get a packet to
> the US by 'land mail'. I do understand now why they call it 'snail mail'.
Surface mail is fine within central/northern/western and southern europe.
Did not try it to/from the US.

> I would really appreciate any tips on how to package and send minis so that
> I won't make the same mistakes again and that the minis arrive quickly to
> their destination. Something like 'always-use-airmail' or
> 'land-mail=lost-forever' would be useful, 'cause these are only my first
> steps in the trading world (The only mail I ever sent to the US was a
> subscription form for a computer CD magazine which appears 4 times a year,
> so that doesn't give a clue about the time involved). I think these tips
> would be very useful to the people of the list as we have people from at
> least thee different continents (North-America, Australia/New Zealand &
> Europe), and we trading rookies could use every advice from the veterans.
If you have any fears, make stuff traceable. You do not have to pay for a
value declaration (secured mail or whatever it is called in english),
label it "signature required" (Recomandee or whatever the French name is).
That is the cheapest option to get it traceable. Also, such a letter or
packet is hardly ever lost, although that does slow the thing down a bit.
That is not really important within Europe, but if you do not trust the
other one completely you can even get rock-hard proof he received it if
necessary. (But that will not help much if you run into a bad trader
anyway.)




DV


brain*beauty=constant
Received on Thu Jan 01 1970 - 00:00:00 UTC