Ebay Packing Jobs

[Scott Stevens]

On Sat, 12 Feb 2005 09:02:44 -0500
"Pete Bartusek" <pbmain at wideopenwest.com> wrote:

> My favorite ebay packing job was a 5.25" disk drive I received,
> packaged in twigs.  Yes, a box, a pile of twigs surrounding a plastic
> apple 5.25" drive. Seller thought they were some sort of benefit to
> society by recycling instead of using plastic peanuts.  The other two
> packing jobs that took 2nd/3rd place were both retro computers...one
> an atari, another a mac...one was packed with some old tableclothes
> (single layer, not folded over), the other was just set right in a box
> with the keyboard and mouse taped with cheap plastic packaging tape
> holding the and keyboard against the plastic cpu - no cushion at all. 
> All three times the sellers were in disbelief with me being upset...
> All three times things were broken, and with over a thousand
> transactions on ebay...the only ones with problems were these retro
> computer deals.  One man's junk is another one's treasure, I think
> that's half the problem... 
> 
> Pete
> 

They should have packed the drive in air-popped popcorn.  I've shipped
eBay items that way a few times.  It's cheaper than styrofoam peanuts
and it's what they used to use for packing material.  It's important to
isolate the protected item from the popcorn, of course, in a sealed
plastic bag.

I always put an insert in those packages saying 'This popcorn not for
human consumption.  Give to the birds.'

Nobody ever complained.