Nov 15 2017

Top 10 Must-Haves for Auction Packaging

So, the sale has finished and now it’s time to see what needs to be shipped.

The chances are it’s another mixed assortment of lots; different sizes and shapes going all over the country and overseas too.

Small items such as watches and medals need boxing and sending, artwork needs to be in suitable flat packaging with frame protection, ceramics need to be wrapped and cushioned, and there’s also that long or odd shaped item like a sword or cane…

Well, if you follow these 10 must-have packaging tips, you won’t go far wrong with having a ready-to-use mix of packaging suitable for most of your items:

Top 10 Must-Haves for Auction Packaging

Standard sized boxes
Don’t order 250 boxes the same size, you’re much better off ordering packs of 10 or 25 in different sizes to ensure you always have the right size for your items. Cube sizes are often a good choice because they suit round items such as plates and vases. In most cases choose double wall boxes because they’ll be stronger than single wall.
Wrapping and sticking basics
There are 4 basic products you’ll need to cushion products within boxes and seal them, and that’s loosefill chips, bubble wrap, acid free tissue paper and polypropylene packing tape. Always keep some of these to hand to make sure your products are cushioned and protected.
Flat wraparound boxes and pizza style postal boxes
These will be needed to protect artwork. Getting the right fit is important, because you will want space for padding (and perhaps some cardboard over the canvass or glass), but you don’t want it rattling around. Pick half a dozen sizes from small A4 size upwards and you won’t go far wrong.
Give those long items a perfect fit
Long boxes are essential for canes, swords and other long articles. You just won’t find it easy to cobble something together from spare packaging materials which adequately protects something like a sword, so it’s better to keep 3 to 4 sizes of long boxes to hand.
Telescopic boxes
Telescopic boxes are ideal for general sale room packaging, because they can be used as super-strong boxes with a double layer of cardboard on all sides, or they can be slid up and down to suit the height of the artifact you need to pack. Choose 5 sizes from small to large – they’ll be handy to keep in the packing area.
Plywood cases
These are a must where you need wooden protection. So, if you are shipping a tea set or something equally fragile, or if you are shipping some artworks overseas, you’ll need some plywood boxes. The good news is that you only have to buy one at a time. If you need wood protection a lot, then keep a handful in stock.
Postal Boxes
Handy sized postal boxes are great for watches, medals and small lots. You shouldn’t allow small items to rattle around in large boxes, so unless you’re going to get through an awful lot of extra packaging to fill the space, then keeping 3 or 4 sizes of postal boxes in the packing area is a great idea and will save you money.
Padded mailing bags
Padded mailing bags are very useful for sending out medals and suchlike, as well as small items that have already been boxed but need added protection, such as jewellery or a small boxed artwork.
A pallet kit (or consignment kit)
Essential backroom packaging to keep in for shipping a large object or quantities of articles that aren’t suitable for manual handling. Pallet sized cap and sleeve boxes are easy to store, trim to size and secure. A simple plastic strapping dispenser box or kit is needed to secure a pallet with its contents. Black security wrap can be used to hide the pallet contents and help protect against dirt and moisture where necessary.
Warning tapes and labels
Fragile tape, fragile labels, and do not stack cones for pallets are a great final touch. These will encourage your carriers to handle the parcel with care and reduce damages, helping to make sure your parcel arrives to it’s destination in great condition.

Finally, once you’re up and running, you’ll find that you will need a few additional sizes of boxes for those awkward flat, long or tall objects. So, by choosing Davpack, it means that you have the largest selection available in stock on hand to deliver the next working day. There is no minimum order and no need to order in bulk, just a few at a time. This means that you can adapt your range of packaging quickly and without waste or delays to shipping that important parcel.

If you have any other top tips that you would like to share, please email your tips to sales@davpack.co.uk and we will add it to this post, or use it to help with new content.