Packaging Builder

Sleeve the card, slide it into a toploader and seal it in a team bag. Put it in a rigid mailer with a strip of tape over the toploader’s open end. Weigh it on the pocket scale: eBay Standard Envelope for cards under $20, Ground Advantage with tracking above that. Avoid: Loose cards in plain envelopes. They bend in sorting machines, and the refund costs more than the mailer.

Fold the garment around a sheet of tissue and close it with a sticker. Slide it into a poly mailer and press the air out before sealing. Weigh it and buy the Ground Advantage label for that weight. Avoid: Heavy outer packaging. A few extra ounces can push a light garment over the 1 lb rate break.

Bag loose small parts so nothing goes missing. Wrap boxed items and put them in an outer box with padding on every side. Ship loose figures in padded mailers. Avoid: Reused grocery boxes for boxed collectibles. The weak board lets the corners crush.

Bag cables and accessories separately, so loose plugs don’t scratch the screen. Wrap the device in bubble wrap and box it with padding on all six sides, so it can’t shift when the box is dropped. Tape every seam, and add insurance for anything over $100. Avoid: Mailers for anything with a screen: other packages pile on top in the truck and can crack it.

Put the coin in a capsule and tape the capsule to a small card, so it can’t slide around. Slide the card into a padded mailer, or a small box for sets. Ship anything you would hate to lose with tracking, and add insurance above the included cover. Avoid: Loose coins in envelopes. They work their way out through the corners.

Put the piece in a foam-lined box. Slide the box into a padded mailer. Ship anything valuable with tracking and enough insurance to cover it. Avoid: Loose pieces in envelopes. Chains tangle and small items slip out.

Wrap each item in bubble wrap and tape it closed. Use a padded mailer for compacts and lipsticks, a small box for glass or sets. Fill any gap so nothing moves when you shake the box. Avoid: Glass bottles in padded mailers. One drop on a sorting belt can break them.

Put each toy in a clear resealable bag to keep dust off. Ship a single toy in a padded mailer and a bundle in a small box. Weigh the packed order and buy the Ground Advantage label for that weight. Avoid: Keeping stock in a hot car or on a sunny windowsill: some squishies turn sticky in the heat.

Wrap the original shoe box in bubble wrap. Put it in a double-wall outer box and fill the gaps. Tape every seam and put the label on the outer box only. Avoid: Labels on the shoe box. Buyers pay for that box, and a label damages it.

Stuff the bag with tissue so it holds its shape. Put it in a dust bag, then a presentation box. Pack the box inside a plain outer box with padding, and add insurance for its full value. Avoid: Poly mailers for handbags. The bag arrives creased and crushed.

Wrap every piece on its own in bubble wrap. Box it in double-wall board with padding on every side. Shake the box before you tape it shut, and compare USPS with UPS or FedEx over 5 lb. Avoid: Mailers or single-wall boxes for glass and ceramics.

Fold the jersey around tissue so the print doesn’t crack. Slide it into a poly mailer. Weigh it and buy the Ground Advantage label for that weight. Avoid: Folding across the sponsor print: creases crack old vinyl prints.

Wrap the piece in tissue and close it with a sticker. Use a padded mailer for flat or soft items, a small box with padding for anything that breaks. Add a thank-you card with your shop name. Avoid: Loose glass or ceramics in mailers. One drop at the sorting center can break them.

Put the boxed figure in a protector. Wrap it in bubble wrap and box it with padding on every side. Label the outer box only. Avoid: Labels or tape on the figure’s own box.

Bag and board the issue, then add a second board behind it. Slide it into a rigid mailer, or a small box for runs and graphic novels. Weigh it and buy the Ground Advantage label for that weight. Avoid: Mailers with no stiffener. Sorting machines bend the comic inside.

Wrap each piece in tissue, then bubble wrap. Put small tumbled stones in a padded mailer and clusters in a box. Shake the box before you seal it, and add fill if anything moves. Avoid: Several pieces wrapped together. They knock against each other and chip.

Wrap books and games in a layer of bubble wrap to protect the corners. Use a padded mailer for single items, a small box for bundles and box sets. Weigh it to the ounce, and try a Medium Flat Rate Box for heavy stacks. Avoid: Thin envelopes for hardcovers. The corners push through and arrive dented.

Seal drinks and anything that could leak in a plastic bag. Box the order and fill every gap with paper so cans and packets can't move. Ship it tracked early in the week, and hold chocolate back in hot weather. Avoid: Chips and cookies in a poly mailer. They arrive as crumbs.

Fold collars, leashes and soft toys flat into a poly mailer. Wrap bowls and tins, then box them with paper around every side. Weigh treat bundles each time before you buy the label. Avoid: Ceramic bowls in a mailer. They break in the sorting machines.

Pick the unit by its shelf code and check it against the listing. Put soft items in a poly mailer, and boxed or fragile stock in a box with paper fill. Weigh it and buy the cheapest label it fits. Avoid: Oversized boxes for small items. UPS and FedEx charge by box size as well as weight.

Wrap each piece in bubble wrap, with extra around handles and rims. Pack it in a double-wall box and fill every gap with paper. Shake the box. If anything moves, add more fill. Avoid: Thin boxes for china and glass. Heavier packages stacked on top crush them.

Wrap each boxed figure in bubble wrap so the Japanese box arrives without creases. Box figures in a single-wall box, and ship single cards in a rigid card mailer. Weigh the package, then pick the cheapest service its size and weight fit. Avoid: Boxed figures in poly mailers. Collectors buy the box as much as the figure, and send dented ones back.

Fold the clothes flat and seal them in a clear bag. Slide the bag into a poly mailer, or box toys and gear with void fill. Weigh it and buy the Ground Advantage label for that weight. Avoid: Shipping bulky strollers and cribs in a mailer. Box them, or offer local pickup.

Fold costumes into a clear bag, then a poly mailer. Box masks, hats and fragile decor with bubble wrap and paper fill. Ship tracked in late October, on the day the order comes in. Avoid: Latex masks in a mailer. They crease and lose their shape.

Clean and dry the gear, and remove any gas canisters or fuel. Wrap poles, reels and sharp parts, then box them snugly. Weigh and measure the box before you buy the label, since UPS and FedEx price bulky boxes by size. Avoid: Packing damp tents, or stoves with gas still attached.

Wrap club heads and parts that stick out in bubble wrap. Box it in double-wall board and fill every gap. Tape every seam, then weigh and measure it to compare USPS, UPS and FedEx. Avoid: Heavy weights in single-wall boxes. They burst at the corners.