How to pack and ship comics for eBay and Whatnot: the box, the wrap, and the scale
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If you sell comics on eBay or Whatnot, do not skimp on shipping. Some sellers ship loose comics with no bag and board, in a poly mailer, instead of a nice sturdy box. A sturdy box costs a little more, but you get fewer returns and happier customers. Here is how I do it.
The one rule: pack it like you are the buyer
When I send out comics and other collectibles, I look at it as if I am the one who is going to receive it. I would never send myself something in a junky cheapo box, in a poly mailer, or without a bag and board. Look at it through your own eyes and ask yourself: would I be happy if I received this?
1. Two box sizes
My staples are a 12x8x2 box and a 12x8x6 box. I buy them from Uline.
2. A tape gun, and do not skimp on tape
Get a packing tape gun. It saves a ridiculous amount of time and helps you tape the box properly. And do not skimp on the tape: I run three strips all the way down the bottom.
3. Bag and board, then double bubble wrap
Every comic goes out bagged and boarded (the bag and board size finder shows which size fits). Then I wrap it in bubble wrap twice and fill in the empty space, if there is any, so it is protected.
Other sellers use Gemini mailers, which are fine. I like the added layer of bubble wrap and packing paper in a sturdy box. It is not something you just slip into an envelope. A real box gives your comic a better chance of getting to the buyer, so they can be excited to have it.
4. Pack the cheap books like keys
I wrap even my cheapest, lowest priced books as if they were a key. Whoever buys a comic values it differently than I do, and differently than the pricing market does. To somebody out there, that Legion of Super-Heroes #49 is super important. To me, not so much, but that does not matter. I want them to get it, open it up and be excited.
5. Graded comics get the same treatment
A slab gets the same box and the same bubble wrap as everything else, plus maybe one extra layer. For listing one, see the graded comics guide.
6. Bigger stacks: backing boards facing out
For a larger stack, I flip the comics over so the backing boards face the outside. That gives it a little extra protection, and then I bubble wrap the stack the same way as a single.
The finished stack still fits in the 12x8x2 box, ready to ship once the label is on. One even larger lot, about 35 to 40 comics, I had to split in two. Same thing: backing boards on the outside, bubble wrap, and into the big boy box. For listing a lot, see the lots guide.
7. Keep everything on hand and ship fast
Have all of your packing materials on hand. Speed is super important: ship the same day, or right after the order, if you can. Amazon and Walmart deliver same day or next day now, so you have to be as fast as possible to keep up. If you are not, the next seller who ships same day or next day gets the business, and you do not.
8. Get a digital scale and weigh when you list
Get a digital scale, and weigh all of your stuff when you list it, so you know what the label is going to cost. If you just try to wing it, it costs you a lot: you miss the discounted shipping rates from eBay or Pirate Ship, then you get charged, and it eats into your profit. Comic margins can be thin, so get a scale. The free comic shipping weight calculator shows the weight and package size Point and Sell writes for a single comic, a lot, a slab, a magazine or a book, as a starting point.
Quick checklist
- Bag and board every comic.
- A 12x8x2 and a 12x8x6 box, from Uline.
- A tape gun, three strips down the bottom.
- Bubble wrap twice, fill the empty space.
- Slabs: the same box, maybe one extra layer.
- Bigger stacks: backing boards facing out.
- Weigh it when you list it.
- Ship same day or next day.
- Would you be happy if you received it?
How Point and Sell fits in
Packing is yours. Point and Sell does the part before it: take a picture and get an eBay and Whatnot listing with none of the typing.