Packing records safely

Most return disputes come down to one of two things: bad grading or bad packing. Grading is in your control; packing is too. Here's the standard we expect.

Materials

• Stiff record mailer — a purpose-made cardboard mailer for LP, 12" or 7" depending on the record. The mailer should not flex when you press on the centre.
• Inner protection — the record itself in a clean inner sleeve (poly or paper); the sleeve in a polythene outer sleeve to keep the cover clean during transit.
• Corner protection — cardboard L-pieces or extra cardboard at the corners. Corner-bumping is the most common transit damage and the easiest to prevent.
• Filler — bubble wrap, foam or rolled paper to stop the record sliding inside the mailer.
• Tape — proper packing tape, not Scotch tape.

The pull-out trick

Take the record out of the sleeve before shipping. Put the record in its inner sleeve and slide it alongside (not inside) the cover. A record bouncing around inside its sleeve during transit is the classic way to get seam splits.

Address and labels

Write or print the address clearly on a label, not directly on the cardboard with marker (which can ghost through to white sleeves). Apply tracked-shipping labels squarely so carriers can scan first time.

Multi-record orders

For combined-shipping orders, use a larger mailer designed for the count or a sturdy box. Each record in its own polythene; pad between records with cardboard or thin foam. Do not stack records flat without separation — they sound great as a single 70 mm slab to a forklift, less so to the buyer.

What we expect

• No fingerprints inside the polythene
• No damage caused by overstuffed mailers
• Records that arrive flat, in the same grade you described, in the same sleeve you photographed

Bad packing causes ratings to drop quickly. A €5 mailer is cheaper than the time spent on a dispute.

Carrier choices

For most shipments, Deutsche Post, DHL, DPD, Hermes, GLS, UPS or your local carrier of choice is fine. Tracked shipping for anything over €30. Insured shipping for anything over €100. For high-value lots, insure for the full sale price — your time arguing with the carrier afterwards is worth more than the premium.

See also Shipping options for how Sendcloud-via-VOD can help with rates.