Once one sells a coin on eBay, what is the best way to package the coin to be mailed to the recipient? I suspect there are different opinions—I’d like to hear them all.
If it's a low value coin, I put it in a flip and attach that to a folded piece of card stock and tape the card stock closed. I can use a standard office sized envelope. If it's a high value coin I used the cardboard envelope the post office supplies and then send via registered mail. Do not just tape the flip to paper, the sorting machines sometimes tears the coin right out of envelope.
Flips or cardboard envelope for raw coins. Slabs should be shipped in cardboard envelopes to protect the slab from being scratched.
Would you think these are acceptable for posting coins? http://www.ebay.ie/itm/350235194230?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649 They are similar to flips but flips have an extra one attahced? These are the cheapest alternative to flips, I would have to buy flips from U.S with a massive postage cost of $20 or more. Thank you
Pop in a small Jiffy bag in a plastic envelope which I tape to the inside of the bag. Over £15 registered , over £50 special delivery.Under £15 I just risk at normal post.
Go to the post office and grab a few of the free small flat-rate shipping boxes, then cut into whatever size needed to tightly sandwich the coin (in flip) in between two pieces and tape together. This gives a coin more immediate protection than a plain bubble-mailer does. If low-value and being shipped in a regular business envelope without tracking, make sure the pieces are close to the size of the envelope and be sure to ship "non-machineable" at the post office. While this costs a little more (still under $1) it will ensure the envelope is not handled in a way that will tear it and/or damage the coin inside. Keep as thin as possible. If shipping with tracking, you can buy plain non-padded 6"x9" shipping envelopes and do the same with the small flat-rate box cardboard. For added protection, you can also buy a roll of bubble padding to wrap the sandwiched coin in before placing in said envelope. Cut to size. This is much cheaper than buying bubble mailers, unless you are only shipping one or two coins.
I've never mailed a coin, but I would think those would be just as good as a flip, though I'd tape card stock (index card) around it and mail it in a cardboard envelope, as has been suggested in the above posts.
Look likes PVC and shipping in a PVC flip can be a big turn-off, so I would avoid it. You cannot get 2x2 cardboard/mylar flips or saflips in Europe?
Ok, thanks I always send them in bubble lined envelopes (around the same protection as cardboard). @ BooksB4Coins I found another seller selling 2x2" plastic envelopes says this: Made from best quality glass clear vinyl Sorry to throw your thread off track Thanks! -Owen
Don't worry about the thread being thrown off track. Like I said, I've never mailed a coin. A bubble-pack seems good to me, with the coin in a flip, with a cut-up index card taped around the flip to protect the coin. I wonder if there should be some cardboard in there, or maybe several layers of index cards.
Yes put some cardboard in it otherwise a post worker might think it`s an empty envelope (happened to me before with a small watch)
You don't need flips at all if you're mailing one or two coins; lay the coin on an index card, fold over, fold over again, fold one more time. Now tape the open ends down on another index card; same for the other coin. In the U.S., one ounce non-machinable is 65 cents. The envelope needs to fit the template (the clerk will give you one), and not be more than 1/4 inch thick, or it goes as a non-machinable package at a substantially higher rate. (Another USPS racket). Also, in my opinion, bubble wrap is worthless; anything the least bit sharp can pierce it, and it makes your envelope too thick to send as a letter. Yes, index cards can be pierced too, but which would you rather have, two tiny films of plastic with, umm, AIR in-between, or two or three layers of card stock? I would not try to mail any coin larger than a quarter in the way I have described above. I use heavy-duty 5x8 cardboard mailers for larger coins or currency. I mail about 10 items a week, so I also buy discount postage at around 65% to 75% of face, plus I have a 5# capacity scale, so I don't create a 3.1 ounce letter instead of a 2.9 ounce; those extra ounces add up, and in most cases, they are absolutely preventable. Sometimes I nip the end off a 5x8 mailer to prevent going over the next ounce; for non-machinable packages, it's expensive!
With all due respect and even for the lowest-value coins, wrapping in an index card instead of splurging a few cents on a flip seems very unprofessional.