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How to ship computer parts?

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ChanceCoats123

ChanceCoats123

d20 in a jacket
​
Joined
Feb 1, 2009
Location
Illinois
Title pretty much says it all. I'm selling a bunch or parts to fund the purchasing of more parts. ;)

Basically, I need decently cheap ways to ship cpu's, ram, a video card and a motherboard. I've shipped sensitive items in their packaging before, but these were OEM/hand-me-downs and have no packaging.

I've got a few Amd cases for processors, but I also need them for my own chips. I am looking for a cheap, effective and safe way to ship a processor that is not LGA. (The pins are on the cpu, not the board).

Secondly, I've seen a few threads about shipping ram, but I want to be sure there will be no electronic killing in the process. Can this be done without using anti-static bags? If not, are there inexpensive and local places to buy anti-static bags?

I received my RC car, LiPo battery, and charger in nothing but foam pellets and boxes. Is this safe for motherboards, video cards and ram? I want to get people their parts without them dying.

Thanks in advance for your time.

-Chance
 
I think the motherboard will be the hardest to protect just because of its size and the fact the center of the box will be the weakest.

As far as the cpu goes if it was me (and it will be soon) and I didn't have something like the factory plastic case to put it in I would put it on a thin piece of foam wrapped with an anti static then place it in a Altoids container and put that in a small box like the smallest flat rate shipping boxes.

The ram I would wrap with anti static and place in the small flat rate box packed with wadded up newspaper and call it good.

The motherboard if you don't have an old motherboard box to put it in, I would us one of the larger flat rate boxes but I would cut up card board and place it in the bottom and top to help stiffen it up and protect it where it will be weakest in the center.

Remember not to over pack the box's since this would just allow any impact to transfer to the item and not absorb it.
 
Last edited:
ChanceCoats123 said:
Title pretty much says it all. I'm selling a bunch or parts to fund the purchasing of more parts. ;)

Basically, I need decently cheap ways to ship cpu's, ram, a video card and a motherboard. I've shipped sensitive items in their packaging before, but these were OEM/hand-me-downs and have no packaging.

I've got a few Amd cases for processors, but I also need them for my own chips. I am looking for a cheap, effective and safe way to ship a processor that is not LGA. (The pins are on the cpu, not the board).

Secondly, I've seen a few threads about shipping ram, but I want to be sure there will be no electronic killing in the process. Can this be done without using anti-static bags? If not, are there inexpensive and local places to buy anti-static bags?

I received my RC car, LiPo battery, and charger in nothing but foam pellets and boxes. Is this safe for motherboards, video cards and ram? I want to get people their parts without them dying.

Thanks in advance for your time.

-Chance
Click to expand...

US Priority Mail is your friend. CGS has some good points too.

If you don't have anti-static bags:

Small items like RAMS can be put into those plastic sandwich bags, foam in between them, peanuts inside too, then Priority Mail boxes. They are free at the US Post Office. Processors can be tricky but a thin piece of foam cut to suit will work gently over the pins inside a sandwich bag.

Those peanuts are a PITA but according to professional shippers, they work. Try to suspend items in the center of the box with enough peanuts on all sides and/or foam on all sides so when you close the box, nothing shakes inside. If it shakes before sealing it, put more peanuts inside until the lid closes tightly. The same works for larger items, the idea is the same.
 
Pinned cpus - i use a 1/2in piece of dense foam, and wrap it up tight with scotch tape, stick in a small bubble envelope, tape it in the middle and ship it off, never had any problems

Ram - small bubble envelope, ram wrapped in anti static bag or similar, and taped to a piece of cardboard that fits inside the envelope to give it some rigidity and so the stick dont flop around

Small gfx cards - USPS small flat rate box with some padding.

Mobo - USPS medium flat rate box with some padding


the ONLY way i ship is USPS... they get their stuff out quick and rates are FAR cheaper than UPS, and their tracking "delivery conformation" is pretty good.
 
Shweet! I had no idea the flat rate boxes were free (thanks Rollingthunder). Are you allowed to stop in, pick a few up and leave without shipping something? I've got a small flat rate box for the graphics card I just sold, so could I grab a few when I go in?

Also, I've got plenty of packing peanuts from my Newegg orders. My mom calls me crazy for having a huge bag of them, but I keep just about all of my packaging to reuse. :)

Seriously, thanks a whole lot for all the help and advice. I would be lost...
 
+1 USPS for computer parts. UPS goes out of the way to damage or destroy anything that are being sent to me. If they could, they'd find a way to twist a new hard drive around without even a dent in the shipping box.


Shweet! I had no idea the flat rate boxes were free (thanks Rollingthunder). Are you allowed to stop in, pick a few up and leave without shipping something? I've got a small flat rate box for the graphics card I just sold, so could I grab a few when I go in?
Click to expand...

Yes. As long as it's all USPS Priority mail boxes as well as some form like DC form, custom form, etc. Other boxes (Ready Post box, tapes, etc) are not free. You can also go to www.usps.com and order them free!! No shipping charge for boxes, 100% no string attached* free. I used to do this when I was still selling on eBay.

* still got to use Priority mail service to use those boxes. If you try to slip one as media mail or parcel post, and they notice it's a Priority mail box, they'd get rather upset.
 
Shweet. I forgot about that. I'm signing up now and ordering 10 of the mediums and 10 of the small (I checked dimensions. ;) )
 
Are there any places online that sell plastic containers for things like ram, cpu, etc? Im looking to start selling some random things also. Need some anti-static bags too. Im sure the ways that are listed work fine, im just picky about how things i order are packed. thanks and have a good one!

Yogurt
 
ChanceCoats123 said:
Shweet. I forgot about that. I'm signing up now and ordering 10 of the mediums and 10 of the small (I checked dimensions. ;) )
Click to expand...

note that there are two different sizes of medium boxes... one more cubeish... another more like a mobo shaped box. they also have multiple flat rate envelopes, including padded ones.

http://www.usps.com/prices/priority-mail-prices.htm

i usually have at least one of each small, and the 2 medium boxes on hand.... if i use one, when i go to the post office to ship it ill grab another.
 
Lol, I made sure to get the ones that are like 14''x12''x4'' instead of the chubby ones. Thanks for the heads up. :thup:
 
So I mailed a processor today. Trial run on Dense foam over the pins, completely wrapped in packaging tape and taped in the middle of a padded envelope. We'll see how it goes. :thup:

I also mailed some ram earlier this week in a small flat rate box. I took a plastic bag (electronics bag, but not anti-static) and put cardboard, ram, cardboard, ram, cardboard. I then taped it up and foam pelleted her in. :)
 
The chubbier medium flat rate boxes are great for mailing out heatsinks. About the only ones that won't fit in those boxes is the NH-D14 and probably the Silver Arrow. But the Ven-X, Megahalems, TRUE and Corsair A70 will fit those boxes with no problem.

Another trick (if you have a credit card you can use) is to print your shipping labels online at usps.com. You get free delivery confirmation and a slight price break. Small flat rate box is $5.00 even with delivery confirmation and medium flat rate is $10.50 with delivery confirmation.
 
That saves you $.90. Thanks for that heads up! How exactly does that work? You pay online and print a label, or you pay online and go in for the label?
 
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