What I learned today:

[frgsnlzrds]

Never sell anything on ebay that you don't find a box for first. LOL

[KrisM]

Ut oh! I hope you were able to find or make a box. Power scissors, by Black and Decker, are fabulous for making boxes. They zip right through the cardboard.

[Globetrotter]

Tell me about it! I sold something that included a long box and it never occured to me that I need to measure it to make sure I HAD a suitable box! I paid $10 to have UPS make one for me, and .... get this.... four days later I ordered something for myself and got the EXACT size box I needed from Target online! :6:

How does one make a box? I didn't know I could do that!

[bigpassport]

BTDT. What a pain. :hug:

[KrisM]

How does one make a box? I didn't know I could do that!

I start by seeing if I have a box that works for 2 dimensions. Let's say you're mailing a board game. If it fits into a Priority shirt box, but is just too long, you're good. Assemble one box so that one end is closed. Measure how much of the second box you'll need. Cut down a corner to that measurement and cut all the way around the box. Assemble the other end so you have a closed end there, too. Now, slide the short box onto the big box and tape them together.

If you have nothing that works, open some boxes along their corners or seams. Cut the sides to the right length, use a piece of wood as a straight edge to get a fold in the cardboard, and box it up. Use as many of the existing folds and corners as you can.

[frgsnlzrds]

I did kind of improvise. I was shipping a little people garage and DH finally found a box big enough, it was just a little too tall, but those extra 3 inches put it into the "large package" category and I did not charge enough shipping to cover that. So I sliced the sides of the box and folded it over extra and it's perfect. Well-not perfect, the top edges are slightly rounded, but close enough for me! :boogie: I can't wait till DH sees it, he was SO convinced it wasn't going to work and I was going to ruin the only box we could fit it into. He wanted me to just eat the extra $7 in postage!

[AshleyAnn]

Yup - bought a large item on ebay last week and the poor seller discovered it was going to cost more than twice the shipping she charged me. Thankfully my item comes apart so she shipped it in 2 parts and it came out under the size limits (but it took a week to get both parts). She appears to have used a box (or more) from uhaul to make it fit the shape. Basically she just cut it into a rough box shape then wrapped the sucker in enough tape to get it here.

[KrisM]

I did kind of improvise. I was shipping a little people garage and DH finally found a box big enough, it was just a little too tall, but those extra 3 inches put it into the "large package" category and I did not charge enough shipping to cover that. So I sliced the sides of the box and folded it over extra and it's perfect. Well-not perfect, the top edges are slightly rounded, but close enough for me! :boogie: I can't wait till DH sees it, he was SO convinced it wasn't going to work and I was going to ruin the only box we could fit it into. He wanted me to just eat the extra $7 in postage!

Good job! And, really, for $15 at Target, get some power scissors! All those cuts are easy-peasy then!