Things get extreme when he added empty toploaders to each side and taped them......and I mean really taped them.
I believe it was ten pieces of tape after it was all said and done.
2000 Fleer Focus Jason Kendall Auto
I gave the seller positive feedback because the card arrived fine and that is all that matters. It was just an odd way to send a card. I know the toploader technique is common with people who send cards via pwe, but this arrived in a bubble mailer. I guess I can take solace in the fact that no foreign substance was going to ruin my $3 Jason Kendall auto.
Anybody have any good eBay packaging stories?
$3 was a solid price for that Kendall, especially since the shipper spent twice that much on Scotch Tape. Blue Painter's Tape, dude!
ReplyDeleteThat really is a nice auto, though--I love those Fresh Ink sets Fleer did back then.
In the long run all I care about is the card. Just thought it was too funny not to share. Hate to see what that guys does for a high $ card.
DeleteA eBayer I bought a three Star Wars stickers from sent them in a box with bubble wrap and everything. For free shipping too.
ReplyDeleteHe knows how Star Wars fans are with their collectibles.
DeleteI've run into some crazy packaging too. As long as the card arrives safely, I'm happy, even if scotch tape is everywhere.
ReplyDeleteThe one thing he did avoid was putting tape on the actual top loader that holds the card. That one always drives me nuts.
Deletepaaaaaaainter's tape!
ReplyDeleteThat would have been ideal.
DeleteI have so many stories like these from when I was on the trading forums. Some people would actually tape the cards to the package itself, which forced me to tear the mailer apart like some kind of freakish, card-thirsty monster. I'm all for safe packaging, but there IS such a thing as too much tape. (Painter's tape is king.)
ReplyDeleteHe would have been fine just with the toploader and team bag. Seems like someone who is worried about feedback scores.
DeleteI've had similar experiences with random cards off eBay like that. To be fair, I've accumulated so many toploaders that I'm tempted to offer just the toploaders as trade bait. :-)
ReplyDeleteSame here. Always nice to get the extra thick ones in the mail because they are pretty expensive.
DeleteThat is why I hate the use of so much tape because that can ruin the toploader.
I"ve had some sellers do that. Also taping the toploader or pennysleeve the card is in onto the side of a PWE or a sheet of paper/cardboard whatever they had on hand. The only time I ding them about tape is if the toploader the card is in is taped without a small piece of paper between the tape and card. I've had many sellers send in those card "savers" (the plastic pocket sleeve that is like ID badge holders) and TAPE that closed often times coming in contact with the card. Most of the time I managed to remove the tape without any damage to the card, sometimes a layer of ink/paint has come off from the card edge. I really hate when sellers use regular tape. Painters tape is the way to go.
ReplyDeleteHere is a recent weird packaging story I posted on Friday from a package I got back in March http://captkirk42.blogspot.com/2015/06/weird-packaging-but-still-pretty-safe.html
Even in you don't use painters tape, all you really need is top loader and team bag. I've seen a few cases like you mentioned with the card savers. I hate getting cards in those.
DeleteThe weird ones for me are when they include filler cards to "protect" the main card. Last week I ordered a 1961 Topps single off eBay, and the card was in a sleeve and topholder, which was taped to cardboard, between two more pieces of cardboard, inside a bubble mailer. for some reason, there were two loose singles of 1991-92 Topps Stadium Club Hockey cards just floating loose between the cardboard pieces... ???
ReplyDeleteI just wonder what is going through peoples heads when they ship out cards. "You know what this card needs, more tape!"
DeleteI should have gotten a post out of it, but I recently won a single card, and the seller threw in a bunch of bonus cards.. and then used clear shipping tape to tape them all together.. like taped directly onto the bonus cards! Luckily the end cards weren't anyone I cared about, but obviously they were ruined trying to take the tape off.
ReplyDeleteBut yeah, I really hate when sellers endanger cards with their overuse of tape. Sometimes you have to be really careful cutting into it without nicking the card(s). Not cool! They figure if it gets to you safe, they've done their job.. but they need to consider that you'll be able to easily and safely extract it from their crazy packaging.
That is the thing. The card is usually protected for delivery, but extraction is often not thought about. I've had many instances where i'm using a razor blade or scissors just to get excess tape off before pulling the card out.
DeleteBetter to be over protective than under. I am sure you have had that one auction where the card is in a penny sleeve then thrown into a PWE. Yeah, that works right?
ReplyDeleteIt is amazing how people take a pretty simple process and just screw it up.
DeleteSweet card! Did you see that Kendall is in the 2015 Fan Favorites Archives set?
ReplyDeleteI saw that! I'm still a little confused about the Sid Bream being a "fan favorite."
DeleteMaybe for Atlanta but DEFINITELY not for Pittsburgh. I like the Pirates checklist for Archives this year.
DeleteI like that the fan favorites got away from Van Slyke, Madlock and Oliver. Teke and Kendall are a nice change of pace. Plus I imagine both will be fairly affordable.
Delete