# Best vs cost effective packaging



## HeathenPeddler (Nov 30, 2006)

Ok, what do you consider the best method of packaging your t-shirts? And what is the most cost effective way?

I'm presuming most go for something in the middle of this equasion, so can you tell me what you use when you ship to a customer? That's for singles and for bulk orders


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## MotowearUSA (Nov 5, 2006)

Hi Raven! We use clear poly bags for each shirt. We have an oversize promotional post card that we put in with each order so if it's a one shirt order it goes in the bag then we heat seal the bag. If it's a bulk order then we'll just bag and seal the shirts and put one card in the box with the order. Eventually we'll be buying poly bags in bulg but in this stratup phase we've found bags at the dollar store that work great. They are just the right thickness and size for T-shirts and are 50 for a dollar. At that price they aren't much more expensive that buying in bulk from someplace like ULINE and these even have the suffocation warning printed on one side! We also will probably eventually buy a dedicated sealer but in the meantime we've had great results using our heatpress! We let it cool down to around 200 degrees and put top inch or so of the open end of the bag between 2 sheets of teflon, lower the press for about 1-2 seconds, count to 5, and peel away the teflon. The counting to 5 seems to let the plastice cool just enough, while being supported by the teflon, that it doesn't shrivel. It just has a nice textured seal band. We're currently looking for an economical way to get printed, foldover cardstock tops. Then we can place them over the sealed area and staple and we have very professional packaging that can even be punched for hanging. I have a few small retailers we we do custom shirts for that are really looking forward to that!


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## HeathenPeddler (Nov 30, 2006)

That sounds like a good idea. Do you post them like that?

If you can get the card in the right size you could do a simple 1-colour screen and use that I suppose. Some wood and a piano hinge would be about all you'd need for that  Might even have to sort something along those lines myself, eventually


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## MotowearUSA (Nov 5, 2006)

We've had really good luck so far using Vista Print for our printing. I just placed a reorder with them...250 full color business card and 50 oversize postcard, glossy full color on one side, black and white text on the back. Total cost for the order, including shipping, was less than $10! I just need to find the right product from them to make the bag toppers from because it sure would be hard to beat those prices. And yes...we ship all individul orders USPS Priority mail so we just put the sealed polybag in a Priority Mail Tyvek envelope along with a shipping slip, label it and off to the post office.


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## hammered (Apr 14, 2006)

If youre looking for a good mailer, try these 9' x 6 1/2' boxes. And for those of us in the US, the USPS offers some shipping sullies for, (wait for it) FREE
Only catch is, you have to use the PO to ship since it is a USPS mailer. I guess you could ship with whoever, but it would make me feel kinda dirty


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## HeathenPeddler (Nov 30, 2006)

Gods, Royal Mail don't do anything for free! You're making me jealous lol


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## MotowearUSA (Nov 5, 2006)

Yup, I've looked at the cost of boxes and tyvek envelopes and it's a pretty significant savings to get them free from the USPS. Not only that but you can order them online and they even deliver them for free! I just received 10 tyvek envelopes and 35 priority mail boxes today. Funny thing though....with all they give you for free they make you buy the self adhesive labels to print the shipping info and postage on! I have, however, discovered that if you have a UPS account they'll send you free blank labels that just happen to work perfectly for the USPS. Ummm, not that I'd ever use UPS labels on a Priority mail package. Cause that would make me feel kinda dirty.


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## Quattroporte (Dec 27, 2006)

Dang. Ship for free too? I heard I could just ask the mail deliverer. But the mail is already there by the time I get home so that's kinda pointless.


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## MotowearUSA (Nov 5, 2006)

Yes, you can order them online at USPS.com and they will deliver them to you at no charge! If you have an account online with them you can pay for and print your postage right from your computer and then you can request a carrier pickup of your package for......you guessed it......FREE!!!!! Normally I'm not a big fan of the Post Office but when you can do everything from get supplies to ship your package without ever leaving home and everything is free other than the actual postage that's a pretty good deal! They also have something called Flat Rate boxes for Priority Mail. Any weight, as long as it fits in the box, to any US zip code for a flat rate of $8.10.


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## Quattroporte (Dec 27, 2006)

Yup. I looked at that stuff last night after seeing this thread.

Sweet deal.


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## Quattroporte (Dec 27, 2006)

I just ordered 20 tyvek priority mail envelopes. I didn't get the flat rate ones because it would've been the same price to ship, considering the fact that I won't ship far out of town.


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## Mymil (Nov 23, 2006)

We use the 1-mil poly bags from Chiswick, but I just tape the top shut because I don't have anything to seal them with... then they go in those nice free TyVek bags from USPS. Soon (hopefully) we'll be adding a sticker to the mix. We're probably going to be getting them from PsPrint, since they're pretty cheap and their samples were pretty good.


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## T-BOT (Jul 24, 2006)

how long does it take to package and address (start to finish) 50 different orders of 1, 2 t-shirts assorted ?


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## Mymil (Nov 23, 2006)

I wish I got that kind of order volume... but it would probably take me about an hour and a half.


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## hammered (Apr 14, 2006)

T-BOT said:


> how long does it take to package and address (start to finish) 50 different orders of 1, 2 t-shirts assorted ?


If you mean just packing the shirts for shipping (not printing/pressing them) Id say 1 every 2 minutes if I had all the supplies I needed. My largest order at once has been 20 Tees and I was finished and loading in to my car to take to the PO.


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## Rodney (Nov 3, 2004)

> how long does it take to package and address (start to finish) 50 different orders of 1, 2 t-shirts assorted ?


The label printing takes the longest for me. 50 shipping labels would probably take about an hour to print (just guessing...I've never actually timed my printer...but I guess it's about a minute per label). Once the labels are printed, sticking them on the shipping envelopes and pulling the shirts off the shelves and stuff the shipping envelope with a shirt and packing slip takes about a minute or 2 each. So probably about an hour for that.


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## gilberto (May 15, 2007)

hammered said:


> If youre looking for a good mailer, try these 9' x 6 1/2' boxes. And for those of us in the US, the USPS offers some shipping sullies for, (wait for it) FREE
> Only catch is, you have to use the PO to ship since it is a USPS mailer. I guess you could ship with whoever, but it would make me feel kinda dirty


Just wrap them in brown packing paper, that's what my buddy doed with his ebay stuff. then you can ship it w/ anyone


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