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Thread: How to Ship Cigars

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  1. #1
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    Default How to Ship Cigars

    I know this may seem elementary, but this information may be helpful to anyone wondering how to ship cigars. Remember, your reputation on this or any cigar board depends on your actions. This includes the care you take in shipping cigars for contests, trades, sales, splits, passes...etc.



    Step 1) Inspect the cigars you are going to send. Check for cracked feet, damaged wrappers, anything that looks hinkey. If it's a dud, replace it or refund it and communicate with the recipient about any problems.



    Step 2) Select a box and test it for size. This is pretty common sense, and I'm using a USPS small flat rate box for illustration purposes, but you can basically use any sturdy cardboard box. Anyway, take a look and make sure there will be some room around the cigars for padding, or shock insulation. You don't want them so tight you crush them, but you also don't want them banging around in there.



    Step 3) Ziplock those babies. Don't cram the shit out of 15 cigars in a quart bag. Ziplocks are cheap, split the smokes into 2 bags. Sometimes, if I'm worried it's going to take a while for delivery, I double bag for some added buffer.



    Step 4) Package, pad or shock insulate the ziplock bag. If I could, I would use bubble wrap every time. It just seems to make the process easy, however it's not always available. Other options are peanuts, which can be a PITA for the sender and recipient, newspaper, or one I figured out recently, used plastic grocery bags. They fluff up nice, and really conform to the box, and the cigars.



    Step 5) Seal it up, label, send. I use a tape gun for this, but if you don't have one, they sell disposable rolls of it at places like staples, and probably your local grocery store or 7-11. I like to put at least one piece across the self adhesive flap (especially if I'm re-using a previous box.)

    Step 5A) I forgot. This is VERY important. ALWAYS get delivery confirmation. ALWAYS, even if you're sending it to your best friend, or your Grandmother. It's cheap, and it's proof.

    That's it. Happy shipping. That is as long as the failman doesn't smash your package to smithereens regardless of this tutorial. In that case you're SOL and will have to re-send the package.

    Link to Craig's post about shipping to Canada etc.
    Last edited by badwhale; 04-09-2011 at 12:43 PM. Reason: spelling grammar stuff.
    The powers that be might take it all away
    Together we burn, together we burn away

    Uncle Tupelo

  2. #2
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    Default

    Excellent post Will! Granted, might be pretty elementary to some of us (do I classify as a FOG yet?) BOTL's, but this is absolutely wonderful information for newblets.

    I say this gets stickied.

  3. #3
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    Step 6) If the cigars don't fit in one box; use a vice clamp and a rubber mallet to make em fit.

  4. #4
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    ... and the Postal box I'm using for
    demonstration, I would never ever ever use to ship cigars! ...
    I think that you can still ship cigars via USPS. Cigars are specifically mentioned as not part of PACT, see near the bottom of the page of these links:

    http://www.usps.com/pactact/welcome.htm
    http://www.usps.com/cpim/ftp/bulleti...html#ep1366005

    Given one uses USPS, using click-n-ship at http://usps.com to generate mailing labels with postage saves money. You can also order free boxes for priority mail from usps.com

    edit: added links, clarified. See below for original :-)
    Last edited by craig; 04-08-2011 at 11:59 PM.

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by craig View Post
    I think that you can still ship cigars via USPS. Cigars are specifically mentioned as not part of PACTACT

    http://www.usps.com/pactact/welcome.htm

    Using USPS' click-n-ship to generate mailing labels with postage saves money. You can also order free boxes for priority mail from usps.com
    Yeah, that reads that cigars are specifically excluded.

    Yep. Click 'n Ship is the way to go, plus you get free DC.

    Yep. Free boxes, and that reminds me...I need some more small box flat rates...
    The powers that be might take it all away
    Together we burn, together we burn away

    Uncle Tupelo

  6. #6
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    Nice thread!
    Yay! Cigars!


  7. #7

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    I agree with Mr. Platypus...this should be stickied for sure. Definitely helpful for those of us who have yet to ship cigars, thanks whale.

  8. #8
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    You know what this tutorial really needs?

    My sigtag.

    You're welcome.
    Quote Originally Posted by badwhale View Post
    Buzz is smoking our cigars. This probably is his triumphant scam.

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