How do you ship seed?

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jerrytheplater
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How do you ship seed?

Post by jerrytheplater »

I thought I had an excellent way to beat the high cost of shipping. (High meaning above the cost of a first class stamp.) It didn't work twice as seed was shipped to CA and back to NJ. Both ways the different seeds got crushed.

So today I searched online a bit for some cheap padded envelopes and came up with this from Staples: #000 Self Sealing Bubble Mailer, ST56655B. 25/carton. Outside: 4.63" x 6.75", Inside: 3.88" x 6.75". $6.79 per carton. I had them shipped to my local store for pick up and saved shipping costs. This works out to $.27 per envelope.

USPS postage for anything over 1/4" thick up to 3/4" thick: Using the Large Envelope category 1-4 oz costs $5.00 NJ to CA. 5-8 oz $5.50. Seeds won't weigh more than that.

Does anyone else have another way to ship you've found works? What does it cost?
Jerry Smith
Bloomingdale, NJ
45 inches (114 cm) rain equivalent per year, approx. evenly spread per month
2012 USDA Hardiness Zone 6b: -5F to OF (-20C to -18C) min.
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Aeonium2003
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Re: How do you ship seed?

Post by Aeonium2003 »

I use a rigid piece of cardboard with a rectangular hole in it. Put the seed packet in the rectangle, and tape it up. Then put it in an regular sized envelope. Keeps seeds from getting crushed. The largest seed I tried it with was Ferocactus.
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Aeonium2003
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Re: How do you ship seed?

Post by Aeonium2003 »

Aeonium2003 wrote: Thu May 19, 2022 6:01 pm I use a rigid piece of cardboard with a rectangular hole in it. Put the seed packet in the rectangle, and tape it up. Then put it in an regular sized envelope. Keeps seeds from getting crushed. The largest seed I tried it with was Ferocactus.
And the cost is pretty much free, other than the cost of the envelope, and the stamp. I cut up old boxes to make the cardboard piece.
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jerrytheplater
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Re: How do you ship seed?

Post by jerrytheplater »

Evan, that is exactly what I did in sending seed to CA and it got crushed. Then other seed got sent back to me in the same cardboard and it too got crushed.
Jerry Smith
Bloomingdale, NJ
45 inches (114 cm) rain equivalent per year, approx. evenly spread per month
2012 USDA Hardiness Zone 6b: -5F to OF (-20C to -18C) min.
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Aiko
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Re: How do you ship seed?

Post by Aiko »

There were days I used old match boxes. Worked quite well, and does not add a great deal of weight.
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Aeonium2003
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Re: How do you ship seed?

Post by Aeonium2003 »

:-k Interesting that the seeds you sent were crushed. Could I see a picture of how you did it? I've sent seeds all around, Tennessee, New York, AZ, and never once have they been crushed.
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jerrytheplater
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Re: How do you ship seed?

Post by jerrytheplater »

Aeonium2003 wrote: Thu May 19, 2022 7:00 pm :-k Interesting that the seeds you sent were crushed. Could I see a picture of how you did it? I've sent seeds all around, Tennessee, New York, AZ, and never once have they been crushed.
I think I still have the cardboard. I'll check. The thickness of it is important. I'll check that too if I still have it. I hope I do.
Jerry Smith
Bloomingdale, NJ
45 inches (114 cm) rain equivalent per year, approx. evenly spread per month
2012 USDA Hardiness Zone 6b: -5F to OF (-20C to -18C) min.
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jerrytheplater
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Re: How do you ship seed?

Post by jerrytheplater »

Turns out I have it here at work. It is 0.090" or 3/32" thick. I could have used thicker cardboard. Anything less than 1/4" thick will not cause a surcharge on mailing. Photo will show exactly what you described.
Jerry Smith
Bloomingdale, NJ
45 inches (114 cm) rain equivalent per year, approx. evenly spread per month
2012 USDA Hardiness Zone 6b: -5F to OF (-20C to -18C) min.
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Aeonium2003
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Re: How do you ship seed?

Post by Aeonium2003 »

Here's my 2 methods of doing it. Hope this helps...

Standard method
-corrugated cardboard
-cut a rectangular hole
-put packet of seeds in - try to make the seed packet as small as you can
-place seeds in the hole
-use 2 pieces of napkin/paper towel, and tape everything up. The paper towel makes it easier for the person to open it. :D
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For rare or large seeds
-have a square of bubble wrap ready. It can come from old packaging of amazon deliveries, food deliveries, etc.
-make a "taco" with the bubble wrap, and tape it up
-put it inside the rectangular hole
-tape up
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User avatar
jerrytheplater
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Re: How do you ship seed?

Post by jerrytheplater »

I did exactly what you did for the standard method. On your rare seed method, have you ever checked how thick your envelope was?
Jerry Smith
Bloomingdale, NJ
45 inches (114 cm) rain equivalent per year, approx. evenly spread per month
2012 USDA Hardiness Zone 6b: -5F to OF (-20C to -18C) min.
keith
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Joined: Wed Jun 12, 2013 3:50 am
Location: S. CA USA

Re: How do you ship seed?

Post by keith »

I ship thousands of seeds on Ebay or used to I still sell some but new tax laws I cant sell much not over 600 bucks or I get a 1099k. I use CD sized envelopes and pay the higher cost to ship because if seeds get crushed on Ebay the customer often freaks out . Why CD sized because the smaller sized ones sometimes got crushed and guess what the customer freaked out.

Photoboard_man check it out :D I offered seeds for free here but hardly anyone wanted them but I sell constantly on EBay even now with almost no variety. Once I retire I will get a business license and start selling again but maybe Etsy because Ebay is OK but very restrictive.

Hobby sellers cant write off anything but the cost of the item , not envelops not tape not gas not printer paper not postage not anything but the cost of the item which is IDK I grow my own seeds. So zero.

I will keep selling until all my bubble mailers run out and the Glassine envelops well they will never run out. And people who put seeds in plastic baggies not good. They rot .

Aiko's seeds never got crushed coming from Europe not sure must be handled differently ? he did use a matchbox but US postage they may flag that too thick ?
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Aeonium2003
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Re: How do you ship seed?

Post by Aeonium2003 »

jerrytheplater wrote: Fri May 20, 2022 12:32 am I did exactly what you did for the standard method. On your rare seed method, have you ever checked how thick your envelope was?
It's always gone through... I find measuring how thick it is difficult (I don't have the right tools) so I cannot give an accurate measurement. For what it's worth, you could always do a test mailing, and try it out.
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jerrytheplater
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Re: How do you ship seed?

Post by jerrytheplater »

Evan. I have micrometers from my Toolmaking days and for work here. That is one tool I'll be keeping when I retire. That's how I'm measuring it.

Regarding your rare seed envelope thickness. If the PO didn't charge you extra postage and the seed went through, you have to assume it was less than 1/4". Or they were slacking in enforcing their own regulations.

I just found some much thicker cardboard here at work. It is exactly 1/4" thick. I'll try that. And yes, we are thinking alike, I am going to send a small amount of the Frailea seed to a member that wants to trade with me. I am pretty sure it will work.
Jerry Smith
Bloomingdale, NJ
45 inches (114 cm) rain equivalent per year, approx. evenly spread per month
2012 USDA Hardiness Zone 6b: -5F to OF (-20C to -18C) min.
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jerrytheplater
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Re: How do you ship seed?

Post by jerrytheplater »

So in seeking to perfect the shipping method, I show another failure. Please, this is not a reflection on the one that shipped the seed. It is in the spirit of perfecting the method.

These seeds were shipped in a cutout in a piece of cardboard that was 9 1/8" L x 3 7/8" wide. The thickness I measured varies. The ends vary between 0.130-0.170" (1/8-3/16"), the middle varies between 0.170-0.230". 0.250" = 1/4" if you don't know. I would have to assume it started out at a fairly uniform thickness all over. And I'd say it was 1/4" thick. As this envelope passed through the cancellation rollers the ends got crushed more than the middle. The one shipping placed two thin pieces of soft foam on either side of the glassine envelope holding the Frailea seeds. I am thinking the foam allowed the pressure of the rollers to be applied to the seeds. I'm thinking if the foam had been omitted, the seeds would have done well.

I plan to ship Frailea seeds out to CA to two members here using fresh pieces of cardboard that are 5" x 3 1/8" x 0.250" very uniformly. I will cut out an opening, cover the opening with a piece of paper. Insert the glassine envelope containing the seeds. Tape a piece of paper over the other side of the opening. I will send them in a small envelope 6.5" x 3 5/8".

Here is a photo of the seeds taken today. I used my Macro lens on my camera, not the microscope at work. Hence, no scale bar. I am going to sow them as at least two of the seeds broken out of their seed coat look like they might grow. I've sterilized the growing medium I'm going to use.
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Jerry Smith
Bloomingdale, NJ
45 inches (114 cm) rain equivalent per year, approx. evenly spread per month
2012 USDA Hardiness Zone 6b: -5F to OF (-20C to -18C) min.
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Aeonium2003
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Joined: Sun Sep 26, 2021 2:53 am
Location: Central California

Re: How do you ship seed?

Post by Aeonium2003 »

Sorry to hear that... :( I've successfully shipped the gemmae of Drosera scorpiodes using this method, and the gemmae are around the same size as Astrophytum seeds and went through undamaged. :?

How large was the glassine envelope?
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