suggestions to pack & ship a (black) 5500

[micheledipaola]

hello everybody.

I have a spare (black) 5500/225 Power Macintosh that I am restoring and I plan to put for sale when it will be ready, but... I need suggestions about how it could be packed to survive shipping, since it's a super heavy beast with its 15" internal CRT, and a bit of a rarer model not being sold in the US - which I would hate to suffer damage from bad packing.

I have limited experiences of shipping heavy Macs with double boxings, but no AIO / CRT included so far, so every hint or tutorial or suggestion is really welcome: box sizes, styrofoam or other materials to protect the screen, etc etc. - also since I am based in Europe (Italy, Milan area) which kind of international shipping could I offer? FedEx? DHL? how to calculate the costs? I only sold items locally so far, so I have no clue.

thanks in advance!

 

[Byrd]

Let the buyer work it out and drop it off at a place that does injection foam boxing, at their expense. Otherwise there is little chance it’ll make it O/S

 

[robin-fo]

Maybe ship the tube separately

 

[finkmac]

my suggestion is:

don't.

 

[micheledipaola]

my suggestion is:

don't.

?

 

[micheledipaola]

Maybe ship the tube separately

It is an all-in-one model, I am afraid it is impossible..

 

[micheledipaola]

Let the buyer work it out and drop it off at a place that does injection foam boxing, at their expense. Otherwise there is little chance it’ll make it O/S

I received parcels packed like this but never looked for a place offering the service. I will now.

 

[robin-fo]

It is an all-in-one model, I am afraid it is impossible..

I mean physically remove the CRT tube from its plastic enclosure.

 

[slomacuser]

my suggestion is:

don't.

I have to agree with <<don’t>> shipp it. Rather find local buyer or someone who can pick it up by car.

 

[LaPorta]

The proper course of action here is have them fly over, then book passage on an ocean liner back where they can take it with them.

 

[aladds]

place that does injection foam boxing

I have had things shipped with injection foam packing which didn't survive without damage, so even that isn't foolproof, but it is one of the better methods.

 

[Durosity]

Realistically the only way this is going to survive shipping is if it was completely disassembled first, all the individual plastic parts individually packaged and boxed up separately, and the chassis shipped completely independently from the plastics. And even then it’ll probably still get damaged.

Source: someone shipped one to me a while ago and it arrived as a jigsaw puzzle. I did tell them it’d happen but did they believe me? No.

 

[joshc]

my suggestion is:

don't.

The only right answer.

 

[micheledipaola]

I have had things shipped with injection foam packing which didn't survive without damage, so even that isn't foolproof, but it is one of the better methods.

Realistically the only way this is going to survive shipping is if it was completely disassembled first, all the individual plastic parts individually packaged and boxed up separately, and the chassis shipped completely independently from the plastics. And even then it’ll probably still get damaged.

Source: someone shipped one to me a while ago and it arrived as a jigsaw puzzle. I did tell them it’d happen but did they believe me? No.

The plastics are indeed really brittle, so I am afraid this could happen to me as well.
I guess @finkmac and @joshc are right in the end... I think I will end up offering it locally or maybe delivering it myself at a (not so) wider distance if I manage to sell it.

Thanks for your advice everybody.

 

[3lectr1cPPC]

Wooden crate with a specialized freight shipping service would probably be the only way to (mostly) guarantee that it would arrive with no damage. I agree that practically speaking, local pickup is the only way - that’s how I got my 5400.

 

[croissantking]

Wooden crate with a specialized freight shipping service would probably be the only way to (mostly) guarantee that it would arrive with no damage. I agree that practically speaking, local pickup is the only way - that’s how I got my 5400.

I still think the CRT would break off the front bezel internally…

 

[3lectr1cPPC]

I still think the CRT would break off the front bezel internally…

Probably not if it was shipped CRT facing down.

 

[Durosity]

Probably not if it was shipped CRT facing down.

That’d just put all the weight on the fascia though..

 

[Trash80toHP_Mini]

I wouldn't wanna bet on a long car trip with the CRT face down strapped into the back seat.

Don't is the best answer I've read.

 

[3lectr1cPPC]

I wouldn't wanna bet on a long car trip with the CRT face down strapped into the back seat.

This is how I got my 5400 home from VCF.