Quick question: Is it okay to ship in a padded envelope with the halfs unscrewed and individually wrapped? I’ve seen some hate lately on envelopes, but from my trading experiences, no one has reported damage yet.
That’s perfectly fine with me, as long as they are wrapped separately I think its fine. Shipping a fully assembled yoyo in an envelope on the other hand is ridiculous.
1 Like
I agree with Joe. Separately wrapped with the axle/bearing in a baggie or equivalent.
Use envelopes all the time myself. I always like to throw a piece of tape over the flap for a little extra security. Quality bubble envelopes work fine.
1 Like
I never ship yoyos in an envelope but I do ship trading cards pretty frequently with bubble envelopes and tape over the flap is clutch, the loose ends just flap around way too much for my liking without it.
For what it’s worth the difference in cost between bubble mailers and 4x4x4 cardboard boxes is negligible. Like 12-15c per envelope compared to 12-18c per box if you buy ~100 at a time and typically 2.32 to ship the envelope versus 2.41-2.58 to ship the box.
If the yoyo is unassembled then I don’t really see anything wrong with using a bubble mailer, I just prefer boxes.
I’ve never received a padded envelope, containing an object the size of a yoyo, without issues. In my opinion, they just aren’t dependable enough. Gentle and careful, even fragile, aren’t concepts always recognized or considered by the post office. Mail isn’t light weight.
Was my envelope usage OK?
1 Like
I think that shipping them separately is fine, but wrap them in toilet paper, bubble wrap or some other sort of padding. 
The way I see it…
Shipping an assembled yoyo in an envelope - unacceptable.
Shipping a fully disassembled yoyo in an envelope - somewhat acceptable
Shipping an assembled yoyo in a box - acceptable
Shipping a disassembled yoyo in a box - best method
Definitely! It was well protected and arrived safely
1 Like
I like to BST with as little chance of a problem as possible. For me that’s shipping in a box with lots of padding and NOT disassembled.
Lets say you ship a yoyo to someone that you have disassembled. Lets say when they put it together they accidentally strip the threads. Who’s at fault?
This was the rationale I used the last time this topic came up on the FB BST. I ship in a box with the yoyo assembled because I think it is by far the most likely way that the yoyo will arrive looking and playing exactly as it did the last time I threw it and how I represented it on my BST/eBay.
I’m probably going to use boxes from now on, but I do ship with everything disassembled and wrapped with newspaper in an envelope.
Whenever I do trade or sell, I use boxes.
Can someone explain why someone would prefer using an envelope over a box? Is a box really that expensive … cmon man lol
U got a real good point. Lol weight of package maybe?
I’m mostly a buyer and I’ve only traded a couple of time. I personally prefer to receive my throws fully assembled in a box. I think it’s just better to leave the yoyo assembled.
I Never ever, ship in an envelope… Ever.
Don’t let my trade count fool you. I have been shipping stuff to multiple destinations, for years and years.
What you need to grasp, is that once the package leaves your hands, you can no longer actually participate in controlling the condition of the package/contents. You and the intended recipient are totally at the mercy of whatever postal service you ship with.
Oh, you can track it and whatever, but you cannot protect it, once it has ‘left’.
That very last thing I want to hear, is ‘lost package’. BUT, the second to last thing I want to hear, is that it got there, but the yoyo(s) is/are damaged.
So, I do what I can to Minimize ‘damage in route’ problems. Below is what I do>
- Free Priority boxes from the post office. 2. Clear, good quality 2 inch tape. 3. Free Priority labels. 4. Almost Everybody you know, most likely shops on the internet(father, mother, aunt, uncle, sister, brother, friends or their parents-you get the idea, etc.). You put out the Word, that you want/need any and all Bubble wrap they get in the various boxes they receive. <Once people(that like you) understand you can use bubble wrap to complete your ‘shipping missions’, you will never have to worry about inner packaging material, again.
One of the guys said to wrap the parts in toilet paper. Doubtful. If you go that route, keep the rest of that roll handy. Then when the other guy contacts you about the Destroyed Yoyo, you can use some more of that toilet paper to ‘clean up’.
Use a new box with enough room to completely wrap the yoyo(s) in bubble wrap. I usually use the Cube. For one Yoyo, with or without box, it gives you enough room to really bury the Yoyo in the center of the box. You can wrap a tea cup in bubble wrap, in the square Priority box and literally slam it into a concrete wall 50 times, without causing any damage to the delicate cup. That is what you want your Yoyo package to possibly endure. If you bubble wrap a Yoyo correctly and put it that square box and tape it securely, the Mailmen could literally kick it from point A to point B, with zero damage to the Yoyo.
I get several of the free priority labels and a black Sharpie marker, preferably with a very sharp tip. I triple check the recipients address. Then, I take that extra minute to make sure I very CLEARLY write his mailing his address. If I screw up even one letter or number, I start again on another label. That is why I use the stick on labels, so I don’t screw up on the actual box, lol. Once the label is done and attached to the already taped up box, then I also tape over the label. Less chance of the label getting messed up.
I always ship Priority, insured for value. That does not guarantee the package will get anywhere, but they actually ‘do’ pay more attention, knowing they may have to PAY a claim, if they lose your item.
Priority Mail now automatically gives you 50 bucks insurance and tracking. But I put whatever extra money to cover the value of the contents.
As soon as I mail the package, I send the recipient the Tracking number. Immediately. Usually right from the Post Office. I email the person and tell them to be on ‘Mail Watch’. That way they can be prepared on their end. Knowing that the package is coming, cuts down on the dreaded ‘package just left on the porch somewhere for hours, etc.’.
When I send a Yoyo to somebody, the Postal Service can still lose the package, but unless they literally run over the box, they cannot ruin the Yoyo. Period.
I have had one lost Yoyo in 16 years. That was good shock therapy for me. I did an excellent job on the packaging and such and they LOST it anyways.
So most everything I have said, will still not totally insure mailing success. But what my procedure will do, is increase the probability of the Yoyo getting to the next owner, with No Damage.
I understand some of you guys, just can’t afford to pay several bucks to send a Yoyo out. But since the boxes are free, breaking down yoyos and shipping them in envelopes, is just not a good option.
I have gotten stuff in jet packs, with absolutely no damage whatsoever, so I know it happens all over the World, all year long.
But when ‘I’ take on the task of getting ‘that’ Yoyo, to the new owner, I make sure it will get there, in damage free condition. No second option.
PS… I am fully aware that some of the guys, use envelopes to ship yoyos, all the time. And they have very good success with that method of packaging. But I simply prefer to completely minimize the chances of the Yoyo getting Damaged in route to its’ final destination. But my personal opinion may vary widely from yours.
2 Likes
Side note: Yoyodoc actually ships exactly as described. When I received a yoyo from him, I was amazed at the time and deliberateness placed into the packaging. (In case you’re wondering, I believe he forgot to leave feedback though 
)
I’ve never recieved such a well prepared package, ever.
Yeah I just got a package from modman and he had the best package i’ve received so far.
This thread is bordering on an OCD for some of you.
A yo-yo store never disassembles a yo-yo to mail it to me, so I don’t disassemble it to send it to anyone either. I think the yo-yo should arrive in a box, assembled and ready to be thrown, without the potential for bearing, axle and so on falling on the floor out of the box. Also, less chance of the buyer trying to assemble it, and damaging it in the process. They might scratch it trying to insert the axle, or strip the threads causing damage before the first throw. Further, I’ve seen people pack the axle separately in a baggie, and the axle has poked through the little plastic baggie, and poked through the paper towel that a half was wrapped in…and damaged the throw. I think the best method is in a box, assembled just like the manufacturer and store ship them, and well packed.