I'd like to ship some of my dad's old lanterns across the US to put in my train room. Are there are any tips for shipping them successfully? Mostly I'm concerned about the fragility of the lenses. But also that the lanterns' shapes and weight could really make things expensive.
Unless the lanterns are really ancient the globe glass is pretty tough stuff.
Depending on how many there are I'd box them individually with plenty of bubble wrap around them. Maybe two or three in a box if the box size is generous enough.
Can't put enough padding around them, hence my suggestion of bubble wrap. Pad them so they don't rattle around and smack into each other, and have enough cushioning between the lanterns and the box walls. They should be fine.
Parcel post or UPS? That's up to you and what you can afford.
And this is probably unnecessary at this point -- but if there is any residual oil, drain it out. Shippers don't like the potential fire hazard.
Consider using a heavy-walled box, or putting a framework of wood around the edges. You don't want the box to be crushed in transit. Be sure to mention that the contents are FRAGILE: GLASS. (I usually add 'Handle like Eggs')
I always put them in an empty coffee can after wraping them; then in a box.
What's a coffee can? In this day of bagged coffee and Keurig cups, etc., I only see a few at the local grocery store.
More seriously, you'd need one of the bigger ones, I think.
If there's room, I put bubble wrap between the frame and the globe.
They're not terribly heavy, so the freight/ postage shouldn't be too bad - people ship heavier stuff all the time. Try your local USPS office, or FedEx or UPS store (may be others).
- PDN.
Thanks for the tips! I didn't see these replies initially because of the delay between posting and having it published. I ended up separating the glass from the lanterns and (I think!) packing things up securely. Will finding out next week when UPS delivers.
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