Shipping Supplies are Shipping Supplies

Posted on April 15, 2016 by Alex Kava

Isn’t it amazing when something ordinary can become something wonderful, and amazing?  Creativity can open so many doors for so many beautiful things.  If you are a creative person you could probably walk around your house and grab random things and turn them into a fascinating work of art, or an intriguing life hack.  You could probably take a stack of shipping supplies and turn them into a castle.  If you are a compassionate person you could probably probably walk around your house and grab random things and turn them into something that would help somebody else.  You could turn shipping supplies into a care package.

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It’s not really being redundant when we say that shipping supplies are shipping supplies.  Because they are!  All over the world.  It’s how we send food and household items to people in need.  It’s how we pack up blankets and t-shirts and socks and soccer balls and send them to villages high up in the mountains.  It’s how we can give tents and sleeping bags and school supplies and canned goods to areas that have been ravaged by a hurricane or earthquake.

One of my favorite times of the year is when little green boxes with red lids start popping up.  They are “shoeboxes” for Operation Christmas Child.  You can put whatever you want in that little box, anything to bring joy to a child from an impoverished nation.  I always choose the oldest age group, because I think they must be the hardest to shop for, and the most neglected.  It’s so much more fun to shop for babies and toddlers, and even five to eight-year-olds are easier to shop for.  Fun toys and candy are easy to come by.  It starts to get a bit more challenging when you are moving into the pre-teens.

A hand mirror?  A jump rope?  A toothbrush and toothpaste and one of those washrags that comes in a plastic cube and then expands when you get it wet (dude, I’d really like to see how they make those things).  A yoyo.  Chewing gum and sidewalk chalk.  A first aid kit and a sewing kit.  I love doing this.  Throughout the year I collect little trinkets and when December comes I get to dump it all out and remember all the fun stuff and get to choose which boxes they will go in.  I really try to imagine the child that will be opening the box.

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Hitch’s Bin Liners Part 2

Posted on April 4, 2016 by Alex Kava

Sometimes it was hard to be the one in charge of changing out the bin liners.  It was a big responsibility.  If no one was there to take out the trash, and replace the bag, trash would just pile up, and spill out of the cans, and onto the floor.  A mess would grow and consume the entire trash station, and a puddle of brown ooze would begin to spread across the tiles.  It would be a terrible tripping hazard, and maybe some old people would start slipping, and then their slipping would start to turn into a dance, and someone else would join in, and before you knew, everyone in the food court was doing a dance and singing.

Hitch called it his “bin liners” dream, and he liked when it had a happy ending.  Sometimes it didn’t.  Sometimes it involved an ambulance coming.  He was afraid of ambulances.  He had to ride in one once when he was twenty-two and he had a really bad seizure.  He remembered being really afraid, because he knew that ambulance was going to take him to the hospital, and he didn’t like hospitals.  He had spent a lot of time there are as a kid and it always hurt, and it was always loud.  Everyone was always nice, though, and that was good.  Because sometimes a lot of people just weren’t nice.

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After having this dream, his “bin liners” dream, Hitch would go into work the next day very seriously.  HE would pay special attention to staying on task.  Sometimes he would start to feel his mouth going dry, and a sweat beginning to form.  What if he wasn’t going fast enough?  What if the trash bin on the other side of the food court was already over-flowing?  He would try to use some of his like skills in moments like that.  He would say to himself, “It’s okay, Hitch, you will get there soon.

Don’t worry.  It’s okay.  Someone will tell you if it’s overflowing.”  This always made a lot of sense to Hitch, and he wished that he could find a way to incorporate it into his dream, even if it meant he no longer had the dream where it ended with people dancing and smiling and singing.  People always came up to him, sometimes in not a very nice way, to tell him that a certain trash can was beginning to fill up too much.  The public never failed to keep him notified.  Now he just had to find a way to get the public to do this in his dream.

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Hitch’s Bin Liners

Posted on March 30, 2016 by Alex Kava

It was Hitch’s job to remove and replace the full trash bin liners with empty ones.  Every day he got to the mall at eleven o’clock and he worked faithfully until two-thirty, when most of the lunch rush had come and gone.  Annie was there from nine until he took over for her, and then Chuck the janitor took over for him and managed the entire building until it was closing time.  It was a good job, and Hitch was very proud of it.  When he went to club meeting on Saturday afternoons he always had funny or interesting stories to tell his friends.  He told them about the mommys who came and let their kids run around like little wild animals, or the little old ladies who had book club, or the homeless people looking for some relief from the outside.

Bin Liners

Hitch always hated it when something sharp got wedged in the trash the wrong way and then ripped the bin liners.  He tried double bagging for a while but the janitor said it was a waste of resources, so he went back to having to deal with the trouble.  Usually there was a sludge of soda and sauce dripping all down the side and pooling in the bottom of the can.  Over the years, Hitch had learned the tricks of the trade.  He always brought out an extra can so that he could take the dirty one to the back and rinse it out.  He learned his lesson after the first time, when some people walked by and laughed at him for trying to clean it out right in the food court by putting his body halfway in.

By the time Hitch made his way all the way around the food court, he usually had only a few minutes to chat with some regulars before having to go all the way around again.  When it was lunchtime it didn’t take long for the trash to start overflowing.  People came from the many office buildings in the surrounding area, and the mall’s food court offered many options.  Hitch’s favorite was Dragon King II.  He got fried rice for lunch every single day.  It was really great that he was able to spend his own money that he earned on his own lunch to eat during his own break.  After he was done eating every single grain of sticky, savory rice he would go back to his job, removing and replacing the full bin liners with empty ones.

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How to Find Discount Packaging and Shipping Supplies

Posted on March 26, 2016 by Alex Kava

Everyone knows that discount packaging and shipping supplies are hard to come by.  And if you didn’t know than you are either under the age of seventeen and have never moved, or you are over the age of eighty and haven’t moved since the fifties.  Otherwise, if you’ve played the moving game in any capacity whatsoever you know what I’m talking about.

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There are a couple things to keep an eye out for, though, to ensure that you are legitimately getting the best bang for your buck, and not the the other way around:

  • First and foremost, the internet. For all of you that hate internet shopping, if you want discount packaging and shipping supplies this is something you are going to have to make an exception for.  UHaul doesn’t have a Black Friday sale.  If you are buying your supplies from an actual shipping or department store you are not getting a discount because they are A) going to upcharge to cover the cost of getting it all shipped and unloaded and stocked, and B) going to upcharge on top of that because that is simply what they do.
  • The right kind of website. So yes, the internet is where you are going to find the best deal, but I’m not even talking about Amazon Prime.  As a matter of fact, stay away from Amazon entirely for this one.  You are looking for actual websites that are certified by the Better Business Bureau and actually specialize in the product they are selling.  If you stumble across a website that doesn’t offer literally hundreds of options for the same thing, that is a sign it’s not legit.
  • Buy bulk. This is where the discount part comes in.  Sure, there is an automatic discount for going right to the source and cutting out the middle man (or one of them), but buying bulk is really where you wind up saving your money, and that is pretty much a fact from bread flour to diapers.
  • Buy a bundle. Sometimes these websites offer a moving bundle, if you are looking to move, complete with all of the random things that you will find yourself needing but probably forgetting.  That is, if they are a website that understands hundreds of options of the same item can be really overwhelming for the average individual…

And voila!  There you have it.  Some things to look for when trying to find discount packaging and shipping supplies.  If you don’t wind up paying drastically less by following these tips than I’m a vermicious knid.

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You Don’t Have to Break the Bank on Shipping Supplies

Posted on March 26, 2016 by Alex Kava

Random, fun fact of the day: I’m sure most of you know this already, although I don’t particularly remember learning this in school, but the first person in space was a Russian man named Yuri Gagarin.  Unfortunately, he died in a plane crash when he was just thirty-four years old.

On that depressing note, let’s talk about shipping supplies.

What about shipping supplies?  Well, that’s what I want to talk about.  When I say “shipping supplies” I’m sure certain things come to mind: boxes, tape, bubble wrap, stamps, envelopes, paper, mailmen, UPS trucks, horseback riding… the train of thought starts to trail off after a while as the break-offs become more and more, and further and further from the starting point.

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I think it’s important to remember that we don’t have to feel confined to a status quo about shipping supplies.  Unless, of course, you are in the business of shipping things.  Then I would absolutely suggest using fresh, strong products.  I would even say that a custom gift should be included when you send something off.  For example, I ordered a book from an online seller, and when I got the package in the mail it also came with one of those reusable bags with the company’s logo on it.  I thought that was such a good idea!  I love reusable bags, and now I buy from that company all the time.  They only sent me one the first time I ordered through them, but that’s okay.  I don’t need a surplus.  It was the initiative that counted for me.

As for the casual “shipper” of items, you don’t have to break the bank.  I get it, we like to think that we have an image to maintain, and if it’s that big of a deal to you then, by all means, buy the brown paper and the twine and wrap that baby up like it’s a photo prop for a Crate and Barrel catalogue.  If you are like the rest of us, consider some other options.  Balled up newspaper makes great stuffing.  And, if you are like most of us and don’t get the newspaper anymore, balled up scrap mail, or even fluffed up grocery bags.  How about an old, crappy towel?  Or a cardboard box cut into strips and rolled up?  It’s easy to get creative with stuff around the house when you are trying to save some money.  I would probably draw the line at sand, or something like that, though…

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The Benefits of Using Stretch Film Wrap

Posted on March 10, 2016 by Alex Kava

When it comes to wrapping your pallet, you want to do so wisely. If this process has not been carefully executed, the contents of your pallet might never end up where they are supposed to. In this event, it will cost you time and money that should have never been spent. When it comes to wrapping your pallets in an effective manner, it is best that a high quality stretch film wrap is used.

Stretch film wrap from packagingsupplies.com is beneficial for a number of reasons. First and foremost: this stretch film wrap has been tested in order to provide the best stretch, cling, puncture resistance, and clarity. It is good to know you are getting the best stretch and cling for your buck, and also that it will not be punctured during its journey. Last but not least, being able to see what is inside the pallet is beneficial to the folks who are in charge of unloading trucks and distributing items where they need to go.

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At PackagingSupplies.com you can also purchase your stretch film wrap in three different roll widths and five different film thicknesses measured in gauges. The way this is done, you are wondering? The larger the gage, the thicker the film thickness. Having the option to select the size of wrap will help you to properly wrap your pallets in the most effective manner. Having a larger roll width for a larger pallet, for example, will keep you from using excess. If you are trying to wrap a large pallet with a smaller roll width, you will end up using the entire roll just by getting it to cover the entire pallet properly. Ain’t nobody got time for wasted film wrap.

A final benefit of using stretch film wrap, especially from this site, is that it is the softest, quietest, and most flexible film on the market. If you happen to be the lucky guy that gets to wrap pallets all day, you can understand why this would be beneficial. No more earplugs and moisturizing cream required, and you won’t be sweating by the time the process is through.

Oops, we lied. Not done yet! The final benefit and good news from shopping from PackagingSupplies.com for your stretch film wrap needs? It is extremely inexpensive! Rolls start at just $10.85 and can be ordered in up to 8+ counts.

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Stretch Film and Magic Carpet Rides

Posted on February 27, 2016 by Alex Kava

You might be thinking that there is not much that can be said about stretch film. And now you might be thinking that I would rebut that thought by saying, “You would be wrong.” Except that you would be wrong, because that’s not what I’m going to say. I’m going to say that you would be right. Because it would be right! There really isn’t that much to say about stretch film whatsoever. Unless you are a salesperson of stretch film. Of which I am not. I am just a lowly content writer.

You know something that there is a lot to say about? Magic carpet rides. And that’s a scientific fact. Granted, magic carpet rides may not be scientific in themselves, but it’s a scientific fact that there is a lot to be said about them, whether or not they are real. I’m willing to bet that there are at least two people out there who testify that magic carpet rides are most certainly real, and you probably know who I’m talking about, but I’m still sworn to secrecy and there’s nothing I can do about that but maintain by honor.

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I, for one, would immediately trade in my ten-year-old Focus Focus for a magic carpet. How much more amazing would it be. Car(pet) crashes, for one, would cease to be so incredibly terrifying because the damage would be minimal at all times and in all situations. If you wear a helmet you are set even better. You probably wouldn’t even have to go to the hospital because you would just know that your only problem was a little whiplash and rugburn.

I doubt that magic carpet rides are really as romantic as they are depicted in movies and literature, though. I don’t see how it’s possible at all to sit cross legged on a carpet that is whizzing and rolling around, unless it is actually not doing those things. You would be falling over at single movement with nothing to hold onto but each other, which could get real awkward real fast. In real life you would wind up needing to lay on your stomach, probably. Or you could probably lay on your back, but I imagine it would be really easy to get carpet sick like that. And if you’ve seen someone after they get out of a convertible, that’s what it’s going to be like after a magic carpet ride. You are going to need to wear a trench coat, scarf, hat and goggles, and be lying down. So, yeah, not romantic. But probably still more romantic than stretch film.

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What Packaging and Shipping Supplies Have to Do with Wheel of Fortune

Posted on February 18, 2016 by Alex Kava

I was watching Wheel of Fortune a couple weeks ago and it was time for the final puzzle. I’m pretty sure the unlucky contestants have less than a minute to try and figure out what it is, after they’ve guessed all their letters and had them filled in. Maybe it’s even thirty seconds or less.

Whatever the case, it’s basically no time whatsoever to figure out what the phrase is unless you are some sort of genius, which most of us are not. So most of us are not going to go home with the all-expenses-paid trip to Disneyworld for four, or the brand new Escalade. We will take our shiny new set of pots and pans and remember that we were “this close” every single stinking time we use them… Or the basketball hoop that gets set up in the driveway that no one ever uses because there is nobody in the house between the ages of nine and twenty-two. Perhaps this is coming across a little too personal, and you might think that none of this has anything to do with packaging and shipping supplies. Just wait.

On this particular night the final puzzle was two long lines, and dotted with ‘s’, ‘I’ and ‘e’. The part that kept throwing me off was how the second word ended in in ‘lies’, which signifies a plural but that you still wind up seeing only very rarely. I couldn’t get it. The most ridiculous things kept popping up in my head: prator willies, travelling something, apologizing profusely… It was starting to get really annoying, the nonsense that just kept popping up in my brain.

You will never guess what the final phrase wound up being. It was “packaging supplies”. Said what? I was dumbfounded. Just dumbfounded, and also really deeply ashamed. I am in the business of packaging and shipping supplies (well, not really, but I write about them almost every day), and the fact that it didn’t even cross my mind was really kind of shocking and appalling. I mean, how could I have not looked at that and started jumping up and down because I knew what it was?

I could have gone on that show and blown everyone away and they would have all been like, “What? How would she have ever known to guess that?” and then I might find myself being stalked and then kidnapped and interrogated about how I cheated, but I would tell stories about my life and how it was freakishly ironic that I know packaging and shipping supplies. If it had been anyone else… But that time, that time it was me, and I won the trip to Disneyworld. I’m so freaking excited…

 

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Cheap Moving Boxes and Cheap Chinese

Posted on February 11, 2016 by Alex Kava

When I think of college I think of cheap moving boxes and cheap Chinese. I was pretty young when I left home, just barely seventeen. To my untrained mind “cheap” was the answer to everything. I had come to understand that when something was cheap you got more and at less of a price, which didn’t make sense, but perhaps the rest of the world just hadn’t figured it out yet. So that’s how it went for me. The off brand all the way. Granted, I still don’t buy much name brand stuff as an adult, married and with a family. Unless we are talking about shells and cheese. I have yet to find an off brand that beats Velveeta, but I think you have to like Velveeta in the first place, which many people do not.

There is a different between “off brand” and “way off brand” (although I must clarify that none of this applies to cheap moving boxes or cheap Chinese). Usually on the shelf you will see the name brand item, take Fruit Loops for example. Next to them will be the store brand (off brand choice number one), and they are probably calling it something like Fruit Rounds. Basically as close as they can get to the real deal.

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Then, off to the side, are the bags of the way off brand, and the only name they can afford to mass produce is Os. Stay away from the Os, man. There is probably not more than three ingredients in those things, and two of them are bound to be sugars. Did I mention that there is something that far exceeds the name brand? I don’t know what this brand would be called, but I think “organic” does the trick. Usually these brands are in their own section, so they don’t have to associate with the lowers classes, and their names are usually tribal and sympathetic: Wallabee Planet Happiness, The Crunchies that Love the Rainforest, Sans Gluten Wafer Goodness… you get the point.

Well, I stayed away from all brands unless the product was so cheap you could see through the plastic silverware and the thread count was no more than, like, 30 or 40. Of course as I grew older I also outgrew the naivety that cheap means best. Let’s just say that I “upgraded”. But two things that never need to be upgraded? Cheap moving boxes and cheap Chinese. They will never let you down, no matter how little you are paying.

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Shipping Boxes Snafu

Posted on February 3, 2016 by Alex Kava

I worked in the shipping industry for most of my life. I started out on the docks, and then trains, and then eventually I retired for a truck company. It was an interesting life, to be sure, even though it might not sound like it. All day every day I was loading and unloading shipping boxes, and I would often wonder about what was inside of them. Well, one day I got the answer to my question, and never again did I care to know!

I will tell you what happened. I woke up one morning just as if it was every other morning. It was early, so it was still dark, and it was damp with the approaching spring. I kissed my children as they lay asleep in their beds, I filled my thermos with coffee, and I got in my car to go pick up my truck.

Well, something terrible happened when I got to the warehouse. As usual, shipping boxes were piled from floor to ceiling, and I went to my section. I loaded up the forklift and began to drive towards my truck, which was sitting and waiting for me with the back wide open. Well, I’m still not quite sure what I saw, but I swear it was a ghost. All the same, I reflexively jerked the wheel and the forklift responded accordingly: the entire pallet of shipping boxes spilling all over the floor.

I sat in silence for an extended period of time, just trying to figure out what to do. There was stuff all over the place. Many of the boxes had split open and the contents were mixing. The only thing I could think of was trying to put it all back, even though I didn’t know what boxes anything belonged in.

Did the pillows go to A. Benson or Granny Smith? It seemed like Granny Smith might need them, so I put them in her box. Did the bag of dog food go to the Johnsons or to Dave With-A-Crazy-Last-Name? Since “Johnsons” was plural I envisioned a family and decided they probably had a dog and so I packaged up the dog food for them. Lizzie Blunt got a set of books, and Bobby Truman got the train set. I hoped that Bobby was the nickname for a little boy, and not a grown man, or he would probably be disappointed. It took me hours, and I probably sweat five pounds off from sheer stress.

I made my deliveries that day like normal, and dropped my truck off when it was done. But I never went back there. I couldn’t bear the shame of the calls that would come pouring in, and I never wanted to see that ghost again.

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