Packing 101 (read this if you want your recorder / mixer to arrive in one piece)

All of this makes me wonder just how many units have been destroyed by improper shipping and/or packaging. No wonder some of these things are extremely rare. At least I have 3 RT-909s and there are always some available on ebay (at least 10 to 20 for sale at any given time.:D) All of my stuff was local finds.

I'm too scared to purchase anything like this that has to be shipped, unless it was brand new from the factory. It sucks that you guys had to endure that.
 
Any audio equipment, especially tape mechines, have to be in my hand before I will even consider buying it. I would never buy a tape machine off of eBay for way too many reasons having nothing to do with how it will be packed.

All of my machines were seen in person and tested/checked by me. When I bought it, I carried it away myself. This includes my 2 inch deck which I personally drove from New York City to Massachusetts.

Trusting anyone on eBay is not in my book.
 
I agree. But unfortunately, many still ignore the "don't buy sight unseen" advice and opt for shipping. This is a thread to at least make them aware of the high incidence of damage caused by incompetent packers, sellers, UPS STORE etc.... and have them opt for local deals or ones to pick their machines up, in another state if they have to.

Having something shipped is a double edged sword 'cause you broke the rule of never buying something which you have seen and tested yourself and another one is taking a huge risk with shipping. You really can't have worse odds than that.
 
...

No doubt, any of this type of gear is susceptible to damage from shipment. E'thing from reel-to-reels, Portastudios, minidisc/cassette home decks. Mixers seem a little less prone to damage, but it's not foolproof.

I've had my bad experiences, and I'm inclined to hedge a bit on eBay deals that require shipping. I've had some gear shipping disasters, and other gear that was shipped that was fine. I've scored a fair amount of gear locally, which is preferrable.

It's not a huge issue for me now, having already taken my losses. Much of the damage is cosmetic and stuff isn't always a total loss. It can really screw up your day, though. Most of my gear buying days are behind me, so I can look at it philosophically.

The light Portastudios are easy to ship, and are almost a sure thing, but the older classic Portastudios are heavier. They're a bit more prone to damage, and need more packing. Any R/R is a specialty item that needs ultra heavy duty packing. It all lies with the packer, and you don't know if they did a good or half assed job packing until the damage is done.

I hedge on any out-of-town eBay deals, but I don't rule them out completely. It's a tough issue. Local deals are always better, when you can find them.:eek:;)
 
Finally, some closure.

Well to follow up on my situation....
I was able to return all the servicable parts to the respected dealers (the Tascam paper work is just now going through! I sent that stuff back almost a month ago?!?!) and receive a credit. The post office check for the full amount of the auction and the shipping came in today. The funny thing is, they kept the 22-4. I wonder what they are going to do with it? I may receive a phone call to come pick it up but who knows. So, I am releived that this whole situation has worked itself out and I was able to recoup most of my money. This particular thread has been helpful, so a special shout out to cjaeck! Rep points baby. Been working on some new stuff on the 246, and I'm happy with it. We all need to do our part to keep this thread alive and bump often. Who knows how many innocent pieces of audio equipment we may save?
 
I agree. Great post ksounds! [..and thanks;)] :):)

Stick around and post your 246 tunes whenever you can!:)
 
If you're bent on having something shipped and when you read in an auction descripion that "All of our shipping/packing is done by professionals from the UPS store" .. RUN, RUN!! Don't think of even bidding, just walk away!!!:eek:
Avoid this type of auction, especially if the seller is not flexible to your way of having it packed / shipped and even then I wouldn't trust it:
http://cgi.ebay.com/TASCAM-MSR-16-R...ryZ15000QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

While there are many variables to avoid, this is just but one of them.

My RULE (if you still insist on shipping): If it has the original box and inner packing, have the seller strap it to a skid and sent freight, especially for items over 40 - 50 lbs. If it doesn't have its own packing, it's a huge risk and local pickup would be best but if you still insist, there are ways to pack (as per this thread) and once done, have it strapped to a skid and sent freight. Heavier / larger machines may require outright crating with reinforcement from the inside.
 
Vintage Texas said:
Sure is, found my way in the door again:p
How are you doing ?
Click to expand...

Great to have you back! I hope you'll stay a bit longer this time.. :D;)

I'm doing alright, except a damn root canal I have to get taken care of soon. I've been in agony for this whole weekend!:eek:

BTW, I emailed you several months ago about the 22-2. Did you receive my email?
 
I was reading about poor packing and pictures of different decks damaged in shipping.
Just want to share some pointers with certain decks that need special care when it comes to shipping.:)

Tascam 38 = Never ship this model laying down, the rear case is plastic and a small drop will crush those plastic legs on impact..and worse the pc-board can get damaged.
Ship these standing up in a sturdy box instead with extra cushion on the bottom and even take the plastic legs off before wrapping.
I use a new sturdy box from U-Haul 24x24x27 and line the walls+ bottom with styrofoam panel so the walls will hold up better in transit, because a big box has a good chance in the UPS or Fed Ex truck other boxes loaded on top..so flimsy cardboard doesn't hold up.:(

Tascam 42 NB, 42 B, 44 OB, each one of these models weight 73-75 lbs unpacked and has metal rear cover and very sturdy..but the 4 plastic feet on the rear doesn't hold the weight if you pack this laying down.
Corners will cave in and damage the deck or the sensitive connections on the back...so pack it standing up inside instead.

I have shipped many decks all over the world and extra care during the packing process is the most important issue.

Will dig up some pictures for you guys:cool:
 
Rootcanal...those hurts...hurry up and take care of that
And Yes, wrote down the new password this time, so planning to stay around more:p
About a email, no didn't see one from you.
Have you expanded your collection again ?:rolleyes:
 
Packing a 42 or 44
Normansdecks.jpg


I start with a 27 inch sturdy box from U-Haul 24x24x27

DSCF0011.jpg


Then cut thick styrofoam panels on all 4 walls + bottom.
Also a layer of soft peanuts on the bottom as a extra cushion for the deck:

DSCF0007.jpg


A soft cover around the front to protect the faceplate:
DSCF0002.jpg
 
Vintage Texas said:
About a email, no didn't see one from you.
Have you expanded your collection again ?:rolleyes:
Click to expand...

The collection is pretty much the same, more or less:D , which means:

TASCAM 388
TASCAM 34
TASCAM 244
TASCAM 246
TEAC A3440
TASCAM M30
TEAC 2A and meter bridge
+a bunch of mics, cables etc...:D

The email I sent was an inquiry whether you had a nice TASCAM 22-2 for sale, with my name on it?:confused::):D
 
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