Shipping McIntosh components...selling some of my gear, advice on shippers...

I am being smart enough to purchase new McIntosh shipping boxes from McIntosh - yeah, I know AC also sells them, and they confirmed they're the same thickness as McIntosh but Mc is cheaper. Anyway, the question I have is...who is least likely to damage my stuff - FedEx or UPS? I have a feeling you're all going to say they all suck depending on who's throwing the merchandise around. Just wondering if one is better than the other at all. UPS is more convenient for me to get to...

 

It's Coke vs. Pepsi. The factory boxes involve bolting it to a wooden board and double boxing, package it properly and it will be fine regardless of who handles it.

 

I don't know whether there's any statistically significant difference between one or the other. The best defense is the best packaging which you have covered. I use FedEx myself and haven't have a problem yet.

Just last week I just shipped a pair of MC30s which were bolted to a plywood skid plate that A/C cut and drilled specifically for them and a heavy double box. They arrived in perfect condition. The packaging was $80 but well worth it.

 

Audio Classics uses UPS. There was a recent horror story on the McIntosh Audio Club Facebook page about someone shipping his MC2255 to Audio Classics, NOT using McIntosh boxes and letting the UPS Store pack the unit. The results were devastating and tragic and UPS wouldn't cover the damages.

You are very wise to not depend on"bubble wrap" and to invest in genuine McIntosh boxes.

Just for information's sake, what are you getting rid of? (Gorts, please delete if this last question violates forum rules with my apologies)...

 

Selling my C28 preamp - which i have listed here in the classifieds and most likely my MR77 tuner which i had serviced locally a few months back. upgrading to a C47 premp. Also selling my mp100 phono preamp since the c47 has an MC phono stage already. hopefully my sale will go through on the c28 and mr77. the mp100 I might just sell back to audio classics...

 

It's a crap shoot with either. All you can do is box them as well as possible and hope for the best.

 

That's kind of what I figured. I'll insure each piece for a grand and you know if there is damage they'll find some way to weasel out of paying up.

 

Always, always, always double-box anything that expensive. Use large bubble wrap whenever possible, otherwise small bubble wrap or sheet foam. If it's tube gear, pull the tubes and box them separately, of course, wrapping them in small bubble wrap or flexible sheet foam. Packing peanuts and newspaper are not recommended as packing material- use them as packing material between the inner box and outer box only, ever for the inner box. NEVER use packing peanuts for any purpose unless you've put them into plastic grocery bags and knotted them tightly to make firm pillows out of them. Loose packing peanuts are a disaster waiting to happen. Saran wrap can work for some packaging purposes. But use your sense. Think in terms of having your items survive an 8 foot vertical drop.

If I need to ship something with a glass faceplate, I always do something extra, like an extra wall between the faceplate knobs and the side of the box, with sheet foam (flexible sheet foam, not styrofoam, okay) in front of the glass. Bubble wrap on the other side. And then put it in another box. Everything needs to be tight enough that nothing shakes, moves, or shifts around, even when the box is turned upside down. Insurers are looking for at least 2" on all sides around an item, or they won't pay for shock damage. Give them more than 3", all the way around the inner box.

Bubble wrap is cheap. Oversize charges are cheap, given what you're shipping. Vintage stereo gear often isn't just expensive; it's somewhere between difficult and impossible to replace if it's damaged.

 

I agree with a lot of what you said above BUT, I keep hearing NEVER put ANY packing material at all in front of the glass faceplate as that can be pushed into it and crack it. That's why they have the holes drilled in the plywood or 6-ply cardboard, keeps the unit from moving within the box so it won't get close to the sides and be smashed.

 

Agreed. There is no need for added cushioning in proper McIntosh packaging nor is it recommended. The best prevention is keeping the unit centered within the box so that it cannot come into contact with the sides. Extra material touching the box sides and the unit can potentially transmit any shock to the unit itself which is not desirable however well cushioned. Better for there to be nothing at all.

 

One thing to remember is the faster service you use to ship, the fewer hubs and hands/machines it goes through... therefore far fewer chances of it getting damaged.

 

They'll find that anyway. People suck. Sell locally.
-Bill

 

Actually, you're right- and that's typically the way I do it, now that I think of it. I put a barrier that's strong enough to not fold or crumple in front of the glass, with nothing on the other side.

Dealing with secondhand packing problems is funny- you really have to use your head. I've never lost a faceplate yet, and I've shipped a lot of goods with glass ones, like uncased Grundig, Blaupunkt, and Telefunken radios that I pulled from consoles.

Nothing beats undamaged original factory packing. Except undamaged original factory packing, plus an extra outer box.

 

Well...jackhole that said he was all in now says he isn’t. Complete waste of time. The dude never had the money. Back to the drawing board! Need to sell to get my c47...

 

Bought a MC2205 last fall on Ebay and the seller shipped it from San Francisco to me in Mary-Land in a new McIntosh carton. About 80 pounds or so by FedEx. Arrived in perfect condition.

 

I've bought packaging from Audio Classics and shipped items via FedEx ground with great success.

 

I would get packaging from Audio Classics and add an outer box to be safe. I bought an MAC6700 from Audio Classics and they shipped UPS. My wife called me while I was working when UPS was delivering the 6700. The driver was literally rolling the box, end over end, up our driveway!! I told her to RUN outside and tell the driver to stop! When I got home, I was expecting the worst. I carefully open the packaging and luckily nothing was broken........whew!

 

I have found Fed Ex to be very good for audio equipment, but I pack very well and INSURE VERY WELL, your package will be treated with extreme care IF and only IF it is fully insured, and my insurance is generally $20 or more dollars. If your package is insured for say a $1,000.00 or more, you can bet it is noted and handled very carefully. I believe next to superior packing, the insurance is the key factor !

 

Regardless of which shipper you choose I strongly suggest you get their packaging rules and learn how to make your gear fit those parameters.
The factory McIntosh boxing is very good but adding to it is not wrong.
As you package the gear, take photos of the steps, being clear to show the packaging in stages.

Find out what their price breaks are for the shipper. At some point the shipper will label the package "high value" and this gets special treatment.
UPS, for instance, will hand carry a high value package through the hub (okay, so maybe it gets put on a special cart and pushed through the hub, but it is NOT on the high speed belt)
Be certain to insure the package with a high enough dollar value to trigger the high value handling services.

Purchase, two per package, rough handling indicators. These are small, stick on, 8 sided, glass vial "badges" (I think the name is SHOCKWATCH)
They have varying degrees of impact detection. When these are installed they will indicate rough handling via a broken vial.
When these are used the shipper understands the package IS fragile and they WILL handle it properly.

All in you will probably spend an extra $30 making all your packages very durable, as well as securing special handling...every step count when it comes to shipping hard to replace items.

 

In my experience, FedEx is the better choice.

 

This is the first I heard of more careful handling as a result of the amount of insurance purchased. Is this really true?

 

It is absolutely TRUE. If a package is insured for it's value, say an Oppo 105D, which I just sold, $1,200.00. Fed Ex will be the first people to tell you the handling is completely different, knowing their transporting something they will be expected to pay $1,200.00 if it's damaged or lost, completely different handling, I promise.