Pro packing techniques

My biggest fear when I buy high-end audio equipment on okay is thatI'm trusting that the Seller will pack my goods with enough protection. That's sometimes hard when you're dealing with a Seller who may not have a lot of experience selling and shipping the goods you've won.
Here's a guide w/ pictures that I've developed based on my experience asa Seller since 1999 and my former life as a courier driver when I saw the treatment that packages receive in general. Remember - thePost Office or courier will not pay a damage claim for a shipment that's been poorly packed.
Email this link to a Seller if you've won a piece of vintage equipment and you want to give them some ideas on how to pack it properly.
Rule #1 - no Styrofoam peanuts / popcorn.

Styrofoam peanuts gepress under weight and by the time the amp arrivesit will be bouncing around loose inside and no doubt will be damaged.
Shipping amplifiers

Power amps can weigh up to 40 lbs a piece. Double boxing is a must. I use 1/2" rigid cardboard cut to fit as an inner shell, plus I use extra pieces as shims to firmly support the amp in place. Tubes are removed, bubble wrapped and placed inside a crushproof carton as well. Craft paper and additional cardboard shims can fill in the spaces. The amp should not move or shift if the box is shaken.

I've shipped Western / Northern Electric, McIntosh and Marantz amps around the world via Air or Sea and this method has been very trustworthy.
Shipping speakers

Speakers are tough to pack because they're delicate paper held onto a metal frame. Very easy to damage without some special attention.
Once again I double box these shipments - but I also use a square baseplate cut to fit the bottom. I mount the speakers face down on the plate and fasten them with cable ties through the bolt holes. This protects the speaker face from perforation - and - keeps the speaker from shifting.
Another plate cut to the same dimensions is added for the top - and its center is cut out to accept the shape of the magnet. So the speaker is retained both at its top and bottom. The final two pictures show a beefy 15" Jensen F15LL field coil speaker. Same principle but I cut Styro blocks (not peanuts) to fill in the gaps. Necessary because of its weight.

Shipping vacuum tubes
Tubes are the easiest item for a novice to pack - just takes bubble wrap. The large globe style (like 2A3, 6550)and long glass envelope styles (like EL34) are best wrapped individually. I like to wrap 6V6, 6SN7 and 6L6 by themselves as well. The miniature 12volt styles (12AU7, 12AX7) can be wrapped in pairs so long as the 1st one is rolled a couple times before the second is added. There should never be any glass on glass contact and be mindful that you don't bend the pins.
I sell a lot of 12AX7 - and I usenew, white tube boxes for those sales. It's a nice touch and it ensures protection as well.

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