Almost 100% of my clientele ship directly to our refining facility at Warwick, Rhode Island. We ship FedEx, FedEx Ground, UPS, US Postal, through Brinks, and our clients also ship in as well through their insurance and carriers. Shipping is easy, all that we ask is that you double box everything. If something happens to the outer box, you want to make sure that the inner box stays intact, that nothing’s falling out, that no one has the ability to actually get into your package. Double boxing your materials is the best way to protect your shipment. As we all know, they do get bounced around a bit in the process, so it’s just a safer way of doing it. It’s just smart, and it’s good business.
When labeling your box, let’s say you’re at Tom’s Pawn, instead of writing out the whole business name, use an anagram like “TSP”, that way you won’t draw unwanted attention to your package. If anybody asks what you’re shipping, I always tell my customers to tell them that you’re shipping picture frames or broken glass, something of inconsequential value. We ask that you have packing lists inside of your inner box, and you can even print off a second label and put it on top of your inner box as well, just in case. The whole point of the exercise is to get the box to the refiner and have us process it so that we can pay you. Making this process as simple as possible means we can all move on with our lives and onto the next duty on our list.
99% of the time, my clients will call me for a label. I email them or fax them a label, they affix it to their box, and I set up a pick up (some clients will drop it off if their FedEx facility is local). We’ll typically get the shipment next day, depending on the shipping options the client chose. It’s inexpensive, it’s easy, it’s insured, and it’s a terrific way to deal with aged inventory in your shop. If you’re not shipping and you’re concerned about shipping, trust me; I get shipments from all over the country, every single day. Call me, I can help you set up a shipment, because I truly believe that no one should be afraid of shipping their materials.
