Posting Seeds - Packaging ideas to avoid crushing and reduce cost

Trading Post
#1

Hi OG :slight_smile:
As some of you may know I posted out a few packs of free seeds recently.
Well I found out that at the post office if the package/letter is thicker than 5mm instead of £1.17 to post the letter overseas it jumps to £3.18 per letter as it’s classed as a package.
So posting out 40 packs of freebies could cost £40ish but instead it costs over £120 due to the thickness :confused:
I want to send out ALOT more free seeds to the OG community but I’m being hampered by the cost issue.

So the real question is, how can I package seeds so the letter is no thicker than 5mm incl envelope without them getting crushed?

I thought about cd cases but even the slimlines are 5.2mm so slightly out :frowning:

I’ll give a couple of free packs to the person that comes up with the best suggestion by way of a thankyou and this will enable me to run another free giveaway in the next few weeks so I can share even more seeds :slight_smile:

Looking forward to your ideas :wink:
:sunny:

5 Likes
#2
  1. A piece of cardboard with hollow compartments inside then glued…!?
  2. An eppendorf container in a jiffy envelope…!?
  3. Enclosed in a brochure of some kind with the pages glued…!?
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#3

Hi @MadScientist :slight_smile:

  1. Cardboard is the best I’ve come up with so far, was thinking the corrugated hardened stuff will check thicknesses now and report back - great suggestion
  2. Another good one but the smallest I can find has 7mm diameter which is over the 5mm limit.
  3. Not sure how that would work for now I will concentrate on exploring option 1

Thanks for your helpful suggestions, I will do extensive googling ebaying and amazoning now and see what comes up re suggestion 1 :wink:

6 Likes
#4

May I suggest plastic panel with cavities… They are used for various uses (marketing, insulation) and sold in special purpose stores. It is best because it offers support and prevents crashing (with its construction it is very hard to press in its surface).

And if you were able to get some “samples” the price would be near zero.

People are even building greenhouses from this material :slight_smile:

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#5

Great idea @LemonadeJoe and fantastic tip on the samples idea too :slight_smile:
I’ll look into this and the cardboard as the main two avenues :wink:
Thanks alot :smiley:

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#6

Looks like they do the plastic sheeting in 4mm thickness which fit’s the bill perfectly. I think I’ll get samples of both the cardboard and plastic and pressure test them with some old seeds and report back :smiley:

5 Likes
#7

old CD and DVD cases are also good.

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#8

I had already received seeds packed in these cavities.

Checkout for wall thickness.

You can use really small piece if you reinforce outmost cavities with something solid.

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#9

Simple! You know those circular cotton pads (not the loose wool stuff) that ladies love to use to remove makeup? Sandwich the seeds between 2 of those, tape the edges and pop in an envelope. Its compressible to the required thickness but offers good protection.

And you are awesome for giving away free seeds!

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#10

dr.chronic oh yeah!!!

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#11

This is a very good way to send seeds. You can seal the ends with Q Tips.

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#12

I definitely remember receiving seeds like that back in 2002/2003, don’t have a clue on from who though
Ds

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#13

You can also use coin protectors like these.

Or the paper type and add in a small metal washer.

<–Shows age.

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#14

I always wondered what those clear plastic thingies were really for!

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#15

Now ya know.
:stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

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#16

They may have came from the Inner Circle lol…

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#17

I found straws to be the best, cheap and easy, seal up one end, put some cotton wool or filter then seeds, then more cotton wool and seal up the other end :wink: can do it without cotton wool but can hear them shaking around in the pack :wink:

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#18

Good idea, MacGyver!

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#19

Mr Nice post their auctions out in straws, where I initially got the idea, I just cant pack them as tight as they do so I use padding lol, hard to explain to the post office why socks rattle lmao

1 Like
#20

straws or ballpoint pens!? are you posting seeds from USA? never heard of this 5mm requirement in CANADA! would be very interested (and grateful!) for some genetics though!

3 Likes