Poker Shipping Supplies (2 Viewers)

[ChippinUp]

Hey Guys


Thinking about starting a small hobby business helping fellow poker players and chip collectors to safely and efficiently ship poker chips. This is just an idea at the moment so really curious for feedback and interest.

Due to my OCD I started thinking about how I would ship a 1000 piece set neatly that I sold recently. This got me to thinking how even more important this would be when shipping higher value sets.

I was thinking about custom corrugated racks with or without lids. Interior wall cushioning and master shippers that keep everything secure. I addition I thought about corrugate lids for the racks also.

In order to ensure perfect fitment I would need to ensure various size differences are taken into account such as 39mm vs 43mm, ceramics vs clay etc etc.

Some challenges arise such as shipping as the corrugated would need to ship flat and be assembled by the purchaser. It is possible to ship everything built but that may or may not affect shipping rates. Again this is still just an idea to gauge interest.

I recently ordered a set of tiki kings from BrPro and I’m interested to see how they package their products.

This could be something for forum members and also for some of the bigger names producing chips and shipping them to customers around the world.

Thoughts and opinions welcome!

 

[Machine]

I recently ordered a set of tiki kings from BrPro and I’m interested to see how they package their products.

Plastics are a bit more robust, they come in bags of 25 in a box, and sometimes some shipping padding, like well packed newspapers.

We have a shipping post that contains a ton of info on shipping!

 

[upNdown]

1) for lower end stuff - no interest. I can pack stuff for free (using materials from USPS and leftovers from stuff I’ve received from Amazon etc) far better than any fancy shipping box that I’d have to pay for AND pay to have shipped to me.

2) if you’re really looking to start a business, I might have interest when it comes to higher end stuff and/or international shipping. This may not be the business you’re describing or envisioning, but here’s my deal. I recent sold an expensive set of chips locally for probably a significant discount over what I could have gotten if I’d sold them on the open market to the highest bidder. I’m not personally comfortable just packing a $5k-$10k set into boxes, handing them to the PO and hoping for the best. Because it seems their insurance is bullshit. And god forbid I’d do that internationally.
So if I could have sold this set for 50% more, and handed it off to you to do the grunt work, assume the risk, and share the profits, THATS a service that would interest me.
Edit - it just occurred to me that I’d have the same problem getting the chips to you to reship, unless you lived nearby. Oh well.

 

[ChippinUp]

Plastics are a bit more robust, they come in bags of 25 in a box, and sometimes some shipping padding, like well packed newspapers.

We have a shipping post that contains a ton of info on shipping!

I totally missed this. Thanks I’m checking it now!

 

[ChippinUp]

1) for lower end stuff - no interest. I can pack stuff for free (using materials from USPS and leftovers from stuff I’ve received from Amazon etc) far better than any fancy shipping box that I’d have to pay for AND pay to have shipped to me.

2) if you’re really looking to start a business, I might have interest when it comes to higher end stuff and/or international shipping. This may not be the business you’re describing or envisioning, but here’s my deal. I recent sold an expensive set of chips locally for probably a significant discount over what I could have gotten if I’d sold them on the open market to the highest bidder. I’m not personally comfortable just packing a $5k-$10k set into boxes, handing them to the PO and hoping for the best. Because it seems their insurance is bullshit. And god forbid I’d do that internationally.
So if I could have sold this set for 50% more, and handed it off to you to do the grunt work, assume the risk, and share the profits, THATS a service that would interest me.
Edit - it just occurred to me that I’d have the same problem getting the chips to you to reship, unless you lived nearby. Oh well.

Thanks. In terms of old scrap packaging being better than “fancy” packaging I can assure you that’s incorrect but being free I can understand you point. The second part of your reply isn’t the business I am describing but the feedback is exactly what I’m looking for.

Not all ideas are good ideas so this may die quicker than my AA’s on the flop…..

 

[Tonysquander]

Thanks. In terms of old scrap packaging being better than “fancy” packaging I can assure you that’s incorrect but being free I can understand you point. The second part of your reply isn’t the business I am describing but the feedback is exactly what I’m looking for.

Not all ideas are good ideas so this may die quicker than my AA’s on the flop…..

As you can see from the shipping thread, I think most around here have gotten fairly adept at utilizing the free boxes from the post office, reinforcing them as needed at the seams and providing more than adequate cushioning inside. Frankly, when I am done packing something up, my biggest concern is not the package itself, but the delivery service and their ability to get it where it needs to go. That is true whether it be USPS, Fedex or UPS etc.

 

[Josh Kifer]

I ship alot of chips, by using the packaging from the orders I get, all packing is free and secure. Higher end might have a market, but it would be a hard area to get into and get a ton of traction imo.

With Warneke boxes and all the USPS free items, it's kinda a moot point.

Make a better Warneke box, and you might have an angle.

 

[ekricket]

I ship alot of chips, by using the packaging from the orders I get, all packing is free and secure. Higher end might have a market, but it would be a hard area to get into and get a ton of traction imo.

With Warneke boxes and all the USPS free items, it's kinda a moot point.

Make a better Warneke box, and you might have an angle.

Some products that fit in the flat rate boxes. Like a support that lets you ship 250 chips in a sfrb

Or stabilizers that fit inside and hold Werneje sized boxes from sliding around and helps make them pilfer proof.

Or the same for sfrb, an insert to help prevent pilfering of smaller shipments

 

[upNdown]

Thanks. In terms of old scrap packaging being better than “fancy” packaging I can assure you that’s incorrect but being free I can understand you point.

I’ve been thinking more about this and I can’t say I agree. At least not in any practical sense. I’ve been sending and receiving chips for years and I can’t say I’ve ever seen any damage to chips when somebody made even the most basic efforts at packaging (assuming no catastrophic external forces.)

That said, if your target market is newer types who are nervous or unsure about appropriate packaging, I suppose there’s a market there.
But the chipping community is such a small market to begin with that if you’re slicing off a small portion as your target, I’m not sure how many potential customers you have.

 

[ekricket]

Damn post office already makes more money off of chips than any one flipper does.

But I’d think high end chips or chips that need protection from sliding around or pilfering would be your market. Maybe a singles insert for envelopes.

 

[ChippinUp]

I’ve been thinking more about this and I can’t say I agree. At least not in any practical sense. I’ve been sending and receiving chips for years and I can’t say I’ve ever seen any damage to chips when somebody made even the most basic efforts at packaging (assuming no catastrophic external forces.)

That said, if your target market is newer types who are nervous or unsure about appropriate packaging, I suppose there’s a market there.
But the chipping community is such a small market to begin with that if you’re slicing off a small portion as your target, I’m not sure how many potential customers you have.

Thanks for the reply. Certainly have the right to disagree and comments are welcome! Let’s say we agree to disagree on this one!

However I think the point has been made that the group has little interest in incurring additional costs and there isn’t really an appreciation for sending something in a custom fit package with additional reinforcement/protection. I suppose receiving my $5000 set of Paulsons in a reused Walmart box would certainly do the trick! It is all about the chips after all!

I’ll put this one to bed for now. I think my OCD got the better of me trying to package up some chips to ship!

 

[Himewad]

I recently ordered a set of tiki kings from BrPro and I’m interested to see how they package their products.

I think you would be shocked how little padding they use. I routinely order hundreds of ceramic chips and dealer buttons from them, and they ship in smallish corrugated boxes with plastic bags that hold 20 chips or 20 dealer buttons per bag, and the boxes are filled with a little crumpled newspaper. I'm always amazed that there are no chips or breaks.

 

[ChippinUp]

I think you would be shocked how little padding they use. I routinely order hundreds of ceramic chips and dealer buttons from them, and they ship in smallish corrugated boxes with plastic bags that hold 20 chips or 20 dealer buttons per bag, and the boxes are filled with a little crumpled newspaper. I'm always amazed that there are no chips or breaks.

It does surprise me that a premium product isn’t packaged better. I mean crumpled newspaper doesn’t exactly portray that premium feel but if the product is arriving without damage and the chips quality is there I don’t think there is a really a market for my suggestion. I work with packaging in my occupation so perhaps I had blinders on!

 

[upNdown]

I think you would be shocked how little padding they use. I routinely order hundreds of ceramic chips and dealer buttons from them, and they ship in smallish corrugated boxes with plastic bags that hold 20 chips or 20 dealer buttons per bag, and the boxes are filled with a little crumpled newspaper. I'm always amazed that there are no chips or breaks.

I think there’s an often overlooked point here. And it’s a point I raise from time to time. And I think it escapes people here for a few reason - I think people in this hobby are often obsessive in some ways (look how often everybody jokes about their “OCD”,) we spend A LOT of money on these chips, the chips are often difficult to replace . . .
Anyway that point is that poker chips are durable. They’re designed to be tossed around in piles for years. They’re not fragile.

 

[ekricket]

It does surprise me that a premium product isn’t packaged better. I mean crumpled newspaper doesn’t exactly portray that premium feel but if the product is arriving without damage and the chips quality is there I don’t think there is a really a market for my suggestion. I work with packaging in my occupation so perhaps I had blinders on!

If you could build a package that would securely ship 200 chips and it costs less than $10 to mail including the packaging you’d have a market. Maybe up to $15 if it was super convenient to use.

Most of us use flat rates because they are convenient and priced at a point we will accept.