Recently I purchased through eBay an estate Caminetto briar pipe from a seller in Italy. I have previously read horror stories by other buyers concerning pipes which they had purchased, and which the sellers shipped fully assembled resulting in the stems being broken off during shipping and handling. Accordingly, I e-mailed this seller and specifically requested that he separate the stem from the bowl, and package them separately. He responded that he would, and so I awaited the arrival of my prize.
Today when I went to my mailbox I found a clear plastic United States Postal Service bag inside of which were the remains of the "packaging" which this seller used to ship my pipe clear across the Atlantic ocean via the Italian and United States mail services. The "packaging" was a white paper envelope which I could easily tear with my hands! What was he thinking?!
My heart sank as I carried the remains into the house. Fearing the worst I then took a camera and proceeded to photograph, step by step, the unpacking in order to document the damage. The seller was good to his word, and the bowl and stem were packaged separately, each wrapped in tissue paper. Around them was wound a three-inch-wide strip of thin corrugated cardboard to make a bundle. This bundle was then wrapped in the thinnest bubble-wrap I have ever seen, secured with clear tape. By the grace of God the bowl and stem were unscathed, and by that same grace the seller dodged a bullet on this transaction.
The lesson for me was that from now on I will insist that sellers not only remove the stem from the bowl, and package each separately, but that they also ship the pipes in boxes designed to handle the rigors of the postal system.
Today when I went to my mailbox I found a clear plastic United States Postal Service bag inside of which were the remains of the "packaging" which this seller used to ship my pipe clear across the Atlantic ocean via the Italian and United States mail services. The "packaging" was a white paper envelope which I could easily tear with my hands! What was he thinking?!
My heart sank as I carried the remains into the house. Fearing the worst I then took a camera and proceeded to photograph, step by step, the unpacking in order to document the damage. The seller was good to his word, and the bowl and stem were packaged separately, each wrapped in tissue paper. Around them was wound a three-inch-wide strip of thin corrugated cardboard to make a bundle. This bundle was then wrapped in the thinnest bubble-wrap I have ever seen, secured with clear tape. By the grace of God the bowl and stem were unscathed, and by that same grace the seller dodged a bullet on this transaction.
The lesson for me was that from now on I will insist that sellers not only remove the stem from the bowl, and package each separately, but that they also ship the pipes in boxes designed to handle the rigors of the postal system.