In less than a week, people from around the world will descend on San Diego, CA to participate in one of the world’s most popular conventions: Comic-Con International: San Diego. As with past Comic-Cons, there will be a ton of exclusives you’ll want to pick up from great vendors including Mattel, Sideshow, EFX Collectibles, Gentle Giant, LEGO, and much more. After the convention ends, those of you who are traveling may have trouble figuring out how to get all your goodies home. Here are five ways you can get your Comic-Con exclusives home in one, undamaged piece.
- Mailing tubes are a must-have. You know you’re going to get posters, and a shipping tube is the best way to transport them without accidentally folding them or bending the corners. After Comic-Con ends, just ship the tube home.
- Get the right packing materials. How your items are packaged will have an impact on how safe they are during the shipping process. Purchase new boxes instead of reusing old shipping cartons, which are more likely to collapse or break apart during shipping. Wrap your fragile items in bubble packaging, and fill all empty spaces with packing peanuts to help help prevent the carton flaps from caving in. If you’re having trouble, ask the professionals at the shipping store to package your items for you.
- Put an extra shipping label on the inside of your package. Sometimes, the box doesn’t hold up to the shipping process (especially if you reuse an old shipping carton – which you shouldn’t). If the delivery label is lost, the carrier will still be able to complete delivery, which means you won’t lose that awesome, full-size replica of Captain America’s shield.
- Choose the right shipping option, not the cheapest. Especially if you’re shipping valuable items, make sure to select a shipping option which comes with insurance and tracking. Yes, there are cheap ways to ship, but is it really worth the risk?
- Consider shipping your suitcase home. Bringing an extra suitcase for Comic-Con collectibles is a great idea, but depending on what you buy, it might make more sense to ship your suitcase home instead of checking it. If your bags are overweight, or if you have valuable items packed in them, find out what your airline’s baggage fees are, and then get a shipping quote.
If you need help getting your Comic-Con collectibles home, stop by one of the San Diego PostalAnnex locations for packing and shipping services. Whether you need a mailing tube for a few posters, or you need a life-size Darth Vader statue custom packed and shipped, the packing and shipping experts at PostalAnnex will help you get your Comic-Con treasures home in one piece. You can even compare shipping rates for UPS, FedEx and USPS to determine which service best fits your needs.
Image: Comic-Con.org