Bubble wrap source

[skip]

I just paid $10 for the 2 smallest damn rolls of bubble wrap. Anyone know a good source with free shipping online>???

[The Cheese]

I just bought a 12" x 200' roll from office depot for like $20. Uline.com has it for about the same price - buying it locally is cheaper unless you buy HUGE rolls, but then you have to pay freight. Uline is great for boxes though. 25 per bundle - something like 32 cents each. Paid 88 at wally world. Just orderd 100 from uline. Went to order a 20cu foot bag of peanuts - shipping jumped $80. Had to be sent on a semi. So I bought a 7cu foot bag for 18 - I'll keep that for the good shit. Started picking up all the little raggy ass local papers from the supermarket today. Going to use that for shipping little stuff like spoons and what not. Get a lot of single orders. Sending a GonG bowl in a 6x6x6 box full of peanuts is pretty wasteful.

Just my experience in trying to be a fuggin' cheapskate.

btw- I meant it when I said HUGE rolls.

[menty666]

The dollar store has small rolls of the small bubbles. I suppose it all depends on how much you need.

[skip]

I need bulk. My wife was swearing office depot is more expensive than the UPS store where I paid $5 for a shitty role. I'll go check it out though and double check. It makes sense that Office depot would have the best price.

[The Cheese]

All the 200' rolls of the stuff I found were right around 18-20. All the local dept stores and office supply stores were about spot on. I was really surprised.

[menty666]

I need bulk. My wife was swearing office depot is more expensive than the UPS store where I paid $5 for a shitty role. I'll go check it out though and double check. It makes sense that Office depot would have the best price.

The UPS store is always going to be the worst. I found even shipping UPS was cheaper at Staples because those horrid UPS stores were tacking on franchise type service charges.

[lucidvisions]

I got to say I have been more than pleased with my local franchise of the UPS store. Again they are franchises so each one will have their extreme differences but I am always taken care of by our local one.

I walked in about six years ago and said I would use them for shipping all my orders if they would give me a house account and give me wholesale cost of all my shipping supplies. It's worked out great.

I just drop my packages off, say "see ya next week", and my galleries get an email with tracking numbers and estimated time of arrival. In the past I have had some pieces break. I filed a claim with him and don't have to go through any corporate UPS BS that goes with filing a claim. He knows how good we pack our work and he just writes me a check for the full amount of the broken piece and he deals with getting the reimbursement. There are bad months when some galleries like to pay late and he's never added any interest to my account if I cannot pay it in full. He's done all my full color catalog printing for me for three years at 24 cents a page.

So again, I don't believe every franchise is gonna treat you like mine does but the worst thing they can say in "NO". It's been a great relationship for both of us. I spend all my shipping and packing money there and he deals with all the BS. What more could you ask for?

Josh

[menty666]

I'm glad it's worked out for you :)

I'm 0 for 2 with them here in MA though.

[Icarus]

If you've got a friend who works in IT, specifically the unpacking of new equipment, hit them up. At a job I interned at, I was the guy who built all of their new server racks and installed their servers, and would just save the bubble wrap and poly bags and hard drive boxes. Now I'm set for years fo9r shipping supplies, and I was able to keep a whole bunch of stuff from needlessly going to a landfill. It would probably work better if you were the one doing it, but if you have a freind you can rely on to save the stuff for you, you can save a whole bunch of money that way.

[barefoot stash]

Here's where I get my boxes:
http://www.gomelco.com/

As for bubble wrap, a good friend of ours is a manager at pottery barn. They were throwing away HUGE amounts of bubble wrap, so he sets it aside for us. I would check with some of your local import stores to see if you can work something out. As for peanuts, during the holiday season, I may buy a bag or two due to high volume shipping, other than that I reuse the ones that come with our shipments of glass stock and that will get us through most of the year. The only thing I won't skimp on is the outer shipping boxes. UPS will deny your claim if you don't use a sturdy (meaning pretty new) box. They crush test it to make sure it was up to par.

[mer]

i wish i could remember the name but you'll know where i'm talking about matt, there's an industrial office supply place right behind where jiggles used to be in that little warehouse area, i hear they have the best prices and selection locally.

[The Lorax]

i ordered this last night

http://www.amazon.com/220ft-Rolls-110ft-Small-Bubble/dp/B000S5M9VK/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=office-products&qid=1255444431&sr=8-2


way cheaper than the BS roll i bought at staples for $20. didn't even last a month, but it was kinda nice b/c it'd stick to itself so you didn't need tape

[Mecha]

If you live in a decent sized city, search around using the yellow pages for packing supplies. You can usually find them in industrial neighborhoods. I think if you can locate a local WB Mason warehouse, you should be able to score a deal as well. I used to get the super gigantic rolls of bubble for less than 40 and the 14 cubic foot bags of peanuts for around $11. I could absolutely fill my car with packing supplies for super cheap. Way cheaper than office depot or the like.

[Doc Holliday]

hey lorax, the link you posted is 200 feet for 22 bucks. Staples has the same rolls for 20 bucks as well... I guess you can order this way in your underwear though. hehe

[The Lorax]

maybe my staples was all out when i went b/c they didn't have decent prices at all and only had the "high end" bubble wrap, lol

[Doc Holliday]

I retract my statement, went to staples today, and it was 26+ tax for a 200 foot roll

[J Howard]

i use Uline as well. pretty damn cheap, with next day delivery. the freight on the big bags of peanuts is brutal. you're better off ordering 5 bags and never ordering again. (25$ a bag for the peanuts, and 80$ for the shipping!)

[Icon Glass Studio]

I get my bubble wrap at Sams Club. I think it is a 200' by 12" roll for around $10. Maybe im mistaken though and its only 100'. As for peanuts, ask any local retail store. The local smoke shop is a perfect place. They get tons of the stuff and end up throwing most of it in the trash. You are already there making a sale. Offer them a few bucks off a peice for all the peanuts they have. No shipping costs; recycle the peanuts; shop owner gets a little discount for saving the peanuts for you; everyone wins :)