Boxes for shipping dolls

What size doll are you shipping?

 

You can modify multiple/existing boxes to fit.

 

I was going to suggest what @Lady Ravenswood said, for bigger sizes I would buy a couple moving boxes from Lowes or Home Depot and modify them.

 

This is something I've wondered about myself! I keep all of the company boxes, but maybe I should start keeping the shipping boxes as well!

 

Sorry to butt in, but I have an architecture degree and I've made a LOT of stuff out of corrugated cardboard.

Try to make sure there aren't any folds in the middle of sides. If there are, or even if there aren't and you want to make it stronger, apply a second layer of cardboard with the corrugations running the other way (or across/perpendicular to any fold). Use a good quality tape and tape both sides (inside and outside) of any joint. Duct tape is probably your best bet. If you want to glue multiple layers together, use a good quality white glue (not Elmer's). Where I am, the glue to use is weldbond. Then you could even go really nuts and wrap it with a lot of packing tape (which tears more easily than duct tape but is very strong against stretching.)

 

My friend just sent me an SD (Volks) doll & his box using a "lamp" box from UPS.
Some of my orders of fabric they put two boxes end to end with the overlap slipped inside one of the boxes & then taped around the to hold the outer overlap against the inner box.

 

I have sent SD sized dolls partially unstrung in a large sized USPS shipping box. You just wanna make sure all the pieces are bubble wrapped and the hands are protected with something rigid.

 

When I'm out of boxes, I'll sometimes ask at local stores whether they could give me some of their old shipping boxes (supermarkets and so on). They would only throw them away anyways, so they usually don't mind

 

And be sure the doll hands & delicate parts are bubble wrapped or well protected in the original box. Shipping seems to be the quickest way to break a finger. :/
I've had new dolls arrived schlumped in their box without enough padding & have learned to over prepare rather than hope for the best. ;}

 

Personally, if the buyer doesnt mind it and doesnt want the original doll box, I ship in a smaller box, either disassembled and individually wrapped or with the doll in fetal position. So long as you wrap the hands, feet, and face very well, have a layer of bubble wrap between all parts that can "clack" together (arm and torso, legs, etc), and there is enough packing material so that nothing will shift in transit, it works very very well.
Of all the times I've shipped a doll fetal, which I only do if the buyer is comfortable, my packaging methods have meant safe and sound arrival, and much much cheaper shipping. It can stretch out the elastic if the doll stays fetal long term, but just for the time it takes to ship it's totally fine.

 

I work retail, so I usually save boxes from shipment then cut them down to size as needed. If you don't have a doll box at all, I recommend unstringing the doll, bubble wrapping each individual part and labeling it. I can get an SD body into a medium flat rate box, so full MSD should be easy!

 

I buy boxes from uline.com
Once a year they usually do a free shipping event so I take advantage and make one large order.

 

Something I didn’t see mentioned in making your own boxes is the use of hot glue as an option. I usually make sure the box has some overlap available to glue the parts together and tape over the areas that join. Also works really well for boxes that you may be reusing and are a bit flimsy. I hot glue strips of cardboard into the inside of the corners and it makes it sturdy again for another trip.

 

I usually grab a oversized box that I have laying around and Frankenstein it to fit the doll I'm shipping. I sold a SD size doll earlier this year and I took a moving box from Home Depot and cut it down. I reinforced some of the sides that felt weaker with extra cardboard on the inside, and taped it like mad. It arrived safe and sound, so it worked out well!

 

I've sold several MDS size dolls. They fit well in a medium flat rate Priority Mail box.
If you are in the US, you can get them for free from the US post office, either from the post office itself or you can go on the USPS web site and order them shipped to you. The cost to ship the box is the same no matter what it weighs. Currently the cost to ship using this method is under $20.
There are also the Priority Mail International flat rate box options.

I've also shipped a 62cm SD size doll in a large flat rate Priority Mail box, but had to remove the head and position the doll with its knees bent. Just always be sure to use tons of bubble wrap.

 

I've just noticed that you are located in Canada. The advice I gave above is for US, but they might have the same thing in Canada..