Shipping rods

[ducksterman]

This topic has come up before but some time ago...maybe there are some new ideas.
For those of you that have sold and shipped rods how do you do it?
To save weight
To protect adequatly
Handy packaging
Etc ,,,etc....suggestions
Pitfalls

[herefishy]

If it has a case, I just get 2 of the 3 sided free priority boxes and tape them together around the case. If not, I get a light pvc tube and plug both sides, then do the above. No problems so far, but maybe there's a newer better way.

[johnstoeckel]

If you buy via mail order, save the shipping materials and reuse them. They are usually shipped in a heavy cardboard tube that works well with a rod tube.

[James Smith]

I have shipped a number of rods and blanks and I tend to go for the overkill method of packaging. If you have a rod tube, then I still wrap it in bubble wrap and slip it into a piece of 2-inch schedule 40 PVC with end caps. If you are only shipping the rod, completely wrap it in bubble wrap so that it fits snugly into the 2-inch schedule 40 PVC add padding to both ends and add the caps. I learned the hard way when I received an expensive fly rod blank shipped in regular PVC pipe. It arrived with tire tracks across the PVC which was crushed and split as was the blank. When I brought it to the USPS to file a claim, the manager looked at the tube, complete with tire tracks, and asked me, "So what's the problem?" I explained that obviously the rod was not tendered to the USPS in that condition, that it occurred in transit and that the rod blank was destroyed. His next question was "Did you have it insured? If not, there's nothing I can do for you." Even if it was insured, I would have to prove the value of the item they destroyed and then start the process to submit a claim. The extra cost of schedule 40 PVC is worth it to me to help ensure that nobody gets disappointed with the transaction. Just my 2 cents worth...

Jim Smith

[Uncle Jesse]

Mr. Smith speaks the truth, and he used to work for a MAJOR airline and knows how baggage is treated.

[Z]

I go with Mr Smiths method.