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Anyone that’s been to the new factory would probably understand. It boils down to being a space issue, last I was told. Storage and finding stuff. There is already not enough storage space and there are things that still haven’t been found…
Volunteer mod- I'm here to help! Email me for the best response: nambroth at gmail.com
My art: featherdust.comThese would probably make a good replacement for cardboard inserts:
http://www.sealedairprotects.com/NA/EN/products/foam_packaging/instapak.aspxWe use basically the same stuff to pack SK’s.
I have used these. They work well.
Volunteer mod- I'm here to help! Email me for the best response: nambroth at gmail.com
My art: featherdust.comThese would probably make a good replacement for cardboard inserts:
http://www.sealedairprotects.com/NA/EN/products/foam_packaging/instapak.aspxWe use basically the same stuff to pack SK’s.
I have used these. They work well.
Yes! Thank you! *points frantically at link* If you need inserts for something, please try these. There are probably lots of places online to buy empty boxes, as well.
These would probably make a good replacement for cardboard inserts:
http://www.sealedairprotects.com/NA/EN/products/foam_packaging/instapak.aspxWe use basically the same stuff to pack SK’s.
I have used these. They work well.
Yes! Thank you! *points frantically at link* If you need inserts for something, please try these. There are probably lots of places online to buy empty boxes, as well.
It seems, from what I am seeing on that link, that this is not just something that we can purchase, this is a system requiring equipment.. I’m not sure this is a good alternative for the average customer because of that.
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Please visit My Webpage to see my art and PYO's that I've done in the past!I’d stay on a box waiting list for 6 months if it meant getting a box T_T (Is that pathetic?)
I would too, nobody seems to ever have the male and female unicorn boxes anymore….
…and to those saying the space issue, made to order would make that not a problem….
4 things I'm looking for:
1. Mother Meerkat
2. production color Sitting Young Oriental dragons to be made in more colors besides VF
3. Female Griffin – Siamese with White
4. September Raffle Prize 2022 AHD Male GriffinThese would probably make a good replacement for cardboard inserts:
http://www.sealedairprotects.com/NA/EN/products/foam_packaging/instapak.aspxWe use basically the same stuff to pack SK’s.
I have used these. They work well.
Yes! Thank you! *points frantically at link* If you need inserts for something, please try these. There are probably lots of places online to buy empty boxes, as well.
It seems, from what I am seeing on that link, that this is not just something that we can purchase, this is a system requiring equipment.. I’m not sure this is a good alternative for the average customer because of that.
Look at the Instapak Quick Packing 🙂 The “Room Temperature” kind does not require any special equipment. You can find them all over ebay http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_sacat=0&_nkw=instapak+quick&_sop=15 There are probably other companies that make similar products, which may or may not be cheaper or easier to find. Instapak was just the first thing I fond by searching for “instant foam packing”.
Also, it seems some people have had the idea to use canned foam and plastic bags to make their own foam inserts. However, I can’t attest to how effective this would be for windstones, or whether expanding or non-expanding foam would work better.
http://www.ehow.com/how_7405490_use-canned-foam-packaging.html
http://www.ehow.com/how_7243464_use-spray-foam-packing.htmlI actually enjoyed your text wall, Kiya. Loved the, “But wait, there’s more.” Got a good chuckle from that. I’d stay on a box waiting list for 6 months if it meant getting a box T_T (Is that pathetic?)
No, not pathetic at all. There are tons of pieces I’d love to get boxes for and I’d be happy to wait too. 🙂
I just don’t think that enough of us would be willing to wait and pay the high prices for it to be worth the trouble.
Oh, and about the earlier question – I don’t know if knock offs are as much a problem now, but I seem to recall there was a company in Mexico for awhile producing fairly decent knock offs in a fairly high volume.
Pam’s suggestion is probably the best solution. It’s pretty affordable and has proven to be effective for packing Windstones before. 🙂
Feeling it worth noting that most (I say most, as I do not know 100% of all collectible companies) collectible companies do not sell spare boxes in case the originals are lost over time. Once lost, damaged, etc. they are gone, whether it be art glass, Disney, Swarovski, card games, dolls, trains, models, collectible sculptures, Hummels, Breyers, or what have you. There might be options for special containers, like a doll carrying bag or collectible tin for cards, but not boxes and inserts. Why expect Windstone to be any different?
These would probably make a good replacement for cardboard inserts:
http://www.sealedairprotects.com/NA/EN/products/foam_packaging/instapak.aspxWe use basically the same stuff to pack SK’s.
I have used these. They work well.
Yes! Thank you! *points frantically at link* If you need inserts for something, please try these. There are probably lots of places online to buy empty boxes, as well.
It seems, from what I am seeing on that link, that this is not just something that we can purchase, this is a system requiring equipment.. I’m not sure this is a good alternative for the average customer because of that.
Oh heavens no. If I needed a system I never would have bought them. I don’t have the money or space for equipment. You just let them go at air temperature!
Volunteer mod- I'm here to help! Email me for the best response: nambroth at gmail.com
My art: featherdust.comWith respect, please try to understand.
Everyone at the factory (which is not that many people) is already running around like chickens with… well, you know, to try to create, package, sell, and ship the products they do have. To take the time out to make boxes to order is just one more thing on top of a million others…You may say, well, charge for that time! Make the box expensive. This logic is sound! Nothing wrong with that idea. But consider…
I am an individual artist/self employed person that has my fingers dipped in many different creative trades. They all require time and materials and space to do. I love doing them. I love love love the people that support me. But even thinking of one more project or task on top of what I already have? Even if it pays me well? Just makes me want to cry!!
I am not suggesting that the folks at Windstone would cry (or, maybe they would?? lol!) but things are already so crazy, so busy, so cramped… even if it paid well “just one more thing” could really be a big deal.
It’s why Windstone still hasn’t been able to make a collector’s book or guide.
It’s why Melody still hasn’t made a book of her sketches.
It’s why there are always so many new things in limbo or that never get worked out (hollow Secret Keepers, anyone?).
It’s why a lot of things just don’t happen. It’s not that no one WANTS them to happen, and it’s not that anyone is trying to be a jerk. It’s just that.. there is always “just one more thing” to worry about!Volunteer mod- I'm here to help! Email me for the best response: nambroth at gmail.com
My art: featherdust.comLots of good thoughts. I have several large dragons without boxes, and would think $30 for an Emp or OW box (marked somehow to indicate it’s an after-market box) to be a very nice deal (for me, anyway) Lurking around, I’ve observed Emp boxes loaned, sent around the country, and and shipped back to the original person who loaned it. Those bits of pressed cardboard are surprisingly serious business.
If Windstone had the time, deemed it economical and chose to do so, (all major ‘ifs’ for reasons many explained) aftermarket boxes for large critters would be nice.
If not, well, proper mummification with bubble wrap so thick that both color and sculpt can barely be guessed at, is a pretty reliable substitute for inserts.
If some boxes were to be sold perhaps they could be done in small random batches and only the ones in high demand. Say someone happens to be making up a batch of boxes for the emperors being made, they could make up say 5-10 extra to be sold in the store. Rather than having a constant stock you have a random stock that is thrown up there every now and again. Obviously the boxes would have to be priced at something cost effective for Windstone and if the small test batch doesn’t sell well enough they can just use the boxes for next batch. For testing purposes I would probably do Emp boxes as they are probably the most in demand and many people would pay fairly well to get their hands on one of those boxes.
This is an interesting thread, and I have a few comments to add. First, with respect to why Windstone Editions might provide boxes when others don’t, the main reason might be that their loyal customers are asking for them. As someone who owns more than 100 statues, I have spent an enormous amount of money supporting this company, and I’m glad to do so because overall WE is an awesome company that treats its customers really well. I think that this would be something the company could do because so many people are asking for them (as evidenced by numerous threads on point). In any event, I don’t collect other items like I do with Windstones, so I can’t speak to whether other companies make replacement boxes and why they do or don’t. Moreover, shipping a plate is much easier than shipping an Old Warrior or Lap dragon without the original packaging and without breaking off the horns. I’ve bought lap dragons from several of you on the forum who have packaged the items very well and they have still arrived broken. These are awesome sellers who did everything right. We, the many loyal customers, are asking for the boxes to protect the works of art that we have invested our money in. It seems to me that the majority of WE sales are by people who own lots of their pieces, and this would be a small way of showing those customers that they are appreciated.
As for the expense, I have no qualms about spending $30+ for an emperor box if it means that the dragon I’m spending hundreds of dollars on will arrive safely. While Ebay and Paypal both require shippers to deliver the items in the condition advertised, when items arrive that aren’t as advertised (due to being broken during shipping), I still have to pay return shipping. I’d rather spend that money on the boxes up front to make sure they arrive in good condition. Further, I have shipped boxes to be used to ship items back to me, which means I’m spending money anyway. I’d rather buy the box from Windstone, have it shipped to the seller (because I’m already paying the shipping expense), and then have the seller use that to ship back to me.
Also, it isn’t like each box is designed for a specific color (they aren’t artists boxes). The only identification is a sticker. Thus, given that the boxes are generic, they don’t have to recreate boxes for a specific color, and as others have mentioned, they could even stamp “Replacement Box” or something similar on them. The boxes, for all intents and purposes, are practical. And, the boxes aren’t only needed for shipping. They are helpful for safe storage. I don’t have the room to display all of my pieces at the same time. As a result, I need the boxes for those that aren’t being displayed.
It is so frustrating to receive an item shattered due to shipping without the original box and to not be able to buy a piece I’ve been looking for for months or years because I’m afraid the item can’t be shipped safely without the original packaging. I don’t like feeling that there is always such a huge risk in having a piece shipped.
If the expanding foam inserts I linked to work for shipping Windstones (and it seems Jennifer has used them before and approves of them), then whether Windstone does or does not sell replacement boxes should be a complete non-issue. The expanding foam inserts are also a lot cheaper. And if anyone here gets around to making their own foam inserts with canned foam and plastic bags, please post your results! Canned foam and plastic bags are both easy to acquire and very cheap. If you choose to experiment with canned expanding foam, look for the “minimal expanding” kind.
Another thing I just thought of, if you wanted to make a little extra cash in your spare time and you own several of the larger Windstone sculpts, you could probably get into the “business” of selling foam inserts that have been pre-fitted for specific sculptures, using either of the two methods I have mentioned. Buy a box, some foam, make a box and insert set (I think you could do this for under $15 per set) and then sell the set for $30!
Many newer members may not realize it, but in the old days, Windstone did not use cardboard inserts. We used specially fitted Styrafoam inserts.
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