Best way to pack a desktop and notebook hard drive for shipping?

I am not selling anything (yet), but have some hard drives I may be putting up for sale. Can anyone please let me know the least expensive way to pack hard drives for shipment? I have antistatic bags and bubble wrap. But as far as containers? I don't have anything on hand

Sorry moderators, but I thought this would be the best place to ask.

Thanks.

 

Just use those USPS Priority boxes

 

you gotta be extra careful with hard drives.. im wondering as well.

 

I think you might get some better answers in the Hardware section, so I have moved it there.

 

i would use a large envelope with plenty of bubble wrap over one of those tiny flat rate boxes regardless of what im shipping.

anyone noticed how the medium flat rate box is like WAY bigger than the more expensive large ones? whats the deal with that?

 

i would go with antistatic bags + double bubble wrap.

 

antistatic bag + several layers of bubblewrap. If you have a small hard box or plastic case then use that too.

 

I guess that's what I'm wondering is what box or other hard shell? I'm thinking I'll go with the USPS small flat rate box. Seems should be good with a desktop hard drive, but laptop hard drive will require quite a bit of extra dunnage around it. Also, at least I won't have to buy my own box.

Guess that's what I'll do, thanks.

 

May not be the fanciest solution but I've used a split CD jewel case and some packing tape (around the anti-static/bubble wrap). Works to provide some rigid capability to protect the hard drive. Have done this back and forth (trans-pacific) a couple of times and has always worked for me.
Then I just used one of the USPS priority mail boxes.

 

inner to outer :

antistatic plastic - bubblewrap - put inside box (any box) surrounded by stereoform (left-right-up-down-top-bottom -- make sure there's no room for the hdd to move) - bubblewrap surrounding the box

 

Just a FYI, Pink bubble wrap is anti-static.

 

Um no. Anti-static bubble wrap is pink but pink does not guarantee anti-static.

And parked hard drive aren't nearly as fragile as some of you seem to think. Most are rated for 250+ Gs when powered down.

 

Hitachi Acceptable Hard Drive Packaging Examples
http://www.hitachigst.com/hdd/support/packaging2.htm

What can brown do for you?
http://www.theupsstore.com/products/pages/pac.aspx

 

Hitachi Unacceptable Hard Drive Packaging Examples
http://www.hitachigst.com/hdd/support/packaging3.htm

 

Well, I can't exactly afford the expensive "acceptable" dunnage they suggest. These drives are selling for $20-$50 shipped. I'm not going to invest $10 in packing materials for each drive.

 

I understand..

Maybe just get tons of bubble wrap and ship them via USPS Priority Flat Rate Boxes

 

I've sold a WD HDD and about four SSDs (of course, SSDs are hardier than an HDD), but for I've done/seen several ways.

Don't ship a desktop 3.5'' HDD via the small USPS flat rate box. A 3.5'' HDD barely fits into there, leaving no room for padding. I was a bit annoyed with the seller about that, and I made sure he knew. I would ship a 3.5'' in a 7x7x6'' USPS Priority Mail box (You can get them free from eBay). I just place it into an ESD bag, pad the bag with whatever I have handy--peanuts, foam, shredded paper--and send it on its way. An HDD weighs about a pound, so you're looking at less than $6 shipping with a confirmation number

As for 2.5'' drives, I usually use the 7x7x6 boxes--since I have a large supply handy--and do the same packing method as I do a 3.5'' HDD. You can, however, fit a 2.5'' drive with a good amount of packing into a small flat rate box.

Ask a bunch of the people I sold to.

 

Order USPS supplies here or just pick them up from the PO.

http://www.usps.com/shop/order_eco_packaging.htm?from=home_shipstartfinish&page=orderecofriendly

 

I just got some USPS Priority Mail small flat rate boxes. For the 3.5", I found a few hard shell hard drive containers lying around, so I just put the drive in an anti-static bag, in the hard shell, wrapped with bubble wrap (does it matter anti-static or not at that point?) and it's very snug and lots of padding. For the 2.5" I put in anti-static bag, in bubble lined mailer (anti-static), and wrapped with bubble wrap, again, all nice and snug. I had everything on hand (except packing tape) so it cost me literally nothing (except gas to USPS and packing tape)... yay!

Except they only had a few priority mail boxes at the post office so I asked for a few more and the USPS lady was real snide. She said "you know you we don't want you taking that many from here, if you need a lot you should order the boxes online for free". I was like "ok, but I have to ship them out today or tomorrow." If I was mailing a hundred, I can see, but a half dozen? Come on now.

Thanks guys.

 

You didn't even need to spend the gas, haha. You can schedule a free carrier pickup: the mailman will pick up the package when he delivers your mail. Almost all my packages are done that way.

By the way, I didn't know a 3.5'' fit. It didn't seem to when I received mine from eBay. Hmm. Maybe the guy just sucked at it.