It’s Better to …

As I’ve said before, unwrapping the Decca record set I bought at eBay was a real pain. As you can see, the bubble wrapping and heavy cardboard the fellow used was a lot bigger than the set. I also had to cut through a lot of wrapping tape. But the main thing is the records arrived in one piece.

1-10-14-Well-wrapped-Records

A while later I found an offer for another set at Amazon Marketplace. The price was much less than I had paid for the eBay one, so I decided to order it and compare the two. It came yesterday in a bubble envelope with a few flimsy pieces of cardboard.

1-10-14-Not-wel-wrapped

It did not survive the trip.

1-10-14-Broken-Decca-Records
The lesson here is it’s better to overwrap than to underwrap if you care about the contents.

In fairness to the second sender, 78 rpm records were made of a very brittle shellac-based compound — they are not nearly as forgiving as vinyl records. I didn’t know that either until last night.


 

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8 Responses to It’s Better to …

  1. Mike says:

    Well, you did get to compare, but not what you planned to compare.

    For some reason, I do remember how different the old brittle 78s. Probably broke one or two. 😉

    • Jean says:

      I did learn a lot by buying that second set. In fact, I also found a third set at Abe Books. It was only $12 + $4 shipping, so I couldn’t resist. I thought at the time it was overkill, but in fact I’m glad I ordered it. I’m curious to see if it survives the trip.

  2. Rummuser says:

    Those 78 RPM discs used to be converted into decorative plates and sold on footpaths here!

  3. Cathy in NZ says:

    Jean: can you get a refund for the broken wares? I wonder how many other people have got the flimsy packaging? How disappointing even though it was a comparison test you put in place…

    I am quite careful with my packaging when I sell on-line, even pre-loved magazines are flat packed because people get annoyed if the post person rolls it up to put in a letter box. I am trying to give the buyer a reason to re-purchase in the future…

    If it won’t package properly it is pick-up only. Usually a major item like furniture…then it is up to collector to deal to it.

    • Jean says:

      I’m reasonably sure I’ll get my money back. I’m mainly sad for sentimental reasons. These sets were so hard to find and now there is one less in the world. I also feel sorry for the sender. She wrote, “Thank you! Enjoy.” That was friendly, and I’m sure she’ll be disappointed too.

  4. tammyj says:

    thank goodness the seller of the treasure you bought for andy treated it as such!

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