Contrary to popular belief, bigger is not always better; you know what I’m saying? People can tell you that it is, that you are getting more for your money, so to speak, and all that jazz, but if you are dealing with something smaller it goes without saying that bigger will just be bad…or at least a waste. Since we are talking about small items that need to be shipped (that is what we are talking about, right?), it would behoove us to talk about small shipping boxes.
Could a shoe box become part of this category? Absolutely it can. In fact, it should. Converting shoe boxes into small shipping boxes is just the thing we are looking for these days. This is called recycling, and it’s become really popular, with good reason too. Throwing something away that could easily be used for a different purpose just plain old doesn’t make any kind of sense. Don’t be embarrassed to mail some books off in the same box you got your snakeskin stilettos in (just make absolutely sure you didn’t forget to take the receipt out so that no one discoveres how much you spend on your shoes, and how much you don’t spend on anyone for Christmas and birthdays…That could quickly become a Facebook scandal…).
How small is too small? I get this question a lot. The general rule of thumb seems to be this: big enough to write the recipient’s address, your return address, and to include the packaging label/ barcode. And all on the same side. The crew will not consider it a neat game if they have to turn the package every which way to try and get the different pieces of information. If the box does wind up being too small you will be encouraged to put it in a larger box, or in a bubble envelope. You should want to do this anyway because the odds of something that small getting lost in translation are very high indeed.
Post offices and shipping stores in general often carry a variety of small shipping boxes. They also carry anything else you might need, like cardboard cylinders for posters, and boxes with balloons on them to act like wrapping paper, and tape and labels and, if you are lucky, shredded paper for stuffing. There is always something to fit your needs. The point is, don’t try to overdo it. There are enough options out there for you to find the size you are looking for.