There is no single packing recipe for a category this wide. There is a method, and it takes a minute.
Ask three questions about your object
What sticks out? Points, handles, spouts, fins, thin sections. Those break. Pad each one separately before wrapping the whole.
What is rigid and thin? Boxes, card, acrylic cases, glass. Those crack at the corners and crush flat. Those need a box around the box.
What is porous or printed? Paper, cloth, unglazed surfaces. Those take damp and take ink from newsprint. Those need plain paper or tissue first, then a sealed bag.
Then the standard build
- Tissue or plain paper against the surface
- Projecting parts padded individually
- Bubble around the whole, taped so it cannot unroll
- Box close to the size, voids filled
- Double-box anything fragile or irreplaceable
- Seams taped
Shake the closed box. If anything moves, open it.
The rule that catches most people
A collectible box is not a shipping box. If the item was issued in packaging that forms part of its value, that packaging goes inside a shipping carton with filling all round. Packing boxed collectibles has the detail.
Questions people ask
How much filling is enough?
Enough that nothing touches the outer box when you shake it.
Can I use newspaper?
Not against the item. Ink transfers onto porous and pale surfaces.
What about very large or very fragile pieces?
Offer collection and say so before bidding starts.