Moves for Seniors Blog

Over the years, Grandma (and Grandpa too!) may have collected beautiful collectible plates from each of her favorite places. These plates represent all of the vacations, holidays, international family trips and so much more. This alone is reason enough to take extra care when packing to ship.

Photo Credit | Deposit Photos | @ avlntn

Below are the steps you can help your Grandma take when packing her collectibles for shipping.

Start with the proper packing materials. You can visit a local pack and ship store or a home improvement store (Lowes and Home Depot) and you could even try a Walmart or Target. The following materials need to be purchased to properly prepare the plates.

• Bubble wrap (small bubbles) (3/16” bubbles)
• Large bubble wrap (1/2 bubbles)
• Stretch film (2”)
o TIP: stretch film, also known as stretch wrap is plastic film used to wrap around items when shipping. It looks a lot like shrink wrap.
• 2” box tape and peanuts.

Wrap each plate individually. Wrap each plate in the small bubbles first. Tape the bubble wrap closed in the middle and on each end. Next, stack the plates already wrapped in small bubbles with the large bubbles. Tape the ends to secure. Finally, wrap stretch film around the plates until cushioned. Wrap film in two different directions (side to side, top to bottom). No need to tape the stretch film it will stick to itself.

Once you have wrapped the plates, find an appropriate size box. The box should be a half inch larger than the plates all the way around the box, which leaves enough room for packing. The plates should not shift when they are in the box. To avoid additional weight on the plates, instead of stacking them on top of each other, place the larger plates vertically and continue until the smallest plate is aligned in front of the rest. Fill all empty spaces in the box with packing peanuts to avoid shifting during shipment. Adding bubble wrap on the bottom and on the top of the box will also provide additional cushioning.

Make sure you tape closed all areas of the box where the plates can be accessed. Do not skimp on the taping!

TIP-Lastly, make sure you write “FRAGILE” clearly on the box in multiple spots so that it is visible on all sides so that anyone handling the box will take extra precaution.

Would you rather the experts take care of it? Moves for Seniors is your best option for senior moving services. We handle specialty moving and shipping and will take extra care of your beautiful collectible plates!

Give us a call at (800) 227-0515.