How to Pack Your Gear for Shipping

Woohoo, my gear sold! Now what?

Congratulations, you've sold your gear! Now you just need to get it there. Follow this handy how-to guide for our tips on packaging your camera gear for safe shipment and delivery. Don't be intimidated, it's easy to pack and ship your items!

Step 1. Prep your Gear

First order of business is to gather all items from your listing that need to be packed. Be sure to give them a once over to ensure that they are clean and all pieces are intact. You'll want to inspect the gear to ensure everything was as stated in your listing. Check out our video on cleaning your gear for more tips. 

Step 2. Pack your Items

Find a box large enough that everything from your listing can fit (with padding) and the flaps will fold flat. The trick is to find a box large enough, but not too large. You want a nice, snug fit. You will be packing your gear tightly into the box with padding materials, but you won't want to go overboard with too large of a box. Plus, it'll be cheaper to ship in a smaller, lighter box!

Step 3. Shipping Padding & Wrapping

It's recommended that you wrap items individually in paper or plastic bubble wrap before placing in your box. You want to ensure there is an adequate amount of cushioning in the box. Go green and recycle old newspaper: crumpled newspaper works great as a packing material! Or bubble wrap and plastic air packing materials can be used to secure your gear and keep them safe during shipping. See our FAQ about shipping your used camera gear safely.

Step 4. Prepare the Box for Shipment

Prior to sealing the box, you should place a copy of the shipping label and invoice if possible. Once everything is in the box, use a sturdy packing tape to seal the box. Be sure to remove any previous shipping information or labels from the box, or mark them out with a sharpie. Affix the shipping label prominently on the box.

Step 5. Ship it!

Now that your gear is ready to go, take it to your local shipping carrier, or arrange for a pickup! That's it, you're done!