Not the best case scenario
By Alex C. Jones
May, 2006
When sending a concertina through the postal service or any carrier service, it is a good idea to pack it well to prevent any possible damage.
A while back, I bought an unusual antique Anglo from a seasoned veteran concertinist in another country, who did not pack the instrument too well. When he told me that he had shipped it, he mentioned that he inserted “sheets” of styrofoam around it as if that was supposed to assure me that he had packed it well. It had me worried. The instrument itself arrived undamaged, but the original instrument case in which it was packed was shattered. (One thing he did do correctly was put some padding within the concertina case).
Also, recently, I purchased a Stagi English Baritone on ebay, which the seller claimed had "hardly been played". I have a Stagi English tenor that I would not describe that way, yet is in much better shape than the baritone was when it arrived. The bellows had this problem where they would collapse inward in the pull stroke. The seller could have by lying about the condition, but it could have been damage that occurred in the shipping, due to the negligent packing job.
So, to help people avoid situations like this, I would like to share what I know about shipping concertinas. I learned about packing from reading Wendy Morrison’s guide, as well as from observing they way they have been packed went sent to me from instrument dealers like The Button Box, Homewood Music or Barlycorn concertinas. From the experience with the unusual antique, I would like to present what I know about the wrong way first, then show the correct way, as I learned.
First of all, observe the first picture to see the result of insufficient packing. It is a good thing that the concertina was in that case, so that the case took the damage and not the instrument.
Not the best case scenario
One should never use “sheets” or “blocks” of Styrofoam as a form of padding. These do not have enough “give” to absorb most impacts to the package. It is almost like putting blocks of wood in. Newspaper is not a cushioning material either. As Wendy Morrison’s accordion guide states:
Crumpled up newspaper, no matter how much is used, does NOT make good packing material and should not be used except with very lightweight items - it tends to compress during shipment and loses its protective ability. Many older accordions are damaged from this type of improper packing, and UPS will not pay a claim when newspaper is used as protection…Bubble wrap, foam, and packing peanuts are best.
There should be at least 7 ½ cm (3 inches) of room around the instrument or case within the box. The second picture shows how the unusual antique in its case was packed. If you pack it this way, you might end up with what is shown in the first photo.
Now, the way to pack one to avoid damage to the instrument.
Measure the width, height and depth which the concertina or its case (if shipping in the case) will take up, then add 15 cm or 6 inches to each dimension. That’s the minimum size for the box.
For typical-sized 30-key Anglo or 48-key English without case, or typical-sized with antique hexagonal case, minimum size: 14” x 14” x 14” (36cm x 36cm x 36cm)
For shipping using one of those 8” x 11” x 9 ½”, (21cm x 27cm x 24cm) Stagi cases, minimum size: 14” x 17” x 16” ( 36cm x 43cm x 40cm)
Bubble wrap, the kind with the bubbles that are about 2 cm or 1 inch in diameter.
Mini-bubble wrap, or felt if packing in antique hexagonal case, and if case is not snug enough.
Loose-fill packing, also called “packing peanuts” or “ghost poop”. For the environmentally concerned, you can buy this made from recycled materials or the biodegradable cornstarch type. Loose-fill packing (but tightly-packed) provides much more cushioning than any solid sheet or block of Styrofoam
If you are shipping the instrument inside one of those antique hexagonal cases, use mini-bubble wrap or felt or even the regular sized bubble wrap to make sure that the instrument cannot move around inside the case. If it fits in the case snuggly enough, you might not need to do this.
Place the concertina (or the concertina in the hexagonal case) in a plastic grocery bag.
If you are shipping in a large case like the Stagi-type, put the concertina in the bag before putting it in the case. Also, if you are using a Stagi-type case, wrap the bagged concertina in bubble wrap so that it fits snuggly in the case.
If you are shipping other items within the case, put them in a small bag or envelope and make sure this is secure in the case. Tape or clip the bag or envelope to something. Do not let them toss around loosley in the case
Next, wrap the bagged concertina (or the bagged encased concertina) in regular bubble-wrap:
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| Uncased concertina or concertina in hexagonal case, wrapping in bubble wrap. | Wrapping concertina in Stagi-type case in bubble-wrap. |
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| Wrap a few layers around it, so that it is at least 3 layers deep. It should be wrapped tightly enough that it does not move around. |
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Put the wrapped concertina (or wrapped concertina in its case) in the box. If it fits snuggly without moving around, you are pretty much finished. Just add whatever paperwork and close. If it does not fit snuggly, then remove the wrapped instrument, add some loose-fill to the bottom of the box, put the wrapped instrument back in, and pack enough of the loose-fill around it to keep it from moving around within the box. Then add whatever paperwork you need to include and close. |
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Close, and seal up with packing tape.