Pak Mail Colorado Springs
4419 Centennial Blvd
Colorado Springs, CO 80907
Tel: 719-593-1212
Shipping Colorado Springs DHL FedEx UPS Mail
Call: 719-593-1212
HOURS OF OPERATION
Monday - Friday

Saturday

Sunday


TRACK A PACKAGE

Track a Shipment
DHL FedEx UPS USPS Freight

Packing and Shipping Collectibles

March 8th, 2016 by
packing and shipping collectibles - Yoda

Jim with Yoda

A breakfast networking meeting with folks from the Manitou Springs Chamber of Commerce was the beginning of a delightful day. Upon my return home, my husband Jim invited me to stay home for the day. Perfect!

First on the agenda was clearing my mind. A brisk two-mile walk and then fiber spinning did the trick. Spinning tends to empty my mind of clutter and focus it on a specific task. Today the rhythm of the wheel and the creation of yarn from fluff – llama, wool, and mohair – pushed me to look around at the collections acquired throughout a 40-plus-year-and-counting marriage. Then I started thinking about some of the treasures we ship for our customers – assortments of sentimental photos, stamps, coins, antique dolls, porcelain figurines, and a high-value Star Wars® prop.

This reverie brought to mind packing and shipping collectibles in our Pak Mail store. Books, photos, letters, and other non-fragile items may only need protection with acid-proof paper or simple poly bags. Kachina dolls are packed with lots of packing peanuts and then double boxed. Lladro® or Hummel® figurines and pottery are wrapped in bubble wrap, floated in peanuts, and boxed or double boxed, depending on the value and/or sentimentality. Intricate and very fragile porcelain pieces are floated in mini-peanuts surrounded with bubble wrap and then floated in standard packing peanuts and double boxed. High-value collectibles like Yoda are secured in custom crates.

The shipping method is based on package size and weight, fragility of the item, total number of boxes, value, and destination. Smaller items ship with UPS, FedEx, US Priority Mail, or DHL (international only).

Simpich Dolls

Simpich Doll Collection

Larger items or larger quantities of boxes ship with various freight carriers. The small move of household goods that included Yoda was shipped to Hawaii via ocean freight.

It was nice to have a day to reflect and create, and see how it all ties together. See you in the store.

 


Shipping Sentimental Pieces

February 10th, 2016 by

Shipping sentimental pieces to the next generation is one of our pleasures. Interesting stories often lie behind the items we ship. Our customer sent us this message about an antique pencil sharpener.

Pencil Sharpener was given to me by Eleanor Whiting (Aunt Eleanor), wife of composer Richard (Dick) A. Whiting and mother of Margeret & Barbara Whiting, who were a group in the 50’s. Dick had passed away in the late 30’s I grew up with his wife Eleanor at all family events and hearing the stories about their lives. In the 70’s on a regular visit to her home, Eleanor presented and gifted me ‘Uncle Dick’s’ pencil sharpener the he used while writing many of his scores, that same day I was show and told that the original score to ‘On the Good Ship Lollipop’ was to be given to my younger sister.

With social media (Margaret Whiting on Facebook) and the growth of the ‘Whiting’ family and interest in their legacy, many of them have been researching and gathering this history, knowing I had this item20160128_150245-1Antique Pencil Sharpener 1 of the immediate Whiting family, I let my children know the story and history while reaching out to the daughter of Margaret Whiting and Grand Daughter of Richard’s, the pencil sharpener was sent to Richard’s Great Grandson.

Thanks for your help in getting it to him,
~Richard

 

Richard A. Whiting on Wikipedia
Wrote Hooray for Hollywood, On the Good Ship Lollipop.
Wrote with many other composers including Jonny Mercer.
He is an inaugural member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame.


UPS and FedEx Dimensional Weight Shipping – 2015 Changes

January 20th, 2015 by

UPS and FedEx rang in the New Year with ground service rate changes based on dimensional weight. Dimensional weight shipping is not a new concept and is now being applied to smaller packages.

What is “dimensional weight” and how is it calculated?

Multiply the outside measurements of a box (length x width x height). Then divide the answer by the applicable UPS and FedEx dimensional factor (166 for domestic shipments or 139 for international). The result is the dimensional weight. A 12”-cube box measures 13”x 13”x 13” on the outside. Its dimensional weight for domestic shipping is 14 pounds. Even if the actual weight of the box is five pounds, the shipping rate is calculated using 14 pounds. If the box weighs more than 14 pounds, it ships at the actual weight.

See FedEx and UPS Dimensional Weight Change for 2015: Time to Measure the Cost, a blog post by Charles Moore of Parcel Logistics, for an excellent discussion about dimensional weight shipping.

USPS Priority Mail can be used effectively for domestic shipping of smaller items and for items with a value under $50. UPS and FedEx are typically more cost effective than Priority Mail for domestic ground shipping of 12”-cube boxes and larger, and for items with a value over $50.

Non-fragile items should be packed in the smallest box possible to accommodate the item without causing the box to bulge. A two-pound box of shoes measuring 13”x 11”x 5” should be packaged in a 14”x 12”x 6” box, not a 14”x 14”x 14” box. The domestic dimensional weight for the smaller box is seven pounds; the larger is 17 pounds. Fragile items require more protection (see Packaging Fine China and Crystal).

Shipping stores like Pak Mail pack items securely and cost effectively by choosing the appropriate box for each shipment. Pak Mail is authorized to ship with UPS, FedEx, USPS, and DHL. Pak Mail helps its customers choose the best shipping option for each situation.


Welcome to Pak Mail 232’s Shipping Store Colorado Springs Blog

May 30th, 2013 by

Trees are leafing, birds are singing, flowers are blooming, grass is greening… all signs of Spring. Lots of new things to tickle the senses. What better time for a new blog! Welcome!

A little about us. Pak Mail US232 is a comprehensive packing and shipping store in Colorado Springs. We provide secure packaging techniques to ensure items we ship arrive safely. We utilize the shipping services of UPS, FedEx, DHL, USPS, LTL domestic trucking, and international ocean and air freight carriers. Pak Mail has three Notaries on staff and can notarize, copy, and send your documents for delivery the next day or next week. We offer specialty packaging for artwork, china and crystal, electronics, and industrial equipment. If the item requires a crate, we can custom build one just the right size. We work with blanket-wrap carriers that handle the small loads large moving companies choose not to do. We even sell moving supplies for do-it-yourselfers.

Pak Mail 232 has been in the same location since 1996. Chris… that’s me… is the current owner and purchased the store in 2008. We’re woman owned and family operated.

So… while I’m figuring out how this blog-thing works, tell me what you would like to see here. What would you like to know about packing and shipping? What would help you understand a little more about the industry?




Why Choose Pak Mail

Pak Mail Colorado Springs is a full service shipping store located in Colorado Springs that specilaizes in custom packing, custom crating, and specialty freight shipping. Request a Free Online Estimate or call us at 719-593-1212.

TRACK A PACKAGE

Track a Shipment
DHL FedEx UPS USPS Freight