Many collectors on here probably have tales and stories of overzealous, and careless postmen. Over time the recklessness and inept handling of packages have damaged precious collecting material. Here is one of my examples:

In 1994, I had an arrangement with the proprietor of a second-hand bookstore in Liverpool, England called the Adventurers Guild. As it was early days with only a few role-playing collectors in Britain, little information was available concerning the AD&D/D&D modules, and rulebooks. The store owner telephoned my workplace to offer an unusual Greyhawk, Blackmoor, Chainmail supplements, and two early Dungeon and Dragons box sets coloured white and a strange brown/woodgrain variety. As I had never heard or seen these products before and believing the items to be extremely rare, with enthusisiam I paid seventy-five pounds for the items.

A week, then two passes, but the package never arrives. So I contacted the shop owner who provided proof and evidence the parcel was posted. In the end though all I could claim was the original seventy-five pounds paid for the items. At the time it was never the monetary value, but the sheer amazement and excitement of owning and handling a new product, never before seen, so I was extremely frustrated and disappointed never to receive the package.

Although this was the one off occurance of the Post Office losing a valuable package, over the years there has been numerous cases of the postmen being heavyhanded, and ignoring specific instructions on the envelopes or on the door. Too many times padded envelopes containing modules were bent or creased to fit into the letterbox, or their edges scuffed through heavyhandling. Luckily you build up a good rapore with a regular postman, but the damage can be done while being processed in the sorting offices.

Shane

Just this last week I had another adventure with my postman and old D&D stuff...you all remember the enthusiasm with which I posted about getting the Grenadier #5009 "Dragon's Lair" kit, right?

Well it came Saturday and lo and behold the postman had laid it on it's edge and crammed it into the mailbox.     The corners were a little mashed up, but fortunately that was it.  However I've had AD&D books treated the same way, and OD&D booklets in large mailing envelopes curled in half (lengthwise, thank goodness).

So, yes, for those matters the post office does suck.

Can't complain as I have been pretty lucky on my end. Back in the 90's when I did the bulk of my collecting/selling I made sure I bought the "MOAB" ( Mother-of-all-boxes) that they had at Home-Depot. the thing is roughly 20H X 18W X 24D. No cramming needed

I could consider myself lucky lucky, I have sent/recived over 2000 packages with only two being lost!  One to Italy and one to Eastern Canada.  

Stuff comes to me damaged all the time though, I don't understand how a dealer can ship an item loose in a paper envelope and expect it to arrive in good condition!  It has to be packed to withstand the post office, simply adding minimal packing material  will work!

J

Blackmoor wrote:I could consider myself lucky lucky, I have sent/recived over 2000 packages with only two being lost! One to Italy and one to Eastern Canada.

Stuff comes to me damaged all the time though, I don't understand how a dealer can ship an item loose in a paper envelope and expect it to arrive in good condition! It has to be packed to withstand the post office, simply adding minimal packing material will work!

J

Stiff cardboard is a good idea, too.  My postman likes to fold modules in half and stuff them in the mailslot in my door... "Do Not Bend" means nothing to him.

Blackmoor wrote:I could consider myself lucky lucky, I have sent/recived over 2000 packages with only two being lost! One to Italy and one to Eastern Canada.

I have heard horror stories about Italian mail service (with all due respect to our Italian friends) - packages that were clearly labelled that the postman literally just didn't bother taking it: too big, didn't want to, whatever.  

With the EU coming together, though, that might have changed if it was true at all...

I've said it before here but it deserves saying again - my postman is the GAWD of delivery men. He couldn't be more helpful, diligent or decent - he goes out of his way to look after me and my packages (and it seems everyone else I've spoken to in my street) - He's currently in Mauritius for 3 weeks (presumably funded by well deserved Xmas tips) and frankly I miss him!
Also I've never yet lost a parcel sent to me and only once had one that I've sent go missing. I refunded the chap the £20 and then attempted to claim from parcel force myself - filled in the form, was told it could take forever and was a lottery anyway - 10 days latter got a cheque for the full amount! - Sorry if this is different to your experiences!

I cringe every time it rains.  My postman doesn't bend, fold, spindle or mutilate stuff, but when it rains, I swear he uses my mail as a hat.  We often get half-dissolved mail.  Once, an envelope was literally falling apart on my doorstep. Fortunately, the contents were a SW CD so no harm done, but I lost some sleep that night thinking about how it easily could have been one of my rarer, paper purchases.  

If I've ever bought anything from any of you and requested that you wrap the contents in a plastic bag in a panicky sort of way, now you know why.  

I used to have a horrible PO guy - he actually managed to *fold* a miniatures box (the old Grenadier ones) in half to stuff it into my little appartment mailbox. He then folded something that had 'Do Not Bend' stamped on it 3 times. After very angrily confronting him, things cleared up for the few months I stayed at that craphole of an appartment.