(Part 3) Reddit mentions: The best mail supplies & shipping supplies

Sure thing, absolutely--thanks for asking!

Getting your bird to switch to pellet is THE CLASSIC new parrot problem. The reason is pet stores and breeders feed seed diets to young birds. This serves two purposes: first seeds are cheap, second seeds add weight which is good for young birds in potentially stressful situations.

Here's a great article on switching your bird from an all-seed to a primarily pellet-based diet: http://www.parrot-and-conure-world.com/switching-birds-to-pellets.html

Seeds aren't bad as PART of your Conure's diet. I'm a big fan of Volman's seed products, one reason is that they package their seed in breed-specific mixtures.

Pellets are extremely important. They are specifically designed to give your Conure the nutrition a growing bird needs. Even offset with fresh fruit and vegetables a seed-based diet is not good for your bird's health and pellets are specifically formulated to include proteins and trace minerals that your bird is not going to find elsewhere.

My bird's cage has four feeding stations: Pellets, Water, Seed and I have this acrylic thing that holds up to four bowls for fresh foods. So you can provide a whole lot of variety in your bird's diet once you establish pellets as the base.

Additionally, you're going to want to give your bird small amounts of occasional good fats like coconut oil and red palm oil. This can be done by infusing it into your pellets. It's pretty easy to do, just gently warm some of the oil to liquid and drop in some pellets and shake them around until they soak up the oil. Store and feed.

You'll also want to be sure to provide either direct sunlight (not through a window) or a bird-specific full-spectrum lamp as this is how birds produce vitamin d and process calcium. Check on Amazon for "bird light full spectrum" for the light that best works with your cage setup--be very careful to get the "avian" bulbs and not the "reptile" bulbs, as some companies make products for both. The reptile lights are different and can harm your bird's eyes.

Another GREAT habit to get into is weighing your bird every day. A gram scale with a T-perch like this one is super easy to use and changes in a bird's weight are the best indicator of health. This is because birds are very good at hiding any illness so as not to be banished from the flock. To them, looking healthy is a matter of life and death. Having an understanding of your bird's current and usual weight is the quickest diagnostic tool available. Once grown your bird should weigh about the same within a +/- 5% window.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B076DTR1N3/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02__o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

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You can get a 50 pack of bubble mailers on amazon. These perfectly fit one deck in the original box. Ship via USPS first class for $3.50-4! Profit.

Edit:50 not $50 😂

You can check the specific gravity pretty easily if you have a scale that is accurate to .01g.

Weigh the coin dry and write down the mass in grams

Place a small plastic container on the scale that contains enough water so the coin can be fully submerged. Tare the scale to zero.

Tie a bit of cotton thread to the coin and dip it into the water so the coin is fully submerged but does not touch the sides or bottom of the container. (To get a stable reading you may have to tie the string to an improvised tripod or a pencil resting across two stacks of books or whatever. As long as nothing touches the scale or the container you're good.) Write down the value on the scale, which is the mass of the water displaced by the coin.

Now, divide the dry weight of the coin by the weight of the displaced water. For a 40% half dollar, this value should be 9.53 or very very close. For 90% the value is 10.34, and for .999 pure silver bullion this value should be 10.49. A copper-nickel clad coin will have a value of 8.92. A difference of a couple hundredths of a gram can be attributed to the volume of water displaced by the string or slight variations in the metal alloy, but if you're off by more you might have an issue.

They have decent scales on Amazon and eBay that are precise to .01g for around $15 bucks.

Sounds like you need a tape gun.

http://www.amazon.com/Scotch-Shipping-Packaging-Dispenser-3850-ST/dp/B000FM0RT2/ref=sr_1_9?s=office-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1464186560&sr=1-9&keywords=tape+gun

That is the one I have but I do not recommend it because it has a safety mechanism that just makes everything way more complicated than it needs to be.

If you have kids around and don't plan on leaving it in a secure area then maybe you should go with the one with the safety but once you use it you will really see how annoying the safety is over how much it actually makes the gun safer.

Tape guns make taping boxes wayyyy easier too.

I honestly think the heaviest I have ever had to do was roughly 30lbs or so and didn't have any issues with it. The top of the scale is a plastic cover that can come off, but doesn't fall off easily if you know what I mean. It opens up to hold envelopes (I guess) and packages but I've honestly never used it with the flaps open I always just throw the box on the scale. I know they do make one that is a little more heavy duty that can hold more weight as well. Just from personal experience I trust Accuteck scales.

You can add weight to your 24kg bell for TGU. I use stretch wrap to attach 5 pound weight plates to the bottom of my kettlebell. The film itself can hold plenty (you use many layers), but more than 5 pounds seems to shift the balance too much. It takes about fifteen minutes to do all the wrapping, not something you want to do for every workout.

Another option is to hold two kettlebells in one hand. I have a 5 pound kettlebells similar to this (mouse over all the photos, one is a five pounder) Notice that the proportions are similar to a real kettlebell- the handle is rather thin, you can stack it on top of a full size kettlebell and get your hands around both.

Either of those, plus double 16kg swings, could be a great bridge to 32kg.

Definitely get a scale. Seriously a great investment for saving as much as possible on shipping. Every ounce counts. I bought this scale and love it. Also make sure you round up when doing USPS. If your package weighs 4.1 oz, mark it as 5.

Another vote for American weight scales. Cheap, accurate and work well. I got this scale for $6
600 g 0.1 Fast Weigh MS-600 Digital Pocket
Works great as a brew scale. Not waterproof, but it has held up nicely for me. Addition of a $2 cork coaster as a mat and it’s stable on my drip tray. Highly recommended. Also I can buy about 35 of these if they break and still be out less money than getting a lunar scale.

Buy a scale. I got mine for $20 on Amazon and it weighs up to 75LB but also can weigh in ounces.

http://www.amazon.com/Weighmax-2822-75LB-shipping-Battery-Included/dp/B002U4OEDS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1426960294&sr=8-1&keywords=Weighmax

Anything under 13 oz. can ship first class for usually less than $2-4. I use poly mailers and bubble mailers for this purpose.

(I don't know if these are the best choices for your purposes, do some research on what size items you typically sell and buy mailers accordingly. These are what I buy and they fit anything from DVD's, small trinkets, and XXL jackets.)

Buy packing tape, bubble wrap, poly mailers and/or bubble mailers.

Packing tape: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005P7P9M2/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Bubble wrap:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00D3AFMT8/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Poly mailers:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000HGB33U/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1


You print your shipping through eBay/PayPal because they give you a considerably decent discount and then can print straight from whatever printer you may have access to and tape it onto the package. It's acceptable to write it on a piece of paper and tape it, but then you have to wait in line at the post office (with prepaid labels, you can just drop it in the package drop box) and pay for tracking there.

gotta have perks, cant have a campaign without perks.

bronze perk: Add an extra audiophile lifter base for $1000 (each). If you slip these under the lifter, the sound becomes more analog and warm.

Silver perk: Lifters are wrapped in a audiophile insulator that isolates electromagnetic interference. Not only are blacks blacker, but greens are greener, pinks are pinker and browns smell like real turds. Each lifter is treated for just $10,000

Gold perk: Dinner with /u/Arve for $100,000. After the main course (lutefisk), he will even give you a Swedish massage. OK he is Norwegian, but close enough. Tips are extra.

-)

You could have shipped that record USPS Priority with insurance included for $15 tops. You must have paid them to pack it for you or gotten some other type of premium service. That's pretty much the sole way that UPS stores make money, so there is a huge mark up for the service. UPS is a little more expensive then USPS but $46 for a record is ridiculous.

Do you hav more records to sell? Go to USPS.com and get yourself some free Priority mail boxes. Go to Amazon and get a giant roll of bubble wrap for $12. If you're really stressed about the records, go to home depot and get 8 feet of 1/8 inch backer board for like $10 and sandwhich the record between two small pieces. Priority shipping from Maryland to Washington will probably be $10 and includes $50 worth of insurance. Shipping supplies might cost you $2 per record shipped?

You could use something like this (or this), but they don't have any kind of cap, so you'd probably still want to put them in a Ziploc bag or something, to feel safe about tossing them in a bag. Or you could just keep a bit of damp sponge or rag in a plastic bag or in one of those little plastic containers like people use for condiments or snacks, as long as you remembered to rinse/re-wet it often enough.

Typically I get records in the mail in boxes like these: http://www.amazon.com/Record-Mailing-Boxes-Mailers-FingerPop/dp/B0034PU6Y8

If you don't have any or can't find any locally, you can always just take 2 squares of cardboard, put the record between them and tape up the edges.

There's a pretty good vinyl shipping guide here: http://reviews.ebay.com/shipping-lp-records-packaging-tips?ugid=10000000000209124

Looks like Amazon is the best price on those. HBlife 4x8 Inches Kraft Bubble Mailers Self Seal Padded Envelopes, Pack of 50 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B076DTR1N3/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_VmkaCbPD62N8Q

I recommend these from personal experience: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0034PU6Y8/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_DX.Wub1S475KV

Just remember to remove the sleeve from the vinyl and place it on top of the cover. Wrap everything with bubble wrap. Place two cut out scrap cardboards a bit bigger than the vinyl on top and bottom and tape together. This protects the corners and sides from damage. It's a perfect fit. Just place everything inside the mailer.

This is the scale I purchased.

If she's just purchasing the lip tars, its pretty easy to guesstimate how much it would be since each tar is .33oz. Thats a little under 1oz combined for two, lets just say the bubble mailer is another 1oz. Thats 2oz.. the trick is to make sure you round up a bit as you don't want the postage to be returned.

Googling got me here and specifically to this bit:

> Redacting a Paper Document
>
> Before scanning the document:
>
> Cut-out (literally) all the text to be redacted and properly dispose of (shred) the clippings. This method will always be 100% effective.
>
> Use opaque (100% impenetrable by light; neither transparent nor translucent) tape or paper to cover over the sections to be redacted. Do not use plain-paper as the scanner may pick up images through the paper. Even some black paper may allow some light reflection - so be careful.

So either bust out that xacto knife and start slicing out words manually or pick up something like this and cut strips to cover the text you want redacted. Or use a glue like rubber cement or superglue, and brush it onto the back side of a piece of black construction paper you've cut out to cover the text you want redacted.

Personally, I'd cut the documents with an xacto, tape them to a sheet of black paper, and then run a copy of it and age that document using your favored method. Otherwise what you'd be wanting is a transcribed copy of a redacted document. Remember that documents were usually triplicate or duplicate so an original unredacted version went into a file somewhere, and then the cut-up redacted version was sent out to the clerks and transcribed for distribution from there. Generally by a clerk with a typewriter.

Get yourself a carton/box resizer. It makes resizing a box super easy!

1 X Cardboard Carton Box Sizer and Reducer by Unknown https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007CLW8ZK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_yLVqzb9EYVEEW

that seems like a good idea. Something like this?

You could ship in the Corrugated Cardboard boxes inside a larger box. https://www.amazon.com/BCW-Storage-Box-800-Count/dp/B00F3BCN8S/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1495107584&sr=8-2&keywords=trading+card+corrugated+cardboard


I buy those at my LGS for like $1.25 each. Else I'd recommend saran wrapping bricks of cards. Key is to make it easy as possible for whoever is receiving your cards.

Less valuable for Poshmark where box size constraints aren't as much of an issue but a box resizer is a quick and elegant solution for a lowish volume seller:

Amazon Link

This is what I ended up doing as I didn't have the original box either. If you go this route, you'll probably need 2 of these (at least I did to be extra safe). I shipped the graphics card in a separate package entirely. If you have a bulky heatsink remove that too, otherwise if you have an AIO you can keep it on. Use ground shipping if you can, as air can be more unpredictable. Good luck on the move!

Baseball car sleeves: https://amazon.com/dp/B005HIOVOG/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_awdb_t1_FVL-Ab3DEDNTJ

Envelopes: https://amazon.com/dp/B002WF0RFO/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_awdo_t1_J0L-AbKA41J74

These and any old binder will do! I just germinated 3 year old seeds with a high success rate that were stored in this way. Just gotta make sure they're totally dry before storing

Unfortunately your raffle phrase is true for me as well! I can't stop procrastinating.

I think that you should buy this.

For reasons.


And from my wish list, an album.

My recommendation is to get one with an extended control board for easier reading. I have personally used a scale like this for FRC: https://www.amazon.com/Accuteck-Digital-Industry-Shipping-ACB440/dp/B00LPUZP1I/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1537817948&sr=8-8&keywords=heavy+duty+scales

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We have added a piece of plywood that was a bit bigger to use it for the robot. It was a past mentors that they used for the Ebay business.

I can't lick envelopes AT ALL - celiacs, envelope glue has gluten in it. I've found that a damp paper towel or kitchen sponge either doesn't wet the glue enough, so the envelope pops open, or wets it too much the envelope/card gets water marked. Admin assistant at my work told me about envelope sponges and I haven't looked back, they're great!

I wonder if you could get a little credit card sized envelope that you could stuff in your wallet...might work as long as the pills don't get crushed. Maybe something like this:

https://www.amazon.com/Coin-Envelopes-50-2-1-3-1/dp/B002WF0RFO

No worries! I've found that the brown, paper tape for shipping boxes works great.

Example

Cool sounding project, promise you'll update with pictures!

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005BTWMPQ/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I just bought this one a few days ago. Haven't tried it out yet but reviews are really good and the price seems right. Wide range of weight it can cover.

Be on the lookout for them at yard sales, thrift stores, and estate sales.

I got this one for $1 at an estate sale. One of my best finds ever.
http://www.amazon.com/Scotch-Shipping-Packaging-Dispenser-3850-ST/dp/B000FM0RT2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1406064628&sr=8-1&keywords=scotch+tape+gun

I bought this one and it has worked perfectly so far.

I have an MVP black hole pro and it makes a loud ding. The light chains getting slammed into the pole makes what i thought was a very loud noise. That being said i am overly sensitive to bothering other humans.

I wrapped the pole in foam packing material i had around the house. The stuff you use to protect dishes when you move. Then I wrapped the foam in black duct tape. I am super happy with how it turned out.

If you go this route do not wrap it too thick or else you will have a hard time taking the top/chains section on and off.

This is not the exact product but close to what I used.

https://www.amazon.com/Pratt-Perforated-Dish-Thick-Every/dp/B00AI6DA0I

If you're interested, bubble wrap is on sale at Amazon. Only $14.97 for 150 feet...

They make rolls of thin foam for packing dishes that is really cheap (Amazon Link). I would use that to individually wrap the figures (secure the foam with some tape), then pack them with a layer of paper/bubble wrap on top and on bottom of the figs to make sure they don't shake around in transit.

This takes away the tactile part of popping this stuff which is half the fun.

Here is 175 feet of bubble wrap for $12

Here is some ! https://www.amazon.com/Variable-Depth-Record-Mailers-White/dp/B0034PU6Y8 . I see you post on vgmvinyl let me know what you are selling I might be interested!

Those are hard to find and pretty expensive when you can find one. I found that a closet shoe organizer like this one can hold a couple card storage boxes on each shelf.

It's just a design play. Electronic opisometers already exist: https://www.amazon.com/Calculated-Industries-6025-Digital-Measure/dp/B002O16VKQ/
...better grip, better reach, and smaller wheel too- so it's gonna be more acurate than a silver-dollar-sized wheel you need to hold awkwardly.

Not sure of a shipping company to suggest, but depending on how many she's sending, they do make boxes specifically for LPs like these.

I also have one...every time a similar “new measuring device” shows up on reddit I’m over here with my 30+ year old one like ??? They even already make digital ones with hundreds of reviews on amazon...

Calculated Industries 6025 Scale Master Pro Digital Plan Measure https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002O16VKQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_7FeBCbPPVYTT3

amzn.com/B002O16VKQ

$50, decent reviews, and it already exists.

Unless you're some kind of nut job who refuses to use any device that doesn't connect to your fucking smart phone.

Here's a better resource for figuring out your weight.

Thanks. I think I'm going with the American Weigh BT2-201.

Make a box. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fT6004Euwf4&t=298s

Tape it up and then (since you aren't likely to have gummed tape dispenser like in this vid) wrap up with a couple layers of https://www.amazon.com/Tromax-Stretch-Plastic-extended-dispense/dp/B017J9ROHG/ (stretch film) so even if you do a less-than-perfect box, it won't bust open. And now its weatherresistant

Something like this.

amazon prime brotha. Beats buying it at a UPS store. Fucking crooks in there.

and the price on amazon is super reasonable

if hes your only source, buy a scale.

http://www.amazon.com/American-Weigh-Scale-Bt2-201-Digital/dp/B001TZ92TK/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1341864444&sr=8-2&keywords=american+weigh+scale+.001

my dealer even borrows my scale to weigh stuff out when she comes over. Its useful and makes sure everyones accurate and honest. If its off, mention next time "hey i was off a bit last time and i hate to split hairs but i wanna monitor how much i smoke"

he should take the polite hint and it shouldnt be an issue

remember to learn to "tare" the bag [it subtracts the weight of the container for you]

I wrapped the led strip in some packing foam sheets

It honestly wasnt the best though. At least with 60LED/m density, you can kinda see zebra lines. Maybe with 144 LED/m density LEDs, which i still have to try. Something else I still have to try is this film wrap.

It sounds like you are taking too much. Get a scale [($7.26 on Amazon](https://smile.amazon.com/Weigh-MS-600-Digital-Pocket-Scale/dp/B004O792H2/ref=sr_1_6_a_it?. ie=UTF8&qid=1498668544&sr=8-6&keywords=pocket+scale)) and start smaller. I would start around 2g (which is less than 1tsp). If you still get nausea, wait till tomorrow and start with 1.5g. If you are not satisfied add another 0.5g an hour after the first. If you are still not satisfied wait till the next day and start with 2.5g adding another 0.5g after an hour if necessary. Keep going like that till you find what works.

Keep a log of strains, dosages, effects - it's a plant so it's inexact. Finding what works can take some time, patience, and trial and error. Get some different strains and start trying them out. u/ko951 put together this list of vendors who offer samplers. Try some things out and keep notes.

Kratom affects people differently so it is hard to predict exactly what to expect, especially when starting out. Many times people starting out think that it is not 'working' at first. Some of that is about managing expectations

The Kratom 101 has a lot of good general information

Works for drip and, depending on the size of mug used, espresso... https://www.amazon.com/Weigh-MS-600-Digital-Pocket-Scale/dp/B004O792H2/ Not bad for less than $10.

Note you have to do it weeks in advance. I remember one move where I failed to do this, and drove around a while coming up almost empty-handed.

I found one thing though - if you have to buy a bunch of boxes at the last minute, Home Depot has boxes for cheap.

Oh, and one more thing: i love this tape dispenser I can pull out a length of tape with two hands, then lay in on the seam of a box in a second. I used to think the heavy duty dispensers were ok but turns out they're slow in comparison.

I bought a digital scale online that measures grams to 0.00. This will only give you increments of 10 milligrams, but it is accurate enough for MDMA.

Link for the lazy

http://www.amazon.com/Duck-Original-Cushioning-12-Inches-284054/dp/B00D3AFMT8/ref=pd_sim_229_3?ie=UTF8&dpID=51O8jqTCtCL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR160%2C160_&refRID=04FPPQ05XYY0CQE2ZS1D

Here it is:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B001TZ92TK/ref=mp_s_a_1?qid=1367458454&sr=8-4&pi=SL7

https://www.amazon.com/Duck-Original-Cushioning-Perforated-393251/dp/B000CS787S

Why would they need that? A small scale can be had for under 15$...

I'm investing in some ceiling protection

Here you go.

Niche.

If you don't want to worry about packing/weighing/boxes, then you're probably stuck to clothes/dvds/books. Honestly, though, dealing with all that stuff isn't that big of a deal and you'll get the hang of it quickly if you suck it up.

I get all my boxes and packing materials from dumpsters, so I don't pay for that (lately I get most of my inventory from dumpsters, too). If I don't have a box the correct size I'll make them myself out of recycled cardboard. I bought a cheap shipping scale and scored a label printer (you'd have to look around; I managed to get a Zebra LP2844 for $60).

Package your items before you list or as you're listing so you know how much to charge for shipping or how much to list for to cover shipping if you're offering it free.

A box reducer will save you loads on shipping. That might not be the best price, it's just the first google result. I think I paid $9 from my box guy.

Protip: tape over the corners where you reduce the box. The box is a little weak there, and more likely to break.

its not even like bubble loaders are expensive either

My bad. Copy and paste issues.

https://www.amazon.com/HBlife-Inches-Bubble-Mailers-Envelopes/dp/B076DTR1N3/ref=redir_mobile_desktop?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&ref=yo_pop_d_pd_title

.69 on my last order, but I only buy 50 at a time..
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0034PU6Y8/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
That said 100 for .465 a piece:
https://www.amazon.com/FingerPop-Mailing-Boxes-Box-LPBX100/dp/B0141LY27A/ref=sr_1_8?keywords=12%22+Variable+Depth+Record+Mailers&qid=1557326857&s=office-products&sr=1-8


I'm not sure how this trade is logistically easier/cheaper than just buying in bulk, but I could be missing something...
Shipping alone seems like it's going to eat a lot of costs...

one more thing and i will stop harassing you. You should weigh your bird every day using something like this: https://www.amazon.com/ZIEIS-A63SS-NMP-Accuracy-Capacity-Stainless/dp/B0040HR28C/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_sims?ie=UTF8

Why? Well in the jungle predators will always attack first whichever animal in flock that looks sick or injured. For this reason parrots instinctively HIDE any illness until they are almost dead. The only way to get early warning of illness is to weight them. Weigh her every day at the same time. IF she drops 10% get her to a Vet THAT DAY if less watch closely and maybe go in for checkup. Also you should find an AVIAN vet ahead of time. Regular vets only get like 1 week on birds in school(many claim bird knowledge to get more $). See here: https://www.beautyofbirds.com/recommendedbirdvetsvirginia.html

Also, they love cheek rubs and tapping on top of head with 2 fingers :-) have fun