ABOUT PACKING MATERIALS
Here are descriptions of more than 20 different packing supplies. Most of these packing materials are available at our store in San Diego.
If we don’t stock the packing materials you need, we can probably special order it for you — no extra charge.
Moving?
The least expensive packing materials for small items is newspaper. The next step up would be packing paper which is ink free and, therefore, cleaner. Tissue paper one of the good packing materials and storage materials when there are concerns about rubbing on a fragile surface. Your packing for a move doesn’t have to get more exotic than this.
Use bubble wrap if you’re especially worried about something breaking. Try to avoid using packing peanuts — they’re effective but they’re messy and more appropriate for shipping. Thin foam wrap is a reasonable substitute for tissue paper.
You can use mover’s wrap to protect furniture and the like, but the stuff is expensive and a little messy. It’s rarely used for packing materials. Consider ordinary paper pads for light duty protection. Foam wrap is used on rare occasions — it’s quite effective — it just isn’t traditional. Corrugated paper sheets are sometimes used to protect furniture from scratches.
Storing?
Packing paper or tissue paper will work better than bubble wrap for long term storage. (The bubbles go flat over long periods of time.)
Wrap your furniture in paper pads if you’re concerned about dust or light scratching. If you’re concerned about heavy scratching, consider wrapping the furniture in corrugated sheets.
Shipping?
Pack in newspaper or packing paper only if the stuff is virtually unbreakable. Generally, you’ll use packing peanuts and/or bubble wrap. Some of the new air bag packing supplymay do a good job — they’re also clean and neat.
Occasionally, corrugated paper sheets make good packing materials to use.
Styrofoam sheets are sometimes the ticket for packing large, heavy items. Foam wrap is also worth a look for heavy items.
On rare occasions, foam in place will be the best material to use but we think it’s over rated, and we don’t carry it.
Miscellaneous Packing Materials
We also describe a few packing supplies that may not fit in any of the categories above. If you’re not familiar with them, take a look. (Click at top.)
If you’re a little guy in business in San Diego, or an individual consumer in San Diego, buying your packing supplies from us might be a good way to save money. Our specialty is selling the kind of quantities of packing supply you need for larger packing projects — for a move or for running a small internet business. But we’re happy to sell very small retail quantities to consumers as well.
If you’re getting regular deliveries by truck, you’re probably too big for us to sell to. But feel free to use us if you happen to run short.
Click on the packing supplies topics in the white band at top.