| Discussion Forum: Thread 345158 |
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| | | Author: | WildBricks  | | Posted: | Aug 23, 2023 12:04 | | Subject: | To Zip or to Seal? That is the question. | | Viewed: | 162 times | | Topic: | Selling | |
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| For some time now we've been using impact sealed poly tubing for our packing,
but I thought that I would lay out my reasons.
In order of importance:
Weight! When you compare the usable space of a 3x4.75" zip top bag with plastic
tubing of the same size and thickness the zip top bag has 28% more plastic
to it. (Yes, I'm aware that a lot of buyers keep the bags and therefore they
aren't technically wasted, but a lot don't as well.)
Packing density. About 50% of the time there is no perfect size zip top bag and
there is extra space in the bag. The flexibility of the poly tubing means no
more 1/2 empty bags.
Shipping space. We all know that zip top bags take up a lot of room. Today I
packed an order with 100 lots. Had I done that with zip top bags then it would
have filled an entire medium flat rate box. By using the tubing I was able to
compact the order to an envelope and refund my buyer 1/2 of their shipping cost.
Cost. Bags are a pretty significant expense in our business. Zip top bags are
double the cost of poly tubing.
We try to be flexible with our packing and use the right bag for the right product,
but overall the poly tubing just keeps winning for packing. For those of you
who prefer to reuse zip top bags and are put off by poly bags, just drop us a
note and we are happy to accommodate our buyer's preferences.
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| | | | | Author: | Kriemis | | Posted: | Aug 23, 2023 13:13 | | Subject: | Re: To Zip or to Seal? That is the question. | | Viewed: | 37 times | | Topic: | Selling | |
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| I use zips, mainly because if you are not very careful when sealing, the heat
can damage parts?
If that is never the case i would consider switching eventually too!
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| | | | | | | Author: | WildBricks | | Posted: | Aug 23, 2023 14:20 | | Subject: | Re: To Zip or to Seal? That is the question. | | Viewed: | 31 times | | Topic: | Selling | |
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| In Selling, Kriemis writes:
| | I use zips, mainly because if you are not very careful when sealing, the heat
can damage parts?
If that is never the case i would consider switching eventually too!
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It doesn't get that hot and it is for only a second or two. The heat is delivered
by a thin wire under a protective coating in a line. You can't actually seal
the bags if the parts get caught under the drop down arm. It is a pretty simple
mechanism with a safety that clicks on when you press down and turns off the
second you let go. I can touch the element right after using it without hurting
myself.
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| | | | | Author: | crazylegoman | | Posted: | Aug 23, 2023 13:31 | | Subject: | Re: To Zip or to Seal? That is the question. | | Viewed: | 30 times | | Topic: | Selling | |
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| As someone who doesn't know what "impact sealed poly tubing" is,
I have to say that what comes to mind is quite odd. I imagine you dropping parts
into multiple thin tubes and then smashing them (impact) on the ends to seal
them.
David
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| | | | | | | Author: | SylvainLS | | Posted: | Aug 23, 2023 13:34 | | Subject: | Re: To Zip or to Seal? That is the question. | | Viewed: | 33 times | | Topic: | Selling | |
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| In Selling, crazylegoman writes:
| | As someone who doesn't know what "impact sealed poly tubing" is,
I have to say that what comes to mind is quite odd. I imagine you dropping parts
into multiple thin tubes and then smashing them (impact) on the ends to seal
them.
David
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I thought the Polytubbies were bright coloured fluffy people….
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| | | | | | | Author: | macebobo | | Posted: | Aug 23, 2023 13:51 | | Subject: | Re: To Zip or to Seal? That is the question. | | Viewed: | 32 times | | Topic: | Selling | |
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| In Selling, crazylegoman writes:
| | As someone who doesn't know what "impact sealed poly tubing" is,
I have to say that what comes to mind is quite odd. I imagine you dropping parts
into multiple thin tubes and then smashing them (impact) on the ends to seal
them.
David
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Wild Bricks' video by Ant Bandit shows it here: https://youtu.be/vzVYa1j8LTs?t=410
I didn't know the terminology either, but I knew I had seen them packing
in the above video.
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| | | | | | | | | Author: | crazylegoman | | Posted: | Aug 23, 2023 16:32 | | Subject: | Re: To Zip or to Seal? That is the question. | | Viewed: | 27 times | | Topic: | Selling | |
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| In Selling, macebobo writes:
| | In Selling, crazylegoman writes:
| | As someone who doesn't know what "impact sealed poly tubing" is,
I have to say that what comes to mind is quite odd. I imagine you dropping parts
into multiple thin tubes and then smashing them (impact) on the ends to seal
them.
David
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Wild Bricks' video by Ant Bandit shows it here: https://youtu.be/vzVYa1j8LTs?t=410
I didn't know the terminology either, but I knew I had seen them packing
in the above video.
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Ah, OK. So when he said "impact sealed poly tubing" what he really meant
was thermal seal pouches.
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| | | | | Author: | WildBricks | | Posted: | Aug 23, 2023 14:15 | | Subject: | Re: To Zip or to Seal? That is the question. | | Viewed: | 25 times | | Topic: | Selling | |
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| We started out using the impact sealer on the zip top bags we had in store in
order to make compartments in them. Eventually we invested in a roll of the tubing
and have been very happy with the results.
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| | | | | | | Author: | TallyToyBricks | | Posted: | Aug 23, 2023 15:10 | | Subject: | Re: To Zip or to Seal? That is the question. | | Viewed: | 29 times | | Topic: | Selling | |
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| In Selling, WildBricks writes:
As a buyer, I find the impact sealed bags a hassle to open. Probably not in your
case, but if sellers overfill the space the parts seem to shoot out everywhere
when I open the bag. I have also received minifigure parts where the bag was
divided into 4 squares - did a good job of protecting the parts, but I hated
opening them.
As a seller, I have an impact sealer that I use with recycled Lego bags. I only
use it when the single part quantity is over the size of a quart size bag. Probably
97% of my parts go in zip lock bags.
Just my thoughts,
Joe
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| | | | | | | | | Author: | Nubs_Select | | Posted: | Aug 23, 2023 15:28 | | Subject: | Re: To Zip or to Seal? That is the question. | | Viewed: | 31 times | | Topic: | Selling | |
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| In Selling, TallyToyBricks writes:
| | In Selling, WildBricks writes:
As a buyer, I find the impact sealed bags a hassle to open.
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+1 they are the worst
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| | | | | | | | | Author: | yorbrick | | Posted: | Aug 23, 2023 16:59 | | Subject: | Re: To Zip or to Seal? That is the question. | | Viewed: | 33 times | | Topic: | Selling | |
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| | | As a buyer, I find the impact sealed bags a hassle to open.
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I've only ever had two orders packed like this and I found the same. I ended
up needing scissors to cut each section open.
I also thought it was a waste of plastic as I had to throw all the packaging
away. Whereas I tend to reuse zip lock bags, occasionally for orders but usually
for my own storage. It is also nice if I buy a bag of black 1x2 plates (or whatever)
I can chuck the whole bag into my 1x2 plate box and they are stored ready sorted
by colour. Whereas if they are sealed in a roll, I have to cut the roll to retrieve
them. In principle, I could cut every other section and store the still sealed
pockets and open them as needed but I still need to repackage half the lots as
I unpack the order. Although if I didn't reuse them then zip lock bags are
just as wasteful.
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| | | | | Author: | ghyde | | Posted: | Aug 23, 2023 15:20 | | Subject: | Re: To Zip or to Seal? That is the question. | | Viewed: | 28 times | | Topic: | Selling | |
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| Is this poly tubing biodegradable? If a buyer opened it and discarded it, and
didn't bother to send it for recycling, my main concern would be the amount
of time it took to decompose in a landfill. Landfills take many plastics because
the authorities in charge of them aren't screening them out.
If it biodegrades naturally over time then I might be okay with it. But if it's
hard to recycle or needs special handling to recycle, then it's not a desirable
plastic I'd want to receive.
The thing about poly tubing is that it's not resealable. That makes it harder
for the customer to reuse it, because they can't just reseal it. I much prefer
a ziplock bag that I can keep parts in anyway.
What would be really of interest to me would be to see the recycling industry
take and recycle - actually and really recycle - more kinds of plastics. We are
living in a world that is increasingly being filled with plastics, do be kind
to your environment and wildlife in it, and don't leave them with a plastic
world to pick through.
It might seem like a solution to a problem but it really will create a problem
for me if it can't be properly recycled. I can recycle a ziplock bag in a
few seconds, just zip it up again.
The people of this world need to change their ways in which they deal with plastics
anyway. We are creating our own plastic world, and it will be a problem future
generations will end up having to deal with.
Cheers ...
ghyde
In Selling, WildBricks writes:
| | For some time now we've been using impact sealed poly tubing for our packing,
but I thought that I would lay out my reasons.
In order of importance:
Weight! When you compare the usable space of a 3x4.75" zip top bag with plastic
tubing of the same size and thickness the zip top bag has 28% more plastic
to it. (Yes, I'm aware that a lot of buyers keep the bags and therefore they
aren't technically wasted, but a lot don't as well.)
Packing density. About 50% of the time there is no perfect size zip top bag and
there is extra space in the bag. The flexibility of the poly tubing means no
more 1/2 empty bags.
Shipping space. We all know that zip top bags take up a lot of room. Today I
packed an order with 100 lots. Had I done that with zip top bags then it would
have filled an entire medium flat rate box. By using the tubing I was able to
compact the order to an envelope and refund my buyer 1/2 of their shipping cost.
Cost. Bags are a pretty significant expense in our business. Zip top bags are
double the cost of poly tubing.
We try to be flexible with our packing and use the right bag for the right product,
but overall the poly tubing just keeps winning for packing. For those of you
who prefer to reuse zip top bags and are put off by poly bags, just drop us a
note and we are happy to accommodate our buyer's preferences.
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| | | | | Author: | zzed | | Posted: | Aug 26, 2023 13:33 | | Subject: | (Cancelled) | | Viewed: | 15 times | | Topic: | Selling | |
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| | (Cancelled) |
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USA, Georgia
Belgium, Antwerpen
France, Nouvelle-Aquitaine
Canada, Ontario
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