This guest series has actually been written by Howard, a reader and frequent commenter/educator here on Thank Heaven for Beer. Since his experience far outweighs ours, we thought it only fitting to open up the floor. Thanks Howard!

Packaging

For my shipping, I buy the Duck brand bubble wrap at Wal-Mart for $10-$11. It’s 100 square feet, perforated every 12”, and I wrap each bottle with one sheet and tape it in the middle. When I have a 22 oz or 750 ml bottle, I use two sheets, one for the bottom half and one for the top. I typically fold the loose ends at the top and bottom and secure them with tape. I buy boxes at Office Depot in the $2-$4 range.

I’ve seen people line the ends and sides of the box with foam rubber, bubble wrap, and/or crumpled up newspaper, either will work fine. I also wedge crumpled up newspaper in between bottles so nothing moves when the box is shook. I also use the 4- and 6-pack holders to separate the beers so they’re not knocking into each other. I’ve seen people use all kinds of stuff to ship beer, but remember that you’re liable if anything breaks, so it’s in your best interest to pack securely.

Shipping

Now for a little legal disclaimer: shipping beer may or may not be illegal. It is a violation of the terms of service for both UPS and FedEx, and it has been claimed that it is illegal to use USPS for shipping beer. I am not a lawyer, so if you’re worried about it, you might want to call one. That being said, I don’t know of any instance of a trader being prosecuted for trading beer.

You’ll want to open an online account with Fed Ex and/or UPS. Every trader has their preference, and there are horror stories for both. I go with the one that gives me the cheapest quote, which is usually FedEx. You want to use the online shipping service with a credit card, because it’s cheaper than going to a FedEx or UPS shipping center, and there’s nobody to ask any questions about the contents of the box online. They’ll even pick up the package from your house, but I drop mine off at a nearby hub.

Most people ship out on Mondays, because they don’t want to leave the beer sitting in a warehouse over the weekend. There’s no climate control in the trucks or the warehouses, so this argument is debatable. Many people avoid trading in the winter due to the risk that beer can freeze, and many avoid the summer because they believe the heat will damage the beer.

In the event of a broken bottle, there are three common responses from the shipping companies:

1. Deliver the soggy box as is. This is the one I’ve seen happen the most.
2. Repackage everything in a new box and send it back to you. You can expect a letter from their legal department afterwards, warning you that shipping beer is against their terms of service.
3. Repackage everything in a new box and send it to the original destination.

In order to avoid this, people will either wrap the bottles in bubble wrap, and then put them in zip-lock baggies, or line the entire box with a contractor grade trash bag and seal it shut. I don’t bother with either, because I’ve only had one broken bottle in a package that I’ve sent, and they still delivered the package. I’ve had broken bottles in about half of the trades I’ve received, and they were still delivered as well.

Wrapping Up

Trading is a fun and rewarding hobby, with plenty of reasons NOT to do it. It’s expensive, risky (broken bottles), and time consuming, but there’s no better feeling than cracking open a beer that you’ve wanted for a long time, and having it exceed your expectations. My only recommendation is to start small and work your way up. Don’t go for the white whales right off the bat, there’s plenty of regular beer that’s worthy of your attention. You’re guaranteed to make new friends, try new beer, and have a lot of fun.

Howard’s other articles in this series:

The Suds Swap Meet (1 of 5)

Beer Value and Ettiquette (2 of 5)

Getting Started (3 of 5)

Beer It Forward (4 of 5)