[Ron Ramirez]

Well, I don't know where you read that...so I'll have to recreate it from memory, I guess.

Let me give you two different ways to go.

A lot of people prefer double boxing. For this, you want the radio wrapped in bubble wrap (the large type, not the type with the extra small bubbles) a few thicknesses thick. But first, tune the radio to below 55 on the AM dial (as low as it will go) to make sure the tuning capacitor plates are completely interwoven with none of them sticking up at all. This will protect the tuning condenser plates from damage. Lay some of the large bubble wrap over the speaker, then fill the inner cavity of the radio with packing material (here, wadded newspaper is OK to use). After this is done, then wrap the radio in at least three thicknesses of bubble wrap.

Now place the radio cocoon face down in a box, making sure there is at least two inches of packing material completely surrounding the radio (front, back, top, bottom, all sides).

Place this box inside a larger box, which has at least two inches of packing material completely surrounding the inner box. Make sure there is so much packing material here that the flaps are difficult to close.

Now, here's how you can successfully ship a radio in a single box:

Repeat the directions above for the inner box. If you do not have any bubble wrap, you will have to rely on packing peanuts. Tune the radio to below 55 on the AM dial, lay a sheet of bubble wrap or something thick yet flexible over the speaker to protect the cone, then fill the cavity with wadded newspaper.

If you do not have bubble wrap, put the radio in a trash bag and seal it up. This protects the insides from the peanuts.

Now put this, face down, inside a box. Here, I would use at least three inches of packing material (packing peanuts) completely surrounding the radio (front, back, top, bottom, all sides). Now, the most important thing here is to make sure you use so many peanuts that you have a hard time closing the flaps! You don't want that radio moving around in transit. Remember, the box will not be handled gently!

A good alternative is to use stiff foam sheeting, cut to size, on the inside surfaces of the box you are using. You will still need to fill the voids with peanuts.

A final thought. Do not use the postal service if you care about your valuable packages! They don't care about your valuable Brand Z Walton tombstone! UPS is almost as bad but packages can survive UPS if packed well and carefully. In my experience, FedEx Home Delivery is the best. They move packages the fastest, and I have never had a single radio damaged by FedEx (knocking wood).

It is unfortunate that eBay, over the years, made using USPS the easiest for the clueless dummies out there who think it is OK to just toss a radio into a box with no packing material, and that it will be OK if they write "FRAGILE" in big bold letters on the box. I've got news for you, folks: The USPS gorillas don't read FRAGILE labels! Of course, neither does UPS or FedEx.

It is up to you to make sure your radio is packed well to survive shipment, no matter which company you use.