Proper Way To Send ROMs Through The Mail?

Archived from groups: rec.games.video.arcade.collecting (More info?)

I believe i need to ship 7 chips. I was thinking of the plastic tube,
but haven't a clue as to where to buy them. Cardboard would really
work huh? Figured cardboard would be too hard for the pins to push
through without bending them. Would sponge foam work? I have some
small square pieces of that. Or would that have static in it?

Mike

Archived from groups: rec.games.video.arcade.collecting (More info?)

The most economical way is in a padded envelope
so it's not a parcel, but you have to be sure
the contents inside can sustain a fair level of "crushing"
so that pins don't bend at the first contact of pressure.

Ideally you can use some plastic chip tubes.

If you don't have any of those, anti-static foam
is the next best bet, but make sure you use
enough thickness so that the legs are completely covered
and can sustain some "crushing" without the legs
punching through.

I typically use 1/2" thick static foam .
(it's kind of spongeous, not quite as hard as styrofoam ).

I then warp everything in a static bag
and insert it in the padded envelope.

Of course, this is a business for me so I buy shipping supplies
in bulk (usually from the web...) . For the casual sender, some of this
stuff might be tricky to find.

Erpoms (especially UV) are pretty hardy WRT to static,
so the most important thing is to protect the pins,
using anti-static materials should be done whenever possible,
but in a pinch, plain old styrofoam or thick cardboard can do.

Good luck.
Stephan
www.HobbyRoms.com

======



DarkMagister wrote:
> This will be the first time sending ROMs through the mail and need to
> know how do I go about packaging them for shipping? I know that they
> should be placed on some sort of foam i think to keep the legs from
> bending. But where do you go to buy this? Radio Shack maybe? Plus
> should I put on the package not to X-Ray it?
>
> Mike
> --
> http://www.freewebs.com/arcadelinks/
>

Archived from groups: rec.games.video.arcade.collecting (More info?)

...oh, yah, I guess it depends on the number of Roms you're shipping.

I use the above method for 8 chips or less.

More than that, I'd use a some form of box rather than an envelope.
(...altough the inner contents would be wrapped the same way )

Cheers,
Steph

===

HobbyRoms.Com wrote:

>
> The most economical way is in a padded envelope
> so it's not a parcel, but you have to be sure
> the contents inside can sustain a fair level of "crushing"
> so that pins don't bend at the first contact of pressure.
>
> Ideally you can use some plastic chip tubes.
>
> If you don't have any of those, anti-static foam
> is the next best bet, but make sure you use
> enough thickness so that the legs are completely covered
> and can sustain some "crushing" without the legs
> punching through.
>
> I typically use 1/2" thick static foam .
> (it's kind of spongeous, not quite as hard as styrofoam ).
>
> I then warp everything in a static bag
> and insert it in the padded envelope.
>
> Of course, this is a business for me so I buy shipping supplies
> in bulk (usually from the web...) . For the casual sender, some of this
> stuff might be tricky to find.
>
> Erpoms (especially UV) are pretty hardy WRT to static,
> so the most important thing is to protect the pins,
> using anti-static materials should be done whenever possible,
> but in a pinch, plain old styrofoam or thick cardboard can do.
>
> Good luck.
> Stephan
> www.HobbyRoms.com
>
> ======
>
>
>
> DarkMagister wrote:
>
>> This will be the first time sending ROMs through the mail and need to
>> know how do I go about packaging them for shipping? I know that they
>> should be placed on some sort of foam i think to keep the legs from
>> bending. But where do you go to buy this? Radio Shack maybe? Plus
>> should I put on the package not to X-Ray it?
>>
>> Mike
>> --
>> http://www.freewebs.com/arcadelinks/
>>

Archived from groups: rec.games.video.arcade.collecting (More info?)

I'll have to check with the local PC store about the foam and bags.
Ummm......so the chips being X-rayed won't hurt them? I need to ship
them overseas and i think they x-ray packages going through customs.

Mike

Archived from groups: rec.games.video.arcade.collecting (More info?)

For only 7 IC's, if you can't find a tube, just use some styrofoam to stick
the legs on. I've mailed chips plenty of times this way with no problem.
Stuff you'd find from a sandwich at McDonalds will work fine, or packing
styrofoam from a monitor or any other type item. Then put a rubber band
around the pieces so the don't fall out of the styrofoam during mailing.

Joe (joemagiera at ameritech dot net)
joemagiera@ameritech.net

"DarkMagister" <shadowspawn@chartermi.net> wrote in message
news:1113081989.559544.169140@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...
> This will be the first time sending ROMs through the mail and need to
> know how do I go about packaging them for shipping? I know that they
> should be placed on some sort of foam i think to keep the legs from
> bending. But where do you go to buy this? Radio Shack maybe? Plus
> should I put on the package not to X-Ray it?
>
> Mike
> --
> http://www.freewebs.com/arcadelinks/
>

Archived from groups: rec.games.video.arcade.collecting (More info?)

Mike Haaland at Mike's Arcade usually ships ROMs and PROMs inside plastic
flip-top boxes, with anti-static foam to boot, and packaged inside either a
cardboard box or padded envelope. This not only protects the chips from
static, but also really protects them from being crushed or having the pins
bent. I highly recommend this.

If you can't find a flip-top box, though, it should be okay to just stick
the chips in foam and slide that inside a small anti-static bag. Then slide
that inside a padded envelope. Or put the chips inside a plastic tube.

You can probably get anti-static foam from Radio Shack. Or ask your local
computer store if they have any extra anti-static foam and bags, since this
is such a small order to work with.

Archived from groups: rec.games.video.arcade.collecting (More info?)

Went to Radio Shack, they had some 5x5 pieces of anti-static foam for
$1.50 but no bags. The guy at the counter was surprised that they even
had the foam for sale. Told me that they are discontinuing a lot of
the little things that don't sell too often. Poor Radio Shack...if
they weren't so damn expensive and the people weren't such asses I
would probably go there more often.

Mike
--
http://www.freewebs.com/arcadelinks/

Archived from groups: rec.games.video.arcade.collecting (More info?)

"DarkMagister" <shadowspawn@chartermi.net> wrote in message
news:1113103996.242176.196990@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...
> I'll have to check with the local PC store about the foam and bags.
> Ummm......so the chips being X-rayed won't hurt them? I need to ship
> them overseas and i think they x-ray packages going through customs.

I don't think X-rays will wipe out chips, but you can ask the post
office/shipper to mark the package "DO NOT X-RAY." They often do that with
cans of photographic film.

Archived from groups: rec.games.video.arcade.collecting (More info?)

normal uv roms won't be affected by airport xray machines. There was
something came up about this afte 9/11 with some flash devices being wiped.
Also if the game uses a disc drive, xrays will wipe the disc.


"DarkMagister" <shadowspawn@chartermi.net> wrote in message
news:1113103996.242176.196990@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...
> I'll have to check with the local PC store about the foam and bags.
> Ummm......so the chips being X-rayed won't hurt them? I need to ship
> them overseas and i think they x-ray packages going through customs.
>
> Mike
>

Archived from groups: rec.games.video.arcade.collecting (More info?)

"Matt J. McCullar" <mccullar@flash.net> wrote in message
news:Mzc6e.82$bc2.19@newssvr17.news.prodigy.com...
>
> "DarkMagister" <shadowspawn@chartermi.net> wrote in message
> news:1113103996.242176.196990@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...
> > I'll have to check with the local PC store about the foam and bags.
> > Ummm......so the chips being X-rayed won't hurt them? I need to ship
> > them overseas and i think they x-ray packages going through customs.
>
> I don't think X-rays will wipe out chips, but you can ask the post
> office/shipper to mark the package "DO NOT X-RAY." They often do that
with
> cans of photographic film.
and then xray them !