Need Help Finding Box Supplier

[commoncenz]

I have reached the point in my soaping journey where there are no shoe boxes left in my house for me to use as storage for my cured soaps.

My friends are also looking at me crazy when I ask them: "Have you bought any new shoes lately? If so, do you still have the box?"

A quick look around the interwebz has shown that there are many, many box suppliers. Who do you use (if you use anyone) to order your storage boxes from? Who has the best price? Best shipping prices. It seems like shipping is as costly as a bundle of boxes; often times more.

 

[not_ally]

Patrick, I ended up ordering baseball card boxes from Columbia Sports Card Boxes (their home page is in the first link.) They do have a somewhat painfully large minimum order ($100) for free shipping, but I figured at a batch per box, I would have them used up in a couple of years, if you were selling it would probably be much quicker (and you can re-use them). I think they ended up being b/w 50 - 55 cents a box at that amount. Here are some links:

http://www.soapmakingforum.com/archive/index.php/t-55017.html

http://www.soapmakingforum.com/archive/index.php/t-54387.html


http://www.soapmakingforum.com/archive/index.php/t-55017.html

 

[commoncenz]

Thank You N_A! I will check out Columbia and the links 2morrow after work. I really need to get some more boxes as I have soap taking up need space on my curing racks.

 

[cheshiresoapco]

Do you sell your soaps? You could find a local store to sell to on a regular basis and eliminate the need for tons of storage space...

 

[Susie]

Do you sell your soaps? You could find a local store to sell to on a regular basis and eliminate the need for tons of storage space...

Commoncenz has only been soaping for a few months. But, Christmas/Hannukah/Quanza/Winter Solstice is coming soon...great gift giving opportunities!

 

[ourwolfden]

I buy a lot of boxes of shipping products from uline you may want to take a look there. If you don't need that many you may want to just look for plastic boxes at a big box store with lids so you can seal them once they are cured, they stack nicely so they can be stored out of the way.

 

[navigator9]

I bought my baseball card boxes so long ago that unfortunately, I can't remember where I ordered them from. I hope that you find a supplier at a reasonable price, because they work really well for soap....almost like they were made for it, unless you like to make soaps with high peaks on top. I've used and reused mine for years now, and they hold up well. I like to label the ends of the boxes with sticky labels, showing the name of the soaps. I cover the end with clear packing tape, and put the sticky label on the tape. In case I need to change the label, I can remove it easily, without tearing off the end of the box. Just thinking, if you have Amazon Prime, I'm pretty sure they would carry them, and then shipping would be free. Good luck!

 

[shunt2011]

I got my baseball card boxes from Amazon. I really need to order more. They work so well.

 

[not_ally]

I spent a while looking for these (mostly on amazon and ebay) and this was the best price I could find, even if it required ordering in larger amounts than I would have liked. I wanted 800 count boxes, those sort of handily fit the size of batch that I make. The least costly alternative for smaller amounts w/free shipping was about $1.50 per box on Amazon as an "add-on" item (ie; you have to tack it on to an order with a minimum shipping amt), or on Prime, but that required an order of 10, I think.

So if I was going to buy a smaller amount (10 or so) to test them out, I would start w/Amazon. I kind of knew that I was going to need some multiple of that, and that I was OK buying more, having extras or giving some to friends, so the cheap per unit cost/free shipping thing made sense to me. Although 200 boxes, even at 50c a box is a lot for a hobbyist, I wish there was a middle ground! I think you have to figure out where the balance is.

 

[nsmar4211]

Reading this with interest...my current curing / storing boxes are actually Ensure boxes with a paper towel on the bottom. They stack nicely and are a thick cardboard. I have an elderly relative who lives on the stuff so I have plenty....check your recycle bin?

*toddles off to check prices on other options*

 

[commoncenz]

OK, after a little research I found these guys. The base price is not a whole lot cheaper than most. However, for those of us east of the Big Muddy, they have included shipping in the price you see. And, with the shipping included in the price, I would still see a savings of about $7.00 on average for 25 boxes (a bigger savings if I order 50, 100 etc. etc.).

As a person who just wants to see a price and pay that price (not wait to determine shipping costs), yet also not feel like I'm getting ripped off for that convenience, I think I'll go with them.

https://www.bagsunlimited.com/p-4145-trading-card-boxes-white-corrugated-one-piece-boxes-lxwxh.aspx

 

[commoncenz]

And finally, I've found my supplier. Twenty-Five 14x6x4 boxes for $11.24 plus $12.36 shipping equals $23.60. This is about the cheapest I've found these type of boxes when only ordering 25. Most places want $18 - $25 for shipping.

Placed my order as soon as I saw they were giving me the dimensions I needed at a reasonable price/shipping.

Edit: Wow! First time I've had this happen with a supplier. I placed the above order on the web yesterday evening (9/17/15). Well past closing time. So, this morning I received a phone call from a very pleasant young lady thanking me for my order and letting me know that it will be shipped today.

I've received "thank you" and "confirmation" emails before, but most suppliers don't go the extra step to actually call a new customer and thank them for their purchase. Pretty good business idea actually. Make the customer feel as if you're building a personal relationship with them. While my cynical side sees this for what it is ... it still gave me a little "warm fuzzy". lol