Behind The Scenes: Shipping Is Not An Afterthought

How do you feel and what do you think when you order a pricey leather bag online, and when the package gets in, you discover your bag wrapped in old newspapers and stuffed with used Walmart plastic bags? Right! Me too.

With that in mind, I set out to create a pleasant unboxing experience for everyone who orders jewelry or accessories from Buckaroo Bling. Today, I am letting you peek behind the scenes to see what goes into creating suitable branded packaging.

There are several things I had to consider when deciding how to package my products. Obviously, the most important aspect is the safety. I don't want that beautiful necklace or pair of earrings you ordered to get damaged in transit. Packaging must provide substantial padding. Most people would go for bubble wrap, packing peanuts, or paper shreds, but I didn't feel comfortable using any of them. Bubble wrap and packing peanuts are products made of synthetic materials that do not decompose well (if at all), and I didn't want to contribute to an already existing overabundance of non-recyclable materials that only end up clogging the landfills. As for paper shreds, although recyclable and a rather inexpensive solution, they are messy. I personally hate it when I receive a package stuffed with paper shreds. It takes forever to extricate the product from all those tiny strips of paper, and if I'm not careful, I'd have paper shred trails all over my studio, and you'd have it all over your homes too. So, what to do then?

Buckaroo Bling shipping station

What I had to consider at this point was who my customers were. I was not going to package contemporary Western style jewelry into generic leatherette jewelry boxes. So, what I settled on was a combination of natural materials: fabric, paper, twine, and cardboard. When you receive your purchase from Buckaroo Bling, this is what you'll see:

1. If you are in the US, your order will arrive by USPS Priority Mail, seemingly packaged only in a padded Priority Mail envelope.
2. Open that envelope, and you will find a cardboard box inside, sealed with a branded sticker in one of Buckaroo Bling brand colors.
3. Inside that box, you will find some burlap print tissue paper safely cradling the kraft paper bag closed with a piece of twine and another branded sticker.
4. When you open the paper bag, your purchase will be there, inside a turquoise colored velvet pouch, safely stashed away under the previous layers of packaging for best protection possible. If you don't have a jewelry box at home, you can easily keep your new piece of jewelry in the pouch it arrived in. Besides, every time you open it to take that necklace or bracelet out, you'll feel like you are discovering a forgotten little treasure.

If you are a first time customer, a regular customer, or have purchased a number of pieces at the same time, you will also find some extras in your package: a jewelry polishing cloth, a special discount coupon for your next purchase, a hand written note, or some other little surprise. Among the layers of tissue paper, all customers will find jewelry care instructions for all Buckaroo Bling jewelry, a business card, and a little thank you note. So, don't throw the proverbial baby out with the bath water, that is, don't throw the packaging away until you have made sure you retrieved every last little goodie intended for you.

Now, isn't this better than receiving your purchase wrapped in old newspapers and stuffed with used Walmart plastic bags? I certainly hope so.

To get your very own Buckaroo Bling unboxing experience, order an item (or several) from our online shop.