Get a pallet, cut some plywood for the base, secure it to the pallet and install two eye bolts. Strap the pin to the pallet after it's wrapped with blankets, built the walls and top out of OSB and 2x4s and send it on its way. I did all this for less than $100 in material, used fastenal from Indianapolis to Phoenix. I think shipping was $150 and it arrived in two days with no damage or problems. Best experience I've had shipping pins.

add $100 in materials and a couple hours of time and you are at the same price as STI/NAVL

But with NAVL its not worth even thinking about the risk. Never again!!

John

Just sent one to Miami from Maryland, buyer elected to not crate, thus no damage claims can be submitted, $160. Fastenal gave me the pallet and will sell you the straps or you can furnish your own.

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I have not sure how it turned out, the guy in the other end named Todd screwed me out of $700

Wow, no crate? You know it just amazes me how little effort people will put into shipping a $5K game across the country just to save a few bucks. If it were me I'd never have it hanging off the end of a pallet for one, always place it on a oversized skid but never a pallet. Strap it four ways and fully enclosed in a wooded crate with braces so that it's tighter then Fort Knox. Leave nothing to chance.

John

This is insane. I'd be furious if I received a pin packaged like this. Have you ever seen how the dock workers handle the pallets? You'll be lucky as hell to get this without a scratch on the back. You're just asking for dings. This is awful.

Speaking of pin shipping. I just had a contractor for STI pick up a game and two stoner looking guys almost dropped the game carrying down my driveway. Shipping is always a roll of the dice but for fk's sake at least package it right.

With that pallet, I would have stood the pin up on it's back and put on 4 straps. Nothing hanging off the sides of a pallet.

Ok might be a dumb question but how the hell do you guys get the game on a pellet that is crated to the shipper?

I shipped a game with fastenal at buyer's request. No problems.

Weird because fastenal specifically states nothing can being hanging over the pallet or they won’t ship it.

Fastenal is great fir a cheaper game but fir a more expensive one I would opt fir insurance obviously.

Put the pallet on the tailgate first, then put the game on the pallet.

NOTHING hangs over the edge of a pallet, or it usually gets destroyed.

Find the right size pallet before you ship.

I contacted Fastenal last year, because I was told they would ship a pinball machine without a crate. They said all arcade games "must" be crated, and they didn't provide any packing/crating services - even though at that time their Web site stated they did provide packing/crating services. I guess you either have to know the right people at Fastenal to ship a pinball machine without a crate, or you just have to wrap and pallet the machine and say it's a box full of hammers...

Pinball machines ship from the factory - EVERY factory - standing on their end. This is the correct way to send them and minimise potential damage.

Overhanging the pallet is 100% asking for the cabinet to be banged and dinged against everything in every warehouse the machine travels through.

Why so much? I had a pin shipped in from NYC to Kansas via Michelle at STI and it cost $400.00.

EDIT: The $400.00 price was insurance covered for around $1500.00. Since I was in the pot for $2200.00 and wanted full price coverage I had to pay $30.00 extra. I figured if the shipping company knew I was serious about this shit then it might pay attention and take better care of my property.

My guess would be stairs on both sides.

$600 STI bill? Stairs, rural location and insurance IMO.

It seems for the Fastenal method to work, both the seller and the buyer need a pickup to deliver the pin to Fastenal and to pick up the pin from Fastenal.

I had a pin shipped in from Canada; It was supposed to be to my front door. But the last company in the shipping chain apparently did not get the message and told me it would cost me $40.00 extra for front door shipping. I told the lying bastards I would come pick it up. It was packed in a salvaged pinball box and standing on end. I unpacked and took it home. No shipping damage. I think it cost was around $400.00.

With the pin I had shipped from NYC I had the option of shipping with it standing on end with the legs off or having it come in on legs with the back box still in playing position. Reasoning that there was less chance of it getting stabbed with a forklift if it was on legs and "in the air" I opted for "legs on" shipping. When it arrived, the STI guys got it off of the truck, carried it into my house and sat it down where I directed. Then they unwrapped all of the shipping blankets and left.

STI was a good experience for me. Shipping with "legs on" was a good experience. It was worth every penny. I did not have to lift a finger and I value my time when it comes to trying to shave dollars from my transactions.

I have used uship.com 6 times no damage all under 220. None were on skids all blanket warped and strapped legs off sitting on their ends . All of the drivers were everyday people trying to make a buck. And yes you can pay extra for insurance.

I didn't have to crate an AFM that I shipped through Fastenal. The only hassle with shipping through Fastenal is that you have to bring it to them and then palette it.

That’s a shame...too bad you didn’t have a truck or maybe a friend who had one that you could meet them at the end of the road and get it there and haul it up in the truck. I have to do that. My road they can get down, but the road up to my house they can’t so I drive drive down to the end of the road, slide it in the back, drive it up and they walk up to the house and then help me load it in the house.

Mine came to me in a box truck with a lift gate. No extra charge. Strange.

Once I saw the game hanging over the pallet the Fastenal guy said they would put the smaller pallet on a larger pallet, thus two pallets.

I understand but it sure leaves me confused. I have had three different quote from Michelle and all were in the $400.00 range. The first two quotes I never got the pin bought. As I recall, all I ever gave her for the ballpark quotes were shipping and receiving zip codes.

Do you live way out in the sticks, or something?

Anyone that buys a used game sight unseen and has it shipped across the country is an idiot and anyone willing to ship a game in that fashion is twice as stupid. Be patient, Buy local, or Drive your lazy ass.

You couldn't come off as a bigger asshat if you tried.

On day 5 of waiting for mine coming from IN, legs on STI...no call yet. Really hoping for no damage...I can be patient

Got my Metallica yesterday... Happy to report there was no damage in shipping, the game was packed well enough, and the local delivery guys were on time.

Thanks for the information on Fastenal. I have one two miles away. Their prices seem much better than Michelle's too.

Shipped a cabinet yesterday from Albuquerque and 1st time I used them. Takes a little bit more time to wrap and then strap to pallet but is much much cheaper than STI and would recommend using them if the receiver has a Fastenal local store and a means to pick it up. They will forklift it off if shipping it and forklift it onto your truck if receiving and they told me they could ship a pin across the country for less than 200 bucks. They provided me with a free pallet but had to obtain my own straps and of course the packing material. This is the best shipping option and have used STI as well.

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Just don't forget they will deny coverage if it is not crated. Forklift guys tip pallets over all the time. Protect yourself and your valuable items.

Building a crate is not very difficult, just a little time-consuming and some expense. When you consider what many pins are worth these days, it makes sense to crate.

Wrapping the machine up in a moving blanket, stretch wrap over that, then a layer of cardboard - the blanket underneath keeps the cardboard from sawing away at the machine, very important - then you can build the crate around that as it sits on the pallet. With a little 2x4 bracing to keep it from shifting side to side, as well as popping up inside the crate. Legs wrapped in cardboard, coin bucket and balls in a box, stacked on top inside and secured.

Mark the crate "front" for the top side of the machine, then you can tip it over and slide it into a truck bed (just take care if you don't have a tailgate edge protector) on its back, which would be the natural "set up" position for the pin. Easy enough to slide it back out and stand it up for the forklift operator. This way they never bring the forklift near your truck; the crate is already sitting on the ground for them.

I've done this by myself so many times it's second nature, though it does freak some forklift guys out - especially if the crate is marked "this end up" they may not accept the shipment, so consider that.

Richard