I've shipped and received lots of EMs via NAVL (actually STI). Most have been with the backbox removed and legs off, but some have been shipped in one piece (backbox and legs attached). ALWAYS request blanket wrapping, but the quality of the effort will vary with the local firm that STI uses as I have received games in a wide range of wrapping condition. I'm fortunate in that the local STI shipper that picks up games that I sell does an excellent job of wrapping them. They have told me that they prefer to ship games in one piece, but I have had them ship older games, such as woodrails, broken down and then the components wrapped together into a single bundle.

The backglass is typically the most valuable element and I have typically requested sellers (as well as provided this service for buyers) of covering the backglass with styrofoam and heavy cardboard over the front of the backbox and then secured them with plastic wrap. STI's wrapping job is then done in addition to this.

Here is what I did the one time I shipped by STI (Michelle).
The games got there in good shape but one woodrail leg was cracked and could be repaired.

Alan

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I got a pair of wedgeheads with heads and legs attached. They were nicely wrapped. They arrived fine from Illinois. The person that sent them is a well known EM person on here, and said they've never had trouble shipping wedgeheads that way.

I have sent some EM's out with the head down, cardboard between the backglass and cabinet glass, lots of plastic wrap and blankets. With legs on.

Some older machines I have had, the cabinet or legs were not as strong as would be ideal. With those, had I needed to ship them, I would have put them on a pallet.

I do that somewhat regularly

It can be worth a few hundred more to get the actual pin you want. Enjoy!

I have paid more to ship a game than what I paid for the game including one that's on it's way. So far I've had the best luck with the game set up on it's legs unless the guy goes to the trouble to build a wood crate.

Three games came once on a pallet and the legs that go with them never showed up and there was some cabinet damage on one of them.

Legs on, head on, and hopefully they will treat it like the fine piece of furniture it is. And so far they have.

Here are some pics of a couple of games I sold recently that were shipped two different ways - the first fully assembled with legs on and the second totally disassembled, but with each component (cabinet, backbox, and legs set) individually wrapped and than wrapped all together as a single unit. My personal preference is disassembled, but as mentioned in my first post, as long as the structural integrity of the game's components are good, shipping in one piece should be fine with a quality wrapping job. The second game in the pics below was a rare woodrail so neither I nor the buyer wanted to risk it being transported with the legs on.

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Legs on, head on is the way mine got picked up this AM. They were built to wiggle a bit. Some players shake them harder than they will get the whole trip here. Fingers crossed...

Yes it seems strange to ship with legs on but it's the standard. Is that a Royal Flush? I was just telling these knuckle head the other day I'm almost done fixing mine up. What kind of shape is yours in...before shipping of course

Nice! Now the long wait

People don't work on the weekends for delivery usually, at least when I got my STI delivery. So mine was like 15 miles away on a Friday and I got excited when it said delivery on Monday...Kept checking and that sucker didn't budge all weekend.

So leave the head on with an EM? Is that the consentious? I will be using Michelle with Presicsion.

Leave the head upright, machine fully intact. Machine needs to be at floor level. Call that number in Illinois, she'll do the arrangements. Just got an Atlantis in today.