Skip to main content Link Menu Expand (external link) Document Search Copy Copied
BAVC Resources

Shipping Your Tapes to BAVC

How to Properly Pack Your Tapes

  • The safest way to ship tapes is to use two boxes: Pack the tapes into a small box, then pack that small box into a larger box with packaging material between the boxes. Most people use archival boxes for the smaller inner box.

  • Use sturdy boxes and high quality packaging material when packing your tape. Thick bubble-wrap is the best packaging material. You do not need to wrap every tape individually in bubble wrap, as long as there sufficient bubble wrap between the tapes and the box they are packed in.

  • Do NOT use packing peanuts! They make a mess and do not sufficiently protect tapes during shipping.

  • Properly packed materials should be snug in the box. If you shake the box you shouldn’t be able to hear or feel the tapes moving around inside of the box.

  • Orient your tapes vertically, not horizontally! (Remember, Video and Vertical both start with V). This will protect the tapes from damage and misalignment during shipping.

  • Alway print two shipping labels. Affix one label to the outside of the box, and place the other in the box. That way if the label affixed to the outside falls off, there will be another inside.

  • Try to keep any box under 30 pounds. A little more is ok, but the heavier the box the more likely it will be mishandled or damaged during shipping.

Be Careful What Day You Ship

At BAVC we ship all materials via FedEx 2-Day Express unless asked otherwise. We recommend you do so as well. With 2-day shipping it’s best to ship between Monday and Wednesday, so that the tapes will arrive the same week they are shippined. If shipped later than the last pickup time on Wednesday, the tapes will site in a warehouse over the weekend, or even possibly be delivered over the weeked while we are not in the office. To avoid these issues, make sure to ship between Monday and Wednedsay.

We Can Help You Ship!

If you need help making a shipping label, just let us know! We can easily create a shipping label for you, which can make shipping much easier for you. If you want us to create a label for you please send us the weight and dimensions (Width x Length x Height) of the box.

Include a Hard Drive

Please make sure you include a hard drive with your tapes! Without a hard drive we can’t start digitizing your files. If you want more information about which hard drive to purchase you can check our hard drive guide.

Check Your Tapes For Mold

Before shipping us your tapes please make sure to check them for mold. Mold generally looks like collections of white powder or fuzz growing on the tape. This is visible through the reel windows. If you notice that your tapes have any mold on them please let us know before you ship us your tapes. We cannot process mold at our facility, and we will need to have the moldy tapes shipped to a third-party in New Jersey.

we use Spec Bros, run by Peter “Specs” Brothers to process any moldy tapes we come across. You can contact them through their website, and you can also email or call them at: (973) 777-5055. It may be easier and more cost-effective for you to ship those materials directly to New Jersey.

Here are some examples of moldy tapes: Moldy VHS Moldy U-matic 1 Moldy U-matic 1