In winter, I add 1 or 2 heat packs, depending upon the size of the box. In
wholesale quantities, they're under $2 each. However, as they do have a
relatively short life, if the recipient is more than 2 days away by ground,
I upgrade them to 2-day Express service. With that, it might add that much.

In summer, when I know the packages will warm up, I thoroughly water the
plant before shipping (something to avoid in winter). That evaporative
cooling seems to do the trick. I do not charge for that.
--

Ray Barkalow - First Rays Orchids - www.firstrays.com
Plants, Supplies. Books, Artwork, and lots of Free Info!


"K Barrett" wrote in message
...
On another site I read a person wondered about shipping chocolate in
summer months. The factory rep responded that it cost $50 to ship a $24
order, so advised waiting till fall to order chocolate thru the mail.

Now, we don't wait to ship living organisms like orchids..... so what's up
with that?? Vendors commonly use cool/heat pads when they ship, and I
don't think they cost an additional $20-$25 does it?

K Barrett

Thanks Ray. I guess it does add up.

K
"Ray B" wrote in message
news:YH0pi.429$zJ4.419@trndny03...
In winter, I add 1 or 2 heat packs, depending upon the size of the box.
In wholesale quantities, they're under $2 each. However, as they do have
a relatively short life, if the recipient is more than 2 days away by
ground, I upgrade them to 2-day Express service. With that, it might add
that much.

In summer, when I know the packages will warm up, I thoroughly water the
plant before shipping (something to avoid in winter). That evaporative
cooling seems to do the trick. I do not charge for that.
--

Ray Barkalow - First Rays Orchids - www.firstrays.com
Plants, Supplies. Books, Artwork, and lots of Free Info!


"K Barrett" wrote in message
...
On another site I read a person wondered about shipping chocolate in
summer months. The factory rep responded that it cost $50 to ship a $24
order, so advised waiting till fall to order chocolate thru the mail.

Now, we don't wait to ship living organisms like orchids..... so what's
up with that?? Vendors commonly use cool/heat pads when they ship, and I
don't think they cost an additional $20-$25 does it?

K Barrett

Chocolate is tough to ship in summer, and can be difficult in winter too. I
forget what the actual word for this is, but what happens is that chocolate,
if kept too cold, gets that white coating on it. So you'd have to very
carefully pack it to create a cool but not cold environment. People don't
keep chocolate in the fridge, nor freeze it.

Diana

"K Barrett" wrote in message
. ..
Thanks Ray. I guess it does add up.

K
"Ray B" wrote in message
news:YH0pi.429$zJ4.419@trndny03...
In winter, I add 1 or 2 heat packs, depending upon the size of the box.
In wholesale quantities, they're under $2 each. However, as they do have
a relatively short life, if the recipient is more than 2 days away by
ground, I upgrade them to 2-day Express service. With that, it might add
that much.

In summer, when I know the packages will warm up, I thoroughly water the
plant before shipping (something to avoid in winter). That evaporative
cooling seems to do the trick. I do not charge for that.
--

Ray Barkalow - First Rays Orchids - www.firstrays.com
Plants, Supplies. Books, Artwork, and lots of Free Info!


"K Barrett" wrote in message
...
On another site I read a person wondered about shipping chocolate in
summer months. The factory rep responded that it cost $50 to ship a $24
order, so advised waiting till fall to order chocolate thru the mail.

Now, we don't wait to ship living organisms like orchids..... so what's
up with that?? Vendors commonly use cool/heat pads when they ship, and
I don't think they cost an additional $20-$25 does it?

K Barrett

Hey....I love frozen chocolate. A frozen Reeces Peanut butter cup is great.
After holidays I often buy chocolate when it goes on sale (after
Easter/Christmas/etc.) and freeze it for months at a time. No problem.
When it's frozen you can't eat it very fast

Gene





"Diana Kulaga" wrote in message
...
Chocolate is tough to ship in summer, and can be difficult in winter too.
I forget what the actual word for this is, but what happens is that
chocolate, if kept too cold, gets that white coating on it. So you'd have
to very carefully pack it to create a cool but not cold environment.
People don't keep chocolate in the fridge, nor freeze it.

Diana

"K Barrett" wrote in message
. ..
Thanks Ray. I guess it does add up.

K
"Ray B" wrote in message
news:YH0pi.429$zJ4.419@trndny03...
In winter, I add 1 or 2 heat packs, depending upon the size of the box.
In wholesale quantities, they're under $2 each. However, as they do
have a relatively short life, if the recipient is more than 2 days away
by ground, I upgrade them to 2-day Express service. With that, it might
add that much.

In summer, when I know the packages will warm up, I thoroughly water the
plant before shipping (something to avoid in winter). That evaporative
cooling seems to do the trick. I do not charge for that.
--

Ray Barkalow - First Rays Orchids - www.firstrays.com
Plants, Supplies. Books, Artwork, and lots of Free Info!


"K Barrett" wrote in message
...
On another site I read a person wondered about shipping chocolate in
summer months. The factory rep responded that it cost $50 to ship a
$24 order, so advised waiting till fall to order chocolate thru the
mail.

Now, we don't wait to ship living organisms like orchids..... so what's
up with that?? Vendors commonly use cool/heat pads when they ship, and
I don't think they cost an additional $20-$25 does it?

K Barrett

Peanut butter cups are different.......

Once you mix the chocolate with other ingredients, no prob. Chocolate ice
cream comes to mind.

It's not that the chocolate goes bad. It just loses texture. (Oh, jees, now
I'm getting a chocolate jones. Kathy, what have you started?) ;oD

Diana

"Gene Schurg" wrote in message
news:vPapi.731$Ub7.610@trnddc04...
Hey....I love frozen chocolate. A frozen Reeces Peanut butter cup is
great. After holidays I often buy chocolate when it goes on sale (after
Easter/Christmas/etc.) and freeze it for months at a time. No problem.
When it's frozen you can't eat it very fast

Gene





"Diana Kulaga" wrote in message
...
Chocolate is tough to ship in summer, and can be difficult in winter too.
I forget what the actual word for this is, but what happens is that
chocolate, if kept too cold, gets that white coating on it. So you'd have
to very carefully pack it to create a cool but not cold environment.
People don't keep chocolate in the fridge, nor freeze it.

Diana

"K Barrett" wrote in message
. ..
Thanks Ray. I guess it does add up.

K
"Ray B" wrote in message
news:YH0pi.429$zJ4.419@trndny03...
In winter, I add 1 or 2 heat packs, depending upon the size of the box.
In wholesale quantities, they're under $2 each. However, as they do
have a relatively short life, if the recipient is more than 2 days away
by ground, I upgrade them to 2-day Express service. With that, it
might add that much.

In summer, when I know the packages will warm up, I thoroughly water
the plant before shipping (something to avoid in winter). That
evaporative cooling seems to do the trick. I do not charge for that.
--

Ray Barkalow - First Rays Orchids - www.firstrays.com
Plants, Supplies. Books, Artwork, and lots of Free Info!


"K Barrett" wrote in message
...
On another site I read a person wondered about shipping chocolate in
summer months. The factory rep responded that it cost $50 to ship a
$24 order, so advised waiting till fall to order chocolate thru the
mail.

Now, we don't wait to ship living organisms like orchids..... so
what's up with that?? Vendors commonly use cool/heat pads when they
ship, and I don't think they cost an additional $20-$25 does it?

K Barrett

On Mon, 23 Jul 2007 19:33:23 -0400, Diana Kulaga wrote:
Kathy, what have you started?) ;oD

I'm going for the Ben and Jerry's and Kahlua right now.


Bob

vanilla covered in Grand Marnier.....

--

Ray Barkalow - First Rays Orchids - www.firstrays.com
Plants, Supplies. Books, Artwork, and lots of Free Info!


"Robert Lorenzini" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 23 Jul 2007 19:33:23 -0400, Diana Kulaga wrote:
Kathy, what have you started?) ;oD

I'm going for the Ben and Jerry's and Kahlua right now.


Bob

On Mon, 23 Jul 2007 11:56:40 GMT, "Ray B"
wrote:

In winter, I add 1 or 2 heat packs, depending upon the size of the box. In
wholesale quantities, they're under $2 each. However, as they do have a
relatively short life, if the recipient is more than 2 days away by ground,
I upgrade them to 2-day Express service. With that, it might add that much.

In summer, when I know the packages will warm up, I thoroughly water the
plant before shipping (something to avoid in winter). That evaporative
cooling seems to do the trick. I do not charge for that.
Let me add that Ray ships VERY well packed items. Two Thumbs Up.

Dave Fouchey

Florence, SC

N34° 11' 36.40"

W79° 47' 6.85"

WA4EMR

Really far behind in my reading r.g.o. these days.

We ship tens of thousands of seedlings out of what is probably one
of the hottest ZIP codes in the country; I have yet to have a report of
seedlings damaged by heat. Once a year, we might lose a shipment due to a
snap snowstorm (the last one was 2005, I think), but that's it.

We ship in cardboard boxes with plastic peanuts. Nothing fancy.

I figure the box goes from the a/c house to the a/c car to the a/c
post office to a truck that hauls it to some a/c shipping center in the
shadow of the airport. From there, FedEx (which handless air shipments of
USPS Priority Mail these days) moves it as fast as they can.

I also follow Rod Venger's suggestion from way the heck back when:
absolutely no indications as to the contents. No "Fragile" or "Perishable"
or other designations.

The address in the header is bogus. Send no email there.

-AJHicks
Chandler, AZ