How to Ship Photos Safely

Our studio is in the Chicago suburbs and about half our clients come from around Chicagoland to drop off their memories in person. The other half of our clients live across the US and in other countries, which raises the question of how to ship photos safely to us so we can scan, organize, and preserve them. We ship and receive packages of photos, home movies, and film reels almost every day. Here’s our advice to ship your memories safely:

• Start with a sturdy cardboard box so the contents are protected while in transit. We suggest a corrugated cardboard box, not a shoebox or envelope.
• Place the contents in oversized plastic bags whenever possible, which can protect your photos against moisture in winter months and humid climates.
• Pack the box as full as possible so your memories don’t slide around in the box. If there’s empty space in your shipping box use newspaper or bubble wrap as filler to keep things from jostling around.  Avoid styrofoam fillers (aka “packing peanuts”) because the static electricity and little bits make it hard to keep your photos and videos clean.
• When it’s time to ship, we suggest carriers like UPS or FedEx. These carriers include $100 of insurance with your shipment, and we suggest increasing that insurance to $200 for a small fee. It’s not that $100 or $200 of insurance money can replace your memories, but the carriers don’t want to pay those extra insurance claims.

There’s always a risk when shipping precious memories, but there’s also a risk of letting them sit in your basement for 20 more years.

Please contact us if you’re ready to preserve your memories and tackle this important project with experts you can trust. We will send you a Project Form and Contract to get you started.

Fun Fact – We have clients from 30 states and six countries!

Interested in working with Chaos to Memories?

If you’re near Chicago and ready to get started, come visit our Wheaton Studio Monday – Friday, 10-5. Please bring your memories with you.

Contact us for more information, shipping instructions, and to get started on your project.