There are many reasons why you may need to ship a pool cue. You could be sending it to a customer or a repair company. You could be sending the cue to avoid flying with it, where you may not trust the care of baggage handlers.
Regardless of your reasons, you want to ensure it reaches its destination safely without incident. The only way to do this is by properly packing and shipping your pool cue.
It’s easy and somewhat inexpensive. You only need a box, some bubble wrap, care with packing, and buying postage from a trusted carrier like USPS or UPS.
How to Ship a Pool Cue
The type of cue here doesn’t matter. If it’s for billiards, pool or snooker, the method will be basically the same. All cues comprise wood along with other materials like graphite, fiberglass or carbon fiber.
In general, pool cues are around 58 inches long and weigh between one to 1½ pounds. Some come as a whole sick or in two pieces, usually attached at a joint with a screw. This disassembling feature makes transportation and storage easier.
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Items You’ll Need
- Pool Cue
- Triangular or Tubular Box or Container
- Duct Tape
- Scissors
- Old Newspaper
- Bubble Wrap
- Styrofoam Popcorn (optional)
- Scale
- Postage ; Insurance
Choosing a Box to Ship Your Pool Cue
Since pool cues don’t usually weigh more than 1½ pounds, they’re easy to pack and ship, for the most part. Most postal carriers have triangular or tubular shipping boxes to accommodate a cue stick. Triangular ones are good for cues that come apart and tubular ones are best for whole sticks.
This depends on if you have a one-piece or two-piece pool cue. Choosing the correct size box for your pool cue will probably be the most costly portion of shipping a pool cue as you may need need to purchase a specialized box if it’s a one piece.
You could also use PVC pipe or a cardboard roll from carpet and fabric stores. Just cut it to the desired size and plug one end with cardboard secured with duct tape. Follow the same directions as indicated below.
Packing the Cue
If you have to, disassemble the stick and wrap each piece with an abundance of newspaper and then bubble wrap. Take care to also wrap the ends. Tape the wrapped pieces together to form one solid unit and then wrap them together with an additional bubble wrap layer. Place them inside the container along with the packing slip, if there is one.
Insulate the inside around the cue with Styrofoam popcorn or more bubble wrap as necessary. Make sure it doesn’t shift around too much during transport. Close the box and shake it to see if it feels loose. Adjust anything for security, reclose and seal well with duct tape.
USPS or UPS Shipping Carrier
Unless you have some sort of shipping agreement with FedEx, try to only go with the United States Postal Service (USPS) or United Parcel Service (UPS). They’re often faster and far more accurate with their shipment tracking. They’ll also have boxes best for shipping that won’t cost too much money.
Weigh the Box
If you have a scale on hand to weigh the package on your own, you should be able to print out all the labels you need to get your package ready for its final destination. If not, UPS or USPS will have them available at their Customer Service counters.
There’s also the option of taking the whole thing into to the shipping carrier and having them weight it so you get the exact amount of correct postage. If you aren’t the kind of person who’s good with measuring and weights, take to the carrier to ensure you get everything right.
Purchase Postage
As long as you’re shipping within the US, the price shouldn’t be more than $25. Note that this price is on higher end of estimation. Of course, this will depend on the package’s total weight, delivery speed and how far away the destination is from your shipping location.
If you do this from your home or office, you can print out the necessary postage along with the shipping labels and tape it on yourself. All you have to do after that is drop it off at your selected carrier and ensure to acquire a tracking number.
Insurance
Because many cues are expensive, you don’t want leave anything to chance when it comes to shipping. So, make sure you purchase some insurance along with the postage. You will be able to prove the value in the rare case it gets lost, damaged or stolen.
What Not to Do When Shipping a Pool Cue
When packing and getting the cue ready for shipment, there are a few things that you shouldn’t do. Make sure your hands as well as the cue are clean and dry. Any amount of moisture can cause the cue to warp.
Don’t use tape or any adhesive directly onto the cue. These will leave a mark and can create other damage because it may eat away at the finish of the stick. Likewise, don’t use rubber bands, even over the bubble wrapping, for the same reasons.
Last but not least, avoid over packing. Yes, you want your contents to be firmly in place, but too much can overburden the packaging, which may cause it to split.
What to Do After Giving It to the Shipping Carrier
Contact your customer, company repair facility or other destination with your tracking number. Confirm the package is on its way and give them the estimated delivery date. Also supply them with your contact info in case they have any questions, comments or concerns.
Final Thoughts
It’s easy to pack and ship a pool cue anywhere you need it to go. There’s a little attention and care that goes into packing it, which might be time consuming. Other than that, it’s a cinch. Just be mindful of where you put the tape while keeping everything moisture-free.
The whole thing shouldn’t cost too much as long as you’re aware of how much packing material will add to the total weight. But expect to pay about $25 or less for the whole thing. If you follow these instructions, your package should reach its destination without any problems.