LetterAgent
Mail physical letters by just asking your AI assistant.
Keep a new puzzle sealed in its box, bag the pieces of an opened puzzle separately, and protect the box corners with padding so the lid cannot crush. Puzzles are light but fragile at the corners, and a crushed corner is the first thing a buyer notices. Wrap the box, pad the corners, and use a box that fits snugly.
A sealed puzzle is the easiest case: the shrink wrap already holds the lid on and keeps dust out, so your job is to protect the box itself. Wrap the puzzle box in a layer of bubble wrap or packing paper, paying attention to the corners, and place it in a mailing box with just enough padding to stop it sliding. Do not ship a puzzle box in a thin poly mailer with no padding, because a mailer offers no corner protection at all.
Puzzle boxes are made from thin cardboard, and a corner dent shows even through shrink wrap. If you have the choice, put the puzzle box in a box rather than a padded envelope, and orient it flat, not on edge. A puzzle box standing on edge takes the full weight of anything stacked on it along one thin side, while a flat box spreads the load.
Count the pieces if you can, or at least confirm the puzzle is complete to the best of your knowledge, and say so honestly in your listing or note. Bag the pieces in a zip bag, squeeze out the air, and seal it well: a single escaped piece makes the puzzle incomplete. Put the bag inside the puzzle box, and add a small piece of tissue or paper on top so the bag does not rattle against the lid.
Keep the reference picture with the puzzle. If the box lid has the picture printed on it, nothing extra is needed. If you are shipping a puzzle in a plain box, include a printout or a photo of the finished image, since a puzzle without its picture is much harder and less enjoyable to build. Tape the lid shut with a strip of tape across each side, not just one strip across the middle, so the lid cannot lift in transit and spill pieces into the outer box.
| Puzzle state | Inner packing | Outer packing |
|---|---|---|
| Sealed, new | Wrap the box, pad corners | Snug mailing box, flat |
| Opened, complete | Pieces in a sealed zip bag inside the box | Snug mailing box, lid taped |
| Opened, uncounted | Bag the pieces, note it honestly | Snug mailing box |
| Large piece count | Bag in groups if needed | Box, not a padded envelope |
Say so before shipping, and photograph the damage. A dented corner on a used puzzle is normal wear, but a buyer who discovers it on arrival will assume it happened in transit. A photo sent before shipping settles that question in advance. Reinforce a weak box with tape along the edges, and consider putting a damaged box inside a second, slightly larger box with padding, so the damage does not get worse.
For a collectible or out-of-print puzzle, the box condition matters as much as the pieces, so treat it like a fragile item: wrap it, pad the corners with extra material, and use a box with room for padding on all sides. Marking the outer box as fragile helps, but padding is what actually protects it, since handlers cannot see what is inside.
Ask your AI assistant for a Canada Post Xpresspost shipping label through LetterAgent, approve the exact quoted price, and print the label PDF. LetterAgent labels are Canada-only, flat-rate Xpresspost, and cover parcels up to 5 kg. If the parcel is headed outside Canada, LetterAgent cannot provide the label, so use a carrier that serves that destination directly. Put the label flat on the largest side of the box, clear of seams, and photograph the sealed parcel before drop-off. That covers even a large puzzle with room to spare, but weigh the finished parcel before you ask for the quote.
Ready to ship it? Get a shipping label with LetterAgent: describe it to your AI assistant, approve the exact quoted price, and get your label.
LetterAgent is a working name. Prices include print, postage, and our service fee. US prices in USD, Canadian prices in CAD (Canadian prices exclude applicable sales tax, added at checkout). Currently in private testing.
Need help? Ask your assistant: it can check a job's status any time. If it ever can't handle something: hello@getletteragent.com