> Why not do what Ken Wilford does and use tape that says VANAGAIN on it...
> Ron???

Because if I used tape that said VANAGAIN on it, it would really confuse
people.  :-)

Seriously, it's simply because of cost.  We go through a TON of tape every
day, and it's about half the price without the imprint.  It may not seem
like a big difference but every little bit adds up.  We also try to cut
costs and prevent waste by shredding all of our wastepaper and using it for
packing, rather than buying styrofoam peanuts that will only end up in a
landfill after one use.  (If you ever see styrofoam in a box from us, it was
re-used from a package that we received; we never buy it!).  Or collecting
boxes from local shop owners for re-use, rather than buying brand new boxes
while they throw away nearly-new ones every day.  All of these things both
reduce our negative impact on the environment, and cut our expenses,
directly resulting in lower prices.  It's a win/win  situation, and believe
me, the cost savings do add up to something real.

Before I get a slew of "well, my box arrived with this broken part or that
broken part," yes, I know that sometimes an item gets damaged in shipping.
It sucks when it happens, and with as many orders as go out of our shop, it
does happen. I have a vested interest in preventing it, as half the time UPS
never pays the claim, and even when they do, I'm out the cost of shipping
the order again plus I have an irritated customer. Usually when it happens,
it's not due to the packing material, as shredded paper and balled up
newspaper are actually quite sufficient for most parts (and in fact it's how
most of our suppliers pack the items they send to us).  Sometimes it's due
to pure stupidity, like someone packing a fragile mirror and a 25 lb brake
drum in the same box.  I've got a great crew, but we also hire seasonal
temps, and the shipping area is usually where they start out. Other times
it's simply due to the abuses of UPS.  I've seen more than one box that
looked so trashed upon delivery that I was absolutely amazed that everything
was in one piece when I opened it up - a testimony to the fact that paper
can be as effective as styrofoam, without clogging our landfills...

Oh well, off of my tangent ...

- Ron Salmon
  The Bus Depot, Inc.
  (215) 234-VWVW
  www.busdepot.com

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