How the heck do I move or pack my flat screeen TV?

Moving is an old profession and sometimes, change comes about slowly. However, the world economy does not waste much time developing products that consumers around the world want to buy.

The Television is a good example of this as I have been a witness, in my life to my family getting

a Zenith Large Screen Television as a child and it was even a "color television," unlike our previous 'black and white" televisions of my childhood.

The Zenith even had a "space command" remote control that could amazingly move the channel upwards or downwards, but you had to point the remote (with its protrucing 4 plastic buttoms)

directly at the spot of the television where the sensor was. Wow, we were a lucky family and with this television, it was a whole 25 inch diagonal picture. We had channels 2 though 13, and

we were living large. Cable was not yet here, so we had an antenna or rabbit ears on our roof.

The wood cabinet of the TV was real wood, too.

What was also great was that you could fix the tv yourself, if you took out the tubes from the back of the tv, the local drug store had a free test unit and they could sell the tubes that you needed to fix the tv. How convenient.

Today, I am at a loss to see how even the high definition televisions and of today, have changed so much and they are flat, with no real tubes that I have ever seen.

We got cable and satellite and 3D now, since almost everyone has one or two of these flatscreeens, the question is how does one move or pack one of these televisions anyway?

At Box Brothers, we have been packing televisions, monitors, computers and flat screeen instruments for a very long time. We stock 6 different sizes of Flat Screeen Television Boxes

so that any owner can now pack his or her flat screen in a professional way. Of course, we are happy to pack any item for customers, as when we do, we do it professionally so that it will withstand the rigors of the less than forgiving shipping environments that exist today.

Or we will be happy to tell and instruct you on how to properly package your flat screen unit, and save a few dollars in the process, as we are happy to simply explain how to package them so that they will arrive safely, as while their prices have dropped a great deal, they are still expensive units and are subject to damage given their size, composition and weight.

The moving and storage firms who package these tv's generally only have one size box or some expensive tv kit, that is still a one size fits all approach, which in packaging, is not the right approach to ensuring a safe and damage free (shipment) arrival. One of the keys to safe packaging is basic immobilization: you want the box to fix snugly, you want to have the right cushioning to absorb a drop or a hit, and the cushioning has to be rigid, but not too rigid--but above all, to immobilize and protect, the outer box must not allow its contents to shift in transit.

With a myriad of sizes available, and with extensive choices of cushioning, we believe each pack job is different, even though the goal for all packaging is the same, safety and today, size. No one

really knows this except packagers and shippers, as size matters to cost, in shipping and this is more true today than at any other time.

While there are a lot of issues in packaging, especially for flat LCD or OLED tv's, Box Brothershas all of your bases covered and we do not charge for packaging advice, as we want our customers for life and giving them the best information is the best way to do that.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Television

Cardboard as an Artform?

I got a call from a customer, who wanted to find out if I was interested in some retail space
in the San Diego Artists Colony, as he thought we would be a good addition to his space there,
as it is located in the heart of a new burgeoning art area near UC San Diego.

After he explained the purpose of his call, I asked him how it was that he came by us as a source
for packaging and handling art, for both artists and their customers.

He told me that his wife, was an artist, and that she had a recent showing of her latest collection
of artwork, in a gallery with the wife of the actor, Jack Black. The show in a gallery, in West
Hollywood was a big success and other shows are scheduled.

I still was not sure what specific business we had done with these customers, but the gentleman,
a Mr. Golden, told me his wife buys our boxes and has used them as a canvas, and painted directly onto the cardboard boxes. In some case, she has almost done a three dimensional piece
of art, by painting half the portrait or scene on the left side of the box and the other portion on
the other side of the box.

This is the first time in almost 25 years that I have heard a story like this, and it has stuck with
me, as many people dabble in art, but to use a commodity as standard and ubiquitous as an old
cardboard box--that each and every one of us has used countless times in our lives--as a means
of maybe defining their artwork in a cardboard kind of way. Something so simple and yet so
staggering.

See for yourself, at: floragoldenart.com

I got to speak with Mrs. Golden the other day, as I told her husband that if his wife wanted any special cardboard, it would be our pleasure to get it for her. I let her know that I can get her
a stronger double wall piece of cardboard, to ensure a greater strength to the canvas, as paintings
with certain paints, can be heavy.

That is about how far my involvement with creating art goes, I am afraid, as I knew early on that for me to be involved with art, it was not going to be cause I was good at creating it; more like better at packaging it, crating it, admiring or even trying to figure out its true meaning.

But most important for me was that I got to work with some of our fantastic customers that we have at Box Brothers. In fact, after being the President of Box Brothers for almost 25 years,
meeting and speaking to our customers is still the single biggest rewarding aspect to how I make
a living. I sometimes can forget what I do, when I am lost in the world of payroll taxes, personnel, medical insurance, hiring and firing and working with staff and vendors.

There is an old saying in the retail trade, in fact, more than one that comes to mind, but in retail,
you do not get to pick your customers and in a service business, you learn quick that the same
rendition of service can lead to accolades from some, and serious negative complaints from others.

That is why the customer experience is so great here at Box Brothers, as these customers know
that they are the reason we come to work; that without them, we got no oil in the engine to make our business go. I just got reminded how rewarding and special, these customers can be.
Happy New Year.

Three,Two,One, Sold 2011 on Auction.

It occurs to me, as we come close to our annual year end, that my take on this past year, might sound familiar to other business people and even to some politicians.......that is a scary thought.

However, 2011 is surely going to be looked at differently by different people, depending on their
perspectives, their experiences and their history. For us, the recession still lingers, as our business is tied to real estate, in general, like much of the moving and storage industry.

At the same time, other components of our business seemed to have awoken this holiday period: retail sales were not as bleak as they had been predicted to be, many consumers spent
money and enjoyed good values, in the stores, based on what I saw and read. Further, for those of us who work with Auctions and Auctioneers, this December simply set records for sales. They
included the 2nd and third installments of the Debbie Reynolds auctions in Beverly Hills, by Auctioneer, Profiles in History, and their additional auction last week of Hollywood Memorabilia, (Icons of Hollywood and Icons of Animation).

Julien's Auctions, also out of Beverly Hills, recently concluded an auction of items from the late estate of entertainer, Michael Jackson, this past month. Ames Auctioneers also had an auction at the Sportman's Lodge in Studio City that brought in some surprising numbers; Modern Auctions out of the San Fernando Valley also had a large auction with some really good results;
California Auctioneers, out of Ventura, whose recent auction included several rare firearms, that also set some records. Bonhams Auctioneers, recently set a new record for a sales price in their Natural History Auction, held 4 weeks ago.

Presumably, the largest auction held this past December, in New York, also made some hay:
the Elizabeth Taylor Auction at Christies Auction House was remarkable in so many ways, as
patrons waiting in lines for hours just to see the items, prior to auction. It is my understanding
that many of the items got record bids that were described as "amazing, or unheard of..." They completely sold out over 500 lots.

Some might conclude that this type of activity is not the type of economic driver that will make a
difference to our economy or those who need work in this difficult time, but I beg to differ, as today, what is clear to me is that all economic activity is good and if we can string some of this
activity together, then it definitely makes a difference.

For a firm like ours, Box Brothers, to be able to render the best quality service, you need to understand the customer, the auctioneer, the packaging (from soft packs to custom museum quality crates), and to be able to truly understand logistics, from package (United Parcel System, Federal Express)to freight (less than truckload) to air and ocean shipments of all sizes, values and shapes.

So when we get a call to help a customer obtain his purchased (auction) items of memorabilia, or art, all of this activity leads to more economic activity not just for us, but for our suppliers, our freight vendors, our wood suppliers, and most importantly, for our people who make it happen,
our employees, day in, and day out.

There were times during this recession, that no matter what we did, we did not have enough hours for all of our people to get a full paycheck. No matter what is said on the news, this is where the "rubber meets the road," for most of us. Being able to provide for your family and loved ones while basic, became a huge task for many of us in the transportation business, these past few years. This is why it is important for any and all economic activity to happen, even the purchasing of an old dress cause it once belonged to a famous person. And this is why we love auctions, auctioneers and collectors, as to us, they make the world continue to spin in the right direction for all of us, as in the end, we are all part of the same economic team and it is time to post some wins for the smaller guys out there.
Happy new year and lets bring 2012 in with a bang--of good news

Holiday Season 2011

Down here in the vegas valley we have been busy getting out our freight. Cowboy wrangled up our holiday signs to show our customers we are happily opened through-out this holiday season to help you with getting that package to your family members this holiday season. We finally have some room to move around after being bombarded with our mountain of UPS/FedEx packages.

We had some interesting freight going out alongside of the basic move of boxes and furniture. The first was a massive government server that was worth over $400,000 and had invaluable data on it. It had to be custom packed on a pallet to support the 1000 lbs of electronics inside, I'm not kidding to say that it was the largest rack I have ever seen! The guys then had to hurry up and make a custom box for a round poker table going over seas to Japan. It was short work to the guys out back, and they moved on to the Indian River pictures which had to have to special treatment of: paper-mat, bubblewrap, and fitted neatly into a foam lined box.

I hope you all had a great christmas weekend, and bring on 2012!

Food Challenge at Thanksgiving...Some Thoughts

For many of us, it is hard to even believe that this wonderful family holiday is now here. Maybe it is me, but this past year, has, seemed to go by quickly, at least on a macro level.

On a micro, day to day level, I am one who is glad this 2011 is coming to an end, as it has been
trying financially, economically and it seems that many in our society feel the need to protest
(for lack of a better label..) how things are going down in our nation and in this world, now called
a global economy.

I, for one, have no idea what is going on out there, nor have I any true understanding how we got to this place, as a nation. We see demonstrations in cities in America, and around the world, but not in the world's most populous country, and our biggest foreign trading partner, China. Nor do we see this same turmoil in Iran, Russia or Cuba.......and that is my point.

NO one here, as difficult as things are compared to times in the past, would leave this great
country and go live in China, or Russia, Cuba or Iran, where you cannot protest anything without
risking your life and your family's. We take this for granted, for sure.

The amazing thing about this holiday, is that to me, it is a "melting pot enhancer." I know, what
the heck is a melting pot enhancer? Good question.

As a child of immigrants to this country (my parents and brother came to the United States after
World War II), I know that many people from far away lands, do not always find America's rich
traditions familiar. However, I can't remember when our family ever failed to celebrate this holiday and used it as a way to give thanks for what we had as a family. I know my parents
only wanted a better life for their children and family than they had in Europe, and their great hope for the future, was somehow embodied in this American Holiday.

Today, everyone seems to celebrate this day with family and that is why this is such a special day and while many of us wish for better times, I think we all have a duty to just stop and take
some time to show some appreciation for all the special gifts we have. We have so much to be
thankful for, and surely, better times for all should be around the corner, but in a little way, it
starts with each and everyone of us.

So I challenge all of you to do something for someone else in the coming days. It can be saying
hello, or simply thanking someone for being who they are. I always try to overcome my frustration, and I am not very good at it all the time, but at times like this, I am going to try
harder to show my appreciation for what I have in my life and to say thanks to those who have
been there and who have made the difference, in a good way, for so many others.

This is why, I am also proud to announce that starting on Monday, November 28th, at all Box Brothers Locations, any food donations customers bring in, until the first of the year (2012),
customers will receive a coupon for up to 20% off all air shipping and all packaging services
we provide at all of our retail outlets. In addition, Box Brothers locations will hand out free
Move for Hunger Boxes to customers so that they can package their donations and bring them
in to any Box Brothers location for drop off. We will then extend to you our discount coupon offers, and arrange for all the food to go to the the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, Sofa
Pantry and the Central Ave Corridor Food Bank, as well.

In this time of need, we want to stand tall and respect not only those in our community who might need a little assistance, but to stand up against hunger, as this is one of those things in life that we can all make better by extending ourselves to others who have a greater need.

Let all join together and make this holiday season the best one for everyone, in the true spirit of giving.

I guess I have taken the first step, and I challenge all of my people here at Box Brothers to do the same and I wish this message goes far and deep, so we can help to fight hunger in our great land. God Bless America, and Have a Great Thanksgiving.

His attention to detail is extraordinary .

Subject: Regarding David Ferguson/West Hollywood

Message:
Hello: I can't say enough about David Ferguson the manager of your West Hollywood store. His attention to detail is extraordinary . David could not be nicer. I know when I have items to be packed and shipped I have nothing to worry about. He has never let me down in all the years I have been going there.

Keep up the excellent work.

Regards,
Lael W.

Dave has been at the West Hollywood store for years.

You know if you ever need anything Packed or Shipped this is who you go see!

Visit this link for more info. http://boxbros.com/locations/west-hollywood-california/

Press Release for Immediate Release

BOX BROTHERS

3320 South Central Avenue

Los Angeles, CA 90011

Phone (323) 233.1367

Fax (323) 231.1467

Press Release

Contact: Lynda Wilson

Phone: (323) 233.1367

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

9 A.M. PST, October 25, 2011

Box Brothers Downtown Store Opens at Rittenhouse Square on Historic Central Avenue

Los Angeles’ newest Box Brothers® Store has opened at Rittenhouse Square, 3320 South Central Avenue. The

store will host a grand opening celebration on Friday, Nov. 4, with a ribbon cutting ceremony, jazz and refreshments.

To celebrate the grand opening, the Box Brothers Downtown location will offer 39 cents color copies and a

20% discount on early holiday shipping, now through November 30.

In addition to domestic and international shipping, Box Brothers offers moving and shipping boxes in varying

sizes, color and black-and-white duplications, document finishing (binding, laminating, etc.), notary, printing

services (business cards, letterhead, rubber stamps, etc.), Live Scan, full-service packaging, freight crating and

shipping, mailbox and postal services, office and packaging supplies and more.

“As a one-stop shop for shipping, postal and business services, we look forward to serving the Downtown

community,” said Store Manager, Lynda Wilson. “We are in the business of saving people time, and with

shipping prices direct from FedEx, UPS, DHL and USPS; we can save them money as well. At Box Brothers,

we’re committed to providing personalized and convenient business solutions with world-class customer

service. We are a local business with a global reach.”

The Box Brothers Downtown Store location is independently operated by Oday and Sons, LLC, a family-owned

company. As community stakeholders, the family has lived in South Los Angeles for almost 100 years. Lynda

also stated that, “Historic Central Avenue is in the midst of a renaissance and we are ecstatic to be a part of its

rich history and culture. For us, we have come full circle, the church we grew up in still stands directly behind

Rittenhouse Square. Historic Central Avenue is still surviving and thriving.”

The Box Brothers Store is open Monday through Friday 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., and Saturday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Free parking available!

For additional information,

visit www.boxbros.com.

Rittenhouse Square is owned and managed by Thomas Safran & Associates, is located between 33rd and 34th

Streets near Newton Division Police Station on Historic Central Avenue in Downtown Los Angeles.

Rittenhouse is anchored by Subway and Primera Taza Coffee House. For more information visit

www.tsahousing.com.