Buyers and sellers of glassware (especially fragile vintage glass) on

eBay should be aware of a phenomenon called THERMAL SHOCK. If a

piece of glassware experiences sharp changes in temperature, it can

shatter no matter how securely packaged it is.

There have been several reports of thermal shock destroying pieces

mailed to cold weather climates. Typically, this happens when a

package has been left out in the cold (for instance, on the customer’s

doorstep or on a long truck ride) and then the package is suddenly

opened in a warm room. Witnesses report hearing a kind of sucking

sound followed by a cracking noise.

To prevent this from happening, BRING YOUR PACKAGE TO ROOM TEMPERATURE

BEFORE OPENING. If you are mailing a fragile item to a cold

weather climate, it’s prudent to email the buyer and let them know

about this. It might also be useful to put a warning next to the

address label. Better safe than sorry. Good luck!