Around the World in 80 days (all in one piece)

Last fall, we received a custom snow globe order, at our plant in Denver, Colorado, for a Snow Globe to be sent to someone living in Europe. Hey, no sweat: we find out how much it will cost to ship, and the customer approved the order.


The photo was sweet, with a cute couple sharing a kiss, and the liquid was filled with shimmering hearts. It was simple and perfectly pleasing. Snow globes going from the United States to a destination overseas are packed with care - but it is the same care we pack every snow globe, even if it's only going to a destination in Colorado. The Snow Globe is first packed into a gift box, 6 inches square with tissue paper around the globe. Next, we place the "Custom Snow globe in a box" inside a larger square box, cushioned with bubble wrap and custom soft foam for additional protection. 

Without making a very very long story too long to read, suffice it to say, shortly that after the Personalized Snow Globe was shipped, we received notice that the address had been provided incorrectly and needed to be corrected by the customer - only there was no way to do so. We knew that our lonely little snow globe had been sent to a location that did not exist.

A replacement Water globe was ordered by the customer, who double checked the address, and it was on its way. It was received a few weeks later (Snow Globe Central has no control over the delivery time, particularly in other countries) and we received happy word that the custom snow globe arrived and was pronounced beautiful.

But what happened to our little brave Snow Globe, sent out into the world, alone and with the wrong address? Nobody knew, and we went on about our work and forgot about it.

Fast forward to March, 2011. Five months after the original Snow Globe waved goodbye on its adventure across the sea, it was returned to us with a number of markings including "not at this address" and "address unknown" and a few other handwritten and stamped messages in languages we did not understand, but appeared to have been forwarded to someone in another country, not the one we had shipped to -- chasing a forwarding address for a nonexistent person. Our little snow globe had ventured in three other countries before someone kindly marked "return to sender" (at least that is what we THINK it said), and it came back to its birthplace for additional instructions.

We handed the returned box to the serious and always-skeptical Zee Mann, the head of our shipping department, Wizard of Bubble Wrap, Guru of Packing Tape, and Emperor of Superior Packing Methods. He eagerly, but carefully unwrapped the box, the inner packing, and the gift box inside. The brave Water Ball emerged pristine and unbroken, despite traveling for five months through various shipping departments and delivery trucks around the world. 

"Victory!" proclaimed Zee Mann, patting himself on the back in away we thought might pull a muscle. "My packing methods are now proven. Give me your bumpy unpaved roads, deliver my boxes by train, truck or bicycle, we shall prevail!"

While he showered himself in a celebration of mylar confetti in silver stars and tiny silver jets, the rest of us just smiled. It's good to know the beautiful Snow Globes we make are packed in a way that protects them until they arrive at their destination. Or, as the case may be, until they find their way back home. 

Remember, your Snow Globe is packed to the highest specifications with extra layers to cushion against all the expected bumps, falls and twists on its journey. Our success rate of happy arrivals and delicious deliveries is nearly perfect. 

For the one or two Snow Globes that may arrive broken, out of hundreds and hundreds we ship, please save all the packing material and notify the shipper and Snow Globe Central immediately. If one of our snow globes breaks while still in the protective shipping box, we'd like to know. The last time that happened, the shipper found tire tracks on the box. Even Zee Mann's careful packaging isn't going to hold up against a 4-ton truck, but we'll get a replacement out to you quickly. (The broken globe and all shipping material is needed, to determine fault and file a claim with the shipper, should that be necessary.)