In my "world", damage is not usually so much an issue as appearance (I sell quite a number of antique, vintage, and reproduction fashions). By that I mean the customer should find the packaging and presentation appealing and attractive, i.e. a sign that I care about their purchase and appreciate their patronage. They will also see that the item has been well protected from damage in transit by a sturdy box and sufficient filling (such as airbags, bunched-up tissue paper, etc.).
Every major item I sell is packed as if it were coming from the House of Dior itself. I kid you not -- I saw how Dior prepares, wraps, and parcels their precious wares on a video taken by the ROM for a Dior dress sent as an addition to their collection. What I discovered is that Dior uses virtually the same methods I do: a brand new, appropriately sized box, lots of crumpled tissue paper to fill out the garment and help prevent creasing; a plastic bag liner to guard against possible moisture damage, more tissue to wrap and roll the item rather than actually folding it (a trick I picked up long ago from a stewardess friend), usually a pretty satin ribbon tied around the rolled-up and tissue-wrapped garment, airbags on top to prevent shifting around, and a tissue-paper liner folded over in the centre with my logo on a fancy sticker -- the first thing the buyer will see upon opening the box.
The customer opens the parcel to find not a rumpled-up piece of clothing stuffed "naked" into the smallest possible leftover grocery-store box (something I've encountered with dismay as a buyer), but an item that might have been packed and sent by the finest clothing shop, in a purpose-made box (my favourites are Canada Post's lovely white "large" and "extra-large" size boxes). Yes, they're more expensive than leftover, re-used brown boxes, and more expensive to ship due to their size, but my customers keep coming back, which I hope is partly due to my care in presentation.
You'd be surprised how many of my buyers make a point of telling me how much they appreciate the packaging. I figure for the extra few minutes of my time and few dollars, it's worth it for a $300 to $500 item that is unique, and therefore both irreplaceable and useless if damaged. Insurance is fine, but a damaged item due to sloppy or lazy packing won't encourage a buyer to return.
