Just a side note about boxes: even bike boxes aren't immune to things stabbing through the sides of the corrugate. I usually ask for skewers to be removed (no sense in them stabbing the box OR the frame, right?) When I pack a bike, I use foam pipe insulation and I send the shipper a photo of a bike packed that way. I also ask for some foam or padding between the frame and the sidewalls of the box. Sometimes they comply, sometimes they don't - usually the seller is appreciative, not having any idea of the duress a bike in a box has to go through to get from point A to point B. (And then there are some who really don't give a s**t. That's just eBay.)

Here's one tip if you are on the other side of the equation and find you need to ship a bike. If you have an artist supply store close by, stop in and ask for one of the boxes that FoamCore is shipped in. These are two part boxes (i.e., with a sidewall lid that sturdily fits over the base box), they are rated to 180 pounds (because FoamCore is expensive and easily damaged material)... and they are just about the perfect size to ship a bike.