> I think the key is that you can skip the "pack it up" step - UPS won't ship many things that would survive shipment just fine unless they're wrapped in a box.

Indeed.

With a Takuhabin I can go pick up a freshly pressed wedding dress from a dry cleaners and hand it over just like that. It will arrive in exactly the same state it left the dry cleaners.

With UPS it would barely make it into the back of the collection driver's van before it looked like a second hand rag.