We ordered this crib several months prior to due date because we always have awful luck with shipping. It was delivered less than a week after we ordered it, which is pretty early but now it's one less thing to worry about. The packaging was very well done and the exterior and parts were damage-free. It was fairly easy to put together (less than an hour), but the instructions are pictures only. It would be more helpful if the instructions were described in a little more detail. Overall, we are very pleased with this crib and it looks exactly how described and depicted.