posted on October 20, 2001 10:49:26 PM new
Hi, was wondering if anyone could give me a few tips on sending out Books (hardcover/paperback) etc. Packaging for Bookrate or First Class.
posted on October 20, 2001 10:57:40 PM new
The book should be placed in a clear plastic bag (you can buy them in bulk). Then bubble-wrapped and placed in a well-padded box.
Many sellers use padded envelopes but that DOES NOT provide enough protection for hardcovers.
That was quick. I was thinking the same thing, on plastic bags... Just in case the package got wet.
Do you think using padded envelopes is ok for say PAPERBACKS? maybe w/ some stiff cardboard thrown in?
The only books i've shipped in the past have been my (and my sisters) old college textbooks, so throwing them in anysize box w/ extra packaging & then shipping bookrate, wasn't really an issue.
However on the smaller paperbacks & Hardcovers, I know I want to do something different.
posted on October 21, 2001 05:24:45 AM new
So far i have shipped all my books media mail rate..I get my boxes from a convenience store. I put it in a plastic bag,tape it shut,wrap it in bubble wrap. I get that hard styrofoam that my appliance centers gets with there products and i cut that to size and fill up any void in the box.
posted on October 21, 2001 06:48:01 AM new
Hi - I know a lot of people don't like this but I've shipped over 1000 books by wrapping in plastic and then putting them in a padded envelope. I haven't had any problems at all.
None has ever been lost either.
But I will say that I am talking about run-of-the-mill books. I also have many different sizes of envelopes so that they fit snugly (no sliding around).
Also, if I have an expensive book (over $25.00), I'll usually add bubblewrap.
posted on October 21, 2001 06:56:27 AM new
I haven't shipped 1000 books yet (getting there), but I sort of use the $25.00 marker like barbarake.
Everyday books: one layer of small bubblewrap, one layer of large, tyvek mailer.
Over $25.00: same as above, another layer of large, box, peanuts.
Even though 1st class is sometimes less expensive for small paperbacks, I use Media Mail because I use Delivery Confirmation as a proof of mailing, and you can't DC 1st class.
I've also upgraded to Priority a couple of times when a book went way higher than I imagined it would.
One other thing about Media Mail. Some posters have noted that using the extra four digits after the zip seems to speed up delivery time. I haven't noticed it for me, but I thought I'd mention it.
edited to add: I also box lots and really thick or heavy books.
[ edited by sadie999 on Oct 21, 2001 06:59 AM ]
[ edited by sadie999 on Oct 21, 2001 07:00 AM ]
posted on October 21, 2001 07:31:23 AM new
I use mostly padded envelopes--I do not like bubble envelopes as the paper material is thinner. I sometimes add extra padding
Heavy books need a box with padding of your choice. ALL books need a plastic bag first.
All of my packages get zip+4 with Barcode. They fly. The Barcode is essential. The last thing you want is generally slow moving mail that needs to be rerouted. And the labels are sealed for the same reason as using a plastic bag.
Expensive books go Priority with DC. Or at least DC.
posted on October 21, 2001 07:54:02 AM new
i use jiffy bags from viking products and i do not use plastic bag and i have shipped hundreds of books with no problem.
once or twice the usps machine slitted open the jiffy bag and the book got separated from the bag.
i also buy books to read and it is very annoying to see all that overkill,tape outside,tape inside,wraps and more wraps.
no one wants to cut,tear and pull away all that wrapping just to get hold of a used book for 2.00.
posted on October 22, 2001 06:46:10 AM new
Wowwow, sounds as though you may have gotten one of my books! Most of my buyers appreciate the time and care I put into insuring their purchase arrives in the condition stated!
Count me as one who tends to get BENT if the Corners are bent! I've gotten Way too many books in envelopes, including padded, that have gotten damaged along the way! The envelope would have worked if they had taken care to wrap it a bit.
I generally don't mention the damage to the seller. I end up leaving no feedback... Not buying from them again. Could be, one day I'll leave that neg, tho.
posted on October 22, 2001 09:31:29 AM new
This is sort of a crusade for me--I hate seeing quality, vintage books being routinely degraded during shipment, even when packed with the best intentions--but if anyone is interested in packaging their books in under a minute, doing it for about a dime, and doing it with a level of protection significantly higher than any method mentioned here, go to auctionbytes.com and search the archives for two articles on b-flute packaging.
posted on October 23, 2001 10:04:07 PM new
I'm not sure where I found this, but it's the best information on how to ship books that I ever read.
The following is a step-by-step method of packaging books with b-flute. Before I began to use it, I experimented extensively with a soft pine board, which is excellent for telegraphing damage. I wrapped the pine board as if it were a book, and subjected the package to systematic abuse - namely, throwing it down on a concrete slab floor at varying angles and degrees of force. In all but the most extreme cases, the packaging prevented all damage. Nevertheless, I should emphasize that this is only one approach, and there may be other packaging methods that work as well or better. Costs for the following items are based on prices in my area and may vary considerably across the country.
List of supplies needed:
1. B-flute (1 300' roll each of 12" and 18" widths. These two sizes will accommodate nearly every size of book. About $9 for a 12" roll and $14 for an 18".) NOTE: Suppliers for b-flute may be difficult to locate, especially in less densely populated areas. Check under headings like "Shipping Supplies" or "Packing Materials" in the Yellow Pages. Mail order is available with some suppliers but often doubles (or worse) the final cost.
2. Packaging tape (Tape is expensive. Buy it in bulk, if possible, and your savings can be as much as 50%. Use a medium grade or better. About $1.75 for a 2" x 110-yard roll.)
3. Tape dispenser (About $8.)
4. Heavy-duty stapler (Don't skimp on this. The stapler must be able to staple through 4 thicknesses of flute and hold up under heavy use. Also, buy the type with an arm than angles up. About $50.)
5. Staples (Heavy duty, 3/8". About $5 for a box of 5,000.)
6. Spring-clamp (4" jaw opening. About $8.)
7. Scissors or box cutter
8. Zip-loc bags (Several sizes.)
Instructions:
1. Seal the book in a Zip-loc bag. Packages get wet from time to time, and flute soaks up moisture like a sponge. On international shipments, I use two bags.
2. Crease the flute near the end of the roll, approximately the thickness of the book plus at least another two or three inches in from the end.
< http://www.auctionbytes.com/images/figure1.jpg>
3. Tuck the book snugly against the crease, press the end down on the face of the book, then roll, flipping it over twice in the flute.
4. Holding the book firmly with one hand, cut along the gutter of a corrugation with the other. Leaving enough excess so that the end can be folded back over the book and more or less meet the original end, in effect making a double thickness of b-flute around the entire perimeter of the package.
<http://www.auctionbytes.com/images/figure2.jpg>
5. Still holding the book firmly, pull on the free end of the b-flute and tighten up the package as much as possible, then secure it temporarily with a spring clamp.
<http://www.auctionbytes.com/images/figure3.jpg >
6. Hook a small loop of tape inside one open end of the package and tape the seam, leaving enough extra to hook it inside the other end as well.
<http://www.auctionbytes.com/images/figure4.jpg>
7. Staple one end of the package, starting at one side and moving to the middle at approximately a 45-degree angle, reversing, then starting at the opposite end and moving to the middle at the same angle. This will ensure that the end of the stapler arm will stay free of the package at all times. Make sure at least one staple straddles and secures the seam on each end.
<http://www.auctionbytes.com/images/figure5.jpg >
8. Staple the other end of the package the same way.
A Few Tips:
1. Use 12" b-flute if at all possible. It's cheaper. If the book is too long to fit across the flute and still leave enough excess to staple, it's often possible to turn it 90 degrees and make things work. There's no rule of thumb for which size to use because books vary in length, width and thickness, and an especially thick but otherwise small book may require 18" flute. It's simply a matter of practice, developing a feel for what will work with each size.
Generally speaking, the closer the row of staples is to the edge of the book, the better. This maximizes the all-important pinching action. If a book is an in-between size, I'll roll it in the 18" flute, tape it, then cut the end off to size before stapling.
2. Thin manuals, brochures and the like may need to be wrapped in a single roll of b-flute first, then cut to the length of the book and positioned with the corrugation crosswise to the outer package. This stiffens the resulting package considerably and prevents bending during shipment.
3. On especially thick books, stapling can be somewhat tricky. It's sometimes easier to push the book partially out of the rolled and taped flute to make stapling on at least the first end straightforward. On the second end (after pushing the book back in) it may be necessary to pinch it first to create a somewhat flat surface for the staple to enter. This prevents it from tearing the outer skin of the flute.
4. I don't waste money on adhesive labels but print my addresses on plain paper, cut them to size with a paper cutter (about $25 at an office supply store), then tape them to the front of the package.
<http://www.auctionbytes.com/images/figure6.jpg> This all but ensures that the addresses won't become illegible if the package gets wet. On international shipments, which are sometimes opened for inspection, I tape a duplicate copy of the address to the Zip-loc bag.
posted on October 24, 2001 02:45:57 AM new
Moderators >>> Please remove the previous note on b-flute packaging. It's copyrighted material. If anyone is interested, this is the second part of a two-part article and can be viewed by searching the archives at auctionwatch.com.
posted on October 24, 2001 07:11:36 AM new
Wow, all that sounds pretty intensive. After you've done it a few times, how long does it take to wrap the average book?
It sounds like it would be a safer and quicker method than all the wrapping I end up doing.
posted on October 24, 2001 07:40:07 PM new
Boy, are my eyes getting bad!! Just noticed BOTH you guys are here in the same thread again, Zazzie & Bibliophile! We will definately have some great book threads going again!
My hat is off to you on the record, Bibliophile. Much quicker than me, but it'll take me years to get caught up with such a pro!
posted on October 24, 2001 09:26:41 PM newbibliophile NOW I remember where I found those instructions on how to pack & ship books. You wrote it & I saw it on BSFI.
I was so impressed that I made a copy & saved it. I could not resist posting it here, I knew it would be of great help to the original poster & any others who needed advice.
I hope you don't mind, & if you do, please accept my sincere apologies.
posted on October 25, 2001 02:40:04 AM new
You're half right, Jane (and hi, by the way). The excerpt you posted was written by me but appeared as an article on AuctionBytes, not on the BSFI group. I personally don't have a problem with it being here as well. It's just that the Steiners purchased all rights to it and permission to distribute it needs to come from them. Why I can't get these moderators to remove it--I've asked here and emailed them--is beyond me.
posted on October 25, 2001 12:53:43 PM new
Hi McJane. Actually, you did take an entire article and reprint it without permission and without attribution. Craig did a great job on the series and we're glad you enjoyed them.
It would be nice, however, if you just provided a link to them. Thanks!
BTW, that article is the second part of a 2 part series:
