chessguy
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posted on December 30, 2005 06:49:09 PM
Can anyone give me some advise on shipping books. I purchased 3 pallets of old school library books and have sold a few, now I need to figure out how to ship them since I have never shipped books before.
I do know that USPS has a book rate to ship books but how should I package them? I was thinking of just wrapping them with brown paper, that would be the cheapest for me since I have a large roll of brown paper.
What other methods is there or suggestions please.
thanks
chessguy.
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max40
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posted on December 30, 2005 07:03:08 PM
I don't ship many books, but when I do, I cut down a cardboard box to fit snug.
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hwahwa
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posted on December 30, 2005 07:14:03 PM
USPS media mail is the way to go for books.
There is also M-BAG if you are shipping more than one book to the same location.
Just wrapping in brown paper is not good enough,better put it in a padded envelope.
/ lets all stop whining !! /
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ebayvet
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posted on December 30, 2005 07:31:17 PM
There actually is no book rate, but there are two classes of mail that are similar you can use - Media Mail, and Bound Printed Matter. Media Mail is a better choice, as it costs less $1.42 for the first pound, 42 cents each additional and even cheaper after 7 pounds. Rates will go up next month. The advantage of media mail over Bound Printed Matter is that if the package is undeliverable, it will be returned to you (postage due though) as opposed to just dumped for bound printed matter.
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LtRay
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posted on December 30, 2005 07:47:25 PM
Hi Chess, when I ship books I sometimes ship them in a brown paper wrapper. I always place them in a gallon size plastic bag to protect them should the package get wet during shipping. You can buy 100 bags at the grocery store for about .79, so it is not expensive.
Then I wrap them in bubble wrap to prevent damage. I get free bubble wrap at a local furniture store. They love to give it away because they have to pay to haul it to the dump.
Sometimes I ship media mail. One book I sell is 1000 pages and weighs 4 lbs, so I ship it in a flate rate Priority envelope.
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ajbooks9000
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posted on December 30, 2005 07:49:59 PM
The main things to remember are:
1)Protect the book from moisture. (I use 1 gallon plastic Ziploc type bags for this.)
2)Protect the boards from scuffing, and the corners from being bumped. (I wrap them in bubble wrap with the ends of the bubble wrap folded over the edges to keep the corners well padded.)
I use folding cardboard mailers from Uline to ship my books. (The kind made to mail bundles of flyers or brochures.) I think they run about $.57/each.
Media Mail is the cheapest way to ship, but can
be a bit slow.
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ajbooks9000
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posted on December 30, 2005 07:55:45 PM
"One book I sell is 1000 pages and weighs 4 lbs, so I ship it in a flate rate Priority envelope."
YIKES!! Sorry Ray, but just the thought of a book that large going in a flat rate envelope makes me just cringe. To each his own, but I'd be extrememly unhappy to receive a book treated in that way -- unless it was from a book swapping club or something.
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OhMsLucy
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posted on December 30, 2005 07:57:53 PM
I've received books from Amazon sent wrapped in a flexible cardboard sleeve, maybe it's called flute?
When I send books, if it's heavy or expensive I send it in a cardboard box-type mailer. Lightweights can generally travel safely in a bubble envelope.
Since you seem to have a great many books, it would make sense to figure out the best and safest packing material and buy it in bulk. Uline is one source.
Lucy
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mikes4x4andtruckrepair
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posted on December 30, 2005 08:51:48 PM
Media mail is the best bet. I ship alot of books and everything I ship goes out in corrugated cardboard box's. Books or magazines are placed in buble wrap then in the box and void filled with either packing peanuts or kraft paper depending on the weight of the item. Packing peanuts tend to get crushed if items are heavy and the buyer would end up with a box full of smashed tiny pieces of peanuts. Personally I would NEVER wrap a book and consider it packaged. For me it has to be in a box and well padded. Media mail tends to get thrown around in the USPS system so without proper packing the items are likely to show up with smashed corners or worse yet bent.
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mikes4x4andtruckrepair
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posted on December 30, 2005 08:59:14 PM
Oh, I forgot to mention. If you do use Media Mail. The can not have any advertisements in them (USPS reg's).
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LtRay
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posted on December 30, 2005 09:10:24 PM
Aj, you would be surprised. I manage to bag and wrap it in bubblewrap (corners protected) before I place it in my "custom creased" FRE. It takes practice, but the final product is well secured and I have yet to receive a complaint that the book arrived in anything less than mint condition.
It is an expensive 1st ed, so I am sure someone would have complained if it arrived damaged.
[ edited by LtRay on Dec 30, 2005 09:10 PM ]
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chessguy
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posted on December 30, 2005 09:13:02 PM
Thanks All, I will have to find the right size boxes as the books are various sizes. Sound like bubble wrap and boxes are the way to go with media mail. Wish me luck with 3 large pallets of old school library books I'll be selling them for a while. Something to keep me busy while my chess games are not selling.
chessguy
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sparkz
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posted on December 30, 2005 09:15:47 PM
Two or three years ago, the Postal Service was in the process of banning any paper wrapping on the outside of packages. I never followed up on it, so I don't know if went through or not. It didn't affect me, because I wouldn't dream of sending anything through the P.O. wrapped in paper. Some of that machinery they use can rip that paper off and shred it to pieces in the blink of an eye. And when the paper goes, so does the label and postage. The item will wind up in the P.O. graveyard and your customer will never see it.
A $75.00 solid state device will always blow first to protect a 25 cent fuse ~ Murphy's Law
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LtRay
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posted on December 30, 2005 09:32:33 PM
Just wanted to share this as well. Many people do not think about it, but you can mail many items boxed inside the Flate Rate envelope.
This week I will be mailing a 3 lb glass dish in a box measuring 9.5 x 6.5 x 2.25.
I could just send the box for the 3# Priority rate of 8.55, but by sliding it into the Flat Rate mailer, I can ship it for 3.85.
That's $4.70 I can put back into buying shipping supplies.
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ajbooks9000
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posted on December 31, 2005 08:49:15 AM
Ok Ray, it doesn't look as bad as I thought it would. But still, it makes me shiver.
If it gets dropped, and lands on any of the
edges, those corners are going to be bumped.
It might not matter quite so much with non-fiction -- most of those collectors don't seem so obsessed with condition. I'd never consider shipping a desirable first in modern lit that way, though.
Since the OP was discussing ex-libs (I think), looks like you have a reasonable solution with the flat rate envelope.
Thanks for posting the pic!
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chessguy
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posted on December 31, 2005 10:25:06 AM
Ray,
What does it cost to use those flat rate envelopes?
I am trying to find the least expensive way to ship the books.
chessguy
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LtRay
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posted on December 31, 2005 11:38:10 AM
It is $3.85, going to $4.05 on Jan 8. It is only worth it when you get into pricier, weightier items that you want to get there faster.
Yes, I know I can get tracking on Media Mail, but it costs extra and takes longer to get there most of the time. My time is worth something, even if it is only a few cents and who needs the "where is my book" emails?
I don't try to make a lot of money on shipping, but if Media rate is 3.00 , I'm going to ship it priority. Takes less of my time and energy.
I have been charging 4.25 for Flat Rate but it will go to $4.50 Jan 8.
Anything over 2# that won't fit in a flat rate envelope (safely, <g> usually ships FedEX.
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hwahwa
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posted on December 31, 2005 02:17:18 PM
any one still using jiffy bag??
I still have some left,and it is sturdy.
/ lets all stop whining !! /
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mikes4x4andtruckrepair
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posted on December 31, 2005 02:33:37 PM
ajbooks I agree with you. One drop on the corner of a package like that and the corner of the book will be damaged. I would be a very unhappy buyer if I received a book packaged like that.
All of my books are packaged in a cardboard box that allow at least 2 inch's all around the book for packing material. The box is stiffer and if it is droped there is also the additional 2 inch's of padding within.
chessguy If all the books you are going to be selling are approximatly the same size you might think about buying a bundle or two of box's just for them. I buy all my box's from Uline (www.uline.com). The cost of the box's and shipping via UPS ground shouldn't be to bad. And a happy customer is alway's better than a angry one.
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hwahwa
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posted on January 1, 2006 09:00:24 AM
if your books come from a libary sales,are they all old and worn and beaten up already?
what does it matter if they arrive a little damaged,like corner bumped or turned?
I use jiffy bags,USPS priority box and envelopes etc and I never get any complaint and I sell mostly new books.
/ lets all stop whining !! /
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fluffythewondercat
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posted on January 1, 2006 10:24:19 AM
Some hard-to-find books come from library sales, although I imagine the typical book is probably a reading copy. Even so, people do buy reading copies.
There are about as many different ways to ship books as there are booksellers. I used to use cardboard mailers that would adjust to fit books 1/2 in thick to 1 1/2 in thick. Now I think I would probably ship most tomes in a cardboard box -- but that's because I got a one-time great deal on book-sized boxes at 5 cents each.
If the packaging is much larger than the book, you may have trouble convincing the clerk that it qualifies for Media Mail.
fLufF
--
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hwahwa
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posted on January 1, 2006 11:07:21 AM
In China,the farmer divides his small plot of land among his sons,each son goes to work on their smaller plot of land with his wife and children.
Then each male child of each son will one day inherit a smaller piece of land from the small piece of land carved from the original small piece of land,so on and so forth until it no longer make sense for a family to waste thier time farming their land as it will never yield enough to justify all that manpower and yield enough to feed the family.
I am often amazed at the professional used booksellers,an old book is an old book,but let them describe how they pack that damn used book and charge the least shipping and take it to the post office and patiently stand in line and courteously hand the books over to the postal clerk who just dump them in the hamper behind them,after all,the postal clerk said -This is just the beginning,it only gets worse as it moves down the grand USPS interstate high way!
/ lets all stop whining !! /
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LtRay
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posted on January 1, 2006 12:01:49 PM
I can't believe no one has mentioned the number one way to ship books AND records.
Pizza Boxes. I prefer the ones without the pepperoni stains 
. When your ship comes in.... make sure you are willing to unload it. .
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hwahwa
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posted on January 1, 2006 01:04:02 PM
whatever happens to that kid who shipped his ebay stuff in pizza box with ANTS.
When buyer complains,he said-whats the big deal,the stuff got there !!
/ lets all stop whining !! /
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sparkz
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posted on January 1, 2006 01:32:05 PM
He got booted from Ebay. Not for shipping plates in pizza boxes with ants, but for revealing in the EO a method to list auctions without paying a listing fee. He didn't realize that Ebay reads these threads also, and they didn't take kindly to him teaching others how to get their sticky fingers in Meg's purse.
A $75.00 solid state device will always blow first to protect a 25 cent fuse ~ Murphy's Law
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mikes4x4andtruckrepair
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posted on January 1, 2006 05:06:25 PM
List auctions and avoid listing fee's??? Hmm, sounds interesting. We need to find out how to do that 
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LtRay
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posted on January 1, 2006 05:34:12 PM
"Ebay reads these threads also"
That is so true. They killed my Jarts auction in less than 8 hours yesterday.
Darn it Sparkx, you told me they were all on vacation this weekend!
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sparkz
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posted on January 1, 2006 05:52:32 PM
You'd think as much as they read these threads, a few of them would learn a little about how Ebay should work. You still have time to list those jarts for a one day auction. Just change the title and call them "Custom Made Oversized Knitting Needles"
A $75.00 solid state device will always blow first to protect a 25 cent fuse ~ Murphy's Law
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LtRay
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posted on January 1, 2006 06:21:42 PM
Seriously, before eBay PINKS make VD ban me from the boards.
I DID NOT LIST JARTS THIS WEEKEND> DO YOU HEAR ME PINKS??? I DID NOT DO IT!!! T?HOSE WERE NOT MY JARTS SOMEONE STOLE MY ACCOUNT AND LISTED THEM. THEN MY DOG WALKED ACROSS THE KEYBOARD AND SENT THE BUYER AN EMAIL!!! I DID NOT DO IT!! THE VOICES TOLD ME TO DO IT!! THE FBI HAS MY PHONE TAPPED AND THEY ARE INFLUENCING ME DECISIONS WITH MICROWAVE TRANSMISSION MIND CONTROL!!
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mikes4x4andtruckrepair
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posted on January 1, 2006 06:23:51 PM
Don't forget they have mind altering drug's in your town water supply to
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