Question about packaging books for shipping

[TiasTreasures]

I hope this is the right forum, I expect this is where I'll find people with experience in shipping books. I'm about to start listing more books and I'd like to decide on this before I start.

A relative sent me a hardcover book recently, wrapped tightly in heavy kraft paper. It arrived safely with no damage.

I've shipped the few books we've sold in boxes, with lots of padding. Of course the shipping weight is then much more than it would have been shipped like this one. This isn't a big problem to a US buyer, because we can use Media Mail and get a reasonable rate. However, I recently sold a book to a buyer in the UK and I was astonished at the postage cost. If I had wrapped it in kraft paper, the weight would have been halved.

How do you all pack your books? Have any of you just wrapped them in paper? If so, did they arrive with no damage? I also thought about wrapping them first in bubble wrap, then in the paper, but that got too lumpy and I'm afraid the paper would get torn along the way.

Any advice would be much appreciated.

[olivia8143]

Mine are posted in Jiffy bags (that's bubble lined envelopes)

[bykimbo]

Kraft paper is fine for cheap paperbacks, but I wouldn't ever send a hardback in it. In fact, I don't send PBs that way except to family and friends I'm swapping with - customers get full card packing whatever it is. In my opinion only card gives proper protection to the corners. Very vulnerable are yer corners.

Every book I send gets a tissue layer first, to give the cover a smooth, gentle surface to rub against (ooh er) so it doesn't get scuffed. then corrugated card is cut to size and wrapped tightly around the book, and snuggly folded over and taped at the ends and seam so there is no movement. Then the lot's wrapped in kraft paper for a professional finish and clear labelling. I've only ever had one book arrived damaged in years of sending them, and that was when I first started and was still using jiffy bags. I've only had one book lost in the post, and that was in Italy, where the post is virtually random. I've lost a few *here* of course, but that's just old age.

[TiasTreasures]

Kim to the rescue again. That method would definitely reduce the shipping weight.

What's interesting is that's the way I ship coins and stamps, taped securely inside two pieces of cardboard so they won't slide around or get bent, then into the envelope. For some reason my feeble brain didn't transfer that method to books.

I have to make a run to the storage locker anyway tomorrow, so I'll fetch the books we've already listed and weigh them again.

Thank you!

[Spyder1942]

I sometimes send in jiffy bag and sometimes use bubble wrap and a plastic mailer.

[bykimbo]

Kim to the rescue again. That method would definitely reduce the shipping weight.

What's interesting is that's the way I ship coins and stamps, taped securely inside two pieces of cardboard so they won't slide around or get bent, then into the envelope. For some reason my feeble brain didn't transfer that method to books.

I have to make a run to the storage locker anyway tomorrow, so I'll fetch the books we've already listed and weigh them again.

Thank you!

No worries! Of course, if you want to admire my handiwork in the flesh, you only have to buy a book.

[pause]

Och well, it was worth a try.

[TiasTreasures]

Believe it or not, I check your bookstore, and others, occasionally. (Love the button "Most recently listed"). Either I've already read them or they're not the kind of books I read. My son estimated that I have well over 1,000 books, most of them hardcover, many of them probably of interest to others, so I'm going to be doing some serious pruning in the near future. I just don't have room for four bookcases in my new home.

[somersethedge]

sorry kimbo I have so many books to read that "someone" has banned me from even looking

[deltadelta48]

Kraft paper is fine for cheap paperbacks, but I wouldn't ever send a hardback in it. In fact, I don't send PBs that way except to family and friends I'm swapping with - customers get full card packing whatever it is. In my opinion only card gives proper protection to the corners. Very vulnerable are yer corners.

Every book I send gets a tissue layer first, to give the cover a smooth, gentle surface to rub against (ooh er) so it doesn't get scuffed. then corrugated card is cut to size and wrapped tightly around the book, and snuggly folded over and taped at the ends and seam so there is no movement. Then the lot's wrapped in kraft paper for a professional finish and clear labelling. I've only ever had one book arrived damaged in years of sending them, and that was when I first started and was still using jiffy bags. I've only had one book lost in the post, and that was in Italy, where the post is virtually random. I've lost a few *here* of course, but that's just old age.

As always I agree with you. But I also put book in a plastic sealed bag before I do the cardboard because anytime I don't, the package gets wet and then oh oh.

For US sellers, I will pass on that I use old priority cardboard flat rate envelopes for wrapping the books. It is lightweight, smooth, and wraps around the book well. Idea is to keep the edges and corners from getting smashed.

I don't use padded bags, I use plain shipping envelopes.

I

[raindropsies]

I just tend to bubble wrap and put in plastic packing bag, Not had a complaint yet but I don't sell expensive books.

I try to be careful and pack in such a way it goes large letter if possible rather than packet