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How To Pack Your Books For Shipping - by Boozad
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585 posts in this topic

I pack with bubble envelopes (had one seller on ebay ship to me in a manilla envelope, with just bags on the books, eek!) and reuse the cardboards I get from other sellers. Always pretty much boarded and bagged.

 

Nothing worse than raw books being sent through any mail system without at least some padding and protection. Over the years, have received some books ruined by poor packing.

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didnt want to start a new thread about shipping so, how much do people on the board usually charge for shipping when it goes overseas from the us? i want to give fair prices but dont want to eat it on shipping. thanks

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didnt want to start a new thread about shipping so, how much do people on the board usually charge for shipping when it goes overseas from the us? i want to give fair prices but dont want to eat it on shipping. thanks
It varies by weight and destination - go to USPS.com after you've made a sale, and you can figure it out exactly.
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i see thanks for the response
As you ship elsewhere a few times, you'll learn the ropes. Most international stuff goes to the frostbacks up in Canada. You can still box ship 1-2 books there for about $5-6, and I just box shipped 7 books with backing boards there yesterday for $9. Everywhere else is likely to be way expensive. I'll frequently tell buyers that I'll box the books up, then give them a shipping quote. International buyers usually know what typical postage costs will be, and are not surprised.

 

One option I give to reduce shipping costs is to put two books per bag and board. Backing boards weigh a bunch, and cost to ship.

 

God bless the buyers of Canada - I think I ship more books there than to the USA :lol:

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God bless the buyers of Canada - I think I ship more books there than to the USA :lol:

 

 

That's because it's too treacherous to venture outside our igloos 350 days of the year!

 

 

But really, it's just because there isn't much selection up here. I live in a city of 500k, we have two stores that sell comics...

 

 

One is actually decent, but only sells new releases, once they're gone they're gone, they don't deal in anything older.

 

The other is 1/3 comics, the rest dungeons and dragons, MTG, and those little war hammer guys. Again, they only deal with new stuff...

 

 

I'd say 90% of my collection is from the states :(

 

Once in a while I'll find another Canadian seller online or on eBay, but it's fairly rare.

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These are the smaller and lighter weight priority boxes - you can ship 1-2 comics in them and get the box below 1 pound in weight for cheaper postage - $5.50 throughout the U.S.

 

There is plenty of room in them to adequately protect comics.

 

1097 Priority Boxes

 

 

The 1097 boxes are great for shipping 1-2 raw books and keeping the weight under one pound and are supplied free by USPS. The boxes weigh about 5.5 ounces.

 

However, I am currently in search of a lighter box that is still big enough to safely protect two comics because the two books I am trying to ship are heavy. The books (with bags and boards weigh over 8 ounces, the 1097 box brings it up to 14 ounces, and the two pieces of cardboard for the sandwich weigh about 1 ounce each for a total of 16. The package is too heavy before I even add bubble wrap (1 ounce) and other materials (plastic bag, layer of newspaper, and packing tape add another ounce).

 

Can anyone recommend either a lighter box I can buy or lighter cardboard that can be used for the sandwich to protect the comics.

 

Thanks again.

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Never really had a problem with FedEx BUT this box arrived today... The damaged side was wet, as if it fell in water and stayed there awhile. Someone taped it up and sent it on its way. The slab fortunately was not damaged because it was wrapped in bubble wrap and put inside a FedEx bubble mailer. :) Note the "Handle With Care - Fragile" sticker. Yeah... right.

 

I knew a guy who worked at a FedEx sort facility that would *purposely* damage boxes that said "fragile" or "handle with care" - I thought he was fired, but it looks like he was transferred instead...

Edited by Jason Lee
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where do you guys buy your shipping materials for 1 or 2 comics via media mail. I dont' see how these guys who are selling comics for 3.50 on ebay are able to make any profit at all considering the cost of supplies.

 

USPS will ship packing supplies for free (boxes, bubble mailers, stickers, forms etc)- you can order straight from their website and they will drop it at your door. I also cut up the free boxes and use them to protect shipments that go into padded mailers. eBay will also send you branded USPS boxes for free although the selection isn't as good as the USPS website. That reminds me...time to order supplies :)

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where do you guys buy your shipping materials for 1 or 2 comics via media mail. I dont' see how these guys who are selling comics for 3.50 on ebay are able to make any profit at all considering the cost of supplies.

 

http://www.uline.com/index.aspx?pricode=WE412&gclid=CJf76uqwwrACFSWFQAodsEgOpA

 

 

 

I use the S - 342 for up to 12 books.

 

For larger orders the S - 4423 and the S - 558 - Multi Depth's

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I've heard some people say that priority mail boxes arent handled any better/worse than other mail shipments so why pay for the more expensive shipping on books that you dont care if they are there fast or not?

 

Here's why: You want to get your books thru the gauntlet that is the postal system as quickly as possible.

 

Its not that they are cared for more or less, its that they spend less time in an environment/system that does not really care about the condition of the thing you are sending, just getting it there.

 

So get it into and back out of the system as quickly as possible to mitigate risk.

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where do you guys buy your shipping materials for 1 or 2 comics via media mail. I dont' see how these guys who are selling comics for 3.50 on ebay are able to make any profit at all considering the cost of supplies.

 

For 1-5+ comics I use -

 

EP14PE-01-main-900x695.jpg

 

I know that the envelopes are not as sturdy as a box, but I make them sturdier than they are. I take my box tape and tape over all edges to keep the sides from tearing in transit. I run a piece down the middle to strengthen that.

 

I also put two pieces of sturdy cardboard on each side of the book(s) and put them in a plastic bag and tape it up. I bought a box of gallon size bags that you tie. Very inexpensive.

 

100_0860.jpg

 

I use Delivery Confirmation on every package that I send out. No matter if it is a $1.00 comic. To many books are getting destroyed and/or lost in transit and I would rather have my books tracked somehow so they can be located if so.

 

If sending media mail is your choice then these sized envelopes can be bought in bulk on ebay for around 20 cents each.

 

 

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Thank you for this thread. I have a few thousand comics I plan on selling at some point and glad to see a thread like this.

 

Not sure what has been discussed the past 28 pages, but besides the tips a couple posts above me, is everything in the first post still agreed being one of the best ways to ship comics?

 

What about for maybe 30-40+ comic lots? Would the advice in post 1 still be ok or what?

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If you are able to mail them via medial mail, like I am, if I don't have any, I get small shipping boxes from Walmart that perfectly holds at least that many for under 50 cents each. I bag them up in the bags I shared about earlier, with carboard on each side if not already boarded, and use either bubble wrap, packing peanuts, or as I have started using is the shredded up paper from my paper shredder for cushion. Make sure that all flaps on box are taped good, the label is taped on good, and you can print a label from going to Paypal, if they paid that way, and print off a label from their payment.

 

Make sure that they comics are well packed and box is well tapped as the USPS plays hockey with your packages.

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