How To Ship a Used Book
So you sold your used book on Amazon, you’re basking in the glow of your success, and then it dawns on you that the buyer is expecting you to send them the book. No worries, here’s how you do it: 1) print the packing slip from Amazon; 2) put the book in a padded envelope with the packing slip; 3) address the package to the buyer; 4) weigh the package; 5) look up the postage; 6) put the right postage on there; 7) write ‘media mail’ beneath the stamps on the package; 8) stop by your local post office and drop it off in person. Easy.
FAQ…or at least, PAQ—predicted to be asked questions:
Q: Why ship USPS rather than UPS or FedEx or DHL or courier pigeon?
A: USPS is usually cheaper for books (and other “media”) because they offer a special rate for them.
Q: Why do I have to write “media mail” underneath the stamps?
A: That’s how the post-office knows to charge the lower, “media mail” rate rather than the higher “first class mail” rate.
Q: What if the book gets lost in the mail?
A: Then you’ll have to refund your customers money. The vast majority of items arrive without any problems…I only consider buying insurance on shipments worth more than $20.
Q: What if someone fibs and says the item never arrived, but it really did?
A: Then you are out of luck. A high rating by your buyers dramatically improves the amount you earn and the speed with which your items sell, so its in your interest to refund their money and keep them happy no matter what you suspect. The vast majority of buyers are honest folks, this is so rarely an issue—it’s usually not worth protecting yourself with insurance on the package but you always have that choice if you want to pay in order to reduce your risk.
Q: Why buy the bulk package of envelopes linked to in this post?
A: Padded envelopes are typically 2-5x more expensive from Office Depot or your local postage supply store. Unless you only plan to sell a couple books, buying in bulk will save you a good amount of money.
Q: Why buy the big envelopes linked to in this post?
A: An envelope that is too small isn’t any use, but one that’s too big can be folder over and used. Buying in bulk, rather than buying small quantities of various sized envelopes saves you money.
Q: Why should I drop the package off in person? Why not just put it in a nearby mailbox?
A: The post office will return any package that weighs over 13 ounces unless it’s dropped off, in person, at the post office. Blame all those crazy people shipping bombs and poison through the mail.
Your method of packaging may offer protection for the most light weight book — but NOT for the hardback shown here. Best to make a cardboard sandwich, placing the book between two pieces of rigid cardboard before slipping it in a bubble mailer. Even better is to “box” the book. Any corrugated material is superior to bubble mailers for protecting books from postal abuses like gouges, rips, bumps, etc. A book thrown clear across a room into a postal bin (I’ve seen it done) will have a much better chance of survival than a book protected by merely a bubble mailer. Do you sell the mailers that the link goes to?
So far I’ve had good luck shipping books this way, but you make a good point that it may not always be enough protection depending on the abuse it endures during shipment. I do not sell the mailers—the link in the article leads to the mailers I use when I ship a used book. I chose them because they are sold at a good price relative to where I’ve seen them elsewhere and because they are available through Amazon which is my favorite online store. Amazon doesn’t always have the best possible price, but the convenience of a generally good price, a wide selection, used items listed next to new, good customer service, a robust rating system, and already having all my info on file so I don’t have to type it in again, generally wins the day.
Perhaps its worth noting that an overarching goal of this blog is to offer my favorite “recipes” for accomplishing the tasks I write about, usually after a long period of personal trial and error. I strike a particular balance between convenience and cost that will not be shared by everyone, but my hope is that folks who are looking for a well tested solution that’s succinct and easy to follow will find their way here. And feedback and discussion is greatly appreciated—I think it’s the best way to identify and highlight the alternatives that people care about…much better than trying to include an exhaustive history of all the trial and error that I went through, which would neither cover all the topics people care about, nor include the valuable experiences of others, nor be a particularly enjoyable read.
I’ve had good luck with plastic bubble mailers b/c then a rainstorm doesn’t matter. I also double bubble them: I buy thin strips of microfoam sheets and wrap it around the book — it means that the sharp edges of the book won’t go through the mailer and keeps it from shifting around in the package and creating wear that wasn’t on the book when I put it in. If it’s a paper back, I cut up random cardboard boxes I have around to provide a free backing to keep it from being bent in the mail. What I’m doing next is to buy a variety of sizes b/c a) it’s cheaper and b) a snugger fit means the book is less likely to come out or become damaged through shipping.
You can also print out the postage sticker on your computer with a (free) program from the PO and then schedule a pick up so you don’t even have to run to the post office daily. If you do this, you can also buy delivery confirmation for 19 cents, which means you always know the package was delivered; it’s worth the peace of mind, particularly when so few people leave feedback.
Most of this information I got/adapted from this helpful blog I found when I started out: http://weberbooks.com/selling/2006/02/qa-where-is-best-place-to-buy-book.html. I used their recommendation of Associated Bags for my last purchase of mailers and was pleased with what I got & the prices.