HOW TO PACK BOOKS CAREFULLY

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Pack so that books arrive at the end of their journey in the same condition as they began it.

Packing books safely need not be difficult or expensive.

It is important to pack books well even if they do not *seem* valuable to you.
They may have sentimental value to the buyer.

Every book seller can improve the customer's experience by packing books with care.

Books are much more fragile than they look.
Some of the common injuries to books due to poor packing include:

• Broken or twisted spine of paperback due to lack of support
• Cocked spine also due to lack of support (affects both paperback and hardcover)
• Bumped corners and dented edges to the boards on hardcover books
• Torn dust jackets and torn pages if the book has room to flop around inside the package
• Book damaged or completely missing because of insufficient sealing of package.

Four requirements for a good packing job:
Water Barrier*	Support**	Padding	Outer Wrapping
bubble envelope		bubble envelope	bubble envelope
	B-flute wrapping	B-flute wrapping	B-flute wrapping
transparentmail.com		transparentmail.com	transparentmail.com
		padded envelope	padded envelope
	cardboard box		cardboard box
The following can be used to fill in the blanks above or to piece together a safe package:
thin plastic bag	piece of cardboard	shredded paper	brown bag paper
zip-lock baggie	rigid foam	newspaper or newsprint	manilla envelope
saran wrap	posterboard	bubble wrap	butcher paper
waxed paper	thin stiff plastic	styrofoam peanuts	flat mailer
aluminum foil		foam	vari-depth mailer
		cloth	kraft paper
		paper towels
		[white] tissue paper

*Water Barrier also protects the book from the packing material. It keeps shredded paper or styrofoam peanuts from getting in between the pages and damaging the book. It keeps newspaper ink and the dye from colored tissue paper from rubbing onto the book.

**Support for paperbacks, needs to be sufficient keep the book from warping or folding in transit. For hardcovers, it should extend beyond the edges of the boards to keep them from bumping.

Some important points to keep in mind:

• Do not let newspaper ink touch the book -- it will soil the pages and the cover
• Do not use packing supplies that have had direct contact with food
• It is fine to re-use packing supplies as long as they are still in acceptable condition
• Include a packing slip or at least a copy of the address label inside the book, in case it gets separated from its packaging
• Do not rely on existing closures, but add tape to all closures
• Priority Mail supplies can legally only be used for Priority Mail

Thank you for your attention to good packing.
Your customers will thank you with good feedback!

transparentmail.com

packing with b-flute