Why I love corrugated book mailers

Using the right book mailers in your bookshop.

I've bought and sold a lot of book on the Internet over the past few years. While nobody would confuse my little outfit for Amazon I think that after sending and receiveing over five thousand books, I've handled and seen enough to know what I'm talking about.

There are great ways to inexpensively send books and there are horrible ways that actually cost a little more. I'll go over my favorite method and mention a couple others.

I've used corrugated book mailers for years and have, still to this day, had zero returns. It's hard to argue with that percentage. Corrugated, or b-flute, book mailers simply get the job done; here's why.

• Inexpensive (about 30 cents a book)
• No book movement withing the package (this is crucial)
• Fast to construct (1 minute per book)
• Adaptable to any sized book
• Waterproof (inside)

The system is well described, with photos at The Bookshop Blog, here is their using book mailers post.

What the system entails is simply buying b-flute corrugated cardboard by the roll, some tape, a heavy duty stapler and staples, a cheap laser printer and a clamp. That's it. I made an investment of less than a hundred dollars and after six years not ine piece has needed replacing. I highly recommend this system.

Now for some of the not so great ways. A lot of folks recommend bubble mailers but I hate them for one very good reason. There is no way to protect the corners if a book should fall to the ground. I've received many bumprd books shipped in bubble mailers and it is very disappointing. The books either move within the packaging or the are wrapped tight with nothing to protect the corners. I've even, on two occaisions, received books wrapped in a regular business folder. Just dropped in, the folder folded tightly then the whole thing covered in vast quantities of tape. One of these showed up with both a bumped corner and a touch of water damage. When there are thousands of online dealers to choos from it's not likely that this guy would ever see another dollar from me.