On Mailing Packages

Simply, Without Complicated Equipment, From Your Home or Office

If one wishes to sell a used book or other item to others via the internet, such as through the online auction site eBay, one may do so without a great deal of fuss, bother, or expensive equipment.  Each case, of course, is different, and I cannot state definitively what will work best for you; but I can explain what works well for me, which I invite you to use as a starting point for assessing your own situation.

First off, I use the US Mail.  It is convenient, and it is generally reliable.

Most of the items that I ship are sent either via Media Mail, which used to be known as Book Rate, or First Class Mail.  The rates for Media Mail, as of the date of this writing (May 29, 2007) are as follows:

There are some restrictions using Media Mail.  In the words of the US Postal Service:

"Media Mail® service is a cost efficient way to mail books, sound recordings, recorded video tapes, printed music, and recorded computer-readable media (such as CDs, DVDs, and diskettes). Media Mail can not contain advertising except for incidental announcements of books. The maximum weight for Media Mail is 70 lbs."
 

If a package weighs less than 12 ounces, I usually use First Class Mail.  One should have a scale and access to the internet to determine proper postage costs.  The scale that I have used for several years for this purpose, and have been quite happy with, is the  Salter 1004 11-Pound Square Stainless-Steel Digital Kitchen Scale.  My wife "borrows" this scale for use in the kitchen constantly, and I suppose I should just buy a second one, but this does demonstrate what a workhorse it is.

I mentioned access to the internet.  Specifically, you'll want to go the Postal Service's website, and then to the page where you can calculate postage.  Rates for First Class vary by ounce.  To make life easier, I just use ".9" for any fraction.  So, for example, if I weigh something and it's 5⅜ ounces, I just enter "5.9 ounces."  If it were 5⅞ ounces, I'd still just enter "5.9 ounces."

For inexpensive items, I don't use Delivery Confirmation or insurance, but I certainly do for higher-priced items.

What do I pack books in?  Again, it's a matter of value.  I want every book to arrive safely and in good condition, but it doesn't make sense to lavish the same attention on a $3 paperback that one might on a 16th-century folio.  Space does not permit me to go into the niceties of packing a truly rare book, other than to say that a sturdy box, good packing materials and great attention and care are required.  For less expensive books, I simply use padded envelopes, which I keep in my office in various sizes. 

I have never found much use for a postage meter, and printing postage online is not nearly as convenient as having a good quantity of postage stamps on hand.  You can buy stamps at the Post Office when you're there, or you can buy them online. 

Last of all, I take my items to the Post Office.  You may be wondering if you can simply drop your package into a mailbox.  There are regulations about this; generally, you can, if the package weighs less than one pound and if (naturally) you've put appropriate postage on the package.

I have four pre-inked stamps, which I use all the time on the padded envelopes.  The first has my return address, the second and third (both available for purchase from the Post Office) say "Do Not Bend" and "FIRST CLASS MAIL", and the fourth, which I had to purchase online for about $10, shipping inclusive, says, "MEDIA MAIL."  I use the "Do Not Bend" stamp on every padded envelope I send out. 

You should be aware, when calculating postage, that the Post Office now considers a padded envelope a package, and not a large envelope.  (This was news to me, so I thought I should pass it along.)

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