I have a question for those of you who do PaperBackSwap.com or a similar program. Or maybe even for those of you who occasionally mail books. Actually, it’s kind of a lame question, but I’m going to ask anyway! How do you wrap your books to go in the mail, and do you go to the post office every time you mail a book?
I have been considering joining PaperBackSwap or a similar program, but the one thing holding me back is that I hate (detest, loathe, abhor, etc) going to the post office. My small town has a really nice post office, not that far from my house, but it’s always SO crowded. I’ve never gone there and stood in line behind less than 4 or 5 people. I’ve been in there several times (and not even at Christmas) and there’s been 8 or 10 people ahead of me in line. There’s usually only one or maybe two windows open at a time, and I just hate to wait in line. I know, I know, I’m impatient and it’s really not that much time out of my day, but it’s one of those things I just really don’t like to do. Sort of a pet peeve of mine, I guess.
So, if you mail out books, do you always go to the post office? Is there any other way to make sure they get there with enough postage on them? And if you do PaperBackSwap or another book program, do you use special mailers? Do you just wrap regular paper around your book? Do you put it in a big manila envelope? Do you put it in a padded envelope or even a box?
Leave me a comment and let me know… I want to know exactly how you all mail books! 🙂
Stamps.com! You buy and print your postage right at home. Place it on the package and leave in the mailbox. So simple and easy! You just make sure you have a scale to weigh the packages. Input the weight into stamps.com and it’s gives correct postage.
I mail the books in manilla/browm envies. Place the book in and fold the envie over so it’s wrapped around the book and the book doesn’t shift around. Tape with packing tape and you’re good to go.
Hey! I’m an expert on PaperBackSwap! Or at least I like to think I am. In fact, I’m just about to celebrate my second anniversary being a member of PBS. I can’t say enough good things about the service – truly.
Anyway, to answer your question. On PaperBackSwap, they have a printable wrapper that fits most regular paperback books easily. It comes out of your printer ready to go with your address and the receiver’s address already on there. Of course, I don’t currently have a printer hooked up to my ‘puter, so I just handwrite the addresses. I’m lucky to have a hubby who goes to the post office at least twice a week, so I let him take care of mailing my stuff. But I know a lot of PBSers who just put stamps on the packages and put them in their mailboxes. One of the cool things about PBS is that the wrapper tells you how much postage to put on, depending on the size of the book. Most are around $2.00, I believe, at least the ones that I mail out. So you could just stick 5 stamps on there and it’d be all ready to ship out straight from your mailbox. Or you could use Stamps.com like Carrie suggested. You can use padded envelopes or just plain ones or really just whatever you have around the house.
I’m excited that you’re considering joining PBS! I really love it and think you would, too. But beware – it will make your TBR pile grow exponentially! If you have any questions at all about it, email me and I’ll be glad to fill you in. 🙂
Hi,
On paperback swap, as the last comment said, you can print out their paper w/ the address on it and wrap the book w/ that. Clear tape over the paper. Paperbacks in media mail are 2.13 to mail — so 5 stamps and four 2-cent stamps. Stick it right in your mailbox! Your mail carrier will take it. Of course if you are mailing out five or six — she might get mad at you 🙁 If I have one or two I put it in the mailbox.
Also, it gives you a time period of when you can send it. You can choose to send it in 2 days, or up to about a week — so you can go to the post office just once a week if you want to do it that way.
Finally, you can have an account w/ paperbackswap and pay your postage and insurance if you want it, through them, I believe.
Definitely do it!
Sherry
p.s. Sometimes my dollar store has the bubble envelopes 5/1 and once 10/1. I stock up on those and use those too.
For packing, I just use bubble mailers.
I hate making the mail carrier schlep my packages around. But our post office has a package machine in the lobby. It weighs then prints out the postage you need, then you drop the package in a big bin. And I can go after hours. Otherwise I’d probably never make it…. I can’t get to the PO during their normal hours.
I agree with all Susie said. I love paperbackswap and have been a member for about a year. The post office is two minutes from my house and usually it’s not a problem to get there. However, I also use my own stamps since the postage is already calculated for you. Sometimes it can be wrong though, if you’re mailing odd size paper backs or hardbacks. I don’t think you can pay postage through PBS but they are working toward that. I’ve never tried stamps.com but since Carrie mentioned it, I think I will! Seriously though, paperbackswap is a great way to get a ton of books for a little of nothing. It normally costs $2-ish to mail a book. I love it and can’t say enough about it!
You can get a scale and measure your items at home and print off the stamps from your printer. Then just go to the http://www.usps.com/ website and request a pick up from your house.
That’s what Jeff is for. He packs them and ships t hem. My own personal postal carrier!!
Well, it looks like you’ve gotten some good answers. I don’t usually go to the post office unless I’m mailing a larger package or something international. I can usually find out the postage from weighing the package (I use the scale at my job) and just put the appropriate amount of stamps on. With paperbackswap, it tells you what the postage is so you don’t even have to weigh it. That stamps.com option sounds pretty good. I might need to look into that.
For mailing, I will often put in a manila envelope and then fold and tape really well. Or bubble mailers if the books fit in them.
I hate going to the PO too. People make fun of me because I can seriously just walk to the PO, but I buy my stamps online if possible 🙂
I think it sounds like you got the answers you needed already, but for what it’s worth I LOVE paperback swap! I only ever had to go to the P.O. once to mail a book (it’s the law that if something weighs more than a pound you have to take it in to the post office…since the UniBomber, I think). Anyway, that was for a big hard cover book. Paperbacks just go in the mailbox. And the only time I’ve used anything besides computer paper and packing tape to package them was when I got a request for 2 books from the same person (then I just put them in a big envelope, folded it in half, and was still able to mail it from our mailbox for $2.13).
Oooh, can’t wait to hear if you’re going to join! I might have some for you to add to it if you need.
Silly girl, the p.o. can’t be that bad! Maybe you could try going earlier in the morning, or is there a sidewalk all the way down 51 so you could use it as your walking time? That might work….I walk to my p.o. some although it’s probably not quite as far as yours.
Post Office and I just throw them in an envelope as opposed to wrapping them, but I figure they are used books so they are not going to be a big deal if lost. And I use Media Mail
Sorry I don’t have any answers to your question. However, I want to thank you for asking that question because I’ve been interested in knowing about paperbackswap too! Thanks for asking that and thanks to those who have taken the time to answer. Have a great day!
I will hit my two year anniversary with PBS in October this year. I love it! There is nothing better than getting a book in my mailbox!! I stopped using the pre-printed wrappers though–they seemed so labor intensive so I switched to manilla envelopes and clear packing tape. These two items are not really that costly and make the wrapping so much easier for me. Unfortunately for me, I do go to the post office–and i really dislike my branch. There is ALWAYS a line of at least 8 people, but I guess it is worth it to get those books delivered to my mailbox. 🙂
*smiles*
Kim
P.S. My husband is a mailman so I like to think my participation in PBS results in job security for him! 🙂
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