Page 53 - JOA August 2020

The Not So Gentle Art of Wrapping Books
ecently I bought a somewhat valuable book from a beginning Dear S,
bookseller who didn’t understand how important it is to make sure The book arrived this morning in good shape, so I hate to fuss with you
Rbooks are properly wrapped to protect them from damage when again, but the book was loose inside the box with 3 1/2 inches clearance
they are being mailed. between the top of the book as it lay loose in the bottom and the top of
Here is some of our correspondence: the box with approximately an inch of space on all four sides between the
book and the insides of the box. And the thin bubble wrap bag the book
Hello, Jim, was in offered little protection, but at least it had that. This means that the
The Jones book has shipped! book could rattle and bang around the inside of the book from the
I’m kind of out in the sticks and the post office I used did not have the Midwest to Maryland.
supplies that I was expecting, so I had to ship priority instead of media. This is no way to pack and ship a $125 book or any book for that
Also because of this, the packing is less than excellent but should suffice. matter. The book should have been protected by being surrounded by
I also included some ephemera that was with the book that hopefully, you plastic noodles or at the very least crumpled up newspaper, which is cheap
will find of interest. and costs nothing. If you can hear
The tracking # is xxxxx. the book rattling loose around inside
S. of the box when you shake it after it
is sealed up in the box, then in your
Dear S, own words, “the packing was less
Having shipped books by media than excellent.” We are both very
mail for years, I don’t understand lucky the book wasn’t damaged as it
any of that. If the post office easily could have been. Shipping a
wouldn’t accept it for media mail fragile old book like that is just
that suggests to me that it wasn’t asking for trouble.
properly wrapped. This is a $125 In hindsight, I would have
book and if it is damaged in preferred that you had delayed ship-
shipment because as you say “the ment by a day or two so it could have
packing is less than excellent” than I been properly wrapped. Again, all
am not going to be happy. I am in the book needed was to have been
the sticks, too and I just save up protected by a layer of crumpled up
cardboard, old boxes, newspaper, newspaper in the bottom of the box
and plastic noodles to recycle as free and newspaper stuffed in around it
shipping material. It’s not a problem and on top.
and it works great. Recycled cardboard It is always better to over-wrap
If you are planning to be in the than under-wrap something because
book business for any length of time you never know what might happen
and do mail order, I strongly suggest that you pay a lot more attention to to it during shipment. Always expect the worst. And that is for your own
how you ship your books—for your protection as well as the customer’s— protection as much as the customers’ and you certainly want happy
and having to send an apology notice to every book you mail because of customers. The box could get dropped or fall out of the back of the truck,
possibly unsatisfactory wrapping is not a good start. or something could fall on it. Accidents happen.
Books, especially valuable ones, should be in cardboard boxes with Packing materials need not be expensive. Recycled cardboard boxes and
interior padding material, not those padded mailing envelopes unless the crumpled up newspaper work fine and are free.
book is first encased in cardboard folded around the book and taped. I am hoping that you will be more careful in the future.
Did you insure the book as I requested? If the book arrives damaged, I End of lecture,
will expect a refund. Jim
Sorry to fuss at you, but this is important. End of lecture.
Thanks (I hope I was not too hard on the poor guy!!)
Jim
Dear Jim,
Good morning Jim, As I was looking for an appropriate image for this column, I came
Man, don’t yell at me until you get the book! :) across this site that may prove useful for your student/beginner
So to be clear, I was expecting the post office to have packing supplies, which bookman/woman. The Internet can be a wonderful thing!
they did not. The box that I was going to use ended up being too small after I https://www.wikihow.com/Package-Books-for-Shipping
wrapped the book, which is why I decided to use the priority box. The book – Judy, managing editor
should be fine. However, I have not yet deposited your check and will not until
you have received and expressed your satisfaction with the item.
Being new to the business, I do appreciate any and all information on how
James Dawson has owned and operated the Unicorn Bookshop in Trappe, MD since
to be better at this, so I AM thankful for your “lecture” :). 1975, when he decided it would be more fun to buy and sell old books and maps than to
And yes, the book is insured. get a “real” job. For this born collector, having a shop just might be another excuse to buy
Humbly, more books. He has about 30,000 second hand and rare books on the shelves, and just
about all subjects are represented. Reach him at P.O. Box 154; Trappe, MD 21673;
S 410-476-3838; unicornbookshopMD@gmail.com; www.unicornbookshop.com

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August 2020