Yea, it's really awesome when it gets between the pages. Bubble gum makes it all better though.
You don't know my kind.....You don't my mind.....Dark necessities are part of my design.....
Packaging is the book world's version of "common sense isn't common."
It was just before dawn
- one miserable morning in black 'forty four...
the antithesis of bad packing (meaning excellent packing) is Tippy4. Rick taught me years and years ago what constitutes a "good" packing job. Thank you Rick.
Dragline : Nothin'. A handful of nothin'. You stupid mullet head. He beat you with nothin'. Just like today when he kept comin' back at me - with nothin'.
Luke : Yeah, well, sometimes nothin' can be a real cool hand.
Wow....that was a very nice thing to say...a positive note on a not so great day.
Thank you David.
FOR SALE OR TRADE
Dark Tower 7 Artist Edition n/a
The Waste Lands 1st Edition in Shrinkwrap $200
1984 Grant Gift Edition of The Talisman $400
Lisey's Story ARC $50
.
.
WANTED
Signed 1st Edition of Storm of The Century (Paperback)
If it helps Tippy, you shaped my packaging too.
Bought something long time ago from me, and you sent very clear (good) instructions, adhered to them since.
Nobody likes a clown at midnight
I agree with those who hate an entire roll of packing tape around the bubble wrap. Instead of protecting the book inside, all that tape means I risk damaging the book with sharp scissors trying to break the tape in a lot of places to get into it. Short pieces of packing tape where the bubble wrap ends is fine.
Rick advised me years ago to include a comment in all eBay purchases about how I expect the books to be packed for shipping. I still use that.
Personally I refuse to send any collectible books via Media Mail. I only use Priority Mail and Insured when I ship collectibles. The less time it spends in transit, the better.
"...that Siren which called and sang and promised so much and gave, after all, so little." ~ Ray Bradbury
The folks that sell comics know how to package well also. I've purchased 100's of comics and have never had an issue. It's a shot in the dark when receiving a book from an unknown source.
You don't know my kind.....You don't my mind.....Dark necessities are part of my design.....
Glad you brought that up.....here is my boiler-plate comment that I include in EVERY Paypal Payment (yes there is a place when sending payment to add a message to seller....after you type it out, it is important you hit ADD MESSAGE).
Please ship in a sturdy cardboard box big enough to allow for at least two inches of padding (foam peanuts, bubblewrap, etc) on all sides of the book. Please pack tightly so book can't move at all once box is sealed. Condition is very important to me. Feedback will be left upon receipt. Thank you.
Any more than that and it will be cut off in the Paypal email they get.
Then, I contact the seller through the CONTACT MEMBER option in ebay and send them the exact same note, as I have had several sellers tell me "I missed your note".
Sellers will react differently to this demand/request......some say "OK"....some push back and say "this was not part of my sale", and the book-dealer typs who have all been in the business for 40 years will sometimes get defensive.
FOR SALE OR TRADE
Dark Tower 7 Artist Edition n/a
The Waste Lands 1st Edition in Shrinkwrap $200
1984 Grant Gift Edition of The Talisman $400
Lisey's Story ARC $50
.
.
WANTED
Signed 1st Edition of Storm of The Century (Paperback)
Rick, do they ever refund you right away if they are unwilling to meet those demands?
You don't know my kind.....You don't my mind.....Dark necessities are part of my design.....
I don't think I have ever done that.....I have been able to work things out with a seller....and on one or two occasions I may have even sent them an extra dollar or two to cover their packing supplies.
On a semi related topic, you would be amazed at how many people out there will only ship Priority....and I mostly believe it is for the free boxes.
Patrick, I know in a few posts above you stated you only ship Priority to lessen the time in the "postal stream"....but I send and receive via media mail 95% of the time, and issues have been rare. It is fully trackable and insurable.
FOR SALE OR TRADE
Dark Tower 7 Artist Edition n/a
The Waste Lands 1st Edition in Shrinkwrap $200
1984 Grant Gift Edition of The Talisman $400
Lisey's Story ARC $50
.
.
WANTED
Signed 1st Edition of Storm of The Century (Paperback)
FOR SALE OR TRADE
Dark Tower 7 Artist Edition n/a
The Waste Lands 1st Edition in Shrinkwrap $200
1984 Grant Gift Edition of The Talisman $400
Lisey's Story ARC $50
.
.
WANTED
Signed 1st Edition of Storm of The Century (Paperback)
I hate tape, which I use if I have to, of course, but I use rubber bands, really, and also fold the end of the tape over so it can be grabbed easily and pulled off -- in the proper direction! (Usually NNW)
I'm sure if there is intelligent life somewhere out there in the universe, they are wise enough to stay away from us.
And the people bowed and prayed, to the cell phone god they made...
I don’t sell very often. The stories of significant delays and mistreatment of packages in transit during the pandemic have been pretty bad. Additionally, late last year someone at the post office told me that media mail cannot be tracked/insured. Maybe they were mistaken? I don’t always seem to get the same story from everyone over there about things.
"...that Siren which called and sang and promised so much and gave, after all, so little." ~ Ray Bradbury
I have run into that misconception a lot. I track every package I ship and insure most.....and they all go media mail.
Why do I use media mail for my purchases? Because in the grand scheme, if it gets here tomorrow....or two days later does not really matter. I just paid money for the book....now I am paying tax on ebay purchases...and I am going to have to pay some shipping cost......and I would rather pay $10 for shipping and insurance for media vs $25 for shipping and insurance for Priority.
And here is something else.....how many times have you guys received a book jammed into one of those flimsy, small Priority Mail boxes? Can't use 'em with Media Mail....so it forces the seller to use a regular box, which is often sturdier and better sized.
FOR SALE OR TRADE
Dark Tower 7 Artist Edition n/a
The Waste Lands 1st Edition in Shrinkwrap $200
1984 Grant Gift Edition of The Talisman $400
Lisey's Story ARC $50
.
.
WANTED
Signed 1st Edition of Storm of The Century (Paperback)
Good to know about Media Mail tracking and insurance. Thanks! I’ll be sure to ask again.
I should have clarified earlier that I was talking about when I make sales away from eBay - collector to collector. I’ve never used eBay to try to sell anything.
Priority Mail boxes are fine when you use the correct size and reinforce and pad as you mentioned above. I’ve even bubblewrapped and packed in a smallish box and then padded and packed that smaller box into a larger box.
Regarding sellers using sturdier boxes, I get the best boxes from other known collectors. eBay sellers are all over the board.
"...that Siren which called and sang and promised so much and gave, after all, so little." ~ Ray Bradbury
I've been using that boilerplate since I bumped into a post where you wrote it out a few years ago. I've had more than a few sellers message me saying they were going to put the book in an envelope, but will box it up per my request. It's saved me a lot of trouble and returns over time, so thank you very much, Rick! And I suggest that anybody else reading this copy that boilerplate somewhere where you can copy/paste it into a message during checkout. It takes only a few seconds and it might just convince a seller to be safe rather than sorry when packaging your book.
I will need to update it for the 'feedback on receipt' sentence, though, that's good.
Looking for:
- Philtrum Press Eyes of the Dragon RED #165
- Fine Viking Eyes of the Dragon proof
You are very welcome. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
I added the FEEDBACK WILL BE LEFT UPON RECEIPT as a passive aggressive way to state......"pack it well or suffer the consequences".
I keep that "boiler plate" in a draft email entitled PACKING INSTRUCTIONS.....always easy to locate.
FOR SALE OR TRADE
Dark Tower 7 Artist Edition n/a
The Waste Lands 1st Edition in Shrinkwrap $200
1984 Grant Gift Edition of The Talisman $400
Lisey's Story ARC $50
.
.
WANTED
Signed 1st Edition of Storm of The Century (Paperback)
Yes, the implication of that sentence is perfect, especially following 'Condition is VERY important to me,' which in and of itself has a subtly threatening overtone. I keep my copy/paste copy in an email for when I'm on the laptop, and also in the notes on my phone when I'm using that. Easy access is key to making a habit out of something.
I know you weren't asking me, but I buy quite a bit on eBay, and generally have pretty good luck. I think a good part of that luck is thanks to Rick's boilerplate. I used to receive books in envelopes and other shitty packaging jobs pretty frequently until I started adding that message. Now they're few and far between, and usually only on low value items. And eBay is very buyer friendly, so if you bump into a seller that's dishonest or just bad at selling, eBay will side with you 99% of the time as long as you're on the up-and-up.
Looking for:
- Philtrum Press Eyes of the Dragon RED #165
- Fine Viking Eyes of the Dragon proof
I tend to avoid it.... but thanks for the reply. I like hearing these things. I comb it everyday.. BUT I just bought an ANGST that a member posted here. I was looking for that for years. It was a good price and looked fine. he put that book in a fawkin bubble mailer then DHL'd it to me from Austria. I shook my head... like WHY??????!!!!!! It faired well. I am keeping it. It did suffer a little mark though that would not have happened and I did ask to pack well. Just Ebay for ya...
HELP ME FIND
Insomnia #459
ANY S/L #459