What is the Best and safest way to ship Magazines, Booklets, brochures ,ect.

[cardsnmore2004]

I have always shipped everything priority mail even items such as what is noted in title. With shipping cost climbing so much over the last few years I am looking at a more cost effective way to ship.

My biggest priority has always been to make sure it gets there in one piece.

So this question is for sellers who regularly ship items like Magazines, Booklets, Paperwork, ect.

What is the safest way to package these and yet keep the shipping cost down?

How often do you have customers claim the item was damaged in shipping?

  Any advice is appreciated.

[1786davycrockett]

@cardsnmore2004 

With the July 2023 change from USPS First Class Packages to USPS Ground Advantage, sellers can now send up to 70 pounds of magazines, booklets, paperwork, and so on -- and sometimes the cost difference is LOWER than USPS Priority!

Plus -- USPS Ground Advantage provides $100.00 insurance free of charge (and higher insurance is available).

For larger shipments, either use a solid box, with packing material on ALL interior sides, plus tape down all exterior openings SECURELY.

For smaller shipments, enclose each magazine or booklet into an individual plastic bag; then sandwich your items between two layers of thick cardboard; then wrap the resulting package between two layers of newsprint; and finally enclose your shipment in a good, solid wrapping of grocery bag material, making sure to securely tape down all exterior openings.  

Measure and weigh for USPS Ground Advantage -- print your postage -- and mail.

Over 10,000 sales in the last 13 years, and I can count the "damaged in shipment" claims on one hand.

[reallynicestamps]

For paperbacks I use a poly envelope, which is waterproof  and wrap it tightly,taping down the edges.

For cheap hardcovers I use bubble poly envelopes which give some protection to edges.

For expensive books I fabricate a cardboard box for actual shipping ,and wrap the book itself in tissue or more likely a waterproof poly envelope.

I rarelysell magazines, but I might add a light stiffener to the polybag

[meme6253]

Some of your items can ship by Media Mail which is very inexpensive however it takes much longer to get delivered

[mike_jayroe]

I use empty plastic bags that a loaf of bread come in. Also the plastic bag news papers come in are good.

For larger books I use plastic shopping bags, sometimes reversing the way I insert the book (drop book in right side up, Then do a 180 degree turn and put the other bag over the first bag.

If I use a box, I will sometimes use bubble wrap around the book(s) before bagging.

Never had a complaint.

[cardsnmore2004]

Thank you for the reply. This is what I had seen others doing but wanted to get it straight from someone who has been doing these sort of items for awhile. 

  One more question. How do you prevent the USPS from bending the item? Is the cardboard enough to keep them from bending it ?

   Thanks

[reallynicestamps]

It's not USPS as such.
It's the individual carrier.

Maybe they have a habit of pulling all the mail for a given address into a bundle and putting an elastic band around it.

Maybe the box is too small.

If you want to go to the expense , use CorPlast.

This is the corrugated plastic you often see on street signs.

https://www.uline.ca/Product/Detail/S-15058/Corrugated-Pads/24-x-36-200-lb-Corrugated-Pads-White?pri...

Set your item on CorPlast with the ribs running north/south.

Top it with a sheet going east/west.

Tape.

Almost unbendable .

[itsjustasprain]

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@meme6253 wrote:

Some of your items can ship by Media Mail which is very inexpensive however it takes much longer to get delivered

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I do not see any items listed by the OP that would qualify for Media Mail. Which ones are you referring to?

As for the mention of Magazines Booklets & Brochures in the Subject line - Magazines do not qualify for Media Mail as they are periodicals and carry advertising. As for booklets or brochures I think we would need more detail.

Here is the quick reference chart from USPS: https://liteblue.usps.gov/news/link/2013/04apr/Media-Mail-Guidelines.htm

[fm2000]

If your item qualifies for media mail (most of your items won't, booklets might, especially if they are instruction manuals), and it weighs over 4oz packed up, media mail is cheapest. If your item doesn't qualify for media mail and weighs under 1lb, Ground Advantage is cheapest. If over 1lb, Ground Advantage Cubic is cheapest (only available on Pirate Ship and other 3rd party postage providers.) GA Cubic is the cheapest way to mail a magazine which weighs over 1lb (it is still a bit expensive relative to what most magazines are worth though.)

The Priority padded flat rate envelope used to be a cheaper option, but now the same amount of material that fits in the padded envelope can usually go GA Cubic cheaper.

Low value items can be sent in a polymailer in between sheets of cardboard (at least one piece with the "grain" in an opposite direction, the more sheets you can use without increasing the cost of postage the better.)

Higher value items should be sent in a box of course.

[theteamsetguy]

@cardsnmore2004 ,

The best way to make sure they are not bent would be to put them in a sturdy box with lots of packing peanuts around it.

[tobaccocardyahoo]

For booklets and brochures under 4 ounces I ship in rigid cardboard mailers. Via Ground Advantage.

Over 4 ounces, I ship media mail unless it does not qualify or Ground Advantage is cheaper. If it does not qualify I ship Ground Advantage unless Priority is cheaper, which it sometimes is.

My go to packaging is rigid cardboard mailers. No greater damage than any other packaging for paper products.

[1786davycrockett]

@cardsnmore2004 

"How do you prevent the USPS from bending the item? Is the cardboard enough to keep them from bending it ?"

Keep in mind that the magazine is sandwiched between TWO layers of cardboard -- and not just ONE.

Additionally, I write (in bold, black magic marker) on both sides of the completed envelope "DO NOT FOLD OR BEND."

If the packaging is tight enough, it should not easily bend.

And the only complaints that I ever receive regarding the packaging is that they are wrapped tighter than a mummy!

[mam98031]

I ship craft books all the time and I use Media Mail for all my books that are 8+ pages.  I put a piece of cardboard in the book to hopefully prevent the carrier from bending it and I put Please Do Not Bend on the front and back of the package.

Keep in mind that the cardboard is cut the right way for strength.  That would be the ribs running horizontally and cut the cardboard at least 6" tall and about 8.50" wide.  The ribs should run the 8.5" wide direction.  And it should be good cardboard.  Not the thin flimsy stuff.  I cut up boxes that I recycle.

No matter how you ship you can not guarantee a carrier will not bend the book.  However between all the sites I sell on, I rarely get a buyer telling me it was damaged in shipment.  I mean maybe 1 per year literally.

Keep in mind that you can NOT ship a magazine via Media Mail as they do not qualify.

[postcardcountry]

In another lifetime....I had a customer question packaging of a post card because his mail carrier seemed to bend everything in half before delivering it.  I promised I would take care of that. 

Since my own mail carrier was totally incompetent, I decided I would get even with the customer's mail carrier.  I had took a thin paint stirrer, broke it into two pieces and formed an X before putting that and the postcard (between two sheets of cardboard) in the envelope.  Yes, it cost more to send but revenge....

Customer received his postcard unbent.   I could hear his laughter in his feedback referring to  "creative packaging".  And he sent a message thanking me. 

[inhawaii]

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@theteamsetguy wrote:

@cardsnmore2004 ,

The best way to make sure they are not bent would be to put them in a sturdy box with lots of packing peanuts around it.

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The OP did say "best" way,  not "cheapest".