shipping books

[pvt_25]

I'm new to selling.  I have a personal collection of vintage and antique books I would like to list and if they sell and it's not too much hassle maybe I will expand as a regular book seller.  I'm trying to absorb and understand about media mail, pirate mail and shipping through ebay. So many options my head is spinning.  Is there a shipping quote that will be a flat rate weather I ship across the street or across the country?

[nobody*s_perfect]

USPS Media Mail rates are priced per pound, regardless of what ZIP Code you're shipping to.  And the price is the same whether you purchase your postage label online (through eBay, Pirateship, etc.) or at your local Post Office counter.

[1786davycrockett]

@pvt_25 

Here's the USPS guide for prices per pound, up to 29 pounds.  You can ship USPS Media up to 70 pounds in the United States:

Weight Not Over (lbs.) Single-Piece

1	$3.49
2	4.16
3	4.83
4	5.50
5	6.17
6	6.84
7	7.51
8	8.21
9	8.91
10	9.61
11	10.31
12	11.01
13	11.71
14	12.41
15	13.11
16	13.81
17	14.51
18	15.21
19	15.91
20	16.61
21	17.31
22	18.01
23	18.71
24	19.41
25	20.11
26	20.81
27	21.51
28	22.21
29	22.91

[collectfest]

If it is an expensive book in demand, I would use priority mail and charge accordingly. Rare antique book buyers know nothing is free.

In addition, review USPS rules regarding what qualifies for media mail. It is easily found on usps site. Example, books cannot contain advertising. There are many regulations.

Also, if shipping heavy books of value that fit in USPS bulk rate boxes, that may be a good avenue. 

If it were me, I'd search sold items, identify the books that sell and if you are content with the price they sell at, just get listing. For me expensive books I would offer free shipping with Priority Mail fees in buy it now. Other less expensive items ship media mail if they qualify. 

Lastly, I would focus on selling items where the weight qualifies for 1st class mall. Don't hold me to it but I think under 13 ounces. Was a pound but I think that changed. Others can correct me.

Good luck.

[nobody*s_perfect]

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@collectfest wrote: ...  items where the weight qualifies for 1st class mall. Don't hold me to it but I think under 13 ounces. Was a pound but I think that changed. ....

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The weight limit for First Class packages is 13 ounces retail, and 15.99 ounces when postage is purchased online.

[collectfest]

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@nobody*s_perfect wrote:

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@collectfest wrote: ...  items where the weight qualifies for 1st class mall. Don't hold me to it but I think under 13 ounces. Was a pound but I think that changed. ....

---

The weight limit for First Class packages is 13 ounces retail, and 15.99 ounces when postage is purchased online.

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Thanks good info. Superb, that helps.

[spark-chaser1]

There is a post elsewhere that someone was being suspended for selling books that were deemed " hateful" by the powers  that be.

This seller was never able to get a concise answer to what he could or could not sell, but continued to get gigged for selling " hateful" material.

You say you sell " vintage" books. I know this has nothing to do with shipping, per se - but I would research further to see if any titles you have are affected.

[shipscript]

@pvt_25 
Absolutely go through your collection as suggested by @spark-chaser1. Some vintage titles may no longer be allowed here, and eBay doesn't provide a list. There has been a spate of takedowns for books and products that encompassed people of color. Aunt Jemina and Uncle Ben are long gone, as are some of the Dr Seuss titles. So scan through your books with an eye toward perceived or real racism against protected groups.  If in doubt, don't list on eBay.

[soh.maryl]

What kind of "research" should this seller undertake? It looks like, according to others, that there is not an actual list of the books that cannot be sold here.  

[mike_jayroe]

Not to be a smartalec, but using a list of books that are offensive is crazy. Any book on the market can be considered offensive to someone. This can refer to books on religion, politics, history, etc. People have different opinions on everything. When will this crazy stuff come to an end.

[pvt_25]

I'm I correct that this is the price No Matter where the buyer is? If I state the shipping cost of offer free shipping with the cost added into my sales price I don't want any surprises.

[nobody*s_perfect]

That's correct, the price for Media Mail is based on package weight and is the same regardless of the buyer's location (within the US). So you can add the weight-based postage cost to your asking price and offer free shipping.

[spark-chaser1]

Absolutely true. That's what made the OP of the last threads case so tragic. There really wasn't a list. They nailed the poor guy without defining what he had done wrong in some of the cases.

I guess what I was basically trying to convey here,  was for the OP of THIS thread  to look through their inventory, and see if they have anything that automatically trips the trigger of decency in  today's standards. 

I just read that apparently, now, there will be some relief in trying to guess which books are banned. If they are believed to violate the rules, the book will be pulled without sanction. Good news in a positive direction, I guess but I still wish that it could be agreed that banning any book or art form benefits no one, but, hey.

[spark-chaser1]

Yes... Agreed. And I think it will not stop, right up to the point NO book will be safe. We are well on the way. 

The thing is, here, that this is a private organisation, so they can do whatever they want. That much really can't be argued. Anyone selling here, plays by the rules. The only issue is that the rules weren't terribly clear. 

[1786davycrockett]

"The only issue is that the rules weren't terribly clear. "

Totally in agreement.

I have previously mentioned the hoops that eBay forced me to go through, in order to list a particular book about the attack on British convoys in the North Atlantic during World War II. 

First I was informed that eBay had decided that the word "destruction" in the title was equivalent to the word "holocaust," which I demonstrated was absurd, illogical and ridiculous.

Then the eBay rep stated that I shouldn't use the phrase "World War II," as that is equivalent to the word "holocaust," which I again shot down, pointing out the hundreds of thousands of eBay items using the description "World War II" in the listing.

Finally, the eBay rep admitted that the problem with my listing was actually the author's name -- although the BOOK itself created no credibility problems,  the AUTHOR of the book was also a noted Holocaust denier -- so I could not list the book unless I removed the author's name from the description line.

I removed the author's name from the description line (although the author's name was listed elsewhere multiple times) -- and the book sold within days.

So this was a situation where the TITLE of the book was not a problem -- but the AUTHOR'S NAME raised those big red "WARNING" flags for eBay.

But how do sellers know ahead of time what esoteric minutiae will set off eBay's antennae?