by Fiziwig
The advantages of packaging books this way are:
Packaging costs are significantly lower than boxes or bubble mailers.
Packages are lighter, saving on average postage costs.
Media mail is subject to inspection, but the post office can see the book inside the poly bag and never needs to open it to inspect it.
It is weather proof if the postman leaves the package on the doorstep in the rain or drops it into a puddle.
The resulting package is very neat and professional looking.
With the packing slip visible when the mailing label and postage are printed it's virtually impossible to get the wrong mailing label on the package, which reduces expnsive mailing errors.
Bags and the sealer can be purchased from Pac-N-Seal.
Total cost of each package is around 8 cents.
Fig. 1 Put the book into a light-weight (2 mil) poly bag and tape it
tightly
to protect the edges from the b-flute. Then cut a piece of b-flute to make
1 wrap
around the book with about 1/2 an inch to spare in height.
Fig. 2 Use the spare piece cut from the 12" wide b-flute roll and
wrap it lengthwise around the book to cushion the top and bottom edges.
Fig. 3 Wrap the b-flute around the book and tape over the ends.
This figure shows the crosswise wrap inside the "book burrito".
Fig. 4 Tape the folded packing slip to the front of the package and
slip it into a poly bag. Now the address can be read through
the poly back so it can be matched to the correct address label.
Fig. 5 Weigh the package and print the postage and mailing label. Slip
it
inside and tape it in place. Then seal the end of the bag and trim
it to length.
Fig. 6 The final package ready to go to the post office.