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Using B-Flute To Ship Books, Pro’s and Cons

Posted by hughlh

Over at Craig Stark’s bookthink.com there is a set of articles (1 & 2) extolling the virtues of shipping books wrapped in B-flute in lieu of using boxes. For the uninitiated among you, B-Flute is basically corrugated cardboard with paper on only one side. Depending upon your supplier, it can also be called single side or single face. Here is a picture:

In the past, I have talked extensively about shipping books (here, here, & here), some say to the point of absurdity. However, I believe shipping is important for several reasons, not the least of which is the protection of the book. However, the main reason I harp on it so is that in today’s internet and catalogue based world of bookselling, assuming that you catalogue your books properly (huge assumption, I know, and something we will no doubt cover after Christmas rush is over), how you ship your books is the only visible part of your operation the client sees.

In his lengthy and well illustrated article, Craig tries to persuade us that if you place the book in a plastic bag, seal it with an impulse sealer (!) and then wrap it 2 times in B-Flute, tape the b-flute shut on the seam, then use an industrial stapler with 1/2 inch staples to staple the ends shut, put a label on the b-flute and put it in the mail like that, if you do all that, that it is better, quicker, and cheaper than using a new box, bubble wrap and tape.

I disagree, and for several reasons. In the past, we have used B-Flute to ship books and ended up stopping after several months. Below I have outlined the problems I see with this method.

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You may recall that here I listed 4 principles I work around when shipping books, to wit:

1. Protection- The client should receive the book in “as described” condition.
2. Economy- If we shipped everything in boxes made of 3/4“ plywood, the book would be protected, but would cost about $25 each to ship.
3. Convenience to the client- The client wants to be able to open the box, short of using a blowtorch.
4. Professionalism- I am a professional, and I want to act that way, because I wish to be perceived that way. I am not a fan of being cutsie, nor am I a fan of looking like an amateur. I have spent years learning my trade, and to throw all that away by saving $.10 seems a bit asinine.

In my humble opinion, the only issues shipping in B-Flute attempts to address are numbers 1 & 2, and I feel both of those are flawed arguments.

Let’s look at it, going through the principles one by one.

Protection

Craig alleges that B-flute adequately protects books that are shipped in it, arguing that it “freezes” the book and keeps it from shifting. I would argue that wrapping heavily in Bubble wrap accomplishes the same thing.

B-Flute soaks water like the proverbial sponge, requiring you to use a plastic bag and a heat sealer (much like the old seal-a-meal your mom had in the kitchen) to seal the book in first. A book properly wrapped in bubble wrap will be adequately protected 99% of the time when placed in a box; if it really worries you, put it in a plastic bag, tape it shut, and then wrap it in bubble wrap. Leave the seal-a-meal in the kitchen.

One HUGE problem I have with B-Flute is that as you are pinching the heck out of the book to staple the ends shut, you risk bending the corners of the boards, thus damaging the very book you tried to protect.

Economy

This is, I feel, the real reason one would use B-Flute, and, surprisingly, Craig agrees this is the primary reason he uses it. In the first article, he says, “I’m also vitally interested in two other things: Cost of materials and speed of packaging. One or both of these two factors are what make most of the truly safe packaging methods non-starters for me. I don’t want to spend $.50 or a buck per book on packaging materials, nor do I want to blow several minutes getting it packaged. 30 to 45 seconds and $.15 or so in materials is about all I can put up with…”

I have never understood why people complain about the cost of shipping material when this is a cost easily absorbed by the standard shipping and handling charges the clients pay on the databases. In other words, the client is willing (and in fact, does) pay you money for the shipping materials. Any minor (and we are talking at worst a few cents here) overage could easily be absorbed as overhead, ASSUMING you are not selling this book for a penny. Apparently this is not the case, as Craig says in the first article “…I don’t sell cheap books…”.

A box costs about $.45, less if you stock up when u-line has a sale. Tape is pennies per book, and bubble wrap is less than a quarter a book. Throw in a sheet of tissue paper and you have come in well under a dollar.

I believe the real reason people skimp on packing material is that their business model requires that $1 in order to make sense. If so, there is so much wrong with what you are doing I would consider a change of vocation. At that point, you are no longer a bookseller, you are selling your shipping services.

On the subject of economy, Craig gives us a breakdown of things we need to buy to ship books his way: (NB: these are his numbers from the second article)
Anti-Jam Extra Heavy Duty Stapler - $60-70

Staples - $5-6

Heavy Duty Paper Cutter - $30-100

Impulse Sealer - more than $100

B-Flute - $12-18

I have only listed the things you will probably not already have, like Tape and Poly-bags. Now, I went to school in Mississippi, but it looks like $250 to $300, and you have not even shipped a book out yet. (Plus where in the heck am I supposed to put this impulse sealer?)

Convenience to the client

Here is yet another are where B-Flute falls short. You have a 2-layer cardboard burrito, stapled shut with industrial staples, taped shut, with a heat sealed plastic bag inside. How is that 70 year old collector of Americana supposed to open this thing?

In his second article, Craig tells us. “Stapled b-flute packages can be difficult to open with one’s bare hands, but bring a sharp knife or scissors to the task - simply cut off one end - and there’s your book.”

I am sorry, but the last thing I want my clients doing is going anywhere near any book I sold them with a sharp knife or scissors.

Professionalism

Simply put, a book wrapped in cardboard does not look professional. It looks like a book you wrapped in a piece of cardboard and stapled shut, rather than go to the trouble and expense of buying a box. It looks cheap and shoddy. It looks like you need that $1 of shipping and handling money.

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I realize that packing books is a time consuming task, but done properly, it takes about 3 minutes or so and builds a ton of goodwill. I am just not willing to risk my relationship with the client to save $.85 and 2 minutes.

The most ironic thing is found in the second article, in the last 3 sentences. Remember, he has spent 2 articles extolling the virtues of his shipping method, bragging on how it protects the books, and remember, by his own admission, he does not sell cheap books.

“Finally, what about valuable books? Even though a b-flute package will almost certainly deliver them safely, I’m a total chicken when values rise into three or four figures. I still use b-flute but shove the package inside a box!”

A Box? That will NEVER work!

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