Hi everyone!  I wrap my books to mail in Maps.  My husband drove a truck years ago and had a really large book of maps.  I started to throw it away, but since I am a recycler, I decided to keep it.  Whenever anyone orders a book from me, I find the page of the state they live in and find the city.  I put a red circle around it and make sure it shows.  (That last part is just something I do for fun).  It is interesting to look at plus I recycled the paper map.

What a great idea! It makes me want to request a book from you just to see how you do it. Thanks for sharing a fun idea.

I received a book in great condition the other day in a Kraft Macaroni and Cheese box. I thought that was easy!

I'm surprised when I receive a book which was just placed in a mailing envelope, without some other protection. Especially when that protection---i.e., plastic wrapper---is free. I'm a big believer in reuse and recycle. You know those rolls of bags supermarkets make available in the produce area into which you can place produce? I don't always use them, but when I do, I save them after I get home after placing the produce in my fridge. These bags are just right for mass market paperbacks or larger softcover books. For hardbacks, I use the plastic outer wrapping on the bread I buy. It's stronger than the produce bags.

Often the book fits so nicely in the plastic bag, you don't even have to tape it. I just fold the bag around the book and insert it into the mailing envelope. This way the person who receives it can reuse it.

Yea Thomas.   I'm with you.  Use light weight plastic to cover most books which no longer go into the padded bags and follow that with paper envelopes or heavier plastic I can cut to size.  I use the colored padded bags for wrapping gifts but otherwise I'm not sure what to do with padded bags.