PBS Postage.

This is a great option.  But there are a bunch of warnings that need to be said. 

I strongly recommend having a scale.  It does not need to be a postal scale, I have a small kitchen scale. 

Please check and recheck the date.  This really matters.

Think of PBS postage as unrefundable.  You really do not want to go to the Post Office to try and get a refund.

We can reprint the label as often as we need.  But we cannot change anything once selected.  Changing the format, the date, or the weight will trigger a new label, with a new fee and postage.   Please double check everything before selecting.

PBS money cannot be transferred.  Not between sites.  Not between members.  It is only useful for postage or books in the PBS Market.  It is not refundable. 

PBS is a book swapping site. Books will have either an "Order This Book" button or a "+ Wish List" button, depending on if the book is available or has a waiting list. The Book Browser under Search will let us select to search only for posted books.

That said, two ways to buy books have been added over time. PBS earns money from these sales. These are bookstores that give PBS a percentage on sales; they are not PBS. This helps pay for our server time and other expenses.

One is the PBS Market. This is actually several bookstores. There is a banner ad for these books on the Home page. They are the books that have the "Buy This New" button, with two prices. The lower price includes a credit. These books are color coded as green boxes under the Author page.

There is also a button to buy books from Amazon. This is on the book detail page. There may be a Kindle button as well. There is also an "A" in the top banner of every page. Using this button to enter Amazon will credit PBS with a percentage of the sale, even for items other than books.

Glossary

For the first books requested from you, I recommend you to select the Mail Later option.  You can always mail the books earlier.  This gives you extra time to get used to wrapping the books. 

Be sure to mark books mailed.  This is a very important step.  If you do not click the button that you mailed a book, you risk not receiving your credit.

I recommend making a profile.  This will put you in the member directory. 

I also recommend that you do not use your full name as your nickname.  PBS is public.  You do not want to use your full name, your password, or your email as your nickname.   

Folks who are sending a book to you will get your name and address on the label.   Keep some privacy. I do not want the dates you are away from home to be easy to find.  I do not think that you need to share every book you want to read with the in laws or the boss.

About wrapping books

I actually use the printed two page mailer for the small paperback books.
For small PBs: I will cut up a clean plastic bag to go around the book, tape the plastic with scotch tape, wrap the two page wrapper, tape that well with packing tape, then tape over the address (as I have an inkjet printer).

For larger books (IE trade sized) I use the one page mailer and sturdy paper. (I personally use old maps as I have a pile of them.) Again, plastic. Again, packing tape. Again, over the label.

I generally use an old bubble mailer for hardbacks. The corners always seem to get damaged on hardbacks. I will fold the mailer tight around the book so there is no wiggle room.

I think the most important thing to say is the never dos.

Never use press and seal plastic as it leaves the book gummy.

Never re use the priority mail free mailing material. This may cause the book to arrive postage due.

Never use scotch tape on the outside. I do use scotch tape to hold the plastic closed. But scotch tape comes off if there is any moisture. So I make sure to use packing tape on the outside.

Never tape directly to the book cover.

Never leave a book loose in an envelope. The sorting machines rip open loose envelopes all the time. Fold the edges down snug and tape them. Envelopes work fine. Just not loose flapping corners.

There are many different ways to wrap. Economically, it is what you have available. I'd recommend spending money on good packing tape rather than any other supplies. But then I have the space to save materials to use.