Books are the classic underquoted parcel. They feel light in the hand and arrive at the counter costing more than the book sold for.
The four options
Courier — the default. Your own delivery — worth it locally for boxes. Pickup — the right answer for bulk and for heavy single volumes. Buyer arranges — for whole libraries.
What decides it
Weight, and it is more than you think. A hardback is heavy, a box of paperbacks is very heavy, and this is the single most common category for a seller to lose money on their own delivery quote. Weigh the packed parcel. How delivery is charged.
Then the moisture barrier, because paper and the monsoon do not mix. Packing books.
Combining wins
Books combine well by volume and badly by weight. Combining is on by default with whatever you set for each later win, so decide what a second and third book actually cost you to send before the show rather than during it.
When collection is the honest answer
For lots and for anything heavy. A box of books is the clearest case on the site where collection keeps the price sensible — and where a buyer who cannot collect should be told that before they bid rather than after.
Pickup terms are agreed before bidding, with a collect-by window of 72 hours unless you set otherwise. How pickup works.
Questions people ask
Should I offer free delivery on books?
Only with a value threshold you have actually costed. Free delivery on a heavy paperback lot is a loss.
Is media mail cheaper here?
Services vary; compare what your courier actually charges for the weight and size you are sending.
What about discs?
Light and easy — the opposite problem. A weight rule handles both.