Two different objects, two different failures, one parcel that has to handle both.
Books
The enemy is movement. A book that can slide inside a box arrives with bumped corners and a bruised spine, and a stack that can shift grinds against itself the whole way.
- Books in a sealed plastic bag, against damp
- Stiff board front and back of the stack
- Spines alternated, so the stack sits flat
- Wrapped as one block so nothing can shift
- Box close to the size, voids filled, seams taped
A padded envelope is acceptable for one thin volume and wrong for a stack. Packing books covers paper in more detail.
Dust jackets
Where an edition has one, a jacket moves against the board underneath it and scuffs. A sheet of tissue between jacket and book stops it.
Figures
The box is the item for anything boxed, so it goes inside a shipping box with filling all round — never posted as the parcel itself. The toys packing guide has the method.
For loose figures, pad every projecting part on its own before wrapping the whole: swords, hair, outstretched arms and bases are where these break.
Damp and heat
Paper takes damp from the air and colours fade in sunlight. Store out of the light, keep parcels out of hot vehicles, and put the plastic bag in every time. Monsoon and your stock.
Weight
A long run of volumes is heavier than it looks and the weight climbs fast. Weigh before you quote a combined rate. How delivery is charged.
Questions people ask
Can I post a whole run in one box?
Yes, flat and interleaved with board, up to what you can lift comfortably. Then check the weight.
Should I bag each volume separately?
One bag around the stack is enough unless the volumes are valuable, in which case bag them individually.
What about a boxed figure with a window?
Card over the window inside the bubble, so nothing presses on the plastic.