It is amazing to me that another holiday season is upon us. We live
in crazy times of rising prices and logistical challenges.
Officially, the Post Office recommends shipping most Media Mail
(standard) parcels by December 15th for delivery by Christmas.
Priority Mail (expidited) should ship by December 18th, and Priority
Mail Express (overnight rates) by the 23rd. Media Mail to Alaska
should be by December 2nd. International shipments should be made by
November 29th, including Priority Mail International. Orders with
Estate Books should be placed at least one day in advance so they can
be dropped of at the PO the next day.
While the mail doesn't generally face the problems of port
congestion, there is a shortage of truck drivers, airline pilots, and
other personnel. Things may have improved in some respects since last
year, but if using standard shipping I would recommend ordering by the
morning of December 11th if at all possible. We will make extra trips
to the post office to help with timley delivery.
Prices are generally going up. We can expect another postal rate
increase next year, and with general consumer price increases the cost
of packaging, site fees, and general book prices will likley rise.
Fortunatley, with reasonable care, used books make an excellent store
of value. You can buy what you like, read it, share it with family and
friends, and when you are ready, sell it to someone else or donate it
and recieve a tax deduction. Books keep forever without climate
control, although they should be kept out of direct sunlight and
protected from flooding and rodents. Rather than buying into every
crazy speculative meme, why not invest in something which can
entertain and inform?
