How a copy travels intact.

S0.1

The book and its enclosure are a single fragile object; the enclosure — slipcase or traycase — is the most damage-prone component and the most common downgrade. Pack the whole assembly so nothing moves.

S0.2

Never expect the carrier to be careful. Even the gold-standard publisher concedes it cannot guard against mishandling. Pack for the worst.

S0.3

Photo evidence is the universal currency of a claim. The pack is not done until it is photographed.

S1.1

Wrap the book first in glassine or unprinted acid-free kraft or archival tissue. Glassine is the conservation choice for valuable copies.

S1.2

Never put bubble wrap, tape, or any adhesive directly on a leather, cloth, or vellum binding. Bubbles dent and offset onto the surface; plasticizers mark leather; tape lifts cloth and gilt.

S1.3

If bubble wrap is used, it goes over the paper wrap, bubbles facing out — the flat side against the book.

S1.4

Moisture barrier: enclose the wrapped book in a sealable poly bag against rain and humidity. Leather and vellum are humidity-sensitive — never leave a parcel in a hot vehicle.

S2.1

Cardboard sandwich: rigid corrugated cut to size on both faces of the wrapped book. This stops the number-one failure mode — crushed and bumped corners.

S2.2

Corner protectors — foam or rigid board — on hardcovers and on every corner of a slipcase or traycase.

S2.3

Immobilise the book inside its own enclosure so it cannot shift within the slipcase or traycase in transit — a common overlooked failure for lettered states in traycases.

S3.1

Box-in-box. An inner book box, snug, inside an outer shipping box, with at least two inches of firm void fill on all sides so the inner package cannot move at all.

S3.2

Void fill is firm only: crumpled kraft, foam planks, or air pillows. No loose packing peanuts against the book — they migrate, hold static, and offer no real protection.

S3.3

Slipcase and traycase handling: the cased book is treated as one unit inside the sandwich; the case is never the outermost surface and never bears void-fill pressure directly on a corner.

S4.1

Never label the box “RARE BOOK,” “COLLECTIBLE,” or otherwise describe the contents. Descriptive labelling that reveals contents voids the insurance claim.

S4.2

Declared value is the figure the seller actually settled at — always. No under-declaration, no “gift” marking. Under-declaring triggers an insurer co-insurance penalty (the payout is scaled by declared over actual) and is customs fraud. The proof of value is the seller's own priced record — their PayPal Goods & Services receipt or the carrier's declared-value receipt. Solander never issues an invoice and never holds a sale price, so the seller, who actually settled, is the source of that document — never the platform.

The requirements scale by value, so the standard never punishes a modest reading copy. The bands are the enforceable core.

S6.1

Customs honesty is the seller's obligation: the seller declares, on the customs form, the figure they actually settled at — the same figure used for insurance declared value. Only the seller knows it; the platform never knows or stores it. The under-declaration culture of online buy/sell groups is forbidden here — it voids insurance and is customs fraud.

S6.2

Never write “RARE BOOK” on the customs declaration or label — the same insurance-voiding rule as on the parcel.

S6.3

Printed books are duty-free almost everywhere and are exempt from the US import surcharge — carved out as informational materials. The obligation is not a door fee but a sender-side workflow: the seller completes the carrier's US-bound customs preclearance before shipping. Import VAT or GST may still apply in some destinations, and non-book extras in the parcel may be treated differently.

S6.4

Carrier liability caps vary abroad and drive the insurance matrix below. Canada Post's general US and international cap is $1,000, but collectibles — including rare and collectible books — are capped at $500 CAD. Any collectible book over $500 CAD on a Canada Post lane is under-insured on the carrier rail and must use third-party insurance.

S6.5

Exotic-skin bindings — crocodile, python, certain lizard — or ivory and tortoiseshell inlay may require CITES permits; standard goatskin, morocco and calf are clean. A self-declaration handles it; the export burden is the seller's.