I’ve got a move coming up, and I’d like to to stick to many smaller boxes for moving stuff rather than fewer but larger boxes. The main volume of thing that I’m going to be moving is BOOKS - tons and tons of books.
All of these places sell boxes for moving, but they’re all sort of absurdly priced and indefensible. I was thinking more like buying a bunch of those fold-out file boxes from an Office store or something like that, that way they’re all one size and stackable and easily transportable one at a time, stackable on a dolly or flat cart, etc.
But there has to be an even cheaper and better way than that. What’s the secret for moving boxes? I’d rather buy some boxes than beg for them at a store, because time is of the essence and I don’t mind paying a little bit of money.
Post Office bulk mail bins. White plastic, with handles, but no tops. If you don’t act sneaky but drive right up to the bulk mail loading area and grab what you need, no one will say a word to you. Take them back when you’re done and you didn’t even steal anything.
I always buy the cheapest file storage boxes at places like Staples or Office Depot.
The cheapest ones come in a 10 pack, and fold up without tape.
The built-in handles and removable lids make them perfect once you arrive, since they are now usable as is and can be stacked several high without shelving.
Long distance movers will want to tape the lids down, but local haulers won’t.
And they won’t get tipped over during the move because the handles make them easier to carry upright.
Of course, they are also open to “inspection” by movers with sticky fingers, so tape the lids on anything expensive or irreplacable.
Go to a bookstore and ask. All of the books shipped to us are in boxes that are perfect for books (imagine that). My store is a pretty small one, and I usually have a stack of flattened boxes a couple of feet high by the back door that people are welcome to take. It saves me a trip to the recycle center. I imagine other store owners feel the same.
I used those file storage boxes you mentioned. As you said, they are easily transportable (and even have handle holes). And as it’s tax time now, they should be on sale at one of the big-box office supply retailers. If you want cheaper, how about the boxes that ten reams of copier paper come in? I would think that your local copy store would empty out a lot of these boxes each day. And as they’re designed to hold paper, they are sturdy. No handles, though.
Got a local college or university? Ask the librarians. My mom was a university librarian, and I got a ton of fantastic boxes for moving books for free. The book publishers ship to them in bulk. They would give them away to whoever asked nicely.
The last time I moved, I had to move a lot of books. I loves me some books. I put them in carriable weights by size and tied them with twine. I did move in cars/trucks and it was basically to carry out of one place and into another. I had a handle and it worked well.
Your local Walmart recycles its carboard but if you ask, you can sometimes get them to hold out some boxes for you. Most stuff is unloaded overnight, so you need to make sure you find a manager and ask either late at night or early in the morning. (You’ll probably have to make a second trip to actually get them.) A bleach box (carton for bleach) is a good size. Manageable.
Books get heavy real fast. If you’re doing the moving yourself, you don’t want to pack books in large boxes – use more small boxes. Nothing larger than, say, the box that copy paper comes in. We also found it useful to just use up the ton of plastic bags from the supermarket. A double bag of books is about right for carrying, and you have a handle.
I’d echo the liquor store suggestion. I’ve never used beer boxes, but the boxes that, say 12 bottles of vodka come in, are a nice size for packing if you’re not looking for anything too large.
That’s exactly what I came in here to recommend. I move every 2-3 years, I love books, and I have always been able to get plenty of empty copy paper boxes from wherever I’m working. Office managers are usually happy to give 'em away. They’re perfect for books, and some of them even have built-in handles. In fact I just got 2 of those boxes today, because I’m donating a bunch of books to the local library (in preparation for an early summer move).
Paper ream boxes. Go to an Office Depot, OfficeMax or Staples–anything with a copy center, really–and see if they have any leftover boxes for cases of paper. Sometimes they’ll give 'em way, other times, not so much. But, if you get some, they’re very handy, and a great size for books. Call beforehand to save yourself a trip.
Other than that, you might try your local university. You might catch them in a workstation replacement cycle, and the monitor boxes are also great for books. Plus, these boxes have handles.
Liquor boxes are great for heavy stuff like books. It won’t kill you to carry a liquor box fulla books. For lighter stuff, you can’t beat CHICKEN BOXES. Talk to fried chicken places. Some will shoo you away, saying they can’t. Some will happily give you a dozen. They’re sturdy, waxed, uniform, they stack and they unfold without tearing for storage. They have handles and slip-on lids. I have some I’ve had for 20 years or more.
For books, it could be cheaper to mail them than any other way of transport. Cross-check the rates.
I’ve always collected copy paper boxes from work as well. Working it IT, I’ve always had access to the computer boxes for other stuff, but the copy paper boxes rock for books. (If you work for a large corporation, call your desktop support group about boxes).
In addition to liquor stores and bookstores, friends that have recently moved often have boxes.
My box strategy is to go to the loading dock of the grocery store. They often have mountains and mountains of boxes there. When I move, my boxes all say things like “Oscar Mayer!” and “Chiquita Banana”. They’re strong, and come in all shapes and sizes. If you’re squeamish about roach eggs, find ones that came full of cans.
