An heirloom Bible, one that is passed down from one generation to another, is considered as one of the most precious and invaluable possession a Christian family can own. Highly revered and well taken care of, an heirloom Bible can last for eternity.
However, time can take its toll on any Bible. You can protect it from being devoured by moths, termites, and other paper-loving pests but you cannot prevent its pages from turning yellow and brittle due to the passing of time. Old Bibles require extra precaution when being handled, more-so if being transported, to minimize the risks of damage. If you need to send an old Bible elsewhere, here are some ideas on how to properly pack and ship an heirloom Bible to ensure that it arrives in good condition.
Before packing an old Bible, use a dry soft cloth to wipe and get rid of dust or small insects that might have started to feed on its pages or binding. Be as gentle as possible as the pages may have turned fragile over the years. Also do the “cleaning” indoors, away from direct sunlight, which can cause the paper to yellow or get brittle.
Wrap the Bible in absorbent tissue paper before placing inside a cloth bag or resealable plastic bag. Insert a sachet or two of desiccant (silica gel) inside the bag before sealing it.
Wrap the old Bible generously with bubble wrap and place inside a box with a layer of packaging materials like packing peanuts or bubble wrap on the bottom. Keep the Bible in the center of the box by filling the spaces on the sides and top with more packaging materials. The box should be well-packed so that there is no space for the Bible to shift or move around. Close the box and seal with packaging tape.
Place the boxed Bible in a slightly larger shipping box with packing materials all around. Just like the first box, the second box should also be filled with packing materials on all sides, top and bottom to prevent any movement. Close the box and seal with packaging tape.
Address and label the box and take to your local post office or shipping company. Consider buying additional insurance apart from the automatic insurance that comes with the shipping option you picked.