What is Media?

[steve B]

Books should be fine.

I used to mail cards media mail or under a different now cancelled "unbound printed matter" rate that got absorbed into media mail.
I did briefly consider including an old paperback book and calling the cards packing material, but I'd have to pack them poorly, and the PM is a sort of humorless fellow.
We've had a couple fun discussions, each of us holding our own printout of what we believe is the important part of the DMM.... The clerks used to give me leeway, he never did. He did at least freeely admit that the rules were often contradictory and had areas where they were unclear. But like an umpire, if the rule was unclear his ruling was it.

But post 9-11 they asked what exactly you were shipping, and after a few more boxes, the PM said no more cards in media mail. It will of course depend on how your local place interprets the rules, and if it gets opened for inspection along the way as they reserve the right to do with media mail, how that person interprets it.