What is Media?

[Volod]

While thinking about selling this book, and probably using USPS Media Mail to ship it, I asked myself - self, why aren't cards considered media themselves? After all, they are paper stock with graphic imagery and full of textual data, just as books are. Does the PO simply want the profit from first class mail, or does it have some arcane definition of sportscards as not media because they may or may not be collectible? Incidentally, there is no dispute with the postal authorities involved in this inquiry, if anyone is wondering.

[ALR-bishop]

Great book. I think I have 3 update years and then they discontinued them

[Casey2296]

They'll ship cards media mail, it just takes about a month to get there. It'd probably be cheaper to send that book in a priority box for $8, unlimited weight.
Fun book, I remember having one of those to.

[mrmopar]

Thinking you left off a 1 in from of that price.

That book is very heavy and I don't think it would fit in any of the flat rate priority boxes though. Media would be the way to go with that one.

Originally Posted by Casey2296

They'll ship cards media mail, it just takes about a month to get there. It'd probably be cheaper to send that book in a priority box for $8, unlimited weight.
Fun book, I remember having one of those to.

[Jim65]

Originally Posted by mrmopar

Thinking you left off a 1 in from of that price.

That book is very heavy and I don't think it would fit in any of the flat rate priority boxes though. Media would be the way to go with that one.

If it fits in a flate rate cardboard envelope, it can ship for around $8. There are 2 sizes, letter and legal.

[mrmopar]

That book is huge, much larger than legal. It's also really thick.
I was thinking large flat rate box, but I think it is even too large for that size.

I have one upstair and could measure, but going off memory and guessing, probably 18" x 12" x 2" in size.

Originally Posted by Jim65

If it fits in a flat rate cardboard envelope, it can ship for around $8. There are 2 sizes, letter and legal.

[Volod]

Originally Posted by mrmopar

That book is huge, much larger than legal. It's also really thick.
I was thinking large flat rate box, but I think it is even too large for that size.

I have one upstair and could measure, but going off memory and guessing, probably 18" x 12" x 2" in size.

I took a tape measure to it, and it's about 15"x12"x2.5", not sure if flat rate box comes in that size, but whatever the case, I was thinking to just let it go for the shipping cost because, as is visible in the pic, it has severe bottom edge damage and I really haven't had much occasion to look at it in the last thirty years.

[mortimer brewster]

I used to sell books on Ebay and sold this book several times. Just package it up and send it out media mail and you'll be fine. Don't recall any special problems with measurements etc. In fact I would ship large (5-10) lots of books. Strickly based on weight and I believe it is the same price where ever it goes in the continental USA. (Note: I have not sold on Ebay in approximately 2 years. Am not aware of any recent changes to mailing policy).

Only problem I had was once I used an old box with Liquor advertisement and was told to repackage.

This is a very popular book. Update versions not so much

Media Mail would take approximately 5 business days (Pre pandemic)

[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.

[Volod]

Originally Posted by 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.

Thanks for your thoughts, Steve. I agree that it most likely depends on whatever a local PM thinks about "media." I believe most would want to limit the category to books, or maybe printed material, as long as it did not contain ads. I have, however, shipped a lot of old mags media mail over the years, and they certainly had ads in them, even if placed by long defunct merchants. Also agree that postal people might be suspicious of a package as large and heavy as this book shipped media mail.

[toppcat]

Fun fact-Topps used their own reprints for the 1952 set images except for the five players who opted out in 1983.

[steve B]

Originally Posted by Volod

Thanks for your thoughts, Steve. I agree that it most likely depends on whatever a local PM thinks about "media." I believe most would want to limit the category to books, or maybe printed material, as long as it did not contain ads. I have, however, shipped a lot of old mags media mail over the years, and they certainly had ads in them, even if placed by long defunct merchants. Also agree that postal people might be suspicious of a package as large and heavy as this book shipped media mail.

A friend of mine had a magazine from the 1890's returned for additional postage because of the ads. When he pointed out that well over 90% of the companies were long out of business, they just said "an ad is an ad, even if the company closed 100 years ago"

I'd have to look up the current regs, but at the time, books were fine, as were both 16 and 8mm films*, and I think most other recorded media - records, tapes, dvds, VHS, etc.
Media is basically the public version of "library rate" which by now may have been condensed into media mail.

The local branch I used to be at at least a couple days a week would occasionally ask me if something someone had at the counter could go by whatever odd rate that customer was asking for. Or how to pack something, like a pennant.

*Neither 16 or 8mm were produced on nitrate stock, the stuff that self oxidizes when it burns. 35mm obviously was, and isn't allowed in media mail but at least at the time could be mailed if it was packed a certain way and got "no fly" stickers. I've never checked the really old 9.5mm stuff, which I assume might be nitrate, and nobody has ever asked. I think the rule was written that any film 16mm or less was ok. (Or maybe less than 35, but that leaves a bunch of potentially hazardous weirdness in a gray area like 28 and 17mm both very very old. )