need media mail rate ?

[ATARIeric]

i have alot of comics from the early 90's i was thinking about selling, they all are bagged and with the backings! bought them from comic stores so they dont have the barcodes unless it was certain books that only came with the barcodes.

 

 

my question is, ive never sold comics on ebay before and i plan on it soon and i just needed to know what the flat shipping rates were for sending comics by media mail is within the continental usa ?

 

 

and no im not selling the coming of galactus " first issue that has the silver surfer in it" i would part with all that i have but that 1 particular, i bought it in 92 for $300

[Albert]

Here is a page on the USPS website that discusses Media Mail, rate charts, and a rate calculator. Should answer all your questions:

 

USPS - Media Mail

 

..Al

[sku_u]

Magazines and comics aren't considered media mail any more. They now have a separate bound media rate that is different for things like that.

 

BTW, if you went to 10 different post offices and asked 10 different people, you'd probably get 10 different answers as to what is and isn't media mail. Try and be as vague as possible when they ask you what the contents of the package are if you do ship media mail.

[Christophero Sly]

I would over-package and protect everything your going to send media mail. Media mail often takes a beating in transit.

[Susuwatari]

If you send it by bound printed rate, do make sure you ask for return service if the addressee is unreachable. By default BPM stuff are discarded if they cannot reach the destination.

[Albert]

I would over-package and protect everything your going to send media mail.  Media mail often takes a beating in transit.

 

While we're on the subject of postal abuse, here's a package I received once. The package *WAS* full of packing peanuts, but for some odd reason I can't fathom, all the peanuts were missing:

 

The joys of shipping via the USPS

 

I've received several packages in similar fashion over the last few years.

 

..Al

[Albert]

If you send it by bound printed rate, do make sure you ask for return service if the addressee is unreachable.  By default BPM stuff are discarded if they cannot reach the destination.

 

Interesting, I did not know this, thanks.

 

..Al

[classics]

I think your better off using first class mail for any packages under 13oz. The rate is goes from 50 cents to about $2. After 13oz you into priority mail.

 

If you have light items and charge about $2, you will come out about even after packing materials.

 

If you are shipping tons of items, over 2-3 lbs, you might try the new priority mail flat rate. The boxes are pretty big, they would hold hundreds of comics each.

[Christophero Sly]

BTW, if you went to 10 different post offices and asked 10 different people, you'd probably get 10 different answers as to what is and isn't media mail.

Isn't that the truth! I've had no luck getting a definitive answer on whether video game cartridges can be shipped Media Mail. Every Postal employee fumbles badly with that question. The Post Office's definition of "Media" is cryptic, at best.

 

I e-mailed the Post Office's customer service department--they told me "no".

I called 1-800-USPS, and the guy just read me the definition. I told him I didn't know what that meant, so he said I should ask my local post office if video game cartridges qualified for media mail shipment. I told him they read me the same thing you just did, so he put me on hold. When he came back after almost 10 min., he said "Yes", but I think he just wanted to go to lunch.

 

Finally, I was able to get the O.K from my local postmaster.

[Shawn]

when sending comic books or whatever threw the "media rate" just tell them its printed text because technically that is true. And as far as video games go...that would be conpressed text...lol

[Albert]

Well, the USPS states,

 

Media Mail® service is a cost efficient way to mail books, sound recordings, recorded video tapes, printed music, and recorded computer-readable media (such as CDs, DVDs, and diskettes).

 

I'm guessing this was written by someone who didn't think this issue through too clearly. While some examples are stated (CDs, DVDs, and diskettes), it's clear that these are not the only media allowed, since these three items are prefixed with "such as". The word that throws things into a quandry in the above sentence is "recorded". However, CDs and DVDs are not "recorded", they are pressed (stamped), so clearly Media Mail does not apply to only magnetic media. A video game cartridge is very much "computer-readable media", just stored on a different medium.

 

I have received many media mail packages from people sending us cartridges to recycle as homebrew games, and I've yet to have anyone tell me they've had problems shipping a media mail package. Actually, I think CPUWIZ told me once that a post office close to him refused to ship cartridges via Media Mail, but it seems to me that is the exception and not the norm. My post office has never asked me what's inside a media mail package, but I do a lot of business there and they see me just about every day.

 

..Al

[charitycasegreg]

I used to always send stuff media mail, the reason? cheap. But one time, I went to the post office to send a sega master system with a few games and she asked what the package was when I said I wanted media mail. Without hesitation I said it was about 15 ninja turtles vhs's. She said ok and it went to the back. It was packaged really nicely with tape and packing peanuts. But when the package arrived at the sdestination, the person I sent it to had to pay $8 to get it because they opened the package somewhere along the trip and discovered it wasn't media mail. They just sometimes check packages. And no, video games aren't media mail, so either risk it and lie saying its something like some video tapes, or get first class mail which is just about the same price as media mail.