Lets discuss the USPS...

[WannabeMego]

FYI

Keep in Mind this is a 'Notice' from USPS and NOT the Actual USPS Code...and yes, they are two different things:

Media Mail packages may not contain advertising. Comic books do not meet this standard. Books may contain incidental announcements of other books and sound recordings may contain incidental announcements of other sound recordings. In accordance with standards in the Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM), Section 170, Media Mail packages must have a delivery address and the sender’s return address and are subject to inspection by the Postal Service™. Upon such inspection, matter not eligible for the Media Mail rate may be assessed at the proper price and sent to the recipient postage due, or the sender may be contacted for additional postage.

Link: http://about.usps.com/notices/not121/not121_tech.htm

USPS Code (DMM: Domestic Mail Manual) can be found here: http://pe.usps.com/text/dmm300/dmm300_landing.htm

...BUT...

If you take the ACTUAL Code...Section 273 Sub-Section 3.1 'Content Standards'...there is NO reference to Comic Books at all.

...AND...

If you dissect the Code...Comic Books would fall under the very definition of a 'Periodical' which IS Allowed.

Definition of periodical
2a : published with a fixed interval between the issues or numbers

...LASTLY...

It could be argued that just like Old Catalogs that are considered Archival Material and no longer Valid Advertisement, Older Comic Books would fall under the same category...and this is where it becomes 'Grey'...

This is just me, but I would still send Old Comic Books via Media Mail and attach the USPS Code and Highlight why I believe it qualifies AND add an additional statement that if this where to be declined you would like the exact code that specifies that Periodicals with Expired Archival Material does NOT Qualify.

Just My 2 Cents...Take from it whats it's worth.

P.S. I'm not a Lawyer nor do I play one on TV or on this Forum

[Blue Meanie]

Yeah...My post office I don't have a problem with most of the employees. There are those few that are by the letter types (Pun intended). I think from now on I'll go to the other post office just up the road and send them through that post office.

Media mail is subject to inspection and IF they open it and see that it is comics they will send it return to sender. A few weeks ago I had a box of comics that was being send to me opened and then repacked, rather badly too, with USPS tape. Ticked me off to know that they had the right to do this. Would have lost my mind and gone "postal" if one of those comics was damaged.

[TrekStar]

When I ship something out, I'm only asked if I have anything liquid or perishable? I remember sometime back
I sent a complete set of marvel the Nam comics overseas and I had no issues, maybe I was just lucky.

[Mr.Marion]

That's just wrong. Those Treasury Editions didn't contain any ads at all, not even house ads, so they should have been ok to ship media. Even for vintage comics, one could argue that the ads in them are dated and therefore worthless for their original intended purpose.

Yes I would expect the postal office workers to know Treasury editions were ad free in the 1970's. That's pretty common knowledge at this point.

[warlock664]

I got hit with the same thing last year when I tried to ship about 20 Treasury Edition comics media mail. They asked what was inside, I said magazines, then they asked what kind of magazines. I said comics. They told me comics weren't considered media. After a rather large argument , I wound up having to pay over $20 to ship them when I only charged $3...I just don't get the difference

That's just wrong. Those Treasury Editions didn't contain any ads at all, not even house ads, so they should have been ok to ship media. Even for vintage comics, one could argue that the ads in them are dated and therefore worthless for their original intended purpose.
I think the post office is so fixated on what does/doesn't constitute media mail because it is so frequently abused by sellers. Just last month, I ordered one of the EMCE/Diamond Spider-Man re-Mego sets, and the seller shipped it media mail, which it definitely was not.

[Mikey]

Ummm...stupid question, but how does the USPS know what kind of books you're shipping?

Just don't tell them. Simple as that. If they ask, lie. Also simple as that. After all, they lie all the time when selling two day priority mail that takes 4-5 days.

A few years ago I wanted to ship a set of vintage encyclopedia's USPS Media.

My Ma & Pa post office lady (who I am friends with) told me Media mail is very strange ... It is subject to inspection anywhere along the delivery line... Inspection meaning the USPS very regularly will open and inspect Media packages at random for any reason.

She even said on a bad day my encyclopedia's might be deemed suspect for Media because the back page might contain an add for an upcoming edition.

I think (just my opinion) Media was created specifically for business's but the PO can't tell you that straight-out.

[daz71]

i bought a comic from canada last week and the postage was only £5 to the u.k.

[nazgul]

I got hit with the same thing last year when I tried to ship about 20 Treasury Edition comics media mail. They asked what was inside, I said magazines, then they asked what kind of magazines. I said comics. They told me comics weren't considered media. After a rather large argument , I wound up having to pay over $20 to ship them when I only charged $3...I just don't get the difference

[thunderbolt]

I send anything printed that I sell on ebay media mail unless there is a cheaper option. never ever had a problem. I do print and ship thru ebay and don't take it to the PO. You get discounts thru ebay.

[enyawd72]

Ummm...stupid question, but how does the USPS know what kind of books you're shipping?

Just don't tell them. Simple as that. If they ask, lie. Also simple as that. After all, they lie all the time when selling two day priority mail that takes 4-5 days.

[Mr.Marion]

I don't think original comics would qualify for Media Mail. Trade paperbacks would however since libraries stock them all the time and usually are for reading. Shipping from Coast to coast always going to cost alot.

[Duncan]

It's odd. On the one hand they say it's supposed to be used only for educational materials, but on the other hand they don't spell that out in the detail. Below is what they say re: books. Videos are less specific. I dunno.


"Books, including books issued to supplement other books, of at least eight printed pages, consisting wholly of reading matter or scholarly bibliography, or reading matter with incidental blank spaces for notations and containing no advertising matter other than incidental announcements of books. Advertising includes paid advertising and the publishers' own advertising in display, classified, or editorial style."

[Blue Meanie]

I wonder if using these would help bring down the coast and weight:

http://www.geminicomicsupply.com/pro...flash-mailers/

BTW, if anyone has any tips in mailing...I'm all ears.

[Blue Meanie]

Their prices keep going up but I suggest you try shipping something that weighs one pound and see what FED EX or UPS will quote you.

After this last fiasco I will. It's absurd. I'm also going to try another post office that is the next town over and see if they are doing the same thing.

[megoat]

Their prices keep going up but I suggest you try shipping something that weighs one pound and see what FED EX or UPS will quote you.