I recently sold 3 boxes and, according to paypal, it will cost $24.44 to ship through their Parcel select ground service (which is cheaper than priority and first class), or I can ship it through media mail for $7.01, which is obviously the more attractive proposition.
Has anybody had experience shipping booster boxes through media mail? It probably doesn't technically qualify because it's not "educational" but I have received single cards through media mail from vendors in the past with no problems and it is less than a 3rd of the cost.
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If MTG is a part of your life, the formats are like relationships:
Standard/Block = The on-again, off-again holiday fling
Modern/Vintage/Legacy = Stable, homely. A ***** after absence/misreading
Limited/Sealed = Heart breaking free spirit
Commander/Cube = Agreeable, needy and expensive
Pauper/Peasant = Sweet, kind, practical, but shy and boring
Technically, MtG cards don't qualify, falls under the category of "comics" I suppose. The educational limit is new to me though, never encountered that restriction.
In any case, I've only ever used it to send books around. I think the postmaster will inspect mail at random and, upon finding invalid materials, will asses proper postage and hit either the sneer or recipient for more postage.
I only had one bad xperience when some doofus tried to send me 15 lbs of hard to find computer hardware as media and the postmaster checked it. Can't remember how much I got hit for but it wasn't cheap.
In any case, I've only ever used it to send books around. I think the postmaster will inspect mail at random and, upon finding invalid materials, will asses proper postage and hit either the sender or recipient for more postage.
I used to work at a bookstore, and we could send any books, educational or no, via media mail. I don't know if there's been a change in the rules since then, or if there's simply a misunderstanding - as I recall, the reason that USPS has a "media mail" classification is that books can absorb a certain amount of punishment that a generic package cannot. The postmaster randomly inspecting packages sounds right, or at least that's the story I heard as well. Again, we were a bookstore, so we never had a problem with our packages.
Try a USPS large flat-rate box. You may be able to fit all three booster boxes into that for around $13. They'll let you take the box home for free, just go to the post office and pick one up. If you fail, then you know for next time (or for the next time you sell two boxes).
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Along with many mods, I've moved shop over to MTGNexus. Come check us out!
as I recall, the reason that USPS has a "media mail" classification is that books can absorb a certain amount of punishment that a generic package cannot..
My understanding is that Amazon wanted a break for shipping books, CDs, DVD/VHS (back in the day when that was the bulk of their shipping) and the rest of the country said, "If they get a break, why don't we?"
I won a box recently in an auction. The shipper just put it in a "bag" with bubble wrap liner on the inside and it arrived in my mailbox. Just barely fit. Nothing was damaged. I was pretty happy to just have to walk down my drive way to get it as opposed to going to the post office. Just my thoughts.
as I recall, the reason that USPS has a "media mail" classification is that books can absorb a certain amount of punishment that a generic package cannot..
My understanding is that Amazon wanted a break for shipping books, CDs, DVD/VHS (back in the day when that was the bulk of their shipping) and the rest of the country said, "If they get a break, why don't we?"
Huh? Library mail was introduced in the 1920's. Media Mail was introduced in 1930's. The digital media update happened in the '80's. Amazon was established in 1994.
Unless my timeline is wrong, Amazon has had access to media mail from its inception. You're likely thinking of something like the Workshare Discount Amazon likely gets from the USPS.
Huh? Library mail was introduced in the 1920's. Media Mail was introduced in 1930's. The digital media update happened in the '80's. Amazon was established in 1994.
Unless my timeline is wrong, Amazon has had access to media mail from its inception. You're likely thinking of something like the Workshare Discount Amazon likely gets from the USPS.
Nope, I wasn't thinking of anything like that, I was just plain wrong. Thanks for the quick history lesson!
I wouldn't ignore/stretch the definition of Media Mail. Besides legal risk, USPS is already cheap, so I don't want to trick them. As KnickM said, it can be used for noneducational media as well. Library Mail, slightly cheaper, doesn't restrict content of media either but does require sending to/from educational institutions. I figured promoting education was the idea of the discount, KnickM has an interesting point about those packages being more durable. It being proportionally easier to do large pickups/dropoffs might explain the library mail discount.
Priority flatrate is a good deal for a large enough quantity of Magic cards. They're relatively dense, with no empty space (and booster boxes have relatively little air in packaging)
Printing shipping labels through PayPal gets discounts on postage (Commercial Base rates), including on Priority flatrate. Use https://www.paypal.com/shipnow to print labels for shipments not associated with a particular PayPal payment.
The Priority Mail padded flatrate envelope has to be ordered for free rather than picked up at a post office (https://store.usps.com/store/product/shipping-supplies/priority-mail-padded-flat-rate-envelope-P_EP14PE), but postage is only slightly more expensive than the small box. It's great for things too big for the small box but not big enough to need the medium one. It's as wide as a #4 bubblemailer but not as long. It can hold one booster box.
Has anybody had experience shipping booster boxes through media mail? It probably doesn't technically qualify because it's not "educational" but I have received single cards through media mail from vendors in the past with no problems and it is less than a 3rd of the cost.
Standard/Block = The on-again, off-again holiday fling
Modern/Vintage/Legacy = Stable, homely. A ***** after absence/misreading
Limited/Sealed = Heart breaking free spirit
Commander/Cube = Agreeable, needy and expensive
Pauper/Peasant = Sweet, kind, practical, but shy and boring
In any case, I've only ever used it to send books around. I think the postmaster will inspect mail at random and, upon finding invalid materials, will asses proper postage and hit either the sneer or recipient for more postage.
I only had one bad xperience when some doofus tried to send me 15 lbs of hard to find computer hardware as media and the postmaster checked it. Can't remember how much I got hit for but it wasn't cheap.
In short, send at your own risk.
I used to work at a bookstore, and we could send any books, educational or no, via media mail. I don't know if there's been a change in the rules since then, or if there's simply a misunderstanding - as I recall, the reason that USPS has a "media mail" classification is that books can absorb a certain amount of punishment that a generic package cannot. The postmaster randomly inspecting packages sounds right, or at least that's the story I heard as well. Again, we were a bookstore, so we never had a problem with our packages.
Try a USPS large flat-rate box. You may be able to fit all three booster boxes into that for around $13. They'll let you take the box home for free, just go to the post office and pick one up. If you fail, then you know for next time (or for the next time you sell two boxes).
My understanding is that Amazon wanted a break for shipping books, CDs, DVD/VHS (back in the day when that was the bulk of their shipping) and the rest of the country said, "If they get a break, why don't we?"
Huh? Library mail was introduced in the 1920's. Media Mail was introduced in 1930's. The digital media update happened in the '80's. Amazon was established in 1994.
Unless my timeline is wrong, Amazon has had access to media mail from its inception. You're likely thinking of something like the Workshare Discount Amazon likely gets from the USPS.
Nope, I wasn't thinking of anything like that, I was just plain wrong. Thanks for the quick history lesson!
BUWGRChilds PlayGRWUB
BUWGR Highlander GRWUB
UBSquee's Shapeshifting PetBU
BW Multiplayer Control WB
RG Changeling GR
UR Mana FlareRU
UMerfolkU
B MBMC B
Priority flatrate is a good deal for a large enough quantity of Magic cards. They're relatively dense, with no empty space (and booster boxes have relatively little air in packaging)
Printing shipping labels through PayPal gets discounts on postage (Commercial Base rates), including on Priority flatrate. Use https://www.paypal.com/shipnow to print labels for shipments not associated with a particular PayPal payment.
The Priority Mail padded flatrate envelope has to be ordered for free rather than picked up at a post office (https://store.usps.com/store/product/shipping-supplies/priority-mail-padded-flat-rate-envelope-P_EP14PE), but postage is only slightly more expensive than the small box. It's great for things too big for the small box but not big enough to need the medium one. It's as wide as a #4 bubblemailer but not as long. It can hold one booster box.
Vintage: Dredge | Legacy: Burn, Goblins, Soldier | Standard: Mono-Red Aggro
Commander: Nicol Bolas, Sliver Overlord, Rafiq
Casual: Selesnya Saproling Smackdown, Izzet Labs, Rebel
Played since June 2004, mostly inactive June 2011 to March 2018
Other usernames include AlanFromRochester, homerthebeerbaron
MTG checklists from Alpha to Ravnica Allegiance - https://www.mtgsalvation.com/forums/magic-fundamentals/other-magic-products/third-party-products/805324-checklists-for-everything-from-alpha-to-ravnica