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Texas by God
07-18-2021, 02:38 PM
I've never mailed books before, what's the best way? Paperback gunsmithing manuals, 5 or so quantity. I visited the USPS site but started zoning out zzzzz.
Thanks!

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winchester 71
07-18-2021, 02:55 PM
address envelope so they can't say its advertising and having it open go in and demand politely media rate pricing...........they have to help you or easier is to ship in a flat rate envelope.......fill it up if you can as they don't charge for weight and it's $8.40 with insurance and tracking that allows you to monitor the items travel from you to the destination.......this is most of the time cheaper and faster then taking a chance on snail mail.............hope this helps...................

Texas by God
07-18-2021, 03:56 PM
Thanks! I’d heard that about the media rate. That helps.

bedbugbilly
07-18-2021, 04:22 PM
I have mailed a lot of books. Media Mail is by weight but at a reduced rate. All I do is box up the books, put on an address label and mark the box on the outside with "Media Mail". I have never been hassled by the PO - they ask what it contains and I tell them the truth - books - nothing else, no correspondence, etc. It is a cheap way to mail books and printed media - the delivery time is longer as I believe Priority and 1st Class has the priority over it, but it is still a reliable way to send it. Depending on the number of books and weight, you can send a larger amount - volume wise - than you can send in any Flat Rate envelope. If you are going to mail a number of different packages containing books, go online, register on the USPS and order a roll of MEDIA MAIL stickers that you can apply to the outside of the packages - there is no cost for them. You shouldn't have to "demand" anything at the PO - they will help you out.

gunwonk
07-18-2021, 04:43 PM
FWIW, last couple of times I sent media mail, I got tracking numbers too.

pertnear
07-18-2021, 04:59 PM
Latest USPS Media Mail Rates

286292

garrisonjoe
07-18-2021, 07:29 PM
Last media mail shipment I got (2 weeks ago) took 2 weeks to come same distance (1500 miles) that a flat rate box would have been delivered in 3 days.

You have to decide if the cheaper price of media shipping outweighs the quick delivery of flat rate.

good luck, garrisonjoe

Der Gebirgsjager
07-18-2021, 07:34 PM
It is slower, but the rates are good.

DG

higgins
07-18-2021, 07:40 PM
A few years ago (before all the Covid nonsense and the general slowdown at the PO), I put two media mail packages in the mail at the same time. Three days later one made it to a PO about 75 miles away and the other went to Hawaii. I decided the one that went to Hawaii spent all but a few hours on planes.

Texas by God
07-18-2021, 10:15 PM
Thank you all.

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abunaitoo
07-19-2021, 01:53 AM
I've used media mail many times.
It takes forever, but is cheap.
Also no insurance or tracking.