Bartertown.com

I'm posting this since I've been asked the question several times and most people don't know where to look for it on USPS.com.

Media rate is a very cheap way to send books. Originally it was called 'book rate'. With the advent of records, cd's, dvd's and computers; it's had a name change and new specifications.

It's 1 of only 2 types of mail that can be opened by ANYBODY during handling. [to insure it's the correct items inside. Others can only be opend by postal inspectors. Just like customs officers can open items coming into the country.]

IF it's found to not be mailable material, it then will be returned to the sender. The sender will then have to repackage the item and buy new postage. So you lose the postage and the box/envelope/container.


from here:
http://pe.usps.com/text/dmm300/473.htm#1015188

3.0 Content Standards for Media Mail Parcels
3.1 Basic Content Standards
Only these items may be mailed at the Media Mail prices:

a. 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.

b. 16-millimeter or narrower width films, which must be positive prints in final form for viewing, and catalogs of such films of 24 pages or more (at least 22 of which are printed). Films and film catalogs sent to or from commercial theaters do not qualify for the Media Mail price.

c. Printed music, in bound or sheet form.

d. Printed objective test materials and their accessories used by or on behalf of educational institutions to test ability, aptitude, achievement, interests, and other mental and personal qualities with or without answers, test scores, or identifying information recorded thereon in writing or by mark.

e. Sound recordings, including incidental announcements of recordings and guides or scripts prepared solely for use with such recordings. Video recordings and player piano rolls are classified as sound recordings.

f. Playscripts and manuscripts for books, periodicals, and music.

g. Printed educational reference charts designed to instruct or train individuals for improving or developing their capabilities. Each chart must be a single printed sheet of information designed for educational reference. The information on the chart, which may be printed on one or both sides of the sheet, must be conveyed primarily by graphs, diagrams, tables, or other nonnarrative matter. An educational reference chart is normally but not necessarily devoted to one subject. A chart on which the information is conveyed primarily by textual matter in a narrative form does not qualify as a printed educational reference chart for mailing at the Media Mail prices even if it includes graphs, diagrams, or tables. Examples of qualifying charts include maps produced primarily for educational reference, tables of mathematical or scientific equations, noun declensions or verb conjugations used in the study of languages, periodic table of elements, botanical or zoological tables, and other tables used in the study of science.

h. Loose-leaf pages and their binders consisting of medical information for distribution to doctors, hospitals, medical schools, and medical students.

i. Computer-readable media containing prerecorded information and guides or scripts prepared solely for use with such media.

3.2 Enclosures in Books
Enclosures in books mailed at Media Mail prices are subject to these additional standards:

a. Either one envelope or one addressed postcard may be bound into the pages of a book. If also serving as an order form, the envelope or card may be in addition to the order form permitted by 3.2b..

b. One order form may be bound into the pages of a book. If also serving as an envelope or postcard, the order form may be in addition to the envelope or card permitted by 3.2a..

c. Announcements of books may appear as book pages. These announcements must be incidental and exclusively devoted to books, without extraneous advertising of book-related or other materials or services. Announcements may fully describe the conditions and methods of ordering books and may contain ordering instructions for use with a separate order form. Up to three such announcements may contain as part of their format a single order form. The order forms permitted with these announcements are in addition to order forms that may be enclosed under 3.2a. or 3.2b..



Note this part:
" 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. "

That's what stops codexes. Also why you can't send White Dwarf as media rate.

and this part:
" 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".

That's what stops game boxes. They're not books but games, the same as Monopoly or Risk.

Like I said, Player's Handbook, DM guides and such, usually yes. [unless it has alot of ads.] Modules, adventures, scenarios, probably no. [if it has an isbn and no ads.] Box sets with maps definately no.

Is it like a novel or dictionary, then yes. Is it like a board game, like Risk or Sttlers of catan; then no.

White dwarf I could see as there are obvious ads.

a Codex you might be able to get through. There are no ads in any of the codices I own. The do show models but there is no price and they don't even show the box art or anything. I would say you'd be ok with a codex.

Looking through the new Warriors of Chaos army book; it'd be close.
It has an isbn. It has no prices with its ads. [the painted picures of all the models in the 'showcase' are ads.] It doesn't have listngs showing other things for sale. [like the main rules, WD, other GW games, novels or other arimes.] It is a "books issued to supplement other books, of at least eight printed pages".

But, "consisting wholly of reading matter" is a problem. There are picture books for kids that are ok. So it'd be a judgement call for whoever opened it.

BTW Media Rate is only in the US. Nothing international.

WD isn't even a magazine any more since it has too high of an ad to story/article ratio. If anyone subscribes, in the US, youll see it isn't mailed 'Periodical' rate, like magazines, ie Time, Newsweek, PC Gamer. It lost that rating years ago. It's shipped and treated like catalogs and other 'junk mail'. [not forwarded and thrown away if not deliverable to the listed address.]

kturock wrote:WD isn't even a magazine any more since it has too high of an ad to story/article ratio. If anyone subscribes, in the uS, youll see it isn't mailed 'Periodical' rate, like magazines, ie Time, Newsweek, PC Gamer. It lost that rating years ago. It's shipped and treated like catalogs and other 'junk mail'. [not forwarded and thrown away if not deliverable to the listed address.]

This amuses me entirely more than it should...

c. Announcements of books may appear as book pages. These announcements must be incidental and exclusively devoted to books, without extraneous advertising of book-related or other materials or services. Announcements may fully describe the conditions and methods of ordering books and may contain ordering instructions for use with a separate order form. Up to three such announcements may contain as part of their format a single order form. The order forms permitted with these announcements are in addition to order forms that may be enclosed under 3.2a. or 3.2b..

Keeping the red text in mind...

So, then, Black Library Novels technically can't be sent?
Not only do they advertise other books, but every Novel has an advertisement in the back for the game (WHFB or 40K) and, at least the 40K ones, promise you a miniature that you can take home.

MagickalMemories wrote:

c. Announcements of books may appear as book pages. These announcements must be incidental and exclusively devoted to books, without extraneous advertising of book-related or other materials or services. Announcements may fully describe the conditions and methods of ordering books and may contain ordering instructions for use with a separate order form. Up to three such announcements may contain as part of their format a single order form. The order forms permitted with these announcements are in addition to order forms that may be enclosed under 3.2a. or 3.2b..

Keeping the red text in mind...

So, then, Black Library Novels technically can't be sent?
Not only do they advertise other books, but every Novel has an advertisement in the back for the game (WHFB or 40K) and, at least the 40K ones, promise you a miniature that you can take home.

You answered your own question.

Yes they can, except for the ones advertising the game, because,
"These announcements must be incidental and exclusively devoted to books".


I just read 2 GW/BL hardbacks. Both have ads for other GW/BL books, but not 40k.
They could be sent. Also, ads about the GW hardback rules and codexes are ok.

The paperbacks I own, have the ads, but I'd bet that if the box/package was opened, no one would flip through the pages looking for ads. [and if they did, would probably overlook the ad.]

So what if, by agreement with the other guy, you just cut out the add pages in the books (if they advertised the game). Would they be legal to go media mail then?

HMM.. I've posted the exact rules. Anything past that is based upon who ever would open and inspect the contents of the box/package.

I know paperback book club, that prints postage, automaticlly chooses between media or 1st class, usually based on weight.

You can get 2 different judges to rule 2 different ways, or the same way. Same thing if/when this happens.

I would think that, in the situation Imaginos mentioned, the books would have to be okay, since they no longer have the forbidden advertisements.

Eric

Has anyone actually had Media Mail opened and inspected? I've shipped tons of stuff by MM and never run into that problem.

If it basiclly looks, feels and sounds line a book, it probably won't be opened. [yes, if you put things that rattle, like minis, in a box and mark it media, it will be opened.

As a USPS employee, I can say, it really depends on who handles the package. Some people are more 'aggressive' at enforcing the rules. [you know, like the LEO who pulls you over for gong 6 mph over the limit and watches for a 'rolling stop' at stop signs.]

I knew a people who checked everything; the weight and postage on packages & letters. They also checked the dates on large stacks of mail, to make sure the dates ere correct.

When it gets opened, it'll be marked, opened for inspection.

There was a time, before I knew better, when I thought it qualified if it had printed materials in it. I sent quite a few board games via Media Mail (Yes... they rattled). They were never opened or questioned.
There are two things to consider here, though:
1) This was before the USPS was a "separate entity" from the US Gov't, and was financially sound and
2) I did not know any better at that time.

Since then, I've sent books - maybe even magazines or magazine like materials (like WD) that did not qualify, technically- and have never had a box opened. Once, when I encountered "TFG" of my local USPS for the first time, he threatened me that MM could be opened and inspected (repeated the warnings kt has given for it not qualifying). I told him that was fine and offered for him to open and inspect it right there. He told me they didn't inspect it there. I told him that it would be fine if he marked it for inspection, if possible, and I got a "No. I'm sure it's fine. They just make us warn people," in response (oddly, the ONLY warning I ever received about it in the USPS).
That's been my big experience with it.

Eric

PS, USPS TFG has been absolutely cool with me ever since. ::shrugs::