Shipping 43 lbs worth of Comics?

[Annihilus]

I have been sending 20+ pound shortboxes of comics via Media Mail every week for the last couple months (about $11 a pop).

 

People will try to tell you that comics aren't eligible, but that is not my experience, nor that of my local USPS branches. I have never had a package rejected/upcharged by USPS when mailing comics via Media Mail in the ten or so years I've been selling to folks all over the U.S. Several of the boxes I've sent recently have gone to Lonestar Comics in TX, so it's not like the USPS didn't know what was in them either.

 

I'm sure the haters will chime in, but don't buy what they're selling. Media Mail for comics is safe, cheap and effective.

 

And according to USPS rules...illegal.

 

And according to my local carrier and branches.....NOT illegal (and technically, there is not a 'law' so thus, no 'illegality'). I've asked them. Personally. This is true for the following places I've lived:

 

Maysville & Frankfort, KY

St. Louis Park & Minnetonka, MN

Prescott & Tucson, AZ

 

It's pretty obvious that those that have 'run afoul of the rules' using Media Mail to send comics are few and far between and the biggest risk you run is being upcharged. I've never had that happen to me and doubt that I ever will. The old story is that it's a 'branch by branch' decision - and most of them just don't care.

[blutobc]

I have been sending 20+ pound shortboxes of comics via Media Mail every week for the last couple months (about $11 a pop).

 

People will try to tell you that comics aren't eligible, but that is not my experience, nor that of my local USPS branches. I have never had a package rejected/upcharged by USPS when mailing comics via Media Mail in the ten or so years I've been selling to folks all over the U.S. Several of the boxes I've sent recently have gone to Lonestar Comics in TX, so it's not like the USPS didn't know what was in them either.

 

I'm sure the haters will chime in, but don't buy what they're selling. Media Mail for comics is safe, cheap and effective.

 

And according to USPS rules...illegal.

 

And according to my local carrier and branches.....NOT illegal (and technically, there is not a 'law' so thus, no 'illegality'). I've asked them. Personally. This is true for the following places I've lived:

 

Maysville & Frankfort, KY

St. Louis Park & Minnetonka, MN

Prescott & Tucson, AZ

 

It's pretty obvious that those that have 'run afoul of the rules' using Media Mail to send comics are few and far between and the biggest risk you run is being upcharged. I've never had that happen to me and doubt that I ever will. The old story is that it's a 'branch by branch' decision - and most of them just don't care.

 

 

I agree with Annihilus on this one. I've sent comics via media for years. Local branch knows what's in the boxes...usually they say something like "sold more of them old funny books again".

 

Around two years ago, after one of the usual monthly "don't do it, you're breaking the law" media mail threads, I directly asked my local Post Office and the Regional P.O. In my question to them I expressly asked if sending comics by media mail was wrong or controversial. Neither office had a problem with comics via media. Apparently though some P.O.'s do. The ones that do seem to be few and far between.

 

Of course this all could be moot as the P.O. continues to lose billions each year and may be out of business soon anyway. Oh, to be young and ignorant again with a fresh new comic in my hand, bent backwards as I read it. Alas, all that's left is an old coot who reads a comic like it was precious goods. Old and ignorant just isn't as cute.

[shadroch]

Best option - Media Mail

Second best- Fed Ex Ground.

 

When shipping from Nevada to NY, I find Fed Ex Ground beats UPS by a good bit.

 

An option I 've looked into but have not tried is Greyhound Express. You can ship four packages weighing a total of around 220 pounds for less than sixty cents per pound under some circumstances. Drawback is its station to station so you must deliver them to the bus terminal and pick them up at a bus terminal.

[Not*Sure*]

I agree I always shipped my comics media mail..I personally know the post master in my area and she has no problem with that..some post offices read the wording of the rules differently and therein is the problem..there is language about bound printed matter that contains advertising some post offices drop the hammer.

 

In California, I know it depended on the employee behind the counter at the time one was "No problem" The other "No way!"

[Calamerica]

Greyhound Express was great when I sold those practice golf balls - 600 per box @ 70 or so lbs. for $44 each.

 

The 43 lb. box the Thread originator can be shipped in three boxes:

 

15 lb.

14 lb

14 lb.

and now would have all three boxes qualify as Media Mail. That is what I would do.

 

Yes some great suggestions such as Fed Ex Ground, but I had two bad experiences w/ Fed Ex Ground - they do NOT cover Insurance w/ collectibles yet I had IMSM CGC and Silver Surfer # 1 CGC 9.0 that got almost destroyed. I should have saved the pix to show everyone, but maybe inb this case he could try Fed Ex ground.

 

CAL won't use Fed Ex Ground anymore.

[USArmyParatrooper]

Greyhound Express was great when I sold those practice golf balls - 600 per box @ 70 or so lbs. for $44 each.

 

The 43 lb. box the Thread originator can be shipped in three boxes:

 

15 lb.

14 lb

14 lb.

and now would have all three boxes qualify as Media Mail. That is what I would do.

 

Yes some great suggestions such as Fed Ex Ground, but I had two bad experiences w/ Fed Ex Ground - they do NOT cover Insurance w/ collectibles yet I had IMSM CGC and Silver Surfer # 1 CGC 9.0 that got almost destroyed. I should have saved the pix to show everyone, but maybe inb this case he could try Fed Ex ground.

 

CAL won't use Fed Ex Ground anymore.

 

Media mail will take them all as one big 43 lbs box for $18 and change. That's the winner right there. The box just can't exceed 108 inches when you measure the perimeter plus the length, meaning 2wh + l must be < 108 in

 

She's going throw in an unquestionably qualifying item and then call it a day.

[shadroch]

From experiance, media mail should not weigh 43 pounds.

Break it up. You can send it as one package, but every handler along the way will treat it like the 43 pound pain in the azz that it is. Oversized or overweight media mail packages seem to bring out the primal side of postal workers.

Besides all that- why make your mother lug a 43 pound package when she can break it into two or three for only a few dollars more.

Real life experiance- a box of 150 comics will take 4 to 6 days to make it from Vegas to NY problem free. A box with 300 takes 8 to 10 and will arrive banged up more often than not.

[shadroch]

FED EX Ground is good for shipping bulk comics, I'm not sure about collectables- but thats what Comic Link uses.

[Calamerica]

FED EX Ground is good for shipping bulk comics, I'm not sure about collectables- but thats what Comic Link uses.

 

And my very last Comic Link was the problem - I had those two NM comics.CGC'd of course - Fed Ex would not cover damages.

 

CAL won't use either C Link or Fed Ex ever again...

[USArmyParatrooper]

From experiance, media mail should not weigh 43 pounds.

Break it up. You can send it as one package, but every handler along the way will treat it like the 43 pound pain in the azz that it is. Oversized or overweight media mail packages seem to bring out the primal side of postal workers.

Besides all that- why make your mother lug a 43 pound package when she can break it into two or three for only a few dollars more.

Real life experiance- a box of 150 comics will take 4 to 6 days to make it from Vegas to NY problem free. A box with 300 takes 8 to 10 and will arrive banged up more often than not.

 

These comics have more sentimental value than intrinsic. Besides, my mother weighs about a buck-nothing and needs the workout.

[Calamerica]

From experiance, media mail should not weigh 43 pounds.

Break it up. You can send it as one package, but every handler along the way will treat it like the 43 pound pain in the azz that it is. Oversized or overweight media mail packages seem to bring out the primal side of postal workers.

Besides all that- why make your mother lug a 43 pound package when she can break it into two or three for only a few dollars more.

Real life experiance- a box of 150 comics will take 4 to 6 days to make it from Vegas to NY problem free. A box with 300 takes 8 to 10 and will arrive banged up more often than not.

 

Media Mail packages cannot exceed 15 lbs. I have done this several times, and my total costs were 6.50-ish per box. There is a cap on what they used to charge for Media Mail, but I would need to go to the USPS to get that quote.

 

BTW, USPS is making many changes as we speak; they may discontinue Media Mail except for musical products.

 

CAL awaiting the changes...

[mschmidt]

Media Mail packages cannot exceed 15 lbs. I have done this several times, and my total costs were 6.50-ish per box. There is a cap on what they used to charge for Media Mail, but I would need to go to the USPS to get that quote.

 

Maximum weight for Media Mail packages is 70 lbs.

[Calamerica]

Media Mail packages cannot exceed 15 lbs. I have done this several times, and my total costs were 6.50-ish per box. There is a cap on what they used to charge for Media Mail, but I would need to go to the USPS to get that quote.

 

Maximum weight for Media Mail packages is 70 lbs.

 

He's right - I just checked the USPS site and it is 70 lbs.

 

outdated CAL

[USArmyParatrooper]

Quick question on this. It was shipped media mail I think close to a couple weeks ago. About how long does media mail take coast to coast?

[shadroch]

As I told you, the heavier the package, the longer it takes as it just sits there until some supervisor insists it has to go.I mailed two boxes last Tuesday. One weighed about 5 pounds and arrived in Cali today. The other was about 20 pounds

and is still in the system.

I've had media mail take six weeks to go from NY to Virginia. On the other hand, I've had it take four days from Vegas to NY.

[USArmyParatrooper]

Cool, thanks.