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Media Mail Exceptions?

I know publications with advertising cannot be shipped Media Mail.

But are there exceptions?

I have a 1947 magazine which of course has many advertisements in it.

But it's ridiculous to think that any of them could have meaning today.

Some are for products that don't even exist anymore (I saw one for Ipana toothpaste).

 

Does the USPS have Media Mail exceptions for this sort of thing?

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Message 1 of 8
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7 REPLIES 7

Media Mail Exceptions?

Nope! I have 100 year old magazines that are big & heavy, I wish I could use media mail.
Patricia
eBay member for 25 years
Message 2 of 8
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Media Mail Exceptions?

No exceptions for old ads.  USPS gets so many questions about this, they even included "Old magazines" as a specific category in the reference chart that they made for their own personnel:


https://liteblue.usps.gov/news/link/2013/04apr/Media-Mail-Guidelines.htm

Message 3 of 8
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Media Mail Exceptions?

Thanks for posting the link. Very helpful.
Patricia
eBay member for 25 years
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Media Mail Exceptions?


@partial*eclipse wrote:

No exceptions for old ads.  USPS gets so many questions about this, they even included "Old magazines" as a specific category in the reference chart that they made for their own personnel:


https://liteblue.usps.gov/news/link/2013/04apr/Media-Mail-Guidelines.htm


Yep, I really like that link.

Thanks

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Describe it as if there are no pictures.
Take pictures as if there is no description.
Message 5 of 8
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Media Mail Exceptions?

Magazines are classed as Periodicals. That is, they are issued periodically . . . daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly or annually. That's why they are not Media Mail. The age of the magazine does not matter.

For the record, catalogs and directories also do not qualify as Media Mail. Same reason.

~~C~~
My Glass Duchess
Quoting Mom: In polite society, "hey" is for horses.
Message 6 of 8
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Media Mail Exceptions?

True; even magazines with no ads (such as Highlights for Children or Prevention) aren't eligible for MM due to being periodicals.  But the advertising-related disqualification is easier to explain!

Message 7 of 8
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Media Mail Exceptions?

There's a new USPS Customer Support Ruling (CSR) issued January 2017 on eligible Media Mail exceptions, stating in part:

 

Reprints of historic catalogs are also acceptable in the mails at Media Mail prices for books provided that the original publishers or manufacturers had no control over or interest in the reprinting of these publications or their subsequent sale or distribution.

 

PS-064 (273.3.1)

 

So those facsimile reprints of old Sears catalogs can be sent via Media Mail. An actual old Sears catalog cannot.

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