Hopefully last Media Mail question

[antflan77]

     I searched up threads about MM and I currently have some paperback books to ship out of my daughter's. I intended for them to go MM, buyer chose MM, but that option is not there when I go to purchase a label. Someone posted a link to a USPS MM eligibility chart which shows "graphic novels w/no advertising" are eligible.

Graphic novels - adaptations of novels in “comic book” format contain ISBN numbers issued by Library of Congress

Yes

Contains no advertising

The only thing I can think of was that someone said if it was listed in collectibles, it was not eligible for MM.

Okay, so I looked and that is the problem, we had it in Collectibles category.

So, does this mean that we should list them in the Books and Magazines category in the "Antiquarian & Collectible" section? Will this allow MM label to be chosen? Anybody have experience with this?

Which brings up the question; how is it possible for Ebay to allow a listing to be made with MM as an option, buyer chooses MM, but then seller can't choose MM at time of shipping? Glitch? I know I may have to go to Pirate ship to ship this without losing $.

Long boring story short: Putting some graphic novels in the A & C section of Books and Magazines allow MM label to be printed? Sorry to ask such a specific question, but I figured one of you would already know this. I'm constantly amazed at some of the wisdom I read here. I bet Ebay employees come here to pick things up as well.

[powell-collectibles]

You can list the items wherever you want. If something qualifies for media mail, and eBay won’t let you choose that label for shipping, because of where it was listed, you can buy the label elsewhere. You can use pirate ship to print, other services, or you can go into the post office and buy a label there. We don’t get a discount on the media mail service when buying through eBay, so there isn’t a financial penalty for going to the post office. A bit of a pain to have to wait in line and then add the tracking number afterwards, but it is an option.

[tobaccocardyahoo]

Check the weight of those graphic novels.

Depending on the weight and zone, Ground Advantage might be cheaper than media mail.

Yes, if you list in a book category, you may use MM if they qualify.

Of course, when the July USPS price change comes, MM is going down and GA is increasing.

[ittybitnot]

we had it in Collectibles category.

@antflan77 

It is the "category" used that is disallowing you to purchase media mail for books  on eBay using the eBay system.  So long as the books qualify for media mail, you can purchase the label someplace else like Pirate Ship, and simply add the tracking number to the eBay transaction.  Pirate Ship also has an integration feature (you have to sign up for this) that will automatically import the tracking number for you, but I would still check to make sure it functioned appropriately.  Many people use that service so they can use a 'cash back credit card' to save money on postage/shipping in addition to the discount rates. 

[fm2000]

You have to buy media mail shipping for them at a third party provider like Pirate Ship (if you don't have a third party shipping provider already, Pirate Ship is highly recommended, and having a backup postage provider is really a necessity anyway due to shipping system glitches and situations like this.) Based on experience, most of your graphic novels will be cheaper to ship MM than Ground Advantage (almost all will be over 8oz, some larger ones could be well over 2 pounds properly packaged), so media mail should absolutely be an option to consider. Be sure to pack them properly so the corners are protected and the books cannot be bent during shipping.

eBay's system won't let you buy MM postage because of the category you put them in, despite the fact that graphic novels absolutely qualify media mail. This media mail gating by category is a chronic problem, I have the same problem with graphic novels as well as items like role playing game books that also qualify for MM but eBay's system won't let me buy MM. I really, really wish eBay would fix this issue, the folks at Pirate Ship are absolutely great but it is inconvenient having to buy shipping off eBay and is just an unnecessary hassle.

[slippinjimmy]

---

@fm2000 wrote:

eBay's system won't let you buy MM postage because of the category you put them in, despite the fact that graphic novels absolutely qualify media mail. This media mail gating by category is a chronic problem

---

It is a "chronic problem" but there is a very valid reason for this which is that if eBay didn't place restrictions sellers would use MM for things that definitely do not qualify.

There are literally millions of eBay listings where sellers offer Media Mail for things that don't qualify.

[duffy4444]

     eBay tinkering with and unnecessary restrictions surrounding books, CDs and DVDs is one of the reasons why I dumped eBay's shipping/labeling services and went with Stamps.com about 16 years ago. There, I can choose any shipping service I want without hassles, for the same discounted rates as eBay. Other third party shipping sources are similar, and may be worth a subscription cost, if any, depending on your need for USPS Media Mail.

    Similar avoidance of eBay hassles apply as well for USPS First Class Letter and Large Envelopes, I found.

Cheers,

Duffy

[antflan77]

  Thank you all for your input. I ended up opening a PirateShip account and paid the same amount I normally would have paid. 

For those who have listed in the book category as opposed to the collectible category, does it seem to affect your sales at all?

[onefootflipper1]

---

@slippinjimmy wrote:

---

@fm2000 wrote:

eBay's system won't let you buy MM postage because of the category you put them in, despite the fact that graphic novels absolutely qualify media mail. This media mail gating by category is a chronic problem

---

It is a "chronic problem" but there is a very valid reason for this which is that if eBay didn't place restrictions sellers would use MM for things that definitely do not qualify.

There are literally millions of eBay listings where sellers offer Media Mail for things that don't qualify.

---

I call **bleep** on that. 

Media mail is wide open in hundreds of categories that literally never contain media, while it is locked out in many categories that are primarily media. 

I have 2 items to ship right now, a hat and a stuffed animal and they have media mail unlocked in both those categories.

It actually seems that largely they have locked it out in categories that frequently contain books in order to get people to choose the book category that has higher final value fees. They otherwise don't care.

You can always go to pirateship to ship something media mail. I have to do that at least 1/3rd of the time.

[ittybitnot]

I have 2 items to ship right now, a hat and a stuffed animal and they have media mail unlocked in both those categories.

@onefootflipper1 

Just to be clear, when you say "unlocked" does that mean you could actually purchase on eBay a media mail label for the hat?  It was my understanding that in some instances similar to the OP's, that media mail would be displayed as an option, but when one went to actually purchase the media mail label it would be blocked.  Just want to make sure, thanks!

[onefootflipper1]

---

@ittybitnot wrote:

I have 2 items to ship right now, a hat and a stuffed animal and they have media mail unlocked in both those categories.

@onefootflipper1 

Just to be clear, when you say "unlocked" does that mean you could actually purchase on eBay a media mail label for the hat?  It was my understanding that in some instances similar to the OP's, that media mail would be displayed as an option, but when one went to actually purchase the media mail label it would be blocked.  Just want to make sure, thanks!

---

Yes, I mean I can actually purchase a media mail label directly through ebay for these items.