Need Help with Media Mail

[hungry4toys]

Hi, all.  I have over 1,000 baseball sized cards that I want to list as a lot and ship Media Mail.  They have no advertising on them.  Problem is, they come with their hard plastic storage bin.  Does it negate my using MM?  Thanks.

[southern*sweet*tea]

Baseball cards do NOT qualify for Media Mail, with or without advertising, with or without a plastic storage bin.

[hungry4toys]

Oh, I didn't know that, southern.  Thanks for letting me know.

Mine aren't baseball cards, they're cards of animals, fish, birds, etc., each one about the SIZE of a baseball card.

[missjen831]

Media Mail is for media. You say "baseball sized cards" not actual baseball cards so I don't know if the cards qualify as media mail. If they are educational such as flash cards then they would qualify for media mail with or without the storage bin.

[hungry4toys]

Yes, they are educational cards, jen.  (Sorry I haven't been clear....)

[southern*sweet*tea]

Oh, flashcards? Yes, they do qualify, but the cases may disqualify them.

https://pe.usps.com/text/csr/PS-017.htm

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

[partial*eclipse]

Here are two resources to help clarify what is eligible for Media Mail.  The first is a reference chart that USPS put together for staff to address common eligibility questions (e.g., regarding video games, magazines and catalogs).  The othe rlink goes to the Domestic Mail Manual which is the generally recognized rule book.  Section 4.1  has a long list of what's eligible.  Your cards are not eligible regardless of how ad-free or educational they are.

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

https://pe.usps.com/text/dmm300/173.htm#ep1113509

EDIT:  Flash cards are eligible, but that's not what you said you had.

[retrose1]

If you are selling them individually, first class would be a better way to go.  I ship most of my paperbacks and booklets FC, which comes with tracking.

[hungry4toys]

Thank you, southern.  Great link!  I've saved it for future reference, too.

I'm just not sure.  The MM list mentions that you can't ship books and tennis shoes MM, because the tennis shoes negate MM.  And that makes sense.  In my case, the bin came with the cards and allows them to stand up.  Just don't know....

[hungry4toys]

Good point, retrose, but this is really a SET of educational cards and feel I should keep them together.

[partial*eclipse]

Flashcards are eligible under the category of testing materials.  If your cards  are just educational and not actual flash cards used for testing, then they are not eligible.  Here's the ruling:

https://pe.usps.com/text/csr/PS-017.htm

USPS allows cases that are part of the eligible item, such as CD cases and even the box that a full season of a TV show would come in; those are legitimate packaging for the eligible item, not an associated item such as a toy that is included with a children's book (that would make it ineligible).

[hungry4toys]

partial...thank you for your input and the link.

[lookng2015]

Are they actual flash cards or are they more the "collectable" playing card sized things kids used to collect? Flash cards are usually larger than a baseball card.

[hungry4toys]

Thanks for your response, lookng.  Each card measures about 4-3/4" x 5", which I believe is larger than a baseball card.  One side shows a picture of the animal, fish, bird or insect, and the other describes the habitant, coloring and other features, their diet, where they breed, how many offspring they produce, etc.

I feel like such an idiot!  Of course they're not BASEBALL-SIZED cards.  I should have said baseball card-sized, not baseball-sized cards.  My sincere thanks to all of you for not asking if they're round (like a baseball).  Sheesh!  How stupid of me.