[buymycards]

Hi Leon,
Baseball cards are not media. Newspapers and magazines contain advertising and they do not qualify for media mail rates.

We inspect all Media Mail packages that come into our Post Office. (All Post Offices are supposed to do this but many do not). We cannot open Priority or First Class packages, but we are required to open and inspect Media Mail packages because so many people are using it incorrectly. We find car parts, jewelry, clothing, - you name it. If it has come through another Post Office, then the addressee has to pay postage due before they can have their package. If it comes to the counter when someone tries to mail it, we can correct it on the spot and the mailer will then pay the correct postage.

I would say that 60-70% of the packages that arrive at our Post Office have not been inspected at the origin Post Office, and close to 50% contain items that do not qualify. Also, everything in the package has to be media. For instance, if you are sending a dozen books in a package and you decide to throw in a shirt, the entire package is disqualified because the shirt is not Media.

One of the reasons that some Post Offices allow things to be mailed at Media rates is because they don't want the hassle of telling the customer that their item doesn't qualify, or the clerk just doesn't care. It is easier to just let it go.

Rick