Sheet music qualifies as media mail, so you can go to the internet, print off a copy of the star spangled banner, and include it on the top of your package!  Or possibli gte a stack of thase 10c cheap paperback books froma  used bookstore and throw one of them inthere.

I've never had a problem shipping media mail or recieving, but I have heard all the war stories.

here is the regulation:

this standard, printed matter means paper on which words, letters, characters,

figures, or images (or any combination of them), not having the character of a bill

or statement of account or of actual and personal correspondence, are reproduced

by any process other than handwriting or typewriting.

In addition to the enclosures and additions listed in E610, any printed matter that is

mailable as Standard Mail may be included loose with any qualifying material

mailed at the Media Mail rates.

I try to use 1st class mail exclusively, but of course that only works up to 13 ounces. After that you could go media mail or priority, but 99.9% of my customers opt for media mail (money talks, go figure). For example, a 2 pound package (around 10 comics) from the east coast to the west coast (or vice-versa) would cost $8.25 Priority mail, $6.67 Parcel post, but only $2.58 Media mail! If it were 10 nice Silver Age gems, then I wouldn't hesitate to ship Priority (and add delivery confirmation w/signature and insurance to boot), but with 10 late Bronze Age books maybe going for a dollar or two a piece, Media mail makes the most sense, especially from a buyer's point of view. After a certain point, however, Priority mail flat rate becomes more attractive price-wise.

Personally, I have never had a problem with media mail (opened for inspection, slow shipping, abused packages, etc.), but I ALWAYS tell the counter person at the post office that I am mailing a BOOK. It's not really a lie, it is, after all, a comic book! Sometimes, just for variety, I tell them it is a "paperback"; again, not exactly a lie. Not all of what I ship is over 20 years old either, but I have yet to see any written documentation supporting this edict. The point about graphic novels and trade paperbacks is well taken also. One nosey counter person at the post office did the "if you don't mind me asking..." thing inquiring as to the contents of my package (no, not that package!) and I simply told her that they were graphic novels. That kind of shut her up, because not being familiar with the term I think she thought I was mailing porno or something!

Anyway, unfair as it may be, I think what it boils down to is what post office branch you deal with and what person you end up with at the counter. There is one guy at my local branch that I HATE to get stuck with and even avoid going when I know he's there. He looks at and closely examines everything I mail and tries to find fault with it. Once he asked me if I had turned a priority box inside out (what!???) and another time he said that I couldn't mail an envelope 1st class mail, because it wasn't at least 3/4 of an inch thick! Well, actually I wanted to ship it what is called 1st class mail parcel, which upon further investigation, I found does indeed need to be 3/4" thick, but c'mon! I asked him what my options were and he said that it could only be mailed Priority! What a crock. Well, I turned the tables on him and said, "OK, never mind the 1st class, let's send it Media mail" to which he refused until I told him that it contained a book (I didn't say comic book). I got the last laugh that time, but he's bound to get me yet. Another time I asked him if I could please borrow a bit of tape and he said that he only has enough for "office use" and directed me to the nearest office supply store (smart *ss). Other employees gladly hand me the entire roll on rare occasions when I need to shore up my box. Oh, well.

As to MEDIA mail.....that's the main way I mail comics.  And, you can put delivery confirmation on them as well.  I don't like nosey postal workers so when they start asking questions....I just ask them to list off what is acceptable to be shipped media mail...and then when they are done...i say "yep, then ship it media rate please".  None of their business the way I see it.  They are not hired to inspect my package contents, they are hired to receive my packages and collect my money.

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