How do you mail pounds of paper for cheap?

I'm looking at getting my friend some of my stash of paper. Its looking like around 5'ish pounds, and Im not done.

Ive went to the PO, they had medium flat rate box's & then a large one (called board game) The dimentions read that paper would fit into it (12x12) but it's not. Its about 1/2 an inch to thin (in the width) for both box's.

What other options do I have for mailing this? Of course with out it costing me the bank! I mean If Im going to spend $50.00 to ship it, might as well buy her $50.00 on new stuff & get in with free shipping some where.

I remeber years ago, I used one size of these box's to store my paper. So at one point n time I know it fit???

There's an $11ish box that should fit the 12x12 paper. Or maybe it's $14... I can't remember exactly but one of them should fit.

yes the 11 is the medium - and the 14 is the large. When I put the paper inside the box is to narrow. It fits more then fits height -- but narrow Its going to bow :S

I know it should, I remeber when it did - but right now it isnt? Have the shrank the boxs?

No help on the box but try sending it media mail. Way cheaper!

Here is the proof! This is the large board game box.

How do you ship loads of paper? By Sassie

Media Mail, how how would I go about doing that? It that to ship paper only?

I could be wrong, but I'm not sure that scrapbook paper technically qualifies as media mail. Priority Mail Flat Rate is the way to go, partly because media mail generally stays in the post office system much longer so it's more likely to be damaged. There's a Flat Rate Priority Mail square box, I believe it's the large size, that is 12"x12", I've had no problems with that. Each post office location has a limited amount of sizes available, ime; the post office website has more sizes of mailers available, but of course you'd end up with a bundle - although if you plan to do more mailing it may be the way to go.

OK, so the square box, not this board game!! Got it, I wanted to stay with flat rate because Im sending her other things as well.

Thanks Stix's I will use a bundle I am sure!!

yea if you use media mail and it items inside doesn't fit in the categories for media mail you will be in trouble and they will ship it priority and charge for the remainder of postage.

New pizza boxes may work too....do u ever save the boxes from online sbing ordering? Reuse those if you do, you know they fit!

The large flat rate boxes have inside dimensions of 12x12.
https://store.usps.com/store/browse/uspsProductDetailMultiSkuDropDown.jsp?categoryNav=false&navAction=jump&navCount=0&productId=P_LARGE_FRB&categoryId=subcatMSS_FlatRate

It will be a tight fit and you'll have to cut off any of those UPC strips on the bottom of the paper, but it should work.

You can also go to your local office store and buy a box and weigh it and check the rates for priority mail. And another no for media mail as well. It can take weeks and it doesn't match the guidelines for media mail.

I've mailed sb paper, transparencies, book covers all media with no problems. Hm.

Unfortunately Media Mail is only for educational materials because it is really cheap!

This is from USPS.com and it is clear that you cannot send scrapbook paper or supplies by Media Mail. Now of course if you have gotten away with it that is all fine and dandy for you I guess.

2.2 Postal Inspection
Media Mail and Library Mail are not sealed against postal inspection. Regardless of physical closure, the mailing of articles at Media Mail or Library Mail prices constitutes consent by the mailer to postal inspection of the contents.

4.1 Qualified Items
Only these items may be mailed at the Media Mail prices:

a. Books, including books issued to supplement other books, of at least eight printed pages, consisting wholly of reading matter or scholarly bibliography, or reading matter with incidental blank spaces for notations and containing no advertising matter other than incidental announcements of books. Advertising includes paid advertising and the publishers' own advertising in display, classified, or editorial style.

b. 16-millimeter or narrower width films, which must be positive prints in final form for viewing, and catalogs of such films of 24 pages or more (at least 22 of which are printed). Films and film catalogs sent to or from commercial theaters do not qualify for the Media Mail price.

c. Printed music, whether in bound or sheet form.

d. Printed objective test materials and their accessories used by or on behalf of educational institutions to test ability, aptitude, achievement, interests, and other mental and personal qualities with or without answers, test scores, or identifying information recorded thereon in writing or by mark.

e. Sound recordings, including incidental announcements of recordings and guides or scripts prepared solely for use with such recordings. Video recordings and player piano rolls are classified as sound recordings.

f. Playscripts and manuscripts for books, periodicals, and music.

g. Printed educational reference charts designed to instruct or train individuals for improving or developing their capabilities. Each chart must be a single printed sheet of information designed for educational reference. The information on the chart, which may be printed on one or both sides of the sheet, must be conveyed primarily by graphs, diagrams, tables, or other nonnarrative matter. An educational reference chart is normally but not necessarily devoted to one subject. A chart on which the information is conveyed primarily by textual matter in a narrative form does not qualify as a printed educational reference chart for mailing at the Media Mail prices even if it includes graphs, diagrams, or tables. Examples of qualifying charts include maps produced primarily for educational reference, tables of mathematical or scientific equations, noun declensions or verb conjugations used in the study of languages, periodic table of elements, botanical or zoological tables, and other tables used in the study of science.

h. Loose-leaf pages and their binders consisting of medical information for distribution to doctors, hospitals, medical schools, and medical students.

i. Computer-readable media containing prerecorded information and guides or scripts prepared solely for use with such media.

I just recieved a Flat Rate Medium Box from America with 4 stacks of DCWV papers. From America to Holland, Europe..it costed me $47. For me, thats reasonable as it was a very heavy box. 9lbs in total. It fits in there just perfectly. Am not sure what the costs are for this box within the United States tho. But they fit for sure.

There is (or at least used to be) a rectangular priority box that is JUST wide enough to hold 12x12 paper. I used one to mail 5 thin stacks to Canada in March. I don't have one handy but my guess is that its about 12x16x3.

THanks everyone Im not going to go Media mail.

I know there was Lisa, thats why this is killing me. I used to store my paper in these box's!!! So I know they used to be aviable. Maybe if I took my paper in with me they could help me. THey know me pretty well by now LoL!

I have pizza box's & left over box's from paper mailing ... I just need it to be flat rate so Im not shipping an arm and a leg. To ship 5 pounds in a 12 1/2 x 12 1/2 box (like from sb.com) its about 28.00 I know theres a way about half that cost.

Get an estimate from the other shipping companies. I just ran an estimate (not knowing your origin and destination) of a 5-pound package from California to Indiana and it came in around $17 by UPS and $15 by FedEx. They've both got a utility on their website where you could enter the actual size and distance information to get a more accurate quote.

The flat rate medium box is about 1/8" too small, but the large box should be fine as long as the paper you're sending doesn't have bar code strips or anything else beyond the actual 12 inches.

• YourScrapAttack Said:

I'm not understanding this at all.

If, I, Joe-consumer, take a box to the post office, tell them it's media mail, pay media mail rate, and it goes out, then post office discovers it's NOT media mail, HOW is it going to charge ME??

They don't. They'll charge the recipient by delivering it postage due. Meaning the recipient can't claim the package without paying the difference in postage between media mail and first-class.

• aquabunny Said:

This... I've often found that UPS is cheaper (and more convenient) than the post office.

• suezhunt Said:

This just happened to me. Sent a few books via media mail a few days ago and came back to me today for a whopping 0.33¢...I told the lady @ the USPS over the phone, seriously? And she just said Oh yes, this happens all the time even for 2¢. She claimed they don't do it but the system does.

Now, to run to the PO after work to pay the amount. At least, the recipient didn't have to go through that but Jeez, its unbelievable!!

ive never used fedX will have to check that. What size of box did you send?