Last updated on September 14th, 2022 at 10:59 pm
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Last updated on September 14th, 2022 at 10:59 pm
Puzzles. A problem solving activity to do that doesn’t involve staring at a screen and works your mind. They come in all shapes and sizes from jigsaw to 3D. Some people simply love to challenge their brain by doing them.
Puzzles can be a form of entertainment and also educational. So since they are an educational tool, they can be shipped using Media Mail right?
Unfortunately puzzles cannot be shipped via Media Mail. The USPS rules prohibit them since they do not qualify as educational reading or recording material.
Media Mail or “book rate ” is a cheaper way of sending educational material in the mail. It takes longer for it to arrive at its destination but if you are needing to send a book, printed music, VHS, DVDs, Blu-ray’s or reference charts this is the way to do it!
There are those that think that puzzles should be allowed to be sent using Media Mail (and I don’t disagree with that) but the fact remains that it is something that just cannot be done.
Puzzles are considered entertainment/toys and don’t fall into the categories set up by the Post Office.
Some links offering more info about Media Mail service and its requirements can be found here and here.
Can You Ship Jigsaw Puzzles Media Mail?(How Can You Ship Them?)
The infamous jigsaw puzzle with its 1000 pieces that involves hours of concentration. You just can’t help but feel excitement when your beautiful landscape scene is almost complete. It takes brain skills and alot of focus to sit down and solve one but the feeling of accomplishment after it’s done is great.
Do you have a loved one that enjoys jigsaw puzzles? Are you wanting to mail them one? You must be curious if you are able to send it by Media Mail but the answer, unfortunately, is no.
You cannot ship jigsaw puzzles by using Media Mail however you can send it First Class mail as long as it doesn’t weigh more than one pound.
Another way you can ship them (if they weigh over a pound) is to use Priority Mail or even Priority Mail Flat Rate boxes/envelopes. The use of a Post Office box or another box to place the puzzle box in is recommended instead of just wrapping paper around the puzzle box .
You do not want to chance the puzzle becoming smashed on its journey to the recipient.
A trick you could also try is to put all of the puzzle pieces in a ziploc baggie so as to make sure they do not get lost along the way. If the box gets a hole in it and a piece falls through then whomever you are sending the puzzle to will end up with an incomplete puzzle and we don’t want that!
Also, by filling the ziploc baggie with as much air as possible you have extra caution around those pieces and less chance of them getting damaged.
Want to know how to ship a completed puzzle?
You could purchase a puzzle mat that the puzzle lays flat on and you just roll it right up. This will keep your carefully constructed puzzle all together. After it is rolled up in the mat you can choose your package it will be shipped in.
For extra protection you could wrap it in bubble wrap and then place it in a box. To see some other recommendations on how to pack and ship a puzzle check out Kite Packaging.
Can Games Be Shipped Media Mail?
Everyone loves to play games. Board games, video games, puzzle games. It’s one of those things that once the work day is done you can relax while still entertaining yourself. If you know someone who loves games you may want to send them some in the mail for a birthday or a “just because” gift.
You don’t want to spend too much on the shipping cost so can’t you just use Media Mail?
Games cannot currently be shipped using Media Mail. Games are entertainment and by the post office’s standard Media Mail must be educational or used for actual media (music, DVDs, etc.)
Since Media Mail prices are a lot cheaper some people might try to include other items in with their “educational” ones and send it this way. If the package includes video games, advertising, etc. It can’t be shipped using Media Mail.
If it looks suspicious to a post office employee they may inspect the package and if it’s not all Media then it will be returned to you or require extra payment by the receiver.
Do yourself a favor and just ship it using the Priority Mail boxes or First Class mail if it’s light enough. Both of these are faster and easier in the long run.
That way you won’t have to deal with the disappointment of a returned package or paying extra.
What Qualifies For Media Mail Shipping?
So you want to send something via Media Mail. It might take longer for your package to get to the destination but if it’s something that can be shipped this way then it’s a great way to do it since it’ll save you some money on shipping costs.
Media mail is a cost-effective way to send educational material or anything that is considered to be media. Anything that is in an educational format that is considered reading or recording material is allowed.
NO advertising products are allowed to be sent via Media Mail.
Let’s break it down a little bit further. The things that do qualify to send media mail style include:
- Books of at least 8 pages
- Films of 16 millimeter or narrower width
- Printed music and test materials
- Video and sound recordings
- Playscripts and manuscripts
- Printed educational reference charts
- Medical loose leaf pages and binders
- Computer readable media
All of these media items are perfectly ok to send using Media Mail but remember that the maximum weight is 70 pounds.
If you are wanting to ship that cute puzzle to your grandchild or that difficult jigsaw puzzle to your grandparent, know then you are not able to send it out via Media Mail. Some puzzles are certainly educational but unfortunately the rules just don’t allow it.
Last updated on September 14th, 2022 at 10:59 pm
