US moochers: Is anyone familiar with M-bags?

I am angelling a shipment of 13 heavy books to Canada. They are too big to fit in a large flat-rate box. I was reading on the USPS about something called airmail M-bags which sounds like it is roughly the equivalent of media mail for international shipping. Is anyone familiar with this? Is specific packaging from the PO needed or do I just box the books and pay for that form of shipping?

If this is not an option I would be interested in suggestions for the most economical way to ship. It would almost certainly have to be broken up into more than one shipment. There are a couple large hardcovers and several very thick mass market paperbacks. Most of the books weigh between one and two pounds each. I appreciate any suggestions.

*wondering what I've gotten myself into*

They're too big to fit in a large flat-rate box?

Wow. I would suggest multiple shipments then, rather than an m-bag. I do agree it's cheap, but see the 3rd link below for the packaging requirements.
http://www.usps.com/international/mbags.htm
http://pe.usps.com/text/Imm/immc2_022.htm
http://pe.usps.com/text/Imm/immc2_023.htm
http://pe.usps.com/text/Imm/immc2_025.htm

Canada
http://pe.usps.com/text/Imm/ce_003.htm
Airmail M-bags (260) —
Direct Sack to One Addressee Price Group 1
Weight not over 11 lbs.: $26.95
Each additional pound or fraction of a pound: 2.45
Weight Limit: 66 pounds

The large flat-rate box to Canada doesn't fit everything, but you could also look at the combination of the (rectangular) medium flat-rate boxes.
Medium $26.95
Large $33.95

You definitely don't want to ship 1st-class unless the remaining portion is well under 4 pounds. The slightly-under-4 pound rate is 16.77.

You'll most likely get the bast rate with a combo of flat rate boxes (there are a few shapes and szes now) and at least one flat rate packet.

Thanks for the info, Mark. A combination of methods is probably the best way to go. I was also surprised that I couldn't get them all into the large flat rate, but the combination of shapes and thicknesses leaves me with space I can't fit a book into no matter how I try to pack it, along with leftover books I can't get into the box.

M-Bags are worth knowing about if you send any quantity of books abroad, and depending on how much you have to send, can be cheaper than the flat rate boxes. I don't know what the M stands for, but I think of it as "media", because they are for any number of packages of printed matter to a single address sent abroad.

I have only used it once, but it was quite easy. I had more than 20 pounds of books to send (the weight limit for international use of the flat rate boxes). Two flat rate boxes would have cost lots more than shipping by weight at m-bag rates, so that is what i used. And what is nice about it is you just pack them into whatever box is comfortable, you don't have to worry about fitting into specific flat-rate box sizes.

In my case, I showed up at the PO, asked if they had m-bags, they said yes and gave me an additional thick label to address for the bag itself. Also for this rate you need to fill out the big white customs form, not the small green one. Once all the paperwork was done, they found a mailbag, put the box in it, closed it and attached the label to the outside. (When it arrived abroad, it will still in the bag, and the recipient was given the bag with the box inside.)

My suggestion: see if you can put the heavier books into flat rate packaging, and weigh them, and see how much you would be paying per pound. If it is close to the m-bag rate, make life easier for yourself by putting them all in a single box to be sent at m-bag rates. Also, don't forget that the m-bag rates start by charging you for a minimum of 11 pounds, so it might not be cost-efficient if your package weighs much less.

By the way, did you know that some countries (including Canada and Finland, but not the UK; not sure about others) continue tracking the customs barcodes, so you can look them up at the usps website to watch the package progress in the destination country? This seems to work only for the large white customs forms, not the small green ones. But you can give the usps your email address, and then get email notification when the package is successfully delivered abroad.

Thank you for the info! I inquired at the post office today and it does seem like it would have been the cheapest way to go. She also told me about using my own box and then putting it in the bag. It seems like the main problem is they don't always have them on hand and I was told to call first and make sure they have some if I want to use them. I ended up splitting my order this time, but it's an option I'll certainly keep in mind if I find myself in another situation with lots of books that don't fit into a flat rate box.

Bumping this thread back up...

I am having trouble figuring out the M-bag rates. Can anyone help me figure out what postage would be to ship over 5lbs of books to Portugal via an M-Bag? I'm looking at over $40 for Priority Mail. I know for an M-bag, you pay a minimum of the 11lb rate, but I am having trouble finding a rate chart on the USPS website.

I'll also have to see if my postmaster has ever even heard of an M-bag. I can pretty much guarantee she doesn't have any laying around.

http://pe.usps.gov/text/imm/ps_009.htm

Airmail M-bags (260) —
Direct Sack to One Addressee Price Group 5


Weight not over 11 lbs. - $35.75
Each additional pound or fraction of a pound - 3.25
Weight Limit: 66 pounds

I almost cowboyed up and used an M-bag today... but it turns out the books all fit (just barely) into a medium flat rate box, and that was only about $5 more than the M-bag rate.

Someday I will ship an M-bag even though they scare me a little :)

I had understood that M-bags had vanished - yeppie if they haven't!

In my in my pre-BM days I used to purchase a lot on a certain auction site and always had books sent to the UK M-bag to save on costs. Delivery used to take about 3-4 months about the same as sea mail. I think the last one I had cost about $30 to send but contained 43-44 books and when they arrive it was like christmas as the parcel is actually delivered in a mail bag (the big grey sacks that the USPS use to move things round) with an address tag with your address on.

In 3 or 4 years of using M-bags I never had one go astray - I loooovvvveeee receiving them and if they are still around would be more than happy for people to send to me that way.

They have not vanished, but the average postal clerk probably doesn't know much about them. You need a LOT of books to make them cost effective... I had 15 mass market paperbacks and it was only a little more to go Priority Mail. Currently an M-bag to western Europe is ~$37.95 or so for up to 11 pounds (you get charged the 11lb rate at a minimum).

Try weighing the books and asking the USPS what the Media Rate charge would be for that weight. I once sent fifteen hardbacks to Alaska in one box and it cost only $10.50!

Media Mail is only good within the US. M-Bags are only good for international shipments. This discussion is about international shipments.

Hello! i would like to ask you: " Do they still use or have M -Bags on the Post office?"
I plan to move to New Zealand and I have my text books and other books that means a lot of books !
What is the biggest size of the box that you could buy in order to fit into the M-Bag?
How do you find the rates for sending Books to New Zealand?
I would appreciate any piece of information and advice because I looked to ship my books with a shipping company but still it is too expensive!
Thank you for your help!
Konstantinos

https://www.usps.com/ship/airmail-mbags.htm

The bags I've gotten have been...oh, about 15 inches in diameter, and cylindrical. So a 15x15x whatever box would work. The link has a downloadable price list - I didn't look at it, but I expect it has New Zealand on it. It's still not cheap, but better than a lot of other options.

Actually, look here - it's a better link.
http://pe.usps.com/text/imm/ab_toc.htm

I think you have to box the books in smaller boxes, and then fill the M Bag with a bunch of smallish boxes.

I don't think they care - you could fill the M Bag with naked books, if you liked. However, they'd be unlikely to survive the trip.

I have only sent two M-Bags and that was several years ago, One to Madagascar and another to Germany. Mine were of course all books, which I packed in small packets of two or three with bubble wrap an daddress labels on each, just in case. Both arrived in a fairly timely manner and good condition. You just must be sure you have the right special M-tags to put on the bag and customs form (the long form). The last time I asked for an M-bag at my post office, they said that too many were given out and not coming back, so I was supposed to bring in the stuff and pack it on the premises... sounds stupid to me. Probably just my particular post office...

If I remember correctly there is a weight limit, but i don't remember what that was.. about 50 lbs I think. Best to just ask at your local post office or online at USPS. If they still do them, it is a postage savings.. I think at the time I paid about $35/$40 for each.. of course prices have changed several times at USPS since them.

66 pounds - and a minimum of 11 pounds (if it's under that, they'll take it, but they'll still charge as if it weighed 11). The price depends on where it's going, and they strike me as pretty pricey - of course, I haven't looked at what mailing an 11-pound package would cost, so it still may be a savings.

They are a good savings once you get around 11lbs.