Priority mail isn't really handled better, it just gets there faster.

I have fantastic local post offices near me. They never check any of the packages I send or receive. My main postal guy tells me all the tricks, he says that 99% of the time the only people that will search media mail are the local post offices, but they do make random checks at the big warehouses. Your chances of getting a random check on media mail is increased if you print your own postage, especially if it's a very heavy package. If you have a small post office near you that's your best bet, lots of bigger offices make you open the package if you're sending it media mail.

Parcel post is supposed to be as fast as media mail but I ship a lot of stuff and I find parcel post takes much longer on average. Another trick that's good to know is if you're shipping something to someone that lives fairly close to you and will go to the same processing facility send it the cheapest method possible, it all gets there in the same amount of time. I live in Connecticut and everything I ship to CT, MA, RI I sent parcel post or media mail and it arrives within 2 days. VT, NH, NY and north Jersey take 3 days.

You can also check on prices for "bound printed matter". Can't weigh more than 15 pounds for that though.

Scott F

To my peeps in the Doctor Who thread!