Good tip re: media rate.  What did it cost to ship?  I have a BUNCH of books and magazines donated to send, so I will definately send it this way.

I went ahead and ordered the large FRB from USPS today.  The seem to have changed from groups of 25 to groups of 10 boxes.  What do the large boxes cost to ship?

The last boxes that I ordered they offered a choice of a 10-pk. or a 25-pk. Suppose they could have changed it though since then.  They cost $13.95 to non-military addresses, and $11.95 to APO/FPO addresses.  When the clerks put in the address, the machines automatically charge the lower rate.  I don't believe that you can send the magazines media mail because of the ads in them, but books without ads you can send.  The large FRB would be good for the magazines.

Gran is right. You can't send magazines media rate.  That really sucks cause they are so heavy.  The box of books we sent was a regular cardboard box and was really heavy.  It cost $9.80 media rate.  It was loaded with paperback books.  I don't think we could have put that many books in a flat rate APO box.  We had been saving the books, which hubby read first, until we found a contact that specifically asked for reading material.  To get such a nice letter from them really bowled me over cause I thought, WOW, it was just used books.  His group is in Afghan and he wrote about how poor and needy the people are and they are working with an orphanage.  I've also been buying Beanie Babies every chance I get and saving them for just the right contact.  I now know where the BB's are going this week! 

God works in mysterious ways!

Nora