I'm a new boxer and thought about using the media flat rate boxes from the post  office that you can get for free.   My question is.

Would it  be cheaper to go buy boxes or use these boxes to ship book deals.?

THank you.

I've never heard of Media Flat Rate boxes.  Only Priority Mail Flat Rate boxes which must go at Priority Mail rates.  That's much more expensive than Media Mail rates.

Have you tried asking at stores for boxes?  I work at a drugstore, we're always happy to give people empty boxes.  If your shipments aren't for too many books, you can use padded envelopes to mail the books in.  I order a lot online; I always save boxes from incoming shipments and reuse them to send stuff out in.

You are thinking of Priority Mail Flat Rate boxes, and they will be more expensive unless, for example, you're shipping more than 20 pounds of books and they can fit in a medium Flat Rate box (not likely). 

Ask your friends to save boxes for you when they order stuff online, or check at local stores. Liquor stores always have lots of boxes! 

I've mailed papebacks in cereal boxes before. I also save every smaller box that comes to me.  I order a lot on line as well. I good sized bubble mailer will hold quite a few books. You can also buy smaller boxes. I don't know how much they cost as I've always had something to use. 

A few times I've saran wrapped paperbacks together in 2 or 3, or 4 piles- then wrapped them up really well in sturdy paper.  I have a bunch of thick finger painting paper left from my daycare days and it works great for this.  I just make even sized bricks and then wrap them up and tape them really well-not muffified so they can be open but taped well enough to be sturdy. 

I also save every bubble mailer that comes to me that still good enough to reuse. 

Like the others said: the priority boxes are free from the PO But they are only for Priority use.  If you try to use them for media mail they'll either send them back to you or deliver htem postage due.  I don't think you can even turn them inside out anymore.  I hear they are marking the insides as Priority as well.

Also beware of liquor boxes, as USPS will not allow them.  You may get away with entirely covering a liquor box with paper and hope it doesn't get torn.  I watch at stores when clerks are stocking shelves, they often have small boxes (coffee isle) you can recycle.

Oh yeah you can't use anything that was for anything flammable. Like no bleach boxes or anything like that.