USPS records delivery delays

Jeez, not sure where you guys live. Perhaps that is part of it. I ordered an LP on Discogs which was shipped 4 days ago. From LA to Cleveland, looks like it will arrive tomorrow (fingers crossed), so 5 days total, 7 if it doesn’t get out of Pittsburgh tonight, so Monday.

I think most of mine get to me within a week, maybe a week and half at worst. I would say most the time, my media mail arrives a day or two early (per their stated delivery date on ‘informed delivery’).

I buy a lot of used records online. The last couple years, since Covid kicked in, there have been slow downs, but that’s not the worst of it-- the longer it remains in postal authority hands, the more likely it is to get damaged. I’ve had more damaged records (damaged by shipping casualty, not the product falling short of grade) in the past year than in all the years I’ve been buying.
I do priority or better for any record that means anything to me. I did get an old Pharoah Sanders Impulse record that was somewhat obscure via media mail today, and it was fine.
Foreign sources: take forever now, aside from cost. I look for dealers that can do DHL Express or the equivalent through Fedex or whatever (Mumbai to Austin within less than 10 days), and stopped buying from some foreign sources due to inherent delays in their standard postal service (which is what most sellers offer because of price).
I’d say if it is a valuable record, pay the premium for fast shipping. It will not only get it to you sooner, but will mean the package is in the hands of the berserkers who may do mayhem to your goods for a shorter period of time, all due respect to our postal workers.

Somewhat typical. As mentioned, media mail is the ultimate in “snail mail”…

Understood on the snail mail aspect of the service. I wish more Discogers offered the option of expedited shipping. 

i must lead a charmed existence…..i will probably regret saying that…

I have three unopened behind my listening chair….