I recently received an empty coin album in the mail which came postage due. The sender had sent it USPS Media Mail, which my local branch says is not the right class for a coin album. I argued that the empty album is a book with at least 8 pages. It did not include coins, which I agree would disqualify it from Media Mail. Of course, I lost my appeal (primarily because my local Postmaster is a bit of a self-aggrandizing dick), but I'm wondering if I should push it a bit higher up the USPS chain.

Thoughts?

I think if your local branch has already said that Media Mail was not the right class for the coin album, then your local postmaster was just upholding the rules.  His being a dick, while aggravating I'm certain, does not actually factor in.  He's just regurgitating the regs as he sees them.

If it would amuse you and if you have the time to spare for such an endeavor (I hesitate to use the word "folly"), why not go one step higher up with your question?  Maybe you can get the rule changed for future coin album mailers.  

was there any advertising on the album?

On 02/14/2019 at 8:58 AM ET Charlie K. said: "was there any advertising on the album?"

Nope.

Per the USPS website below are the Media Mail requirements.  I wouldn't think a coin album would meet the "consisting wholly of reading matter" requirement in the first sentence.

4.0 Content Standards for Media Mail

4.1 Qualified Items

Only these items may be mailed at the Media Mail prices:

1. Books, including books issued to supplement other books, of at least eight printed pages, consisting wholly of reading matter or scholarly bibliography, or reading matter with incidental blank spaces for notations and containing no advertising matter other than incidental announcements of books. Advertising includes paid advertising and the publishers‘ own advertising in display, classified, or editorial style.
2. 16-millimeter or narrower width films, which must be positive prints in final form for viewing, and catalogs of such films of 24 pages or more (at least 22 of which are printed). Films and film catalogs sent to or from commercial theaters do not qualify for the Media Mail price.
3. Printed music, whether in bound or sheet form.
4. Printed objective test materials and their accessories used by or on behalf of educational institutions to test ability, aptitude, achievement, interests, and other mental and personal qualities with or without answers, test scores, or identifying information recorded thereon in writing or by mark.
5. Sound recordings, including incidental announcements of recordings and guides or scripts prepared solely for use with such recordings. Video recordings and player piano rolls are classified as sound recordings.
6. Playscripts and manuscripts for books, periodicals, and music.
7. Printed educational reference charts designed to instruct or train individuals for improving or developing their capabilities. Each chart must be a single printed sheet of information designed for educational reference. The information on the chart, which may be printed on one or both sides of the sheet, must be conveyed primarily by graphs, diagrams, tables, or other nonnarrative matter. An educational reference chart is normally but not necessarily devoted to one subject. A chart on which the information is conveyed primarily by textual matter in a narrative form does not qualify as a printed educational reference chart for mailing at the Media Mail prices even if it includes graphs, diagrams, or tables. Examples of qualifying charts include maps produced primarily for educational reference, tables of mathematical or scientific equations, noun declensions or verb conjugations used in the study of languages, periodic table of elements, botanical or zoological tables, and other tables used in the study of science.
8. Loose-leaf pages and their binders consisting of medical information for distribution to doctors, hospitals, medical schools, and medical students.
9. Computer-readable media containing prerecorded information and guides or scripts prepared solely for use with such media.

Sorry, a coin album is definitely not eligible. 

+1 Becca

Same reason blank journals are not qualified as media mail, though I'm certain many get mailed that way.

Thanks for all of the opinions. I asked the sender to credit me the Postage Due amount. and remarkably, they paid up with an apology! She did say that she has sent dozens of empty albums as Media Mail without ever having one requiring additional postage. That said, I don't think she will change her procedure, however.

Glad the sender reimbursed you for postage, but it also makes me wonder if she wasn't well aware that it was a mis-use of Media Mail.  As Jeanne noted, blank journals and even 'guided' journals are not eligible for MM -- such as the event journals that have headings and suggestions.  Nor do calendars or coloring books qualify...

Interesting and useful information.