postage

[+horsegeeks]

I haven't mailed any coins in awhile and I was surprised how much postage has increased. I used to mail the 4 1/2 X 8 inch white (rip resistant) envelopes with one coin for 61 cents. They wanted $1.30 now at the USPS. I questioned it but he said that's what it was. Was he wrong or has postage doubled? It only had one coin in the envelope

Edited July 9, 2007 by horsegeeks

[+lindsychris]

I haven't mailed any coins in awhile and I was surprised how much postage has increased. I used to mail the 4 1/2 X 8 inch white (rip resistant) envelopes with one coin for 61 cents. They wanted $1.30 now at the USPS. I questioned it but he said that's what it was. Was he wrong or has postage doubled? It only had one coin in the envelope

 

It depends...the first place we went said that the coins are large envelopes, so it's about .97 to mail one coin in a padded envelope. The next post office said they were parcels, and they were much more.

 

Since then, we've gone to the post offices that have the Automatic Postal Centers in the lobby and have mailed them ourselves. We've used the large envelope rate and haven't had any come back to us.

[+Mauison]

I haven't mailed any coins in awhile and I was surprised how much postage has increased. I used to mail the 4 1/2 X 8 inch white (rip resistant) envelopes with one coin for 61 cents. They wanted $1.30 now at the USPS. I questioned it but he said that's what it was. Was he wrong or has postage doubled? It only had one coin in the envelope

 

Yep, postage has gone up BUT I've seen coins mailed to me/shipped by me all have different amounts of postage used.

 

For a single coin mailed in a bubble mailer, I've received a coin that only had 75 cents postage on it. I usually ship a single coin at the 97 cents rate but I've also had one come back to me saying it should've been $1.30. I took a couple to the post office to see how much they would charge and they charged $1.30. So I now use the automatic postage machine and send a single coin for 97 cents.

[+Allanon]

It can be done cheaper, but not if you go to the window and talk to the postal person. They will always charge you the Package rate. To get cheaper try to find the "you mail it" machines in the newer/bigger post offices.

 

Also, you need to use the smallest mailers as well. #000 are the smallest I've found, but there may be smaller out there.

 

You should be able to send one coin for about $.58 (depending on the weight of the coin). Be aware that anything over 3.5 oz. is going to go at the higher Large Envelope rate, and anything that's too thick will be the Package rate.

[+AtwellFamily]

They have goteen picky on the the "rigid" if so then it goes to a large envelope. If you are using a #000 then most will scan as a package because the large envelope has min dimentions that the #000 are to small.

 

4oz bubble mailer is First-Class Mail® Package 3 days 1.64

4oz bubble mailer is First-Class Mail® Large Envelope 3 days 1.31

If they don't follow the strick guildlines of: First-Class Mail Package rates apply to Large Envelopes that are

rigid

, nonrectangular, or not

uniformly thick

.

 

I don't think you will find anyone that will ship it letter anymore.

 

These rules are not new but with all the other changes they got strick on these few things that moved the cost to package. I was looking at getting a bigger mailer and seeing if it would go Large Envelope instead of package. Still checking that out.

[+Team Sand Dollar]

A lot will depend on the people you are working with at the PO. I have been able to establish that any of my packages with 4 or less coins will be excepted at the large envelope rate. Any more and they start to get too thick or too rigid. And these go at the first call package rate.

 

So one coin should be $.97 unless you make the package too thick.

 

I've only had one package returned to me for insignificant postage and after talking to customer relations they agreed the mistake was on there part and sent it on priority.

 

Also the #000 are not too small but many of the clerks do not even know the rule. The minimums are what they are for a regular envelope. What makes it a large envelope over a regular envelope is that you violate one of the regular envelope maximums and in our case it is usually the thickness of greater than 1/4 inch but less than 3/4 inch.

 

Hope this helps

Team Sand Dollar

Edited July 9, 2007 by Team Sand Dollar

[+horsegeeks]

Thanks folks that does help.

[+AtwellFamily]

A lot will depend on the people you are working with at the PO. I have been able to establish that any of my packages with 4 or less coins will be excepted at the large envelope rate. Any more and they start to get too thick or too rigid. And these go at the first call package rate.

 

So one coin should be $.97 unless you make the package too thick.

 

I've only had one package returned to me for insignificant postage and after talking to customer relations they agreed the mistake was on there part and sent it on priority.

 

Also the #000 are not too small but many of the clerks do not even know the rule. The minimums are what they are for a regular envelope. What makes it a large envelope over a regular envelope is that you violate one of the regular envelope maximums and in out case it is usually the thickness of greater than 1/4 inch but less than 3/4 inch.

 

Hope this helps

Team Sand Dollar

 

I see this on-line now

Dimension Minimum* Maximum

 

Height 6-1/8 inches 12 inches

 

Length 11-1/2 inches 15 inches

 

Thickness 1/4 inch 3/4 inch

 

 

Large Envelopes that are rigid, nonrectangular, or not uniformly thick pay package rates.

 

For Large Envelopes, length is the longest dimension.

 

For larger items, see Package.

 

*Large envelopes exceed at least one of these dimensions.

 

 

I'll have to take it in to the post office and discuss.

Edited July 9, 2007 by Atwell Family

[+Team chelmo]

Just FYI, shipping 1 coin to the States from New Zealand = $6nz (Over $4us)

[+4BOWS]

We have discovered that if you show them that the envelope will bend, then they can use the large envelope rate which is cheaper than the package rate.

 

We use the #000 envelopes, and always go to the same post office, once we have trained the postal workers correctly.

[+Team Sand Dollar]

once we have trained the postal workers correctly.

 

Yes its all in training the postal workers correctly.

 

And this from an "ex disgruntled postal employee". But I'm much better now .

 

Team Sand Dollar

[+Damenace]

I keep getting charged the $1.30 per coin @ the PO and I am using the #000 size envelope. Would it help if I went back to the Paypal multi shipment tool? What can I do to ensure I am paying the cheapest possible?

[TokyoBlossom]

What can I do to ensure I am paying the cheapest possible?

 

Find a nice Postal Worker.

 

I have been to several post offices and I definitely have one where the gentleman behind the counter ALWAYS sends everything as cheap as possible.

[+avroair]

What can I do to ensure I am paying the cheapest possible?

 

Find a nice Postal Worker.

 

I have been to several post offices and I definitely have one where the gentleman behind the counter ALWAYS sends everything as cheap as possible.

 

Well that can also be a problem since my local postal worker was sending padded envelopes as letters (saving me $0.75) ~ only to find that the postal machine rejected it and the reciever had to pay the insufficient amount.

[TokyoBlossom]

I was told if it wasn't enough the mailing would come back to me and I haven't had one come back yet. Also, haven't had anyone tell me what I sent required more postage...maybe it really depends on the places it is coming from and going to? Small cities > big cities?

 

EDIT: I should add I haven't sent out that many #000 mailers @ .58-.97¢ yet, between 5-10. Perhaps I have just been really lucky.

Edited July 9, 2007 by TokyoBlossom

[+Anthus]

Our PO is charging the at package rate at $1.30. I tried a couple at the 97 large envelope rate and they made me put additional postage on them. So, now all go out at the package rate. I use the little white padded rip resistant envelopes for most shipments.

[+BRoKeN W]

I sent out 5 packages today. I used #000 padded mailers and it cost me $1.30 for domestic shipping for one coin and about $1.64 for two coins. International shipping for one coin cost $1.80. The postal clerk also used a measuring tool to measure the packages to make sure I was getting the cheapest rates.. Now I wonder how I managed to get away with mailing one coin out using two 41 cent stamps recently.......

[+Windrose]

I asked several clerks at my P.O. and they said to qualify for large envelope it has to be less than 3/4", ridgid, and the same thickness all across. So I've been taping them between thin cardboard. Haven't had a problem yet, but who knows how they'll interpet the rules next week.

 

Windrose

[princeshoko]

My post has done away with global priority mail which was $5.75 any ideas what replaced it?

[+wsgaskins]

I recently received one coin with $0.63 postage stamp on it. It was in a recycled padded mailer and somewhere along the lines it had been stamped Postage Due and in ball point pen someone had circled the stamp and written $0.67. But it did end up in my mailbox anyway, mostly because the recycled mailer was actually one that I had sent to them, then they turned around and stuck a new label over their name/address and sent it back to me. Now both the return address and the "to" address were my address.... no where else to return it to in this case, I suppose.

 

I don't know the procedure for paying a postage due on $0.04, but I'm sure not waiting 15 minutes in line at the P.O. to do it. I figure at compounded interest rates, I'll just give them a $0.41 stamp when I retire and go into geocoin trading full time.

[+Mauison]

I just received a geocoin in a #000 bubble mailer today. The postage on the mailer = 57 cents.

 

I've now had geocoins come to me in a #000 mailer (2 oz.) with postage of 57 cents, 75 cents, 97 cents, and $1.30. Amazing!

[+Team Sand Dollar]

I am using #00 9X6 mailers and have had no problems sending them as large envelopes as long as it is 4 coins or less. I make sure they are all hand canceled so they show they have been excepted by a clerk.

 

It may be that the #000 mailers make the package seem fatter than they really are or just the the #00 just looks slimmer.

 

As many have said you have to find a PO where you get along with the staff.

 

Team Sand Dollar

[+rasj & Stacey]

I just got back form the post office. I sent 6 international packages, all in #000 white bubble mailers. I printed the postage from home using Endicia.com / Dymo 3 piece labels. I used the default international service that came up in the software after I entered the international address, and hit "print"

 

I took them by the post office to verify the postage amount. I asked about customs forms (These went to Canada and Australia) and she told me that they did not require any forms because she was entering them as "correspondence" when she checked my postage. All amounts were exactly what the post office would have charged me. The cheapest was $1.00 to Canada and the most expensive was $2.72 to Aus. (it was heavy).

 

I have, in the past, done the same thing and just stuck them in the mailbox. All packages arrived to their destinations, but today I wanted to verify that. She told me that they could indeed ship as is. No extra postage, no forms, nada.... I Hope that helps.

 

EDIT: Spelling

Edited July 12, 2007 by rasj

[+Damenace]

The cheapest was $1.00 to Canada and the most expensive was $2.72 to Aus. (it was heavy).

 

 

You know this is interesting, I to sent a package to Canada the other day. I went right to the PO to have postage adhered and they only charged $1.00. Since when did it become cheaper to send a package to Canada than to someone in the US?

[+LadyBee4T]

I just received a geocoin in a #000 bubble mailer today. The postage on the mailer = 57 cents.

 

I've now had geocoins come to me in a #000 mailer (2 oz.) with postage of 57 cents, 75 cents, 97 cents, and $1.30. Amazing!

 

I have had the same thing on incoming mailers. But on outgoing I have been to three different post ofccies and they ALL charge me $1.30!!

[Son of Cyclops]

This is why I love trading at geocaching events! Everyone get ready for MWGB a lot of trading going on there!

[+welch]

My post has done away with global priority mail which was $5.75 any ideas what replaced it?

Have they all gotten rid of the Priority Flat Rate Envelopes??

[+AtwellFamily]

My post has done away with global priority mail which was $5.75 any ideas what replaced it?

Have they all gotten rid of the Priority Flat Rate Envelopes??

The small ones. The large are $8 or $11 international.

 

As for funny postage. I paid $1.31 to mail 60 miles north and $1.85 to NZ last week. This postage thing is a bit funny now.

Edited July 12, 2007 by Atwell Family