Shipping Coins

[+Chickahominy]

Best way to ship coins?

I know this has been talked about before, but I feel it needs to be revisited. There are many coins changing hands right now, i.e., the 999 coins.

 

My opinion?

Bubble mailers are GREAT.

Plain envelopes, are risky.

Taping the coin to the INSIDE of the mailer makes sense and is good practice.

 

Just my two cents.

[+anne.and.eli]

I just recently learned that you should be shipping coins PACKAGE rate in the US, not large envelope rate.

 

I've never seen a coin taped to the inside, that's an interesting idea.

[+BRoKeN W]

I don't like tape on the coins. The tape leaves a residue on the coin slip making it sticky.

 

I use a bubble mailer. I staple 3 sides of index cards or cardstock together and put in the coin before stapling the top. I then tape that into the bubble mailer.

 

You can ask anyone who've I've sent coins to.. I like staples and I like tape. LOL!

[+LadyBee4T]

I agree with Kelly. I don't like tape on the plastic flips as they get sticky and it can't be removed. I also like a LOT of tape.

 

I cut up old mailers and put the coin inside that. Then I tape that inside another mailer. That makes it thick enough to be able to use delivery confirmation as I usually ship using paypal shipping. Sometimes I have found slits in the bubble mailer when the coins are shipped loose. One was a lackey coin but luckily it didn't fall out. That's why I double package mine and I also put my return address on the coin part of the package. I even found a slit in one of the poly mailers that had a loose coin inside.

 

I have had only one nonmicro coin sent to me in a plain envelope that wasn't smothered in tape. I was lucky as that coin I found loose in the mailbox. I guess for that one I did receive and empty mailer!

[Odyssey Voyager]

i just have a couple of things to add. the biggest issue when shipping is securing the item so it does not shift or move within the container or envelope. shifting can cause a breach or break in the container, and there goes your expensive geocoin into post office oblivion! shipping tape will work to keep items from moving, but as noted earlier, it leaves a residue to anything it is stuck to, and many do not like having to wrestle with the tape to get their coin out of the package. i like to use inexpensive card stock that is folded and cut to about the size of the interior of the bubble wrap package. i then center the coin or coins within the folded stock, staple the sides to prevent movement and scotch tape or staple the top as well. the card stock helps keep everyything from moving around within the envelope, and also gives some stiffness or rigidity to the package, without adding too much weight. over the years, through trial and error, and a few lost geocoins, this method has seemed to work best for me.

 

one other thing i'd like to add. if you do many trades, and even if you do only a few, keeping track of your trades is important. its very easy to forget who you have sent items to, and who you have received items from. so, good notes and records are important. it also is a good idea to let the people you've traded with know when their package has arrived safely. it's just a nice courtesy so others can check that trade item off their list or records.

Edited September 26, 2009 by Odyssey Voyager

[+Vanelle]

I agree with all the tape to the inside of the envelope comments. Too sticky and quite frustrating to get out of the package.

 

I take a picture of my packages before they go out. It helps me if I am involved in a number of trades. Sometimes I second guess if I have sent something or not, and checking the photo is proof that I did.

 

I used to use manilla envelopes and put packing tape along all four sides to keep them from splitting open. Inside, I wrapped the coin in recycled bubble mailers from incoming items. But I wasn't making very many trades then, and so the time was not a problem.

 

For the 999 coins, I used bubble mailers. I found a place online to buy a box of them at a much more reasonable price than staples or the grocery store. They are easier and faster.

[+grodan & fiabus]

I use some different envelopes depending on how many coins and how heavy the package get. If it is a single coin or below 100g I use a single envelope and tape the living daylight out of it, as my "mentor" told me. I´m sure you who received anything from me can confirm my love of tape.

We have some green bubblemailers here in Sweden with postage within Sweden paid when you buy the mailer, they can also be used for abroad mail with an extra postagefee so those are also useful, especially since you may put things in them up to 2 kilos. Those I use alot also. Or make own packages if it is light stuff because postage are calculated from weight here.

 

I try not to put tape on the flips because it makes them all sticky and I don´t like that, I rather wrap it in a napkin or some paper and then tape it to a card or just put it in the envelope and tape the edges of that.

 

I try to put tape on all sides and where I am the slightest suspicious that it might break.

 

grodan Karin

[+drneal]

I mail coins in a bubble mailer bubble mailer with delivery confirmation in the US (I like toknow the coin made it to its destination.)

 

I use half of a bubble mailer used to mail me a trade or purchase with the coin stapled inside (I esp. like the idea of a piece of bubble mailer inside another bubble mailer for mailing my wooden nickel to help protect it.)

 

Double faced Gorilla tape (I use about a 1" piece) to hold the inside piece of bubble wrap in place

 

Close it up, and I place a piece of clear packing tape over the mailing address (I always print out a mailing label on computer for the envelope...got an A+ in drs. handwriting course at school so printing the address would probably not be a good idea,) around the back of the mailer to help hold it closed.

 

If sending a lot of coins I refer to the Grodan and Fiabus method of taping!

 

 

ILYK

[+Droo]

Best way to ship coins?

I know this has been talked about before, but I feel it needs to be revisited. There are many coins changing hands right now, i.e., the 999 coins.

 

My opinion?

Bubble mailers are GREAT.

Plain envelopes, are risky.

Taping the coin to the INSIDE of the mailer makes sense and is good practice.

 

Just my two cents.

If you're going to tape the coins inside the mailer wrap the coins first in paper or something... tape glue loves to hang on to coin flips.

 

Ooops should've read other people's posts before running off at the mouth and saying the same thing.

 

I try to tape or staple coins into a paper packet to fit snuggly inside the mailer to prevent shifting. It also means that big meaty man hands can pull well secured coins out of the packet.

 

Have you noticed that the commercial guys don't seem bothered by the weight shifting thing?

[+UFgatorgirl]

Best way to ship coins?

I know this has been talked about before, but I feel it needs to be revisited. There are many coins changing hands right now, i.e., the 999 coins.

 

My opinion?

Bubble mailers are GREAT.

Plain envelopes, are risky.

Taping the coin to the INSIDE of the mailer makes sense and is good practice.

 

Just my two cents.

If you're going to tape the coins inside the mailer wrap the coins first in paper or something... tape glue loves to hang on to coin flips.

 

Ooops should've read other people's posts before running off at the mouth and saying the same thing.

 

I try to tape or staple coins into a paper packet to fit snuggly inside the mailer to prevent shifting. It also means that big meaty man hands can pull well secured coins out of the packet.

 

Have you noticed that the commercial guys don't seem bothered by the weight shifting thing?

i have noticed that..maybe they just take a few losses as part of doing business. maybe that coin loss is cheaper than the extra packing material and time.

 

i do the coin wrapped in paper and taped to the inside of a bubble envelope.

[+GATOULIS]

Well... my opinion is that you have to make sure the coin is not moving inside! No mater if it is in a bubble mailer.... if the coin is moving inside maybe someone will want to find out what is inside... and the letter will get lost....

 

If you put it in a bubble mailer, take a piece of paper and make a "wallet" for the coin with it! You can close it with tape! Then you can tape this wallet in an other paper and fold it like it is a letter! the coin will not move and things will be ok!

 

In case you have one of the small yellow- orange envelops... (most of the pathtags I recieve are in those little envelops), things are better! Put the coin inside and then tape the small envelope on a paper! If the coi is smaller and it is moving in the tiny envelop.... close it deeper with a metal stripe... so the coin will not move! Just be careful not to harm the coin or the plastic flip!

 

In case of an ordinary mailer..... It is good that nobody can see or feel the coin inside!!!

 

Most of the times, we can hide the coin but since the mailer is thin, everybody can feel that there is something hidden in the letter!

 

In that case.... take a thick cardboard and cut it so it can fit in the mailer like a post card! Take this cardboard and dig a little so the coin with the flip can fit in it! make sure the coin is not out and make sure the even if you dig the cardboard...you didn't damage the other side!

 

Put the coin in the digged area, put on fornt a piece of paper and tape it so the coin will not leave, and then take a thin cardboard at the same size of the thick one, and tape it together! In that way, nobody will understand that there is a hidden coin inside.... If you want, you can write on the cardboard the ward coin (where the coin is hidden), so the lucky receiver will know... sometimes....

 

Now, take an A4 piece of paper, put this cardboard in it and fold the paper like it is a letter! tape it and you are ready!

 

In case you can not do all that.... (quick mail!)

 

Make a "wallet" for the coin, and tape it in a piece of paper! fold the paper like a letter to fit in the mailer! Be sure that the rest paper that you will probably fold inside, must be at the side the coin is showing! what I mean by that... When you take the wallet on the paper, one side will be normal but the other will have a small "hill", (the wallet), there to ballance this, and your letter will not have empty areas around the coin (if there are empty areas, the coin will show more!!!), put the extra peper... byt turning the edges of the paper! Tape the edges and them do the same with an other pieace of paper...as an extra cover!

 

I saw that some had problem with the glue of the tapes on the plastic flips!

 

In case you want to remove now the glue of the tape, you can use a piece of cotton with alcohol (clean one from the pharmacy.. not the blue one, because the blue colored one has water!), or you can use petrol, the one that is to clean clothes... It is in bottles!

 

I do not know if alcohol will damage any colors of the geocoins, but it is a good cleaner for normal coins! It removes dirt and leaves the patine and the age beauty of the coin, on the coin!!!So it does great work without destroying the coin! Again I am talking about the clean pure alcohol and not the one that is blue in color!!! The blue has water in it and it doesn't dry so easy! Even the smallest drop of water on a coin may harm the coin! If you close the coin and it is not completely dry.... it may be oxydite or even worse... the copper of the coin may start having the green corrosion that is called (Copper Canser) There are not many chances to save the coin then! you will clean and clean but this desease will "eat" your coin and turn it into a green powder!!! I think there are only some chemicals that just slow down the desease but not destroy it!!! Now... if something like that happens to your coin.... take it out , away from your other coins!!!! This desease can go to your other coins too!!!! Oh... and... check the plastic flips of the coins too!!! I do not know from what they are made of! Some may harm your coins!!! Plastic flips are only to keep the coins for some period and not for ever!

As I said... I do not know about the flips forthe geocoins!!!

 

Ok... I turned this thread into a coin collecting and preserving thread... Sorry!!!!

[ELTADA]

I don't worry too much about taping the coin inside the envelope as I use a bubble mailer and then clear packing tape on every square inch of the outside. I try to recycle as many mailers as I can but when I shipped out my Out on the Water coin orders, I bought packages of bubble mailers at my local dollar store for a pretty good price. They were the perfect size - unfortunately I can't find them now!

 

Weight is a big issue here when sending something so I try to avoid any extra paper or cardstock (every little gram counts sometimes). I just recently realized that I should be sending by package rate to the US -- apparently O/S Letter (oversized or other letter service) is ok within Canada but technically I am supposed to be sending Small or Light Packet outside Canada -- even to the US. The postal outlet I go to let me send to the US using O/S Letter so I keep my mouth shut and hope for the best.

 

I address everything as neatly and clearly as I can and tape everything well and I think that has served me well so far.

[+DJ.J.ROCK]

well i came up with a great non costly way to ship,,,

 

it saves on material costs and shipping is less too..

 

i couldent find the right size mailers so after about 50 circles around walmart, i had an idea and it works great!!

 

i got some index cards and some envlopes and some tape,,

 

i fold the index card in half and put the coin in the middle,, then i staple it in the card around the coin flip,, then it goes in the envlope and i staple thru the envlope and the index card ,, i hold it up to the light so i can see where the edges of the index card are and staple the edges ,, then after adding the info on the envlope i tape the whole card, i have lots of packaging tape so taping the whole card is no big deal for me ,, any one who know me knows i use lots of tape too. i havent had one coin come loose at all not even budge!!

 

i like this soooooo much ill probably do it the rest of my coining life!!!

 

the shipping cost is cut in half compared to a bubble mailer!!!

hope this helps others!!

 

[+Chickahominy]

Great ideas and wonderful advice.

 

Yes, I agree, tape on a flip is aggravating. I wrap the coins in bubble wrap or tissue paper before taping them.

 

Now to work on keeping that inventory list of what's going out and what's coming in.

[Odyssey Voyager]

the U.S. Postal Service does not approve of any tape on the outside of standard sized envelopes, i'm not exactly sure of the reason, but it might have something to do with the possibility of snags or binding the automated postal sorting machines. there was a thread some time ago here at the forum about the high speed that envelopes go through the sorting machines, and why it's not a very good idea to send geocoins at the "regular envelope" rate. perhaps a postal employee can add more accurate information here, but i believe "large envelope" and "package" rates are a little higher because these items are sorted "by hand" to reduce loss or damage, all while bypassing the automated sorting machines. i wouldn't suggest saving a few pennies on postage while risking the loss of valuable geocoins. 2 or 3 geocoins lost in the mail will easily exceed any savings on postage, not to mention the aggravation and headache of recouping the mail insurance (if the item was even insured). anyone that has gone through the postal service insurance claim process will agree that its a major hassle you want to avoid at all cost...repeat...AT ALL COST!...lol...pay a little more, pack it securely, don't cut corners, and you'll be much much happier in the long run.

[avroair]

4" by 8" bubble mailer

 

Tip 1:

1) use delivery confirmation, $0.75 ~ all but guarantees getting there

 

Tip 2:

2) save your old received packages, cut them into strips and wrap the coin up in them, makes the package wide enough for delivery confirmation, protects the coin and reuses the packaging.

 

Tip 3:

3) never use a plain envelope

[+anne.and.eli]

Envelope and Large Envelope rates are for things that are sorted by machine, and should have nothing RIGID in them. Since coins are rigid, that's what puts them into the package category.

 

Sometimes they go through okay, sometimes they go through with postage due that the reciever has to pay (gosh that would suck), sometimes they are returned to sender.

 

Pay the extra $.30 or so and do the package rate. It will save you hassles in the long run.

[+LadyBee4T]

4" by 8" bubble mailer

 

Tip 1:

1) use delivery confirmation, $0.75 ~ all but guarantees getting there

 

Tip 2:

2) save your old received packages, cut them into strips and wrap the coin up in them, makes the package wide enough for delivery confirmation, protects the coin and reuses the packaging.

 

Tip 3:

3) never use a plain envelope

 

Yep that's what I do except using paypal shipping the delivery confirmation is $0.19 for first class and if it is sent priority the dc is free.

[+DJ.J.ROCK]

well i came up with a great non costly way to ship,,,

 

it saves on material costs and shipping is less too..

 

i couldent find the right size mailers so after about 50 circles around walmart, i had an idea and it works great!!

 

i got some index cards and some envlopes and some tape,,

 

i fold the index card in half and put the coin in the middle,, then i staple it in the card around the coin flip,, then it goes in the envlope and i staple thru the envlope and the index card ,, i hold it up to the light so i can see where the edges of the index card are and staple the edges ,, then after adding the info on the envlope i tape the whole card, i have lots of packaging tape so taping the whole card is no big deal for me ,, any one who know me knows i use lots of tape too. i havent had one coin come loose at all not even budge!!

 

i like this soooooo much ill probably do it the rest of my coining life!!!

 

the shipping cost is cut in half compared to a bubble mailer!!!

hope this helps others!!

 

well sounds like some of you dont agree with my method,, but its better then anything ive come across thus far including bubble mailers, i think the key is to use tape on the outside of the envlope and staples to secure the index card.

 

someone above said the postal office dosent approve of tape on the outside of a regular envlope, and thats totally not true, my mother is the one who suggested using tape on the outside of the envlope, shes a 39 year window clerk, and uses tape to close everything even her standard letters going out, she always has and always will. plus ive mailed countless coins now with tape on just about all of them,, not a single word from any of the clerks and ive gone to about 6 different post offices and had just about every clerk check me out. so use tape!!! and a lot of it!!!

i will agree with the fact they should not be mailed regular envlope rate due to the rigid end of it ,, but i still use large envlope rate and never had any problems, tho there was some debate about that as well and i keep forgetting to ask her about it. i will tho if i ever have any issues, but im about 100 in on my new method and no problems yet, so i still recomend it!

[Odyssey Voyager]

hmmm...thats pretty weird because i've heard postal clerks at my local post office ask customers NOT to place tape on regular envelopes several times. maybe its just a regional thing. who knows...lol...

[+WRITE SHOP ROBERT]

I don't like tape on the coins. The tape leaves a residue on the coin slip making it sticky.

 

I use a bubble mailer. I staple 3 sides of index cards or cardstock together and put in the coin before stapling the top. I then tape that into the bubble mailer.

 

You can ask anyone who've I've sent coins to.. I like staples and I like tape. LOL!

You can wrap the coin(and it's vinal pouch) in paper then tape thet inside the envelope.

 

I think my method had worked well, but it's hard to describe, and labor intensive...which is why you all have to wait so long for me to get around to it.

 

I take the coin in it's original packaging, and place that inside a paper "Coin Envelope"(#3) then place that and a PostCard inside a 6x9 catalog envelope which is already folded in half(making it 4.5x 6)...If you haven't seen one of my packages, maybe we can arrange a trade, and you will see one. There end up being several layers of Manila paper, and with the postcard inside, the package is very stiff.

[+DresselDragons]

I've used a variety of methods...and most depend on how much time I have to spare. If I am in a hurry, I have been known to just throw the coin in the bubble mailer. I've only had 1 coin go missing that I've mailed out (as far as I know). Usually, I will use old bubble mailers to wrap around the coin, or whatever other packaging material I might have on hand. I never tape coins to the inside of the mailers...I can't stand when I receive coins in that manner (I usually end up with either a sticky coin flip - sorry, just don't have spare time or desire to clean off the sticky - or a destroyed mailer as I try to wrestle the coin out). I usually tape the heck out of it, because I recycle bubble mailers. I've never been told to take it easy on the tape...and there are many times that I've had tape covering 100% of the mailer.

[+Crowesfeat30]

Safe-T-Mailers inside standard 4 x 9 business size (for multiple coins) or 3.5 x 6.5 personal sized envelopes work great. I don't have any right now but when I was doing the Yaahl's Feather cointest I used them & sent all those curved coins out at non bendable non machinable envelope rates because they were thin enough to do so. Non curved coins would do even better. PLUS no sticky tape!!

 

CF30

Edited September 27, 2009 by Crowesfeat30