Shipping seeds
- Thread starter Voodoo 6
- Start date
jcw10tc said:
Are you sure? I pay three something US to US. I think I am missing something.
Googled and came back to edit to add what I found. If they decide it is a letter, it is way cheap. At our closest post office, they say bubble wrap is a package, not a letter, cause it i thick. I think there is a thickness rule.
https://ircalc.usps.com/Default.aspx
Correct on the thickness. Anything over 1/4" is charged more. 200 seeds are easy if it's small like pepper seeds.
http://pe.usps.com/text/dmm100/tips-measure-letters.htm
http://pe.usps.com/text/dmm100/tips-measure-letters.htm
I am thinking bubble envelope wont work then. But, I did a loss leader on Ebay for a buck. To keep shipping under sale price, what I did was use a normal envelope and cut thin foam to fit it on one side. Had one complaint about crushed seeds out of hundreds. Still, if it is important, I really think bubble is the way to go. People get crushed seeds and they get really upset.
The cheapest way to ship 200 seeds IMO is to use the Global Priority Stamp.I have mailed cards & put many seeds in it & they arrived without issue.
It has to weigh an oz or less,It's a "Forever"DEAL
.....why pay more when you don't have to...(that is becoming my motto lately LOL)
Affordable International Service
Our most affordable international service for postcards, letters, and flats to more than 180 countries. You can also use our Global Forever® stamp to mail postcards or 1 oz letters anywhere in the world. Beginning at $1.15 at Post Office™ locations.
It has to weigh an oz or less,It's a "Forever"DEAL
.....why pay more when you don't have to...(that is becoming my motto lately LOL) Affordable International Service
Our most affordable international service for postcards, letters, and flats to more than 180 countries. You can also use our Global Forever® stamp to mail postcards or 1 oz letters anywhere in the world. Beginning at $1.15 at Post Office™ locations.
I am pretty sure. I have sent international probably 300+ times in the last year. It has been $2.29 in about 98%+ of those cases for #000 and #0 size bubble mailers. And acutally it can be as cheap as $1.20 if its a thin one, but most of the time I use the $2.29 rate to make sure. Most of the time to save time at line in the post office, I just put 5 stamps on it which adds up to a little more than $2.29 and drop it in the box. Only when its really big is it more. For instances I recently sent about 5000 seeds to Thailand so those were in 2 #0 bubble envelopes and they cost $3.18. Unfortunately your local post office is using the the literal interpretation of the bubble rule they have. There is one post office near me that refuses to send bubble mailers as a package unless it is stuffed to make its thickness not fit through the template. If I have one to send first class with tracking I cannot go to that post office as they will refuse to send it as its not thick enough even though it is a bubble mailer.AJ Drew said:
I would say you are missing something indeed as within the US if not sending first class + tracking I put 2 stamp on it most of the time and drop it in the mail box. Occcaisionally this does meet with an angry postal working along the way that determines that was not enough and sends it back. This only seems to happen when the destination is a larger city and has happened I believe 3 or 4 times in several hundred mailings. I could actually probalby get away with a full stamp and half stamp as by weight and size disregarding the fact that it is a bubble it could be shipped for $0.71.
I am sure in hundreds of mailings now if this did not work I would have heard a lot of grief by now. But everyone has their own opinion I guess. Many people use cards as they think its safer. Cards are too much work taping the bags and adding some paper towels or thin foam for packing and even then you sometimes still get some broken seeds. I will stick with the bubble mailers as they are cheap and easy.AJ Drew said:
midwestchilehead
eXtreme
I use #000 bubble mailers and ship them all over the US for one regular forever stamp and a 22 center - so whatever that adds up to these days 69 cents or 71 cents. For international shipments, I use 3 regular forever stamps and they usually get there - for $1.48 or whatever that adds up to. If they are more than 1/4" thick, I will throw on a 22 center. And I have found that most postal employees do not know their own rules. They always err on the side of more expensive options.
Speaking of such things, AJ, are we still trading? I would really like those Perfume seeds you offered.
hey Aj, if you have a package going to England to Spicefreak let me know. Perhaps we can piggy back so I can get some seeds to Spice. I can kick down some dollars for shipping. I refuse to pay 14 clams to mail a few seeds across the pond. I rather carve a canoe and paddle them there myself.
Your local post office does not know what they are doing. The most I have paid yet is like $3.18 and that was a #0 envelope which is bigger with around 100 packs of seeds in it to Thailand. If you put 3 or to be safe 5 stamps on the #000 it will get there. It does not matter where in the world you are sending them its always $2.29 on the high side like $1.20somethin on the low side, unless its a bigger heavier one with several thousand seeds then might be a dollar more.Voodoo 6 said: