The proper way to do a SASBE

Well I spent close to $15 on an offer, bubble envelopes included.  I made the mistake of shipping it in a priority mail large envelope because I didn't want to stand in the 15 person line to pay for a larger mailer.  All that and no seeds or replies to PMs, lesson learned, dont waste money on priority mailer :)
 
Ok i have sent lots of letters here's what i got.
 
1. you don't need bubble envelope
Use a standard letter and put some kind of padding. I use dish(like china) foam used by moving people. 1/16in
here's a link to see what im talking about
 
2. Put it in a normal letter envelope
if you want people to charge you letter rate... use a letter envelope.
 
3. Secure the contents, must be less than or equal to 1/4 inch thick! if you go over its a package!
Use some tape to keep everything spread out. If you don't and all the seeds collect into one corner of the envelope it could end up being too thick and you will get postage due.
 
4. Use for only a few seeds use 1 stamp, for 50+ seeds 2 forever stamps, international use 3 stamps
1 forever stamp is because the envelope is normal
2 forever stamps is in case they mark your envelope unmachinable aka its lumpy
3 forever stamps because international letter rate is 1.20$
 
if envellope is over an ounce, will probably need to take it to usps office.... or just separate into multiple letters.
 
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You can get an international stamp for Canada, or anywhere else, for only $1.20.  I had a letter returned from Canada that had forever stamps on it so I don't use them anymore.
 
 
I did check up on why the stamping appears on "nonmachinable" letters, they aren't press rolled but still go through a printing process, that's what the slot they check width is for.
 
wayright said:
When sending a SASBE please follow directions!Try to make it easy on those who offer seeds!
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Here is a picture of how a SASBE is supposed to look!anything other than shown is wrong!
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The number of baggies depends on offer givenKevin
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Thanks for the heads up. Just got added to my first SASBE and know well prepared.
 
Another great SASBE tip; foreign people can order USPS Global Forever stamps online and partake in US SASBE. It takes about a week to arrive in the US. Most members only take US entries.. Go global! Spread varieties world wide! Don't worry about customs, if you are unfamiliar with local law, just don't put a sender on it and put it in a mailbox. The partaker is responsible for the correct postage!

In return; PM me for German, Dutch, Belgian stamps in the rare case some one "here" organizes a SASBE.
 
From what I can tell, what Vodo and Menotume said are both right event though they seem opposite.  I take two of the same padded envelope to the post office with the same contents on different days.  One person will charge me for the letter rate, the other will charge me for the package rate.  Questioning the decision does no good what so ever.

Here is the thing, when I sell on Ebay and print the postage, not only do I get the envelope rate because I selected envelope, but I also get a discount.  I then put the envelope in the mail box and it gets to the recipient just fine.  So I -think- the trick is to bypass that person in the window that might decide it is a package instead of an envelope.

BTW: Same envelope, same contents, and same person at the post office ALWAYS charges my wife the letter rate and ALWAYS charges me the package rate.  Seriously, we make fun of it.  If I go to the post office on a good day I spend ten bucks more than she does.  So I tell her, you go to the post office and then bring home the pizza paid for with the booby discount.
 
The postage might need to be updated in the pic. I have sent out probably 15-20 bubble envelopes in the past two weeks and am in the process of mailing about 15 more. I'm using the Bubblewrap brand #000 envelopes 4" x 7". The charge for each has been $2.32 worth of postage so 2 forever stamps just isn't enough. I know this was made in 2011 and postage rates have risen since then. People new to doing SASBE offers might only just look at the picture and not read to the end of the thread and only send 2 stamps since that's what's shown. Not a problem for the occasional one to show up with not enough postage but if you have a bunch show up short it becomes an issue. Thought maybe it was just my post office but I've seen others doing SASBE offers with the same postage required.
 
Forever stamps are .49 each. I've received some envelopes from people with 2 forever stamps and it made it with no postage due but I take my envelopes to the clerk each time and each time it's been $2.32 except for maybe 2 times where it's been 98 cents. This has just been my experience with around 30 or so bubble envelopes in the past month (same type of envelope) . Hasn't been the same clerk every time either. Maybe I should just start wrapping paper around them and mailing in a reg envelope to save on postage for both people.
 
Many post offices are charging a package rate, which puts it at the 2.32. The big thing that puts it there is a lumpy envelope. If the envelope is over 1/4 inch thick, it should go to a flat rate, which adds another stamp (provided you have the correct postage for the weight, under an ounce should be one stamp). If the envelope is not of a consistent thickness, it bumps it to a package rate. I've taken to taping the baggies to paper, spreading them out evenly, making sure the weight is correct (a coworker has an old post office scale) and not more than 1/4 thick. I put the proper postage on it and drop it in the mail, bypassing the PO. So far, I think they are arriving AOK. I've received some that required me to pay additional postage. They were the lumpy ones.
 
Not really sure why there's a different distinction between non machinable envelopes and packages.  Are they just more careful with packages?  I sent something rigid in an envelope once which made it the package rate, but wouldn't a non machined envelope receive similar treatment to a small package?
 
Suezotiger said:
Not really sure why there's a different distinction between non machinable envelopes and packages.  Are they just more careful with packages?  I sent something rigid in an envelope once which made it the package rate, but wouldn't a non machined envelope receive similar treatment to a small package?
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Sorry, I don't have the answers. I'll hazard a guess that a package takes up more space.
 
If you feel your post office is over charging you. Ask your post office to use the "slot board". If your envelope fits the slot (and under one ounce) it's a normal first class letter.
 
YMMV but it has worked for me in the past.
 
I recently sent out a SASBE but instead of sending it with an adhesive label and additional postage I put the postage with the envelope in a normal envelope and it cost 98 cents to send out. Not sure how much it will be to send back but I included 5 stamps to be safe. I folded the bubble mailer in a way to keep it flat in the regular envelope.
 
Suezotiger said:
Not really sure why there's a different distinction between non machinable envelopes and packages.  Are they just more careful with packages?  I sent something rigid in an envelope once which made it the package rate, but wouldn't a non machined envelope receive similar treatment to a small package?
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Yeah, the non-machinable envelopes aren't supposed to pass through roller sorting machines so as to not crush the seeds. In an earlier post to this thread my non-machinable envelope did have roller marks on it so I was concerned the seeds got crushed and became nonviable. Happy to report they are just fine and sprouting normally.
 
Thanks Rich (ikeepfish)!
 
Today, I sent my first SASBE. The funny thing was, I sent my wife to the PO to get the postage in stamps for the trip there and back. When she returned, I discovered that they had given her 12 stamps. 4- $1 stamps, 6-$.10 stamps, and 2- $.05 stamps. Six separate stamps placed on a 4"x7" bubble envelope!
 
jgundo said:
LOL ok all i do is use the little Zip lock bgs that are like 2 inch square... Is that bad..
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If you don't use some kind of padding in the envelope, the seeds can get crushed. I got seed from an overseas shop once and they just sent them jammed in an envelope and one variety was pretty much dust when it got here. Put me off on ordering from them again, for sure.

I like to put a 1/4 wide strip of corrugated cardboard along each long edge of the letter/card, creating a small recess to put the seed packets in, tape them so they don't slide, and then put a small piece of bubble wrap in with them to make sure. I always hope people reuse them too, since that was part of the design.

I also try to use non-machinable stamps so they don't run them thru the gauntlet.. They only cost a few cents extra.
I've gotten plenty of seeds from others that had no more padding than a wad of paper towel too.. With no issues. We just have a lot of bubble wrap to recycle here, so I use that.
 
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