Buy/Sell/Trade Forum

Do you have a link to the bubble mailers you use? thanks

non-machinable is the term used for when something gets stuck in the sorting machines. 

Do not bend is only a request. 

No matter what you do or write on a pwe it is going to go into the sorting machines. Postal workers are not going to read what is on every envelope. They don't have the time and if they did that, mail would take years to get to you. The sorting machines are only reading the addresses, that is all they are programmed to do. This is why 9 pocket pages are so good they only bend where there is no cards. 

If you don't want it to be bent you use a bubble mailer or a photo envelope. 9 pocket pages fit in a photo envelope and it comes with cardboard so it cant be bent.

I just got a PWE that was stamped 3 times with "NON MACHINABLE" including on both sides. It looks like it went through the rollers several times and also got separated from its "mate".  Either the rollers or a truck went over it but fortunately, the cards were well packaged and were all fine.

I can only think of how much revenue USPS makes on the 15 cent surcharge for a service they do not provide.

NON MACHINABLE? lol that was a waste of money to get that stamp made.

This really reminds me of when I worked at the airport loading planes.  People would always ask "could you put a fragile sticker on my bag?"

"Um no... you don't want that on your bag". Lol
 

ANY bubble mailers will work! The most-used ones are made by 3M or Duck or Seal-It. But even the ones sold at your local PO will work just fine even though they are more expensive.

My best suggestion to ANYONE using BM's: buy the paper ones and not the plastic ones! Plastic ones are rarely re-usable b/c they can't be opened easily and still be re-used to properly ship something to someone else. Paper BM's can be carefully opened and then used again to ship cards to the next trader or buyer. AND: to those that open BM's with a knife or envelope-opener, please don't send those to me. They go in the trash after I get the cards out. I'm not sending out trash through the mail and slit-ended envelopes, especially when "re-sealed" with staples, are going straight into the trash can. You also are at risk of being scammed by someone saying the package was cut open when it arrived. Technically, it WAS cut open. But it was cut by you before you even used it to ship anything. You have no proof against a false claim like that. So it's just best to not do it in the 1st place.

PERFECT reply in this thread, Brian! And almost exactly what I said earlier. You never want to give stupid or childish or vindictive people a reason to destroy something!!!

Please don't go casting all postal workers in the same mold. I have been a carrier for 31 years and my motto is:"treat others mail how you want yours treated." Yes there are some idiots that work there, as in EVERY workplace. If you want to practically guarantee your items arrive unscathed, it's up to how you package it. PWE's are fine, but will go through machines, and thick or unevenly lumpy ones will get mangled. "Do Not Machine" works when all postal workers handle them correctly, but again, there are a few that don't. If an envelope is over 1/4" thick it becomes a parcel and goes at the more expensive parcel rate. I have had some problems with them too, we handle a lot of mail every day.

This message is not directed to anyone in general, just sticking up for the place that helps me pay my bills.

I know this thread is primarily about PWE, but I would like to see opinions from the postal workers/family of regarding these sizes of bubble mailer:

#0  6x9  (I primarily use this one when shipping this method, even if only one card)

#000  4x8  (I stopped using these entirely because 2 of my packages in 1 year were mangled, with tire tracks.  I am thinking they fell through some slot somewhere onto sorting floor)

thanks, mark

Mark, I generally use the 6x9's b/c that's mostly what I receive from trades. I haven't bought ANY bubble mailers in at least a decade. I just re-use whatever comes in as long as it's in good condition. I'll use the 4x8's for small trades/sells (when I have that size) b/c those actually fit in my mailbox for pick-up by the carrier. I've never had a problem with either size (sent or recieved). I should clarify that my mailbox is not a normal one. It's a locking dropbox b/c my grandfather's meds get shipped here. So I don't have much space to put outgoing mail. I can't leave packages on the porch or such for pick-up b/c my grandfather will see it first and bring it inside thinking that it's incoming mail. So the 4x8's work well for small stuff. Otherwise, I have to drop stuff off at a PO or in a dropbox in town.