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hoohalfbob
Posts: 43
Joined: Jun 2017
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Friday, January 17, 2020 9:46 AM | |
I have a trade of 8 cards going right now so I packed the cards in penny sleeves w/4 cards in each of 2 team bags. Then I sandwiched them between 2 pieces of thin cardboard and put it in a business sized envelope. I'm following the method presented by AnalogKid on his profile page https://1912fenwayfaithful.wixsite.com/redsox/pwe-guide
The cardboard I used is slightly thicker than the cereal box type, but not as thick as corrugated cardboard shipping box material. The package as a whole is less than 1/4 inch thick and quite rigid. I put a non-machinable stamp on it and took it to the post office counter. I asked that it be marked non-machinable and sent that way. The clerk examined it and informed me it is too rigid. He says he would have to send it as a parcel which would cost over $3.00.
On the USPS website it states that one reason for a non-machinable surcharge is that your mail is too rigid. So my question is...are there degrees of rigidity??? Is there too rigid for machinable mail and then also even too rigid for non-machinable mail? Or, is this particular clerk just crazy?
Edited on: Jan 17, 2020 - 10:13AM
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NJDevils
Posts: 6,343
Joined: Sep 2010
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Friday, January 17, 2020 10:01 AM | |
The problem is the inconsistency in post offices and their personnel.
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MoPack626
Posts: 69
Joined: Jan 2016
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Friday, January 17, 2020 10:02 AM | |
I just had this issue with my post office. If you can bend the envelope about 3/4" from the middle, they'll ship it. The postmaster performed a rigid test where he did this. This means you might have to only use one piece of cardboard put one stack of cards left of the center and one to the right.
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BSwagger
Posts: 1,558
Joined: Jul 2017
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Friday, January 17, 2020 10:08 AM | |
On a trade like this I stick the cards into a 9 pocket sheet and stick it in a normal business size envelope and tell them to send it non-machineable. They charge me 70 cents at either of the 2 post offices I use. This has been tremendously successful for me to ship.
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budler
Posts: 2,157
Joined: Dec 2017
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Friday, January 17, 2020 10:24 AM | |
I put a stamp on them and drop them in the drop box and hope for the best.
Last summer I received a PWE with approx $1.34 due. My post man stated it may because of the stuffness. 1 card in a top loader. The sender was nice and give me some money back. Hate it when it is a .50 card. Just wondering if anyone else has that happening to them. I have sent 100s and received 100s of PWE over the years and it was the 1st.
As NJDevils stated You never know what they will tell you. I was just informed that a box smaller the the small flat rate box may get pushed off the belt onto the floor and set there for weeks. A few years ago I was told that 90% of the PWE marked non-machinable goes through the machines.
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Golfslocum
Posts: 8
Joined: Dec 2019
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Friday, January 17, 2020 10:25 AM | |
In the short time I've been on the site, Ive completed several trades and have learned that it's inconsistency among the post office and personal. I've brought PWE into my local post office that are packaged the same as the way I've received PWE and they want to charge me as a package even though it's in a PWE. I've had to argue with them and they change it. Now they see me come in and just charge me either 70 or 85 cents depending on weight.
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Sportzcommish
Posts: 5,977
Joined: Oct 2016
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Friday, January 17, 2020 10:29 AM | |
Just buy your own stamps and bypass the clerks.
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Follow my blog - I Identify as a Card Collector. “Aslan didn't tell Pole what would happen. He only told her what to do. That fellow will be the death of us once he's up, I shouldn't wonder. But that doesn't let us off following the signs.” - Puddleglum in The Silver Chair by C. S. Lewis
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hoohalfbob
Posts: 43
Joined: Jun 2017
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Friday, January 17, 2020 10:37 AM | |
I do use my own stamps, but I've heard the only way to actually keep it out of the sorting machines is to hand-deliver it to a clerk. Otherwise, it gets dumped in with all the other mail. Seems like such a simple thing, but this experience is par for the course with my post office experiences....customer service seems not to be their strong suit.
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BOBSCARDZ
Posts: 4,973
Joined: Nov 2014
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Friday, January 17, 2020 10:38 AM | |
Commish said it, buy stamps, don't even bother with your PO, drive right on by and stop at the local card shop. LOL.
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C2Cigars
Posts: 11,342
Joined: Oct 2014
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Friday, January 17, 2020 11:07 AM | |
If it has a non-machinable stamp on it and/or "Non-machinable" is written on it, it gets hand sorted.
Rigid is a 21-cent surcharge, NOT a package.
I never go to the clerks.
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Someday my cards may double in value and then be worth half of what I paid for them.
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