Priority Mail Boxes to Shrink

bronzemat

They have been shrinking already but now it will be even more.

https://blog.stamps.com/2021/10/15/free-usps-priority-mail-boxes-to-become-smaller/?fbclid=IwAR37y34o53bvxO8HCCrzmoqeU8Z-VqqiDPDrMcpP-Fx_J_an3Xj6by1n1so

bsshog40

The postal service is a joke anymore. Prices increase, mail gets slower and customer service is almost gone.

tincup

Brings up a question... If I have a supply of the 'older' larger size boxes, will they still be accepted? I would hope so, otherwise they are just trash.

edgar

Almost! 90% of USPS phone numbers ring to "this mailbox full" or "the user has no yet set up the mailbox". You'd stand a better chance of getting through to the mint customer service or callback line!

BUT, In DC there is ONE line that works and the lady who answers is very responsive and always resolved my concerns... She is the Postmaster (can we still say that?) of DC and she rules!

tincup

@bsshog40 said:
The postal service is a joke anymore. Prices increase, mail gets slower and customer service is almost gone.

I can understand where it is tempting to think so. But the USPS is no different than any other business; they have been hammered with challenges just like others have. Think of the restaurants out there... how they have restricted menus, hours, worse employee service, etc. And businesses that have closed or reduced store locations or hours. They are doing what they need to survive, and the USPS is no different. And it doesn't help that the government calls them a private business, but still saddles them with laws and requirements that other businesses do not have to comply with.

Yes, there are issues with the USPS, but a lot is the times we are in. Many challenges to our lives as we have been used to, and may not get better for quite some time. Plan accordingly.

pcgscacgold

The USPS is still the best option for mailing coins. Great service where I am.

WQuarterFreddie

@tincup said:
Brings up a question... If I have a supply of the 'older' larger size boxes, will they still be accepted? I would hope so, otherwise they are just trash.

Online retailers who have extra stock of the older box sizes will still be able to use the USPS free shipping supplies until their boxes and envelopes are exhausted. The new box sizes started shipping from the USPS.com site in late September 2021.

WAYNEAS

Wayne

moursund

It's okay if you are trying to mail somebody candy bars, because those keep shrinking also.

ms71

So the USPS probably saves a tiny amount of its cost for boxes. Your shipping box holds less, costs more to ship, and has had its transit time lengthened. What's not to like?

pcgscacgold

So far Priority mail has not slowed down. First class mail has. Last week I received two Priority items and each arrived 4 days after the tracking number was created.

MasonG

It's not all PM boxes and most of the changes are 1/8" to 1/4" smaller. The sky is indeed falling.

YQQ

It is all in the Name of
"better and more efficient service for our valued customers..............."

jmlanzaf

@MasonG said:
It's not all PM boxes and most of the changes are 1/8" to 1/4" smaller. The sky is indeed falling.

Yeah, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't even have noticed.

BStrauss3

Without the USPS, what do you have? Yes, there are still Americans who live in places that the big delivery services - UPS, FedEx, Amazon - don't touch. The amazing thing AND the problem is that the USPS must - by law - service every address in the USA. The others are private companies and if they decide to say bleep you to Northern Maine, you got nothing. If they charge a surcharge for servicing hard to get to places, you got nothing.

Fishpro

Sent Registered mail, Seattle to Reno only took nine days, box size is not the problem.

bearcave

The USPS is the only option I have. FedEx, UPS and Amazon only comes here when they want to and then they are expensive, lot higher than USPS.

golden

I had a First Class letter take 26 days to go 1150 miles!

mr1931S

The USPS is still the best option for mailing coins. Great service where I am.

Just make sure you insure fully if item is worth more than $50 or so. Document with photographs what coin or coins you might be sending. If the contents of package get swiped while in custody of PO they will have to pay you for your loss.

robec

@tincup said:
Brings up a question... If I have a supply of the 'older' larger size boxes, will they still be accepted? I would hope so, otherwise they are just trash.

When shipping Priority you can use the size box of your choosing as long as it weighs less than 70 lbs. It doesn’t have to be a Priority box unless you want flat rate. These boxes are free so I don’t see a down side.

CoinJunkie

Of the generic Priority Flat Rate boxes, it appears only the Large size is being reduced (barely!). I use Small or Medium about 95% of the time, so this appears to be mostly a non-event for me.

derryb

FWIW the non flat rate 1096L box (not shrinking) is a bit larger than the small flat rate box and fits nicely in the flat rate padded envelope (also not shrinking) for only a few more shipping pennies than the small flat rate box by itself. The 1096L was popular in the old days for shipping VCR tapes. For added security I will often ship higher value items in a 1096L box that is sealed in the flat rate padded envelope. Costs only a few pennies more than just a single small flat rate box.

For those not aware, the flat rate Regional Box A (also not shrinking) holds more than twice the capacity of the small flat rate box (but a wee bit smaller and cheaper than the medium flat rate box) and depending on distance is usually only a bit more shipping expense than the small flat rate box. Next time you purchase an ebay label for a small flat rate box compare the shipping price to the Regional Box A cost.

All three items are not normally available at your local post office but can be ordered and delivered in quantity and free of charge from the above USPS links.

moursund

How many pennies can fit into each size? That's the practical question!

Treashunt

That idiot postmaster general. should be demoted to PFC

Jim703

Good, now I won't need to use as much bubblewrap!

DelawareDoons

Anybody held the original priority SFRB's lately? They're way bigger than the size of the current ones. About 1/2" thicker, slightly wider, and an inch or so longer. Somebody I bought a coin off of must have had a huge reserve of them because they shipped me my order in one and i was blown away at how big it was. Definitely a case of inflationary theft...

amwldcoin

I bolded(well it wouldn't bold I guess because it's part of a link) the key note that is the reason why they are not shrinking. Doesn't take much more weight to really jack up the cost. Say you want to ship 10 pounds of cents. Go check the difference in the rates. With coins, volume has never been an issue, it's always the weight!

As an aside. I use a lot of the 4x4x6 boxes ebay gives away or sells depending on how you look at it. Now they discontinued them and went to 4+1/2x4+1/2x6. I tried to get them to continue with the smaller boxed but it fell on deaf ears. The problem is 90% of the time now the slightly bigger box pushed the weight over 4 ounces and the shipping costs around 50c more because of that extra 1/2 ounce.

@derryb said:
FWIW **the non flat rate 1096L box** (not shrinking) is a bit larger than the small flat rate box and fits nicely in the flat rate padded envelope (also not shrinking) for only a few more shipping pennies than the small flat rate box by itself. The 1096L was popular in the old days for shipping VCR tapes. For added security I will often ship higher value items in a 1096L box that is sealed in the flat rate padded envelope. Costs only a few pennies more than just a single small flat rate box.

For those not aware, the flat rate Regional Box A (also not shrinking) holds more than twice the capacity of the small flat rate box (but a wee bit smaller and cheaper than the medium flat rate box) and depending on distance is usually only a bit more shipping expense than the small flat rate box. Next time you purchase an ebay label for a small flat rate box compare the shipping price to the Regional Box A cost.

All three items are not normally available at your local post office but can be ordered and delivered in quantity and free of charge from the above USPS links.

---

ricko

I like the USPS... Have had good luck with shipping (priority and registered) and receiving. Occasionally, something will take a round about route and add several days... but that is not common in my experience. (Though my wife had one that should have gone from NYS to PA, that first went to CA, then AZ then, finally to PA). Cheers, RickO

MonsterCoinz

In the same time it took the stamp to go from 44 cents to 58 cents, small flat rate boxes went from $4.95 to $9.20.

Herb_T

@Fishpro said:
Sent Registered mail, Seattle to Reno only took nine days, box size is not the problem.

Registered mail takes longer as it has procedures and sign offs along the way. I don’t like the time involved but I do like that it is more secure.

messydesk

@DelawareDoons said:
Anybody held the original priority SFRB's lately? They're way bigger than the size of the current ones. About 1/2" thicker, slightly wider, and an inch or so longer. Somebody I bought a coin off of must have had a huge reserve of them because they shipped me my order in one and i was blown away at how big it was. Definitely a case of inflationary theft...

I've seen slightly larger boxes that are similar to SFRBs, but they're not labeled "Small Flat Rate." Those might be box 1096L, which is still available and can be useful for cubic rate mailing, as it is less than 0.1 cubic feet. The one that might impact me is Regional Rate B, which is becoming significantly smaller. I think I could fit 4 PCGS boxes in one of these in the past. I'll have to check to see what the impact is.

derryb

@Herb_T said:

@Fishpro said:
Sent Registered mail, Seattle to Reno only took nine days, box size is not the problem.

Registered mail takes longer as it has procedures and sign offs along the way. I don’t like the time involved but I do like that it is more secure.

two types of registered: first class and priority. They both travel as the slow registered pace. If you're paying extra for priority registered and don't need to (under the weight limit) you are wasting your money. Those shipping registered can take advantage of the flat rate boxes, they just have to be sealed up with the paper tape at all seams.

DelawareDoons

@messydesk said:

@DelawareDoons said:
Anybody held the original priority SFRB's lately? They're way bigger than the size of the current ones. About 1/2" thicker, slightly wider, and an inch or so longer. Somebody I bought a coin off of must have had a huge reserve of them because they shipped me my order in one and i was blown away at how big it was. Definitely a case of inflationary theft...

I've seen slightly larger boxes that are similar to SFRBs, but they're not labeled "Small Flat Rate." Those might be box 1096L, which is still available and can be useful for cubic rate mailing, as it is less than 0.1 cubic feet. The one that might impact me is Regional Rate B, which is becoming significantly smaller. I think I could fit 4 PCGS boxes in one of these in the past. I'll have to check to see what the impact is.

Yeah those 1096L are the original SFRB, I'm pretty sure. I may be wrong. The ones I had were the same size as 1096L but marked small flat rate.