When shipping low value coins via USPS,,,,,,,,,,,,, question
GRANDAM
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I normally ship low value coins $100 or less in padded mailers wrapped in padding so the package is about 1" thick and measures 4" x 8". It just occurred to me that the last several packages that have gone missing were packaged this way. I have never had any damaged but several go missing.
So my question to those of you who have had packages "LOST" by USPS how were they packaged? In thinking about it,,,,,, it seems it would be much easier for the padded mailer to be slipped into someone's clothing and disappear as opposed to a small box? I am now trying 6 x 4 x 4 small boxes to ship in and see how that works out. Never had a package lost in a box that I can recall.
So what are your experiences with lost packages and the type of packaging?
GrandAm 
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I never ship coins in any thing that looks like it could be a coin. I use big boxes 6”X6” X 12” for a single slab. Don’t try to ship things like coins, on a low budget.
I only had one "lost" and it was REGISTERED. Small box.
When I ship to PCGS, even if it's only one slab, I ship it in a PCGS plastic box inside a much larger box so it can't be "lost", and packed so there's no rattling. I also stopped using registered and I use Priority Mail and insure it just the same. I ship on Monday or Tuesday so it's not hanging around somewhere over the weekend. I don't even put PCGS on the address, I make up an obscure abbreviation with the same PCGS initials. My theory is the faster it's out of the hands of the PO the better. No problems....yet....
I got a coin today in a regular white letter envelope sent registered with the postage amount printed on the sticker: $22.70. Obviously it was something expensive. Long story short, I had to chase it down for 2 days and the whole thing was shady. I think the carrier was going to see if he could get away with swiping it. I can't believe the seller shipped it like that.
Great transactions with oih82w8, JasonGaming, Moose1913.
Even low value coins,,,,, less than $100?
How wasteful. I ship em in a bubble pack envelope. Have not lost one yet. My coin mailing days are mostly coming to an end.
I've had dealers ship coins in a Safe T Mailer in a regular white letter envelope. Done it myself as well. Registered gets kinder and gentler handling in addition to more security.
I use a padded envelope inside of a small rigid cardboard envelope. No losses in around 10 years of using these.
We generally have a good idea what's in everyone's packages.
Even tampons feel different than straws. Weight and size are very obviously slabbed coins. People ship loose silver all the time and you can sometimes hear the boxes jingle when they dump bags out on the slides. They certainly sound a lot different than clad does. But jingling coins in a box, they must be expensive anyway or why would they be shipped..
Six months on the belt and you'll know what's in all those big boxes, and a month on the slide and you'll know what's in every one of the little ones. You can pick this up without even trying; it just kinda absorbs that "that's what that is" in the 0.25 seconds you have handling it. Or the 1 second you have to apply the right amount of tape, surprised the thing even made it this far. Or the thousands of poorly packaged slabbed coins that have already opened and need to be repackaged. You just absorb that useless info and move on. Thieves take notice of stuff like that and start to case your packages.
When people get lazy and pack the same things the same ways, it becomes very obvious what it is. Stuff opens often enough on its own that you generally get a good idea what stuff is without trying.
More often than not, I generally have an amazing idea what's passing through my hands.
Every time I get a slab in a mailer or a paper roll that could've broke open and jingle I just think of how many coworkers I have who could potentially steal, and I'm just glad stuff makes it half the time.
You guys need to contact your local postal inspectors immediately if anything like this ever happens. They generally get the culprit in less than 24 hours. Usually these people are already under investigation anyway. Upper management will wait until the value exceeds certain amounts to ensure they face more severe penalties before they pull the trigger. But they'll pounce if there's an incident with a witness and evidence.
Do anything you can to make the slab seem less slabby. Secure your coin rolls. Paper rolls generally break the long way in shipment, the other way when done by hand. Plastic ones are so cheap they may as well be free. Use them and mask their shape and weight like you do slabs, now.
And for the love of god when you secure the rolls or slabs inside of something else, put your return address on it. "If lost please return to". We send so much property to overgoods and like a third of it would be recovered if people just put their return address on the items themselves. Doing this can literally save you thousands of dollars.
Azurescens-sounds like you work at the Post Office.
I've shipped some single one ounce silver bars and graded slabs in a padded Manila mailer.
Never had anything go missing (knocking on wood)
If I send out a 10 ounce bar it gets encased in a cardboard block with a cut out the size of the bar.
Even if USPS ran it over it would be fine....it weighs about the same as a book when I'm done.
I go overboard with the tape and ship in a small flat rate box.
Now that's a great idea.
I'll file that away for future reference.
I've got way more return address than a person should have.
That's what they want you to believe. After tracking put the envelope mentioned above at my local PO 2 days ago, nobody could account for it. On day 2 the carrier had it in his truck & told me to my face at my door he didn't have it. When I complained in person to the clerk at the PO, Miss Personality called him and he said he did have it, but I wasn't home when he tried to deliver it. I tracked the lying dirtbag down on the street and he gave it to me with a shady BS story. I wouldn't call that security of any kind.
Great transactions with oih82w8, JasonGaming, Moose1913.
Nah, one of the other ones, I don't like the lack of leverage their union has in negotiations and I don't want my livelihood relying on that. Our local is strong and got us much better benefits and raises, for example, for the past two years and I'll be getting a raise here soon despite a leave of absence.
I got fed up with a supervisor harassing me trying to make a name for herself. Tore her down for it right in front of everybody. Probably shouldn't have been that loud and used those words or said such things. Oops.
Any other job I'd have been fired. But I can't stand racists, can't stand bullying, and can't stand people who only see a way ahead by tearing others down. She got fired for making things up that made her the victim and everyone else in the building some kind of aggressor. I guess she didn't like it when she got what she wanted? Dunno. She wrote a hard copy of her lies and apparently willingly handed it out to all of us. It was glorious. My business agent kept a copy for the lulz.
But it was nice to have the union say "if she didn't say such terrible things and harass those workers over an extended period of time, you wouldn't have teamsters yelling".
And they were right. And stuff like that, my raises, benefits and everything else make it really hard to wanna work for anyone else. This is remarkably hard work, and you wouldn't really think it. Some people let management-by-stress become an ego thing and having someone go to bat when that happens is very nice.
Now I can tell you're not at the PO. They just don't get rid of incompetent or vindictive management. One very bad supervisor had multiple sexual harassment cases brought against him. Finally, on the 5th or 6th case they demoted him and sent him elsewhere. He never should have been in management to begin with.
I think we kinda got off topic. Sorry for that.
@Grandam - I assume that you are talking SLABBED coins under $100?
If so, I often have done what is already mentioned, if it is a SINGLE slabbed coin.....the saf-t-mailer in a regular white envelope. No machine canceling due to thickness...pay a little more but not a lot.
If raw coins...then I put them in flips, wrapped in a few pieces of folded paper, and send.
@Azurescens - Glad my registered package made it to you and nobody knew enough of what was in it to go after it (of course, it was registered mail
)
I've been told I tolerate fools poorly...that may explain things if I have a problem with you. Current ebay items - Nothing at the moment
I always package my goods so that they do not move and the package size is not representative of contents. I have shipped gold coins that way - registered - no problems. Internal packaging is important, because these packages get bounced and banged around (as indicated above by @Azurescens). Proper packaging prevents parcel perusal or perversion by pilferers.
Cheers, RickO
No place is perfect. I've never had an issue with registered. I have an incoming package of some sort that's been incoming for awhile now.
For low priced coins I use padded envelopes and cardboard for protection. No problems so far.
One time I bought an expensive coin and the seller sent it inside a Priority Mail 12 x 3 1/3 x 14 1/8 box. He told me that he thought it was impossible to "misplace " such a large box by the USPS. I thought it was genius. I am sure it was expensive.
Discretion and full use of usps packaging helps; with priority you get a lot of tyvek and cardboard envelopes; also use tape sufficiently to make sure the package stays closed. With first class use padded and discrete packaging. Usps insurance is quite expensive. Usps volume is way down, crime also.
Agree
I ship hundreds of bubbles envelopes a year without issue.
Coin geeks have to remember that less than 1% of packages are coins. No one but people on this forum look at a bubble envelope or an eBay package and think - it's probably a coin! It's more likely toothpaste.
All comments reflect the opinion of the author, evn when irrefutably accurate.
All good suggestions,,,,,,,,
Thanks,
I also get a lot of stuff in bubble pack envelopes
I've sent via USPS for decades and never had a problem. Last shipment was for $4,000.00 to a dealer. Maybe I'm just lucky.
I've never lost a REG package.....out of about 350 life time. But had 3 "insured" packages go missing....and reimbursed for the losses.
A dealer friend had shipment of 2 dozen or so glorious, older holder MS65/66 Saints go missing on their way to CAC. So it does happen in to the best....taking all the precautions.
Same here.
Likewise
$100 or less:
Padded envelope, slab in small bubble wrap envelope. Raw coin and a foam peanut (for thickness) in a saflip inside a 4X4" zip lock stapled shut. Online (paypal) 4 oz. first class shipping label ($2.80 -$3.70 depending on zone) comes with free delivery confirmation. Most importantly and what I believe to be a key to avoiding theft is to "show" the low postage amount on the shipping label.
No Way Out: Stimulus and Money Printing Are the Only Path Left
I've sent tax stuff to the IRS in bubble pack envelopes filled with peanuts or bubble pack to get to the 3/4 inch thick thing. So I still get free tracking for half of a flat rate priority envelope cost.
Here's a link to a discussion [not coin related] that sort of illustrates how people crucify or bash a service, product or company because of one bad or less than ideal experience.
https://www.longrangehunting.com/threads/lots-of-people-like-to-bash-brands.240749/
Are you singling me out specifically and saying that's what I'm doing? ONE bad experience? LOL... I've relayed just a couple of my numerous distasteful dealings with USPS including the loss of coins. If that's what you're doing you're way off base. You seem pretty defensive of USPS. Why is that?
Great transactions with oih82w8, JasonGaming, Moose1913.
No, just responding to your post since it seems appropriate to the article. I can't think of any bad experiences I've had with the USPS in hundreds of mailings both coming and going tho I'm sitting on one now that may be an issue and that was more likely on the sender than the USPS. My carriers take care of me. I have his cell number and if I need something picked up I call if he's already gone through.
Why not just spend a small amount more and send Certified?
Then I mite just as swell use a flat rate envelope. I'm also trying to save a trip to the PO with the bubble pack, since I can put the flat rate or bubble pack in my mailbox. Not sure if one can buy certified online.
Yes you do have to do it @ the PO but it's not much more than a 1st class package. Certified mail costs $3.55 + whatever the 1st class postal rate is.
Why not file electronically?
it's crackers to slip a rozzer the dropsy in snide
Because it was an amended return and AFAIK I can't file one electronically. I don't know if my account can either, but why pay smoeone for something I can do myself.
So a minimum bubble pack is $2.85 or plus hassle of waiting in line.
If you use something like TurboTax you can file an amended return electronically.
All comments reflect the opinion of the author, evn when irrefutably accurate.
I ship in bubble mailers all the time and have never had a problem. For coins under $10 I have even mailed them in an envelope between cardboard with a stamp because the profit margin is so small. It looks and feels like a birthday card. I put this in the listing so they know it in advance when they are bidding. Never had a problem. If the coin goes missing, I would just refund the money and not worry about it.
If you join credit karma [it's free to join] you can do your taxes for free with pretty much no restrictions. Normally I do the legwork and give my accountant friend smoething to efile it. I don't anticipate having to amend anything for the foreseeable future.