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Postage is Outrageous
19Lyds
Posts: 26,504 ✭✭✭✭
I have some 1965 SMS Sets to sell so I went to the post office to see what the shipping costs would be from Central California to Boston Mass.
$9.45 ??
Clerks said that since I wasn't sending paper it could not go 1st Class.
Priority Mail Small Box is over $11.00
I guess I'll just have to cut them from their cello's and sell the Kennedy Rolls.
I guess I do not understand why postage is so doggoned expensive??
I decided to change calling the bathroom the John and renamed it the Jim. I feel so much better saying I went to the Jim this morning.
The name is LEE!
The name is LEE!
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Gasoline is expensive. The Strait of Hormuz being closed intermittently hasn’t helped.
Did you try Ground Advantage?
Clearly, you don't ship much.
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the usps is still losing billions per year despite the current prices. the biggest cost is labor with pay-healthcare-pension and all. then there is $85/bbl oil.
1st class is 82 cents. i bought some forever stamps in 2007 when they first came out in 2007- 41 cents each!
Dang, you "lost money" on those. The S&P 500, dividends reinvested, is up 650% in that same time frame.
Just saying.
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If you shop around you can get older, mostly denominated, usually lick and stick, stamps for 50% of face value.
I think small flat rate boxes used to be $5.50 to boot!
If I said, take this small package from my front porch in Phoenix, Arizona to the front porch of a a house in Boston and gave you $10 to do it, you'd slap me. It's quite a miracle that we can send items across the country for that price.
FYI, Generally the individual slabs I sell on ebay can ship for less than $6 in a padded mailer, but that may be a discount rate.
Not in a long time
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even in boxes, slab can be broken. i wouldn't send one in a padded mailer
as far as $10. there's the whole economies of scale thing.
however, even with that, it appears $11 is still a money loser
Maybe. More likely it's 1st class and daily delivery that are the problem, not packages.
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I think a McBurger is up to $12, probably even $18 out in our hosts locale. Everything's getting outrageously expensive including our $40T debt. Partys about over, hope the crew planned accordingly. RGDS!
The whole worlds off its rocker, buy Gold™.
BOOMIN!™
Wooooha! Did someone just say it's officially "TACO™" Tuesday????
Retiring at 55, what day is today?
Postage is absurd. I used a small bubble type envelope. They charged me 8.30. They said since I used bubble wrap inside of the envelope they considered it a package even though it was just flat paper I was mailing. If the envelope didn’t have bubble wrap inside of it, they would’ve charged me $1.80.
Because everything is. You think sending a small package across the country for $10 is expensive? Really? Have you priced a Big Mac Value Meal lately? It's actually a miracle that you can still send a letter across the country for less than a dollar.
Some are putting on a fuel surcharge as well. It doesn't help 😕
and the TAPE!!! have you heard about the TAPE?
$9.45 is the GA rate at the counter. I’ve gotten a few purchases with very light packages that were sent over the counter and that was the postage on them. I believe over the counter has begun charging the same amount for anything under a pound, where it used to be separated at 4, 8, 12, and 15.999oz. Commercial rates (at least for me with Endicia/Stamps.com) retain the tiered rates based on weight and are notably lower, in the $5-6 range depending on destination for packages up to 4oz.
This has been true for more than 15 years. There's a thickness limitation on 1st class.
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As of last month, RURAL DELIVERY only, has a flat rate for under 1 pound. If your post office is considered rural delivery, that flat rate applies. For most destinations, there is still tiered pricing.
If your address is considered rural delivery, it is actually cheaper for you to ship to NYC than it is to ship from NYC to you. [This also applies to Hawaii, Alaska and Guam.]
All comments reflect the opinion of the author, even when irrefutably accurate.
There's no way I'm considered rural, but I can simply state with full confidence that in the last month I've received multiple packages weighing less than 8oz (and some if not all surely less than 4) where postage came from the counter and was $9.45.
"When they can't find anything wrong with you, they create it!"
Actually, I think that postage charge is exceptionally cheap. Imagine what it would cost for you to hand-deliver yourself.
Official PCGS account of:
www.TallahasseeCoinClub.com
You can get a better price through paypal shipping or stamps.com. They changed the charge from a flat price to a distance charge now. FedEx has been zapping customers with big charges a couple weeks after delivery claiming a few ounces off.
Sending a registered mail parcel to PCGS with 50K in insurance was 146 bucks. Yes expensive but so is everything else.
Postage has and continues to increase along with everything else.
I don't know about your specific address or those packages. I ship a lot and there are still numerous destinations that are under $6. But a rural delivery that was a 3 hour drive from me was over $7 even though other NY deliveries are $5.
It is possible to get over $9 for retail GA. There isn't a 4 and 8 anymore, just under 12. And full postage NY to CA is over $9. But the priority rates are even higher at $13 for the same NY to CA package
Another weird thing about postage rates, ebay shipping, which should reflect commercial rates, is often cheaper for 3 pound rates compared to 2 pound rates, sometimes by a lot. I've shipped 3 pounds packages for under $6 when the 2 pound package was $8. I'm going to start putting rocks in the boxes.
Here's a discussion of the July changes:
https://www.stamps.com/article/2026-usps-rate-and-service-changes/
All comments reflect the opinion of the author, even when irrefutably accurate.
Yes, huge increases in postage and the extra rural delivery charge is a killer when you offer free shipping.
And I think the post office definition of rural is quite a bit different than what you'd think as I've been getting lots of those in my ebay sales. Most 4 oz. ground packages have been between $5-$6, but then maybe a quarter of them end up being $7.50-$9 because they are rural addresses.
All fine if you make buyers pay actual shipping as you can set it up to be calculated based on their zip code.
But when offering free shipping, it's an unwelcome surprise to see that label print up at $8.40 for something in-state or the next state over, instead of $5.97 going across the country.
Michael Kittle Rare Coins --- 1908-S Indian Head Cent Grading Set --- No. 1 1909 Mint Set --- Kittlecoins on Facebook --- Long Beach Table 700
That's only from the Mint. IT'S AWESOME!
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A few years ago, my brother and I were victims of a brazen PO theft of a coin in a slab sent via Priority Mail in their freaking small box. At some point while in USPS custody, the box was cut open at one of the ends using a knife. The slabbed coin was in a tightly wrapped inner package that had been slit open. Slab with $500 coin in it had been removed from the inner package by the thief. The coin itself was a family heirloom. I went to the post office and read them the riot act. The employee on the receiving end of my rage simply shrugged his shoulders and said, "hope you have a nice rest of your day" as I left the USPS facility in disgust.
Aristotle said, “No democracy can exist unless each of its citizens is as capable of outrage at injustice to another as he is of outrage at injustice to himself.”
Shipping cost is a part of opex (operating expense).
For me it’s an acctg entry and part of the markup equation. To keep life easy I don’t do bulk or junk material.
Yes they will steal. I had a box of tools sent to me or whatever which could easily be a box of rolls in tubes and somebody at po cut into it to see what it was.
That front of the line counter employee was not responsible for the issue and had zero power to even begin to address it or solve your problem. Sounds like you went and yelled at an innocent person to make yourself feel better about your feelings of impotence in this situation. And it sounds like that person handled it with patience and grace.
Too many KARENS on this board !
chopmarkedtradedollars.com
I ship 5 +/- packages a day, non coins. Mostly ebay
From 1 ounce to 130 pounds.
The ebay calculator shows me the rates, and I am baffled by the results.
A 6 ounce package going 200 miles is $9 while a 5 pound box going 500 miles is $6 (rounding off).
A 60 pounder was $110 USPS, $78 FedEx Home Delivery and $23 FedEx Ground economy, where I drop it at FedEx, they ship it close, and USPS delivers the last few miles.
Today, a 3.3 pound 8 x 6 x 6 going from Texas to Delaware is $8.07 USPS Ground Advantage
Same size package, same address, but only 1.3 pounds, is $9.35 USPS Ground Advantage Higher cost, lighter package ???
Same size package, same address, at .3 pounds, is $5.97 USPS Ground Advantage
I use PayPal shipping for everything. A transaction thru PP is not required. Prices are 30% +/- off of PO rates.
But in this way, think of the sightseeing possibilities along the way.
Yup. Small priority box sent registered Va to PCGS, 2 orders total value under 5K, $48.75. I think priority was $13.65 of that ... for the SMALL box.
And wish I picked up extra Forever stamps a year or 2 ago when I had the chance. I was cheap and declined the offer.
Registered mail travels at its own pace, so paying for Priority Mail is unnecessary. Of course, with the increases in other service types, the price difference might not be significant.
In my experience, sending across the country, it has been cheaper than any time they measure and weigh the box, like UPS does. I've had them try it 1 way 1st then go priority rate. (But I havent done that in a while.)
edit -
I am talking priority Flat Rate, not Express.
I've never lost an express; use lots of their free tyvek and carboard mailers in addition to your own, make them non-descript. Shipped 3 on Monday, one got to PCGS by noon the next day, another to Atlanta but they didn't bother to deliver until the next day and one to FL which didn't get on the plane the same day. The time guarantees are something of the past.
Any heavy bullion, gold, etc. should go registered. Someone called me locally this week trying to get top dollar on some eagles and maple leafs and I told him to call Apmex, etc. for their buys and see if they'd lock in the price. No one locally pays over a few percent under spot.
For bulkier things UPS and FedEx are probably a good choice but be sure you get the dimensions and weight right as they're doing big charges a couple weeks later. Those can be challenged if you have proof of the dimensions, weight but it's a pain. Ebay told me they are doing one rebate with FedEx and Paypal does not do business with them because of this sort of thing.
Agree.
@mr1931S You are not flexing pridefully your ability to demonstrate power over who you consider to be your subordinate, you are instead (continuing) to define your weakness and inability to control yourself in public places knowing full well there is little chance you will encounter aggression on the other person's part. That is cowardly.
The value of this hobby is the hobby, not the value.
Anyone who is going to the post office to buy postage in this day and age is leaving so much money (not to mention time and aggravation) on the table, that it's disgusting.
There are many online options to purchase postage at a discount.
Pirate Ship is a lot cheaper than the retail rate at the PO.
Collecting 1970s Topps baseball wax, rack and cello packs, as well as PCGS graded Half Cents, Large Cents, Two Cent pieces and Three Cent Silver pieces.
I looked at the claim conditions and there are questions on what claims they will honor:
"Excluded Valuables: Cash, currency, money, and standard bullion/coins are generally excluded or heavily restricted under third-party policies.Inadequate Proof of Value: Claims lacking proper documentation (like a sales receipt, invoice, or appraisal) to verify the actual cash value of the lost goods."
Plus they piggyback and add extra shipping charges along with their insurance.
No need to slam people named Karen to make your point, whatever your point is. Childish, to say the least.
And I didn't yell at any time during my reading of the riot act. Shrugging shoulders and saying "have a nice rest of your day" is poor customer service in my book. One would think some of the money the PO garners from their high-priced stamps could go to their front-line employees getting some decent customer service training. I did kind of scare the employee though by telling him I might be going to the postmaster with my complaint of PO thievery. Never did actually do that but the expression on the poor shoulder-shrugging fellow's face when I threatened to do that was, in a word......priceless.
Aristotle said, “No democracy can exist unless each of its citizens is as capable of outrage at injustice to another as he is of outrage at injustice to himself.”
You not only enjoy needlessly inflicting yourself on the innocent but also take delight in their possible discomfort even though they have no control over the situation and apparently no control over you (which you capitalize on).
The value of this hobby is the hobby, not the value.
You can fit a small flat rate box INSIDE a flat rate envelope. This is a comical way to save a couple bucks, and I'm surprised this is still possible.
"But seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you" Matthew 6:33. Young fellow suffering from Bust Half fever.
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Are you telling me that I'm a coward for going to the post office with the knife-jobbed empty Priority box and expressing my outrage that a valuable family heirloom was lost to a thief at some point while the box containing said heirloom was in the custody of the post office?
Aristotle said, “No democracy can exist unless each of its citizens is as capable of outrage at injustice to another as he is of outrage at injustice to himself.”
Stealing US mail is a FELONY.
Aristotle said, “No democracy can exist unless each of its citizens is as capable of outrage at injustice to another as he is of outrage at injustice to himself.”
Its ridiculous , for 25+ years on ebay, I always gave free shipping, not anymore had to change as i type this, rural rate charge, postal charges have taken its toll. Cant do it anylonger
Simply going to the post office? No.
Acting like a petulant child? Yes.
The value of this hobby is the hobby, not the value.
Equally outrageous is that it has taken three weeks for a First Class envelope, mailed from Florida, to get to Minnesota. I now have to send payments by Priority Mail to get a check there.