@MsMorrisine said:
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
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.
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 !
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.
My point is obvious to everyone except for you. Your own words and actions have repeatedly demonstrated that you are an ignorant jerk. I would preferably use much harsher words to describe my true feelings if not against forum rules.
Your inability to recognize these qualities in yourself, even when other people point them out directly, goes a long way toward explaining your entire posting history.
@jdimmick said:
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
I'm still doing it, but I don't know how much longer. It's the unpredictability. As I mentioned above, a rural destination 150 miles from me cost $7.50 for a 4 oz package which is nearly $3 more than it would have been to NYC which is 300 miles away.
All comments reflect the opinion of the author, even when irrefutably accurate.
On anything stolen/missing that goes GA or Priority, I'd file the claims even if what you shipped was over the $100 insurance covered. If someone loses a $500 item file a claim for that though only $100 is covered and keep filing when they decline, plus report it to your Congressman that has jurisdiction.
@MsMorrisine said:
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
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.
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 !
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.
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?
Simply going to the post office? No.
Acting like a petulant child? Yes.
Good for you! Posting a sig now. I give it a....5...on the 1 to 9 scale. A 1 (one) sig is really bad, pathetic really and 9 (nine) is really good, a knock your socks off sig admired by most readers of threads in this forum. Perhaps a good measure for you going forward on your learning journey here would be to compare your sig to some of mine. Most of my sigs are 7s or 8s.
“The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails.” – William Arthur Ward
This quote reminds us that change is inevitable, often necessary, and can be a catalyst for growth. Adapt. Self-reflect. Be proactive.
@MsMorrisine said:
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
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.
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 !
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.
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?
Simply going to the post office? No.
Acting like a petulant child? Yes.
Good for you! Posting a sig now. I give it a....5...on the 1 to 9 scale. A 1 (one) sig is really bad, pathetic really and 9 (nine) is really good, a knock your socks off sig admired by most readers of threads in this forum. Perhaps a good measure for you going forward on your learning journey here would be to compare your sig to some of mine. Most of my sigs are 7s or 8s.
There is no "some of mine". You only ever have one sig line - the last one. Every post has it.
Jesus weeps.
All comments reflect the opinion of the author, even when irrefutably accurate.
I think your postings the last few days are an indication you are spiraling down. As such, I will be leaving you and your posts/threads alone as it isn't appropriate to pick on the feeble minded- even if done so good naturedly. As such you are on your own to post diatribe and nonsense with impunity.
The value of this hobby is the hobby, not the value.
@MsMorrisine said:
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
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.
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 !
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.
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?
Simply going to the post office? No.
Acting like a petulant child? Yes.
Good for you! Posting a sig now. I give it a....5...on the 1 to 9 scale. A 1 (one) sig is really bad, pathetic really and 9 (nine) is really good, a knock your socks off sig admired by most readers of threads in this forum. Perhaps a good measure for you going forward on your learning journey here would be to compare your sig to some of mine. Most of my sigs are 7s or 8s.
There is no "some of mine". You only ever have one sig line - the last one. Every post has it.
Jesus weeps.
C'mon, you can do better than this. I change my sig frequently. Why? Because I can.
“The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails.” – William Arthur Ward
This quote reminds us that change is inevitable, often necessary, and can be a catalyst for growth. Adapt. Self-reflect. Be proactive.
@RedRocket said:
I think your postings the last few days are an indication you are spiraling down. As such, I will be leaving you and your posts/threads alone as it isn't appropriate to pick on the feeble minded- even if done so good naturedly. As such you are on your own to post diatribe and nonsense with impunity.
Well, okay. I'm gonna miss you. :'(
“The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails.” – William Arthur Ward
This quote reminds us that change is inevitable, often necessary, and can be a catalyst for growth. Adapt. Self-reflect. Be proactive.
@MsMorrisine said:
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
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.
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 !
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.
I would preferably use much harscher words to describe my true feelings if not against forum rules.
@grote15 said:
Pirate Ship is a lot cheaper than the retail rate at the PO.
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.
I never purchase insurance as I have a collectibles insurance policy which covers me if I need a package to be covered in transit with signature confirmation. The postal rates are much cheaper on line vs the retail rate at the PO. Paypal and ebay shipping labels offer discounts, too.
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.
@19Lyds said:
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??
Did you try Ground Advantage?
Clearly, you don't ship much.
Is this an option at the USPS?
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.
@MsMorrisine said:
even in boxes, slab can be broken. i wouldn't send one in a padded mailer
Slab(s) in a Safe-T-Mailer (or similar corrugated cardboard) in a bubble mailer work great; I've shipped thousands that way without any issues. For a more expensive slab you probably want to ship it differently, but definitely anything $500 or less I wouldn't hesitate to ship that way.
@MsMorrisine said:
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!
I wanted to go that route but was told that if I'm not sending paper then it has to go USPS Ground.
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.
@MsMorrisine said:
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
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.
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 !
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.
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?
Simply going to the post office? No.
Acting like a petulant child? Yes.
Good for you! Posting a sig now. I give it a....5...on the 1 to 9 scale. A 1 (one) sig is really bad, pathetic really and 9 (nine) is really good, a knock your socks off sig admired by most readers of threads in this forum. Perhaps a good measure for you going forward on your learning journey here would be to compare your sig to some of mine. Most of my sigs are 7s or 8s.
There is no "some of mine". You only ever have one sig line - the last one. Every post has it.
Jesus weeps.
C'mon, you can do better than this. I change my sig frequently. Why? Because I can.
But when you change it, you change ALL OF THE PREVIOUS ONES.
So, you have a new one, but that's the ONLY ONE you have
All comments reflect the opinion of the author, even when irrefutably accurate.
@19Lyds said:
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??
Did you try Ground Advantage?
Clearly, you don't ship much.
$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.
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.]
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.
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.
USPS has been trying to take market share in the 3-5# for about 2 month now and most things are cheaper to ship with more weight than 1-2#. Some items are over 60% cheaper shipping with the higher weight and I have been adding weight to save money since this started. You cannot just claim the higher weight because they scan the item and if it weighs to light you receive a upcharge and penalty.
@19Lyds said:
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??
@19Lyds said:
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??
Did you try Ground Advantage?
Clearly, you don't ship much.
$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.
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.]
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.
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.
USPS has been trying to take market share in the 3-5# for about 2 month now and most things are cheaper to ship with more weight than 1-2#. Some items are over 60% cheaper shipping with the higher weight and I have been adding weight to save money since this started. You cannot just claim the higher weight because they scan the item and if it weighs to light you receive a upcharge and penalty.
That's what the rocks are for.
All comments reflect the opinion of the author, even when irrefutably accurate.
@MsMorrisine said:
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
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.
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 !
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.
I would preferably use much harscher words to describe my true feelings if not against forum rules.
FTFY
IkesT, the coin forum mystery code speaker.
“The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails.” – William Arthur Ward
This quote reminds us that change is inevitable, often necessary, and can be a catalyst for growth. Adapt. Self-reflect. Be proactive.
@MsMorrisine said:
even in boxes, slab can be broken. i wouldn't send one in a padded mailer
Slab(s) in a Safe-T-Mailer (or similar corrugated cardboard) in a bubble mailer work great; I've shipped thousands that way without any issues. For a more expensive slab you probably want to ship it differently, but definitely anything $500 or less I wouldn't hesitate to ship that way.
I've been selling on eBay for over 25 years (approx. 20-25,000 individual transactions) and have never heard from a buyer that their package was damaged. Most everything (until eBay Standard Envelope became a thing, anyway) went in a bubble envelope. But then again, I don't sell many graded coins.
Back when Netflix was DVDs in the mail, I had an account and I never received a damaged disk even though they were shipped with no protection at all aside from the outer envelope.
@MsMorrisine said:
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!
I have some thoughts on this..and I'm going to share them, popular or not...
The USPS is a service to the country and our economy.
It happens to operate with a form of income, which is customers paying for the provided services to help defray the cost (in a perfect world it would in fact be profitable). It is expected to be financially efficient, but not profitable.
Do we speak about the Dept of Transportation as being profitable? Or Emergency Services being profitable? How about the military? "...the Navy wasn't profitable this year again."
All these services greatly grow and support our economy and contribute to a healthier and safer society in so many different ways.
Beginning in 2020 there was a deliberate plan to degrade the USPS service levels. Many have suggested the intent was to ultimately dismantle to USPS and encourage privatization of ALL delivery services. I happen to work in Human Services and I've watched the same thing happen (recently) with services such as SNAP/EBT which has clear data for many years that every penny spent on it shows a solid return on investment in the form of improving and increasing the economy quite dramatically, just like the USPS does.
For all these services It's a few $billion invested out of $trillions to MASSIVELY increase our commerce & people's ability to work & improve international trade & provide additional jobs/manufacturing here in this country & provide needed parts supplies and shipments for businesses to operate & people needing medication and products alike...
and of course for people and businesses selling things...LIKE COINS, for instance!
With all the funds this administration has claimed to save (no details here because yes, it could easily be highly political)...you might expect MUCH more money invested into our services which straight up grow our economy. Right?!
I'm going to name drop and no, it's not political, I've left opinion out of this and it's all quite easy to fact check...this is literally what is going on with the USPS...and why it's directly affecting the commerce and economy regarding our world of numismatics.
Louis DeJoy altered USPS operations through cost-cutting and consolidation, which regulators, and lawmakers pointed out it has in fact significantly slowed mail delivery, reduced service reliability, and has negatively impacted commerce and growth of the economy. Options to use non-USPS mail carrier services are more expensive and limited in scope regarding what can be delivered and to where.
In 2020, DeJoy introduced a 10-year strategy called the "Delivering for America" plan. While he and his supporters defended these actions as necessary steps to modernize the cash-strapped agency and cut multi-billion-dollar losses, the changes sparked national backlash for diminishing core postal services while increasing the costs of services.
Including:
Permanent Slowdowns of Delivery Standards. DeJoy permanently lowered the delivery standards for first-class mail. The target window for local mail and long-distance letters was extended from 3 days to up to 5 days and shifted to Ground Transportation (which has not been shown to reduce overall costs of delivery). The USPS shifted its reliance away from air transport toward slower ground transportation, resulting in extended wait times for long-distance letters and packages.
Shortly after taking office DeJoy restricted the agency's longtime practice of allowing late or extra truck trips between processing plants and post offices. Large amounts of mail have not sorted in time for a scheduled truck, so it was left behind until the next day, creating massive backlogs which have caused continuing increases of customer service issues and refund claims.
He implemented a pilot program with less flexible hours and strict constraints, mail carriers frequently had to leave mail undelivered at the end of their shifts.
Removal and discontinued maintenance of high speed sorting equipment.
Processing Plant Closures: Under his 10-year plan, the USPS began consolidating dozens of regional mail processing facilities into larger, centralized hubs. In areas where this was rolled out, communities experienced severe processing delays. Note that this can be a very serious issue for rural communities, businesses, and customers awaiting items such as medications.
Equipment Removal: During his early tenure, the USPS accelerated the removal of hundreds of high-speed commercial mail-sorting machines. The agency claimed these removals matched declining mail volumes, workers reported it crippled their ability to handle much of the ongoing volume and sudden volume spikes.
Then DeJoy ordered post office closures all over the country and cut hours: The restructuring framework evaluated the consolidation of low-traffic city stations and reduced retail operating hours at select local post offices, making in-person services less accessible.
Removal of Collection Boxes: The agency also removed blue roadside mailboxes from various neighborhoods, drawing public outcry over reduced access. The mailboxes did not add to the cost of operations in any significant way as they were serviced by trucks and route carriers already on those routes. Deliberately reducing the volume the USPS could handle was a sure way to reduce the income being generated to defray the cost of operations.
This all resulted in regular price Increases for all services and frequent stamp rate hikes while providing slower services across the board.
To generate more revenue, DeJoy aggressively utilized authority to implement twice-a-year postage rate increases. The price of First-Class Forever stamps rose multiple times during his tenure (which will last until 2030 as he continues to oversee the Delivering for America Plan), leading customers to pay significantly more money for slower service.
Government watchdogs, including the USPS Inspector General, later reported that these operational rollouts were rushed through without analyzing how they would effect mail delivery performance or the economy as a whole, leading to widespread confusion and a sharp drop in on-time delivery rates nationwide. Following heavy pushback from a bipartisan coalition of lawmakers and federal judges, DeJoy was forced to pause several of his planned changes.
Coins are Neato!
"If it's a penny for your thoughts and you put in your two cents worth, then someone...somewhere...is making a penny." - Steven Wright
@MsMorrisine said:
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!
I have some thoughts on this..and I'm going to share them, popular or not...
The USPS is a service to the country and our economy.
It happens to operate with a form of income, which is customers paying for the provided services to help defray the cost (in a perfect world it would in fact be profitable). It is expected to be financially efficient, but not profitable.
Do we speak about the Dept of Transportation as being profitable? Or Emergency Services being profitable? How about the military? "...the Navy wasn't profitable this year again."
All these services greatly grow and support our economy and contribute to a healthier and safer society in so many different ways.
Beginning in 2020 there was a deliberate plan to degrade the USPS service levels. Many have suggested the intent was to ultimately dismantle to USPS and encourage privatization of ALL delivery services. I happen to work in Human Services and I've watched the same thing happen (recently) with services such as SNAP/EBT which has clear data for many years that every penny spent on it shows a solid return on investment in the form of improving and increasing the economy quite dramatically, just like the USPS does.
For all these services It's a few $billion invested out of $trillions to MASSIVELY increase our commerce & people's ability to work & improve international trade & provide additional jobs/manufacturing here in this country & provide needed parts supplies and shipments for businesses to operate & people needing medication and products alike...
and of course for people and businesses selling things...LIKE COINS, for instance!
With all the funds this administration has claimed to save (no details here because yes, it could easily be highly political)...you might expect MUCH more money invested into our services which straight up grow our economy. Right?!
I'm going to name drop and no, it's not political, I've left opinion out of this and it's all quite easy to fact check...this is literally what is going on with the USPS...and why it's directly affecting the commerce and economy regarding our world of numismatics.
Louis DeJoy altered USPS operations through cost-cutting and consolidation, which regulators, and lawmakers pointed out it has in fact significantly slowed mail delivery, reduced service reliability, and has negatively impacted commerce and growth of the economy. Options to use non-USPS mail carrier services are more expensive and limited in scope regarding what can be delivered and to where.
In 2020, DeJoy introduced a 10-year strategy called the "Delivering for America" plan. While he and his supporters defended these actions as necessary steps to modernize the cash-strapped agency and cut multi-billion-dollar losses, the changes sparked national backlash for diminishing core postal services while increasing the costs of services.
Including:
Permanent Slowdowns of Delivery Standards. DeJoy permanently lowered the delivery standards for first-class mail. The target window for local mail and long-distance letters was extended from 3 days to up to 5 days and shifted to Ground Transportation (which has not been shown to reduce overall costs of delivery). The USPS shifted its reliance away from air transport toward slower ground transportation, resulting in extended wait times for long-distance letters and packages.
Shortly after taking office DeJoy restricted the agency's longtime practice of allowing late or extra truck trips between processing plants and post offices. Large amounts of mail have not sorted in time for a scheduled truck, so it was left behind until the next day, creating massive backlogs which have caused continuing increases of customer service issues and refund claims.
He implemented a pilot program with less flexible hours and strict constraints, mail carriers frequently had to leave mail undelivered at the end of their shifts.
Removal and discontinued maintenance of high speed sorting equipment.
Processing Plant Closures: Under his 10-year plan, the USPS began consolidating dozens of regional mail processing facilities into larger, centralized hubs. In areas where this was rolled out, communities experienced severe processing delays. Note that this can be a very serious issue for rural communities, businesses, and customers awaiting items such as medications.
Equipment Removal: During his early tenure, the USPS accelerated the removal of hundreds of high-speed commercial mail-sorting machines. The agency claimed these removals matched declining mail volumes, workers reported it crippled their ability to handle much of the ongoing volume and sudden volume spikes.
Then DeJoy ordered post office closures all over the country and cut hours: The restructuring framework evaluated the consolidation of low-traffic city stations and reduced retail operating hours at select local post offices, making in-person services less accessible.
Removal of Collection Boxes: The agency also removed blue roadside mailboxes from various neighborhoods, drawing public outcry over reduced access. The mailboxes did not add to the cost of operations in any significant way as they were serviced by trucks and route carriers already on those routes. Deliberately reducing the volume the USPS could handle was a sure way to reduce the income being generated to defray the cost of operations.
This all resulted in regular price Increases for all services and frequent stamp rate hikes while providing slower services across the board.
To generate more revenue, DeJoy aggressively utilized authority to implement twice-a-year postage rate increases. The price of First-Class Forever stamps rose multiple times during his tenure (which will last until 2030 as he continues to oversee the Delivering for America Plan), leading customers to pay significantly more money for slower service.
Government watchdogs, including the USPS Inspector General, later reported that these operational rollouts were rushed through without analyzing how they would effect mail delivery performance or the economy as a whole, leading to widespread confusion and a sharp drop in on-time delivery rates nationwide. Following heavy pushback from a bipartisan coalition of lawmakers and federal judges, DeJoy was forced to pause several of his planned changes.
The Post Office does not bear the same relationship to the government as the Department of Transportation. It was spun off in 1971.
Now, you can make the argument that postal services should be a subsidized function of government. But they have not been pay off the government in 55 years.
All comments reflect the opinion of the author, even when irrefutably accurate.
@MsMorrisine said:
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
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.
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 !
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.
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?
Simply going to the post office? No.
Acting like a petulant child? Yes.
Good for you! Posting a sig now. I give it a....5...on the 1 to 9 scale. A 1 (one) sig is really bad, pathetic really and 9 (nine) is really good, a knock your socks off sig admired by most readers of threads in this forum. Perhaps a good measure for you going forward on your learning journey here would be to compare your sig to some of mine. Most of my sigs are 7s or 8s.
There is no "some of mine". You only ever have one sig line - the last one. Every post has it.
Jesus weeps.
C'mon, you can do better than this. I change my sig frequently. Why? Because I can.
But when you change it, you change ALL OF THE PREVIOUS ONES.
So, you have a new one, but that's the ONLY ONE you have
I EDIT my sig line. I'm going "what you are trying to say?" Okay, I have only sig at a time at a time. I have a stream of consciousness approach to posting going on that has come about from posting on many internet forums over the past 25 years. Got my start in internet forums on the ebay town square forum around 2001. Religion was the subject on many, many threads. Lots of kooks. I made enemies but I made friends too. One could change their handle name if one choose. But it was easy to find out if one had changed their name. I think there's restrictions on changing names here but not sure.
Hey, if one is posing with an alt. identity, does it help to avoid detection by refraining from using a quote on the sig line? There's electronic trails that the hunter who knows what he or she is doing can go down to detect possible alt. identity I would think.
“The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails.” – William Arthur Ward
This quote reminds us that change is inevitable, often necessary, and can be a catalyst for growth. Adapt. Self-reflect. Be proactive.
@MsMorrisine said:
I think small flat rate boxes used to be $5.50 to boot!
OH Gosh I remember those days! However, the times they are a changin!
This addresses the above comment about "Clearly, you don't ship much." made by jmlanzaf about Ground Advantage at $7.69 and as you can see, small flat rate boxes are now $12.97 excluding additional insurance.
For the comments about the Strait being closed and the cost os Gasoline, PM Flat Rate Boxes have been well above the $5.50 for close to a year.
My goal was to sell a 1965 SMS Set for the cost of silver in the Half and then face value on .41 cent for around $12,.00 but after fee's and shipping it would end up costing me money.
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 Post Office does not bear the same relationship to the government as the Department of Transportation. It was spun off in 1971.
Now, you can make the argument that postal services should be a subsidized function of government. But they have not been pay off the government in 55 years.
I don't disagree and certainly like an honest conversation.
A very important point is that the USPS operates as a government owned business, which is why it receives very little funding from taxes (but not 0%).
It is an independent agency of the executive branch. By law, it must be fully self-funded, instead of taxpayer funded.
The post office pays for its daily operations using the revenue it makes from selling stamps, postage, and other shipping services. Because it does not rely on government funding, the USPS keeps running normally even during federal government shutdowns.
The Postal Reorganization Act of 1970 changed the old Post Office Department into the independent USPS. This change required the agency to operate like a business that covers its own costs. No DAILY Tax Support.
The agency does not receive tax dollars for its day-to-day operating expenses but there are some exceptions: Congress gives a very small annual amount (usually less than 0.5% of the USPS budget) to pay for specific, legally mandated free mail services. This includes free postage for overseas military ballots and mail for the visually impaired and emergency relief.
When the post office faces severe financial trouble, Congress occasionally steps in with emergency loans or financial relief packages because is considered to be a critical service.
@MasonG said:
Thank you for not getting political.
Thank God that was too long to read.
Hah...it wouldn't have been too long if it was purely a coin article. You should read the whole thing
Coins are Neato!
"If it's a penny for your thoughts and you put in your two cents worth, then someone...somewhere...is making a penny." - Steven Wright
@ProofCollection said:
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.
The fella at the Post Office said the same thing about California to Boston and I simply reminded him that the USPS just ain't gonna rent or drive one of their Semi Trucks to deliver my small package! For that matter, If I were to send it Express Mail over night the PO ain't gonna fire up a 757 to fly my package their.
The Post Office has always been about quantity and shared expenses in bulk postage.
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.
@19Lyds said:
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??
The entire purpose behind this post was to express my surprise that postage was so darned expensive.
I mean, when I order from Sam's Club online, if it's more than $50 postage is free.
When I order from the US Mint the S&H was only $5.95
If I order a set amount from the US Mint, the shipping is free.
I won a slabbed coin at Great Collections and shipping was only $5.50!
I figured an SMS set in a 7.5" x 5" padded Manila Style envelope with run me $1.50 or $1.75 tops.
However, I decided to dummy up a couple of packages (1 set and 2 sets) just to see what the postage would actually be!
GULP! $9.45
And this crazy rule about "If its not paper then it has to go as a ground package" is just that. Crazy.
Sorry if some posters decided to attack other posters but that's to be expected. I guess.
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.
I've been doing $100-$200 many weeks with the usps and they've gotten better on some of their service levels, the same on others. The ground advantage and priorities do pay out on lost parcels and that's a big positive if they upgraded their equipment that led to more damage. 10 years ago or so you could get a first class label through ebay for well under $2 an express for $12 and a priority for five bucks.
@19Lyds said:
The entire purpose behind this post was to express my surprise that postage was so darned expensive.
I mean, when I order from Sam's Club online, if it's more than $50 postage is free.
When I order from the US Mint the S&H was only $5.95
If I order a set amount from the US Mint, the shipping is free.
I won a slabbed coin at Great Collections and shipping was only $5.50!
Those are all big shippers that get a better price than you. They are good clients of the USPS, you are not. It's the difference between wholesale and retail. They pay wholesale, you pay retail.
EDIT: Also, they are selling you a product and likely have some margin built into the price of that product to cover shipping expense.
@19Lyds said:
The entire purpose behind this post was to express my surprise that postage was so darned expensive.
I mean, when I order from Sam's Club online, if it's more than $50 postage is free.
When I order from the US Mint the S&H was only $5.95
If I order a set amount from the US Mint, the shipping is free.
I won a slabbed coin at Great Collections and shipping was only $5.50!
I figured an SMS set in a 7.5" x 5" padded Manila Style envelope with run me $1.50 or $1.75 tops.
However, I decided to dummy up a couple of packages (1 set and 2 sets) just to see what the postage would actually be!
GULP! $9.45
> And this crazy rule about "If its not paper then it has to go as a ground package" is just that. Crazy.
Whoever told you that was trying to abbreviate the regulations. Paper has nothing to do with it, atleast not directly. Thickness and rigidity will turn it into a package. There is also "nonmachineable first class" which has a surcharge for first class letters that don't meet certain standards.
@19Lyds said:
I mean, when I order from Sam's Club online, if it's more than $50 postage is free.
If I order a set amount from the US Mint, the shipping is free.
The post office doesn't deliver stuff for free. If it says "free shipping" you're still paying for it but it's not being broken out to you as its own line item cost.
As for your other examples...
@19Lyds said:
When I order from the US Mint the S&H was only $5.95
I won a slabbed coin at Great Collections and shipping was only $5.50!
There are discounted options that are lower than full retail prices at the post office counter. And the seller might still not be telling you how much the actual shipping cost is, and just including some of it in their item prices.
Comments
My point is obvious to everyone except for you. Your own words and actions have repeatedly demonstrated that you are an ignorant jerk. I would preferably use much harsher words to describe my true feelings if not against forum rules.
Your inability to recognize these qualities in yourself, even when other people point them out directly, goes a long way toward explaining your entire posting history.
chopmarkedtradedollars.com
I'm still doing it, but I don't know how much longer. It's the unpredictability. As I mentioned above, a rural destination 150 miles from me cost $7.50 for a 4 oz package which is nearly $3 more than it would have been to NYC which is 300 miles away.
All comments reflect the opinion of the author, even when irrefutably accurate.
On anything stolen/missing that goes GA or Priority, I'd file the claims even if what you shipped was over the $100 insurance covered. If someone loses a $500 item file a claim for that though only $100 is covered and keep filing when they decline, plus report it to your Congressman that has jurisdiction.
Good for you! Posting a sig now. I give it a....5...on the 1 to 9 scale. A 1 (one) sig is really bad, pathetic really and 9 (nine) is really good, a knock your socks off sig admired by most readers of threads in this forum. Perhaps a good measure for you going forward on your learning journey here would be to compare your sig to some of mine. Most of my sigs are 7s or 8s.
“The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails.” – William Arthur Ward
This quote reminds us that change is inevitable, often necessary, and can be a catalyst for growth. Adapt. Self-reflect. Be proactive.
There is no "some of mine". You only ever have one sig line - the last one. Every post has it.
Jesus weeps.
All comments reflect the opinion of the author, even when irrefutably accurate.
I think your postings the last few days are an indication you are spiraling down. As such, I will be leaving you and your posts/threads alone as it isn't appropriate to pick on the feeble minded- even if done so good naturedly. As such you are on your own to post diatribe and nonsense with impunity.
The value of this hobby is the hobby, not the value.
C'mon, you can do better than this. I change my sig frequently. Why? Because I can.
“The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails.” – William Arthur Ward
This quote reminds us that change is inevitable, often necessary, and can be a catalyst for growth. Adapt. Self-reflect. Be proactive.
Well, okay. I'm gonna miss you. :'(
“The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails.” – William Arthur Ward
This quote reminds us that change is inevitable, often necessary, and can be a catalyst for growth. Adapt. Self-reflect. Be proactive.
FTFY
If you want to know where things are headed, just keep an eye on what the Royal Canadian Mint is doing. The US Mint is about ten years behind them.
I never purchase insurance as I have a collectibles insurance policy which covers me if I need a package to be covered in transit with signature confirmation. The postal rates are much cheaper on line vs the retail rate at the PO. Paypal and ebay shipping labels offer discounts, too.
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.
Is this an option at the USPS?
The name is LEE!
Slab(s) in a Safe-T-Mailer (or similar corrugated cardboard) in a bubble mailer work great; I've shipped thousands that way without any issues. For a more expensive slab you probably want to ship it differently, but definitely anything $500 or less I wouldn't hesitate to ship that way.
I wanted to go that route but was told that if I'm not sending paper then it has to go USPS Ground.
The name is LEE!
But when you change it, you change ALL OF THE PREVIOUS ONES.
So, you have a new one, but that's the ONLY ONE you have
All comments reflect the opinion of the author, even when irrefutably accurate.
USPS has been trying to take market share in the 3-5# for about 2 month now and most things are cheaper to ship with more weight than 1-2#. Some items are over 60% cheaper shipping with the higher weight and I have been adding weight to save money since this started. You cannot just claim the higher weight because they scan the item and if it weighs to light you receive a upcharge and penalty.
Yes.
https://www.usps.com/ship/ground-advantage.htm
All comments reflect the opinion of the author, even when irrefutably accurate.
That's what the rocks are for.
All comments reflect the opinion of the author, even when irrefutably accurate.
IkesT, the coin forum mystery code speaker.
“The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails.” – William Arthur Ward
This quote reminds us that change is inevitable, often necessary, and can be a catalyst for growth. Adapt. Self-reflect. Be proactive.
I've been selling on eBay for over 25 years (approx. 20-25,000 individual transactions) and have never heard from a buyer that their package was damaged. Most everything (until eBay Standard Envelope became a thing, anyway) went in a bubble envelope. But then again, I don't sell many graded coins.
Back when Netflix was DVDs in the mail, I had an account and I never received a damaged disk even though they were shipped with no protection at all aside from the outer envelope.
I have some thoughts on this..and I'm going to share them, popular or not...
The USPS is a service to the country and our economy.
It happens to operate with a form of income, which is customers paying for the provided services to help defray the cost (in a perfect world it would in fact be profitable). It is expected to be financially efficient, but not profitable.
Do we speak about the Dept of Transportation as being profitable? Or Emergency Services being profitable? How about the military? "...the Navy wasn't profitable this year again."
All these services greatly grow and support our economy and contribute to a healthier and safer society in so many different ways.
Beginning in 2020 there was a deliberate plan to degrade the USPS service levels. Many have suggested the intent was to ultimately dismantle to USPS and encourage privatization of ALL delivery services. I happen to work in Human Services and I've watched the same thing happen (recently) with services such as SNAP/EBT which has clear data for many years that every penny spent on it shows a solid return on investment in the form of improving and increasing the economy quite dramatically, just like the USPS does.
For all these services It's a few $billion invested out of $trillions to MASSIVELY increase our commerce & people's ability to work & improve international trade & provide additional jobs/manufacturing here in this country & provide needed parts supplies and shipments for businesses to operate & people needing medication and products alike...
and of course for people and businesses selling things...LIKE COINS, for instance!
With all the funds this administration has claimed to save (no details here because yes, it could easily be highly political)...you might expect MUCH more money invested into our services which straight up grow our economy. Right?!
I'm going to name drop and no, it's not political, I've left opinion out of this and it's all quite easy to fact check...this is literally what is going on with the USPS...and why it's directly affecting the commerce and economy regarding our world of numismatics.
Louis DeJoy altered USPS operations through cost-cutting and consolidation, which regulators, and lawmakers pointed out it has in fact significantly slowed mail delivery, reduced service reliability, and has negatively impacted commerce and growth of the economy. Options to use non-USPS mail carrier services are more expensive and limited in scope regarding what can be delivered and to where.
In 2020, DeJoy introduced a 10-year strategy called the "Delivering for America" plan. While he and his supporters defended these actions as necessary steps to modernize the cash-strapped agency and cut multi-billion-dollar losses, the changes sparked national backlash for diminishing core postal services while increasing the costs of services.
Including:
Permanent Slowdowns of Delivery Standards. DeJoy permanently lowered the delivery standards for first-class mail. The target window for local mail and long-distance letters was extended from 3 days to up to 5 days and shifted to Ground Transportation (which has not been shown to reduce overall costs of delivery). The USPS shifted its reliance away from air transport toward slower ground transportation, resulting in extended wait times for long-distance letters and packages.
Shortly after taking office DeJoy restricted the agency's longtime practice of allowing late or extra truck trips between processing plants and post offices. Large amounts of mail have not sorted in time for a scheduled truck, so it was left behind until the next day, creating massive backlogs which have caused continuing increases of customer service issues and refund claims.
He implemented a pilot program with less flexible hours and strict constraints, mail carriers frequently had to leave mail undelivered at the end of their shifts.
Removal and discontinued maintenance of high speed sorting equipment.
Processing Plant Closures: Under his 10-year plan, the USPS began consolidating dozens of regional mail processing facilities into larger, centralized hubs. In areas where this was rolled out, communities experienced severe processing delays. Note that this can be a very serious issue for rural communities, businesses, and customers awaiting items such as medications.
Equipment Removal: During his early tenure, the USPS accelerated the removal of hundreds of high-speed commercial mail-sorting machines. The agency claimed these removals matched declining mail volumes, workers reported it crippled their ability to handle much of the ongoing volume and sudden volume spikes.
Then DeJoy ordered post office closures all over the country and cut hours: The restructuring framework evaluated the consolidation of low-traffic city stations and reduced retail operating hours at select local post offices, making in-person services less accessible.
Removal of Collection Boxes: The agency also removed blue roadside mailboxes from various neighborhoods, drawing public outcry over reduced access. The mailboxes did not add to the cost of operations in any significant way as they were serviced by trucks and route carriers already on those routes. Deliberately reducing the volume the USPS could handle was a sure way to reduce the income being generated to defray the cost of operations.
This all resulted in regular price Increases for all services and frequent stamp rate hikes while providing slower services across the board.
To generate more revenue, DeJoy aggressively utilized authority to implement twice-a-year postage rate increases. The price of First-Class Forever stamps rose multiple times during his tenure (which will last until 2030 as he continues to oversee the Delivering for America Plan), leading customers to pay significantly more money for slower service.
Government watchdogs, including the USPS Inspector General, later reported that these operational rollouts were rushed through without analyzing how they would effect mail delivery performance or the economy as a whole, leading to widespread confusion and a sharp drop in on-time delivery rates nationwide. Following heavy pushback from a bipartisan coalition of lawmakers and federal judges, DeJoy was forced to pause several of his planned changes.
Coins are Neato!
"If it's a penny for your thoughts and you put in your two cents worth, then someone...somewhere...is making a penny." - Steven Wright
Thank you for not getting political.
Thank God that was too long to read.
All comments reflect the opinion of the author, even when irrefutably accurate.
The Post Office does not bear the same relationship to the government as the Department of Transportation. It was spun off in 1971.
Now, you can make the argument that postal services should be a subsidized function of government. But they have not been pay off the government in 55 years.
All comments reflect the opinion of the author, even when irrefutably accurate.
I EDIT my sig line. I'm going "what you are trying to say?" Okay, I have only sig at a time at a time. I have a stream of consciousness approach to posting going on that has come about from posting on many internet forums over the past 25 years. Got my start in internet forums on the ebay town square forum around 2001. Religion was the subject on many, many threads. Lots of kooks. I made enemies but I made friends too. One could change their handle name if one choose. But it was easy to find out if one had changed their name. I think there's restrictions on changing names here but not sure.
Hey, if one is posing with an alt. identity, does it help to avoid detection by refraining from using a quote on the sig line? There's electronic trails that the hunter who knows what he or she is doing can go down to detect possible alt. identity I would think.
“The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails.” – William Arthur Ward
This quote reminds us that change is inevitable, often necessary, and can be a catalyst for growth. Adapt. Self-reflect. Be proactive.
OH Gosh I remember those days! However, the times they are a changin!
This addresses the above comment about "Clearly, you don't ship much." made by jmlanzaf about Ground Advantage at $7.69 and as you can see, small flat rate boxes are now $12.97 excluding additional insurance.
For the comments about the Strait being closed and the cost os Gasoline, PM Flat Rate Boxes have been well above the $5.50 for close to a year.
My goal was to sell a 1965 SMS Set for the cost of silver in the Half and then face value on .41 cent for around $12,.00 but after fee's and shipping it would end up costing me money.
The name is LEE!
I don't disagree and certainly like an honest conversation.
A very important point is that the USPS operates as a government owned business, which is why it receives very little funding from taxes (but not 0%).
It is an independent agency of the executive branch. By law, it must be fully self-funded, instead of taxpayer funded.
The post office pays for its daily operations using the revenue it makes from selling stamps, postage, and other shipping services. Because it does not rely on government funding, the USPS keeps running normally even during federal government shutdowns.
The Postal Reorganization Act of 1970 changed the old Post Office Department into the independent USPS. This change required the agency to operate like a business that covers its own costs. No DAILY Tax Support.
The agency does not receive tax dollars for its day-to-day operating expenses but there are some exceptions: Congress gives a very small annual amount (usually less than 0.5% of the USPS budget) to pay for specific, legally mandated free mail services. This includes free postage for overseas military ballots and mail for the visually impaired and emergency relief.
When the post office faces severe financial trouble, Congress occasionally steps in with emergency loans or financial relief packages because is considered to be a critical service.
Hah...it wouldn't have been too long if it was purely a coin article. You should read the whole thing
Coins are Neato!
"If it's a penny for your thoughts and you put in your two cents worth, then someone...somewhere...is making a penny." - Steven Wright
The fella at the Post Office said the same thing about California to Boston and I simply reminded him that the USPS just ain't gonna rent or drive one of their Semi Trucks to deliver my small package! For that matter, If I were to send it Express Mail over night the PO ain't gonna fire up a 757 to fly my package their.
The Post Office has always been about quantity and shared expenses in bulk postage.
The name is LEE!
Welcome back stagflation, this time with the country in decline. Prepare for pain.
Casual collector: Morgans & Peace Dollars & 20th Century Type Set. Successful BST transactions with ProofCollection, Morgan13, CoinFinder, CoinHunter4, Bretsan.
Thank you for not getting political.
Thank You
The name is LEE!
Wait a minute is a roll of 1965 SMS Kennedy‘s worth more than their silver value? If so, I may need to stop and get me a pack of rolling papers. 😛
The entire purpose behind this post was to express my surprise that postage was so darned expensive.
I mean, when I order from Sam's Club online, if it's more than $50 postage is free.
When I order from the US Mint the S&H was only $5.95
If I order a set amount from the US Mint, the shipping is free.
I won a slabbed coin at Great Collections and shipping was only $5.50!
I figured an SMS set in a 7.5" x 5" padded Manila Style envelope with run me $1.50 or $1.75 tops.
However, I decided to dummy up a couple of packages (1 set and 2 sets) just to see what the postage would actually be!
GULP! $9.45
And this crazy rule about "If its not paper then it has to go as a ground package" is just that. Crazy.
Sorry if some posters decided to attack other posters but that's to be expected. I guess.
The name is LEE!
I've been doing $100-$200 many weeks with the usps and they've gotten better on some of their service levels, the same on others. The ground advantage and priorities do pay out on lost parcels and that's a big positive if they upgraded their equipment that led to more damage. 10 years ago or so you could get a first class label through ebay for well under $2 an express for $12 and a priority for five bucks.
Those are all big shippers that get a better price than you. They are good clients of the USPS, you are not. It's the difference between wholesale and retail. They pay wholesale, you pay retail.
EDIT: Also, they are selling you a product and likely have some margin built into the price of that product to cover shipping expense.
chopmarkedtradedollars.com
Naysayers have been making this pledge off and on for the last 40 years.
The value of this hobby is the hobby, not the value.
> And this crazy rule about "If its not paper then it has to go as a ground package" is just that. Crazy.
Whoever told you that was trying to abbreviate the regulations. Paper has nothing to do with it, atleast not directly. Thickness and rigidity will turn it into a package. There is also "nonmachineable first class" which has a surcharge for first class letters that don't meet certain standards.
The post office doesn't deliver stuff for free. If it says "free shipping" you're still paying for it but it's not being broken out to you as its own line item cost.
As for your other examples...
There are discounted options that are lower than full retail prices at the post office counter. And the seller might still not be telling you how much the actual shipping cost is, and just including some of it in their item prices.