General Forum

Throwing out a question to everyone: what is the easiest/cheapest way to send cards to Canada?

Crazyjoe was nice enough to send me some Royals stickers. When I tried to send him a few Blue Jays cards I was hit with an extremely high postage. The first effort was a 5x7 padded envelope with a cost of $9.45. I tried again the following week with the cards in a long white envelope and was "rewarded" with a cost of only $8.25. I sent the cards but was unable to get anyone at the Post Office to explain the high costs.  I know the costs are what they are, but I can't believe that there isn't some less expensive way to mail a few cards. 

Any suggestions if this ever happens again?  Thanks!

I use 6-1/2 x 4-1/2 photo mailers and 4 cards, 2 top loaders, one piece of cardboard inside costs me $1.42 in postage. A Global stamp ($1.20) and an Additional Ounce stamp ($.22). I mark it "PAR AVION / VIA AIR MAIL" and mail it.  I've had no problems so far.

 

I can understand the problem (thank you for sending the cards given the high postage). Sending to the US, I either do a plain white envelope with a piece of cardboard and clear wrap the cards to the cardboard or a top loader. Otherwise I try and do a bulk send of 400-800 cards because the shipping is about $15 versus $10 for the packaging you described and a lot less cards.

I don't know why the charge is so high! I generally don't ship to Canada anymore b/c of the time it takes, not b/c of the cost. I usually mail straight from the PO and I just tell them I want to mail as 1st Class Parcel. That is for a bubble mailer of any size. Then the cost goes by weight of the package. I have mailed many packages of over 150 cards for less than $8 across the US in BM's and Priority Boxes. The last package I sent to Canada was in a bubble mailer sent as 1st Class Parcel with a tracking number. That was when USPS charged you for a "Delivery Confirmation Number" and it still only cost me about $5. I think that the trade I sent was 5 cands and all were in individual toploaders encased in a single "teambag".

Nice to see that postage is as erratic onone side of the border as it is on the other.  I do as C2cigars does as long as it is 18 cards or less.  Six cards can fit in a wider soft plastic sleeve and three of these small packs can fit on a cereal box cardboard cut to fit into a long white envelope.  I put two cardboards with the three packs taped to one of them.  Then I put the standard US postage stamp on it and send away.  No problem as of yet.  I also used a 5x9 bubble mailer for 30 cards and only paid around $3.

Spaz - As for shipping time, this varies.  I have had some trade partners get the cards in less than a week and others it has taken up to three weeks.  The worst one was Canadian location to Canadian location.

USPS raised their costs, and continue to do so - especially outside of the country. The standard bubble mailer (I wanna say it's like 6 or 7 by 3 or 4 inches) cost me about $7 to mail to Canada - about double what I remember it being. I can ship a card delivery confirmed in the US for $3.37. It's getting way out of hand. USPS has always had terrible service (based on experience), but I have no choice. Not to mention, the $7+ isn't tracked. Unless someone is willing to pay it on Ebay, I'm not taking the hit. It's even tougher with trading. But, if you both know the costs up front and are willing to do it to help a fellow trader, then go for it!

If the USPS is anything like Canada Post they'll likely wave off the shipping costs as a result of rising costs while actually meaning they're not making enough money.

If USPS is anything like CP, they will do this while simultaneously talk about cutting as much service as possible, including door-to-door service in urban centres.

Always an issue as well...and I have tried many ways...but never tried Cigars method, I will give it a try. Thanks

Recently, I have sent cards in regular letter envelopes, within postal weight limits, less than @1/4" thick, packaged well for $1.21 [$1.00 + $.21 stamps]. You can send a number of cards safely and securely. I also have sent cards in separate parcels to the same address @ $1.21, works well.  I asked my PO about it..no problem. However, you can't escape large charges for larger packages. ~BOB~