General Forum

Hi all. So I could use some advice on PWE packaging and postage. I'm new to TDBC and just sent my first trade. Single card, put it in a top loader (slightly thicker one, but not the real heavy kind), and placed it in between two pieces of cardboard (cut from an Amazon delivery box). I mailed it from the counter so I would know how much postage I would need for future reference. It cost $3.90 for 1st class! When I asked the lady why so much, she said for a regular letter it had to be only paper.

So what is the best way to package 1 or 2 cards for a PWE send? What types of holders and cardboard do you guys typically use?

Thanks!

Tim

A christmas card works great, NO toploader just team bag taped in place

Postal clerk is flat out wrong.  Tell them to read their own rules on their website.  The surcharge for rigid materials is 15¢. One card in a toploader would be 55¢ stamp plus 15¢ stamp, or a 70¢ non-machinable stamp.

A team bag may not be quite enough protection, even inside of a greeting card, unless it's a thicker greeting card (I'm thinking of those ones you get in the boxes that aren't much thicker than 2 sheets of copy paper). I prefer to use card savers for mailing in PWEs. They don't always prevent bad things from happening, but they offer more protection than just a team bag or a sleeve.

I had the same thing the other day.....had cards between parts of a blaster box...clerk said that since it was "rigid" it had to go as a parcel instead of a letter.  

I will remeber this though Chuck!  I usually send out PWE with a forever stamp and haven't had issues with those yet.

This.  Don't go to the post office unless you have to.  The .15c stamp will cover you for non-machineable.  Put Do NOT Bend or Non Machinable on the front of the envelope.   If you have Paypal and a printer you can send packages from your mailbox for under 3.50.  www.paypal.com/createbulk 

I had the same issue the first time I tried to mail. I started using the kiosk and selecting letter and then rigid and it adds the 15 cents as mentioned above. I also just ordered some non-machinable stamps from USPS.com because I asked for that at the counter and the clerk didn't even know they existed and said they didn't carry them. I also have a scale so I'm able to check the weight at home and add an extra stamp if needed. If I didn't have the scale I would just always use the kiosk.  

I agree with you C2Cigars. The only caveat would be that the envelope needs to be less than 1/4 in. think in order to go as a non-machinable letter rather than a parcel.

I have a homemade mail-slot at home that is a 1/4-inch thick to test envolopes before I send them.

Also, I've found that semi-rigids work better than toploaders in sending PWE.

Wow, thanks everybody, this is all great advice! Is there any rule of thumb among TCDB users for how many cards are acceptable to still send via PWE before going parcel- 2, 5, 10? I would imagine any more than that would be tough to do PWE for.....?

Sorry for the questions, but I'm trying to start off on the right foot here as I begin trading 

https://www.amazon.com/Kitchen-Multifunction-Capacity-Stainless-Function%EF%BC%88Black%EF%BC%89/dp/B07PX2GHBX/ref=sr_1_15_sspa?dchild=1&keywords=pelouze&qid=1591633610&refinements=p_36%3A1253550011&rnid=386479011&s=office-products&sr=1-15-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEzQkxITDRPTzRROEhCJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwMTYzMzExMUw5Q0wxUUxZS1dUTiZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwNjM3OTg4MVg3MDIySFJRWEhJSyZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX210ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=

buy a simple small scale. Mail from home.. look up USPS online for Mail prices.

Save soda, cereal, beer, any thin  cardboard to make cardboard sandwiches. Buy some butterfly non-machinable stamps(.70) for first ounce and extra ounce stamps. You need   less than 1/4" thick for it to be non package. Print out some "non Machinable labels" or write this on the envelpe. the longer envelopes fit 9 card pages folded up also with cards in them for protection.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DR15D1U/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

i have been getting cards in cardboard in these Envelopes also. When trading you will see what works with the cards you get back..