General Forum

I know we've established that you can send up to 18 cards non machinable for 70c (US postage, of course).  Does anyone have any experience on how much to budget when sending 100 cards, 500 cards, or how many can fit in the various flat rate boxes?  Or is it too variable to plan ahead until it happens?

Package rates are based on a region-to-region basis, meaning, it depends where Point A and Point B are. I'm sure many can share how much they've spent on postage, but I'd suggest looking into the regional rate boxes that will be shipped free to you by USPS once you've requested them from the website. Then compare that to the regular package rate and other flat rate boxes. I've sent large trades using the regional rate boxes and saved $3-$5 using them as opposed to other package or flat rate boxes.

well, i just sent about 680 cards across the country and it was about a $2 dollar differnce between a flat rate and finding a box based on weight / dimensions.  I had a complete factory set and about a dozen other cards imailed (so the dimensions were a little funky finding a regular box to fit the factory set). i just went ahead and paid for the Flat rate.

It also depends on what kind of attitude the postal clerk has. Some are very helpful. And some not so much. I go to the post office in the next city over from me for that reason. 

How many cards can fit into the small flat rate box at $8.30?  

I have one at home from a previous shipment and I can check to be sure, but I believe about 200 cards. AND I believe a flat rate may not be the most economical in that case. Again, I can check when I get home this evening. (Someone may beat me to the punch, and that's okay.)

But my main point is to check out the different options. The flat rate is the most convenient when going to the post office, but not necessarily the most economical, and thus not always the best option in my opinion. 

Using PayPal for postage on non-flat rate boxes will be cheaper, too, and you basically still get the same benefits of a flat rate box.

If you get my gist, I rarely use the flat rate anything because I've not found it to be a moneysaver when compared to other options. I have requested the regional rate boxes A and B and use them most of the time for large trades. If you keep the 800-ct boxed sets, though, you'll have to go a different route, but I generally can easily fit more than 800 cards in the regiional rate boxes, but in smaller storage boxes.

If you plan to be an active trader on the site, PayPal and small cheap scale is the way to go.  I got a cheap digital scale on Amazon for $8.00.  Weigh, pay for, and print labels from your home PC.  I ship up to 27 cards using a folded 9-pocket sleave, PWE, and stamps.  Weigh the envelope and check the USPS site for the correct postage.  Be sure to get plenty of 15 cent stamps from the post office.  For up trades up 54 cards, just use a second PWE.  For trades between 55 and 200 cards, I use a 6"x9" bubble envelope with a cards seperated into a few team poly bags.  Price usually goes between $3-$5 on PayPal depending on weight.  Don't go too crazy on stiffeners and stuff.  Just adds weight and cost.  Bubble mailer are great and I can get them cheap from the local dollar store.  For trades above 200 cards, use an appropriate size card box (300ct, 400ct, etc).  Just weigh and label the box using PayPal.  Be sure to pack the cards tightly.  For trades above 800 cards, a medium flat rate box from the post office is usually the way to go.  You can probably fit up to 2,000 cards in a medium box for $15.  Good Luck.

Some very good info.  Thanks people.

 I can carefully get 225 into a small flat rate box.   

A medium flat rate box would not be the best bet for a trade as large as 1200 cards from my experience. Flat rate is $15.05 while a regional box A, which I've used for this large a deal, is $10.42.

Again, for regional flat rate you MUST order them from the postal service and they'll come in packs of ten. Mine have arrived as soon as three days. You then MUST print your postage from the USPS website, and then just drop it off or have them pick it up.