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Gear / Technical Help => Ask The Tapers => Topic started by: Sparge Master on March 11, 2007, 12:04:51 AM
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Hey I know there use to be an old list on postage for a mailer and cds. I need to send a few out to different bands and really want to stay away from the PO so anyone know where I can find this list?
Thank You
1-2-3 Pound
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Something like this?
1 CD- .87/ .63
2 CDs- .87/ .87
3 CDs- 1.11/ .87
4 CDs- 1.35/1.11
5 CDs- 1.35/1.35
6 CDs- 1.59/1.35
7 CDs- 1.83/1.59
8 CDs- 1.83/1.83
9 CDs- 2.07/1.83
10 CDs- 2.07/2.07
11 CDs- 2.31/2.31
12 CDs- 2.55/2.31
13 CDs- 2.79/2.55
14 CDs- 2.79/2.79
15 CDs- 3.03/2.79
more than 15, use priority mail
~ the first column is outbound rate (blanks in paper envelope/case logic type sleeves, note, bubble mailer and manilla envelope); second rate is the returning bubble mailer and discs
~ note: these have not been checked with actual blanks and mailers so may not be entirely acurate, use as a guide only but you won't be too far off postage wise
I sent two discs in one paper sleeve in a small clasp envelope and it was $.63 so the above list isn't entirely accurate but is pretty close.
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I hate going to the PO too. Really slows down my getting shows out. I took a bunch of CDs, sleeves and the bubble mailers I like to the PO and weighed them and jotted down the postage and weights.. Worked pretty well. More recently I just bit the bullet and spent $25 to get a good digital postal scale.
I do also... they always think something is up
and don't understand why we send discs to people
"Is there anything fragile, liquid, or perishable?"
back in my youth that scale could have had other uses >:D
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I hate going to the PO too. Really slows down my getting shows out. I took a bunch of CDs, sleeves and the bubble mailers I like to the PO and weighed them and jotted down the postage and weights.. Worked pretty well. More recently I just bit the bullet and spent $25 to get a good digital postal scale.
I do also... they always think something is up
and don't understand why we send discs to people
"Is there anything fragile, liquid, or perishable?"
back in my youth that scale could have had other uses >:D
i mail my cds most of the time in a mail box and never have had a problem,My PO is a joke as theres always a huge line and half the people there are wanting passports not postage
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I hate going to the PO too. Really slows down my getting shows out. I took a bunch of CDs, sleeves and the bubble mailers I like to the PO and weighed them and jotted down the postage and weights.. Worked pretty well. More recently I just bit the bullet and spent $25 to get a good digital postal scale.
I do also... they always think something is up
and don't understand why we send discs to people
"Is there anything fragile, liquid, or perishable?"
back in my youth that scale could have had other uses >:D
i mail my cds most of the time in a mail box and never have had a problem,My PO is a joke as theres always a huge line and half the people there are wanting passports not postage
And only one clerk at the counter when there are 5 open spaces for other clerks who seem to never actually be there.
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I do also... they always think something is up
and don't understand why we send discs to people
"Is there anything fragile, liquid, or perishable?"
I don't believe they "think something is up", but rather they're required to ask the question, kinda like the airlines used to be required to ask about luggage when checking in.
At any rate, without knowing precisely what mailer and sleeves you're using, no one can really identify what it will cost since it's dependent on weight.
I, too, picked up an inexpensive digital scale and use the USPS Postage Calculator (http://www.usps.com/tools/calculatepostage/welcome.htm?from=home&page=0061calculatepostage) web page. I go to the PO only every once in a while, during off-peak hours, to get books of stamps that I use for months on end until I run out. Or, alternatively, one may buy stamps online. Lastly, one could buy & print postage online, but USPS only offer Express and Priority Mail options (no First Class, hmph) for buying & printing postage.
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maybe so at your post office...
but at the ones I go to
I get the feeling that they think something is up
especially if they see me at any one branch more than once a month
like I said_ they just don't understand why WE mail discs
and it has nothing to do with fragile/liquid/or perishable
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maybe so at your post office...
but at the ones I go to
I get the feeling that they think something is up
especially if they see me at any one branch more than once a month
like I said_ they just don't understand why WE mail discs
and it has nothing to do with fragile/liquid/or perishable
Try mailing -any- package...they'll ask the exact same question. Maybe they won't "think something is up" if you don't wear the tinfoil hat into the USPS next time. :P
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I was saw this 55-60ish woman mailing a decent size box.. (I was next in line).
"What are you shipping?"
"Beer"
"Shipment of alcohol blah blah prohibited"
"Milk! I meant milk!"
"Mam, you just told me the box contained beer. You cannot ship beer."
I laughed my ass off... but then I was called to another agent so I don't know how it went..
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www.geocities.com/whwillie/postage.html
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And only one clerk at the counter when there are 5 open spaces for other clerks who seem to never actually be there.
At my local post office it's worse than that. There will be 15 people in line and only one clerk will be taking customers while a couple of other clerks are there puddering around doing busy work - seemingly oblivious to the long line. Another clerk will peek out from the back room, see the long line... and turn around and go right back into the rear of the office. Or another clerk will walk in the door (probably returning from a break), see the long line... and do they go man one of the spaces and start seeing customers?? Hell no! They make a beeline for the backroom.
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Old thread but..... Something that didn't come up is that music CDs and DVDs qualify for Media Mail rates. They can be much cheaper, especially for heavy stuff (books).
Otherwise the PO pushes a lot of packages up to priority mail, and that's expensive.
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media mail takes forever, though. much rather send first class*
* i haven't done a snail trade since about 2007, though
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At The Post Office, the nice clerks will let you know WHICH mail option is cheapest (MEDIA, 1stClass , Priority, etc)
First Class Mail is lower cost (cheaper) than MEDIA Rate UNTIL YOU GET TO A CERTAIN WEIGHT. For Example 6 or 8 cdrs just wrapped in a paper towel and wrapped in White Blank Copier paper with clear pkg tape is cheapest going First Class.
20 cdrs stacked and wrapped the same way will go MEDIA Rate at lower cost.
There is a minimum package size requirement that The Post Office has. Just as long as you SQUARE the dimensions of Round CD, with a bit of thick paper/stiff magazine cover piece/or some other paper stock from the wastebasket.
The Post Office people are required to ask on every package: Is there anything Liquid, Fragile, or Hazardous? They don't think you are a criminal. You don't need to use nice, new bubble packages. The Post office does not care if it is old reused recycled packaging or homemade package, so long as it complies.
One Thing, if you are taking your package to the Post Office and YOU WANT TO DETERMINE THE LOWEST COST METHOD, do not write anything like Media/1st Class/Priority on your package yet. LET THEM DETERMINE WHICH METHOD IS LOWEST COST and then they will rubber stamp or affix stickers AT NO ADDITIONAL CHARGE for whichever method ( MEDIA / 1st CLASS/ Priority )
The notion that MEDIA RATE is Very Slow is WRONG for all cases. For example if you are mailing to a neighboring large/medium metropolitan area within 300 miles, it should not be any different than 1st Class, at least that has been my experience. I've been mailing tapes/etc for 35 years or more , back when MEDIA RATE was Special 4th class Rate or whatever.
The Postal clerks in my area post offices are always the most helpful and knowledgeable and do an outstanding job. I wish more govt employees were like some of the postal employees in my area.
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I once bought a 6-pack of canned beer and mailed each can to different friends around the country with no packaging at all, just the naked can with a mailing label and postage stuck on it. Four cans made it, two dissapeared. That was about 25 years ago though- regulations more lax, cans thicker than today.
Similary I mailed flat rocks from a beach in Wales to several freinds in the US as postcards. Wrote on the rocks and attached 'slow-boat' postage. All of those made it.
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<snip>
The notion that MEDIA RATE is Very Slow is WRONG for all cases. For example if you are mailing to a neighboring large/medium metropolitan area within 300 miles, it should not be any different than 1st Class, at least that has been my experience. I've been mailing tapes/etc for 35 years or more , back when MEDIA RATE was Special 4th class Rate or whatever.
I agree with all of this, but this stuck out. If I'm mailing stuff within 700 miles of where I am, it doesn't matter, it's only after about 1000 or 1500 that I start to see a lag in media mail compared to first class, especially if it's a large box of dvds or textbooks.
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Media mail is the lowest priority of any mailing class. Basically it only travels if there is room on the truck; if the truck is full with Express, Priority, or First Class, they take precedence and the media container sits in the PO until there is room on a truck. That info straight from a very good friend who works for the post office after I asked why it took over six weeks to get a padded envelope marked Media Mail from NYC to OKC that had cancellation stamps from WV, FL, TN, TX and AR on it. She was more surprised that it had been stamped at so many of its intermediate stops than the time it took to arrive.
< ETA don't be surprised if your media mail package takes a very long time to arrive; chances are good that it will arrive quickly but there is the possiblity of it taking many weeks >
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I asked why it took over six weeks to get a padded envelope marked Media Mail from NYC to OKC that had cancellation stamps from WV, FL, TN, TX and AR on it.
When did that happen?
Media Mail can be very slow to Alaska. But in the lower 48 I've found it to be quite fast. 5 days coast to coast, 35 lbs box of books, etc. Couple days to go between three states. It is used heavily by ebay sellers, etc, though sometime in ways that violate the rules.
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Several years ago; when Rhino took over distribution of the GD catalog from Arista. It was some GD back catalog material that arrived from Arista totally unexpected so the long shipping time wasn't a problem, just aroused curiosity on my part prompting the question to my friendly postal employee.