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My post office has always been reasonable, and when I've shipped a small #000 size bubble mailer with 1-4 cards in it (to keep it thin) they always shipped it as a "large envelope" which cost me $1.75 rather than $3.50+.

As of today, even a "large envelope" is $2.90, and that's now considered a good deal. As has been stated, a 3 oz "package" is now $9.45.

That's right folks, international packages just went from $3.50ish to $9.45 in one day. The post office likes to claim that rates are going up by "only about 5%", but they are full of ****. Our tax dollars are hard at work subsidizing the postal system folks, gotta love our government.

The ONLY viable international sales/trades that will be occurring from this point forward are large deals when a package is leaving the USA. Anything small is now pointless unless you can fit it in a PWE, and even still, PWE rates went from $1.05 (in most cases) to $2.05.

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Originally posted by PortlisX:
Our tax dollars are hard at work subsidizing the postal system folks, gotta love our government.

**** the USPS.

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Is FedEx cheaper? Is there a cheaper option even after these changes?

Also if I recall correctly the USPS doesn't get tax dollars. Maybe we should give it some tax money and keep the rates to Canada artificially low.

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Originally posted by Willard507:
Is FedEx cheaper? Is there a cheaper option even after these changes?

Also if I recall correctly the USPS doesn't get tax dollars. Maybe we should give it some tax money and keep the rates to Canada artificially low.

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You're correct... sort of. The USPS doesn't get tax dollars specifically for operating costs. They do, however, get government money (5.5 billion annually, if my research is correct) in government money (TAX DOLLARS) prepaid into a retiree health services account to ensure that these poor government workers (/sarcasm) have coverage for the next 75 years. This is also the single largest source of loss for the USPS. I thought we were all getting "free" health care anyway, right Obama? Other factors (daily rural mail delivery) also contribute heavily towards their loss.

This change doesn't just affect sellers of MTG cards. It affects EVERYONE who ships internationally. A postage rate change of OVER 100+% just killed thousands of small businesses today that rely on international shipping. Large businesses will feel it as well. Wasn't the goal in a bad economy to help businesses grow and prosper, not kill them and hurt their revenue (ie, tax dollars that the government will now no longer be receiving)?

If you think this is in ANY way a good thing for anyone involved (except perhaps post office employees) you're a fool.

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Originally posted by PortlisX:
You're correct... sort of. The USPS doesn't get tax dollars specifically for operating costs. They do, however, get government money (5.5 billion annually, if my research is correct) in government money (TAX DOLLARS) prepaid into a retiree health services account to ensure that these poor government workers (/sarcasm) have coverage for the next 75 years. This is also the single largest source of loss for the USPS. I thought we were all getting "free" health care anyway, right Obama? Other factors (daily rural mail delivery) also contribute heavily towards their loss.

This change doesn't just affect sellers of MTG cards. It affects EVERYONE who ships internationally. A postage rate change of OVER 100+% just killed thousands of small businesses today that rely on international shipping. Large businesses will feel it as well. Wasn't the goal in a bad economy to help businesses grow and prosper, not kill them and hurt their revenue (ie, tax dollars that the government will now no longer be receiving)?

If you think this is in ANY way a good thing for anyone involved (except perhaps post office employees) you're a fool.

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Might be bad for you, but it just got a whole lot more competitive for Canadians.

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Originally posted by Mr.C:
Might be bad for you, but it just got a whole lot more competitive for Canadians.

Thanks USPS!

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True, I shouldn't have said that it's not good for anyone. It's GREAT for international sellers that just got a lot more competitive in the international marketplace now that US sellers can no longer compete.

If cheap international shipping is so important maybe we should give the USPS taxes to artificially keep it low. Although from your rant its pretty clear you don't want "Obama" (lol) to take anymore of your money.

So what's your solution? The USPS raising its prices (still the cheapest option) to keep itself going or send them some tax money?

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Originally posted by Willard507:
Wow sorry I asked. I was really wondering if there are cheaper options.

If cheap international shipping is so important maybe we should give the USPS taxes to artificially keep it low. Although from your rant its pretty clear you don't want "Obama" (lol) to take anymore of your money.

So what's your solution? The USPS raising its prices (still the cheapest option) to keep itself going or send them some tax money?

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No, I certainly don't want the government taking any more of my money. There's already enough to go around for what their job should be. Plus, as you asked, the solution to the USPS financial woes is actually incredibly simple. Look no further than #1 below:

1. Repeal the ridiculous $5.5 billion/year bill (passed pre-economy collapse when everything was hunky-dory) that passed in 2006 that required pre-payment to retirement health care accounts. This is the SOLE REASON that the USPS posts losses rather than profits. Believe it or not, the USPS has positive profits from operations if you remove this one single ludicrous stipulation that no other public or private shipping company has to deal with. What the USPS has always lacked in per package/letter profits they have always made up for in sheer volume.

2. Cut costs in other areas that cause losses each year (such as every day mail delivery to rural customers).

3. Allow the USPS to operate as a business with multiple revenue streams and business ventures. As they sit now, they are run as a business, but saddled with the burden of also being a government agency. They aren't allowed to ship many types of products that fedex / UPS can, and they aren't allowed to perform ANY function other than deliver mail as mandated by congress.

4. As with any government agency (and really, many companies too) there's bound to be significant waste at the top of the food chain. This is speculation on my part, as I don't have immediate records of top exec's salaries and such, but I guarantee you there's plenty of fluff that could be chopped out. Still though, this isn't even a necessary step if you ONLY fix problem #1.

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Originally posted by PortlisX:
You're correct... sort of. The USPS doesn't get tax dollars specifically for operating costs. They do, however, get government money (5.5 billion annually, if my research is correct) in government money (TAX DOLLARS) prepaid into a retiree health services account to ensure that these poor government workers (/sarcasm) have coverage for the next 75 years. This is also the single largest source of loss for the USPS. I thought we were all getting "free" health care anyway, right Obama? Other factors (daily rural mail delivery) also contribute heavily towards their loss.

This change doesn't just affect sellers of MTG cards. It affects EVERYONE who ships internationally. A postage rate change of OVER 100+% just killed thousands of small businesses today that rely on international shipping. Large businesses will feel it as well. Wasn't the goal in a bad economy to help businesses grow and prosper, not kill them and hurt their revenue (ie, tax dollars that the government will now no longer be receiving)?

If you think this is in ANY way a good thing for anyone involved (except perhaps post office employees) you're a fool.

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Originally posted by walkerdog:
[QUOTE]Originally posted by PortlisX:
You're correct... sort of. The USPS doesn't get tax dollars specifically for operating costs. They do, however, get government money (5.5 billion annually, if my research is correct) in government money (TAX DOLLARS) prepaid into a retiree health services account to ensure that these poor government workers (/sarcasm) have coverage for the next 75 years. This is also the single largest source of loss for the USPS. I thought we were all getting "free" health care anyway, right Obama? Other factors (daily rural mail delivery) also contribute heavily towards their loss.

This change doesn't just affect sellers of MTG cards. It affects EVERYONE who ships internationally. A postage rate change of OVER 100+% just killed thousands of small businesses today that rely on international shipping. Large businesses will feel it as well. Wasn't the goal in a bad economy to help businesses grow and prosper, not kill them and hurt their revenue (ie, tax dollars that the government will now no longer be receiving)?

If you think this is in ANY way a good thing for anyone involved (except perhaps post office employees) you're a fool.

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That "fund it for the next 75 years" thing? That's a conservative "thing" because they were concerned that we weren't paying our bills. Instead of a reasonable amount of funding, they overfunded it in their zealousness to slash other areas (SS/Medicare/whatever else).

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Yup, you are correct, though I'd argue with your terminology. It was a GOP thing, not a "conservative" thing. The two aren't even close to the same thing these days unfortunately.

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Originally posted by PortlisX:
Yup, you are correct, though I'd argue with your terminology. It was a GOP thing, not a "conservative" thing. The two aren't even close to the same thing these days unfortunately.

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That's sort-of true, but it had a conservative set of reasoning: "We need to make sure that this bill is paid for blah blah years. It's the RESPONSIBLE thing to do"

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Originally posted by walkerdog:
That's sort-of true, but it had a conservative set of reasoning: "We need to make sure that this bill is paid for blah blah years. It's the RESPONSIBLE thing to do"

I don't know that there really are that many conservatives any more (fiscal conservatives, there are social conservatives who will spew hate all over, but ACTUAL fiscal conservatives who are willing to cut into subsidies to large companies, cut spending on the military, etc don't really exist any more. They're too tied into big business to do those things).

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They do exist, but until people lose the sheep mentality of picking "the lesser of two evils" because "only 2 parties can win", they won't get elected.

Ron Paul and similar Libertarians (such as the Ron Paul endorsed candidate this year, Gary Johnson) stand specifically for those very things, and I truthfully believe that some day in my lifetime Americans will wake up and start truly believing that someone more in line with the values of the majority of the citizenship of the US should be elected instead of the clowns we currently have to choose from.

Social freedoms and fiscal conservatism is the future.

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Originally posted by edsillars:
Yeah, Canada cost me $7 for 2 ounces, used to be $3. Might have to change shipping policies.

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Well, looks like I am done with international for good, including certain people I used to make exceptions for.

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LESS than one ounce was close to SEVEN dollars...

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Originally posted by psrex:
I almost hate to bring this up again, but there is nothing wrong with shipping in a plain white envelope. Make sure to enclose a piece of paper folded around the cards (in sixths or thirds) to help add strength for when the envelope goes through the sorting machines. If you don't add the paper then you risk tearing the envelope and losing the cards. I've had several envelopes barely make it to me, sometimes barely holding together, and other times only saved due to taping the cards to the envelope. This is preventable if you put paper around the toploader.

This easily keeps you out of being classified as a package and still provides plenty of protection as long as you use toploaders and a piece of paper.

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quote:

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Originally posted by psrex:
I almost hate to bring this up again, but there is nothing wrong with shipping in a plain white envelope.

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Yes, nothing wrong with it, as long as you don't care if the cards arrive or get damaged on the way. I've received far too many packages sent this way that have been utterly destroyed in this manner. It doesn't matter how they were taped or papered or whatever other magic tricks (no pun intended) that some people claim will somehow laugh at the laws of physics to allow their package to sail through the sorting machines without the toploader ever catching in the sorting machine as if it weren't a solid rigid object zipping through an apparatus designed for nice bendy paper.

Does it work most of the time? Sure. Is it always going to? The odds are against you if you ship a decent volume of cards. It's just up to you to determine if the loss of packages from sorting machines and people who claim to not have received is more or less than that of the postage costs.

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