Today I went to USPS to mail out my holiday exchange assignments and I was the lucky one that got the rude person at the post office this time. I tried mailing the coins in an envelope and putting some cardboard, just the way that I get some coin exchange packages from USA, on both sides. The person working the counter basically told me that I don’t know what I’m mailing. She kept telling me that I am mailing merchandise, even after explaining her that it was an exchange of collectible metal discs. Now I have to open the envelopes and try packaging it in a new envelope in a different way.
Quote: "CassTaylor"Just out of curiosity what did she mean by "merchandise"?
As in is it one of those laws against mailing "antiques" that's in your way or what?
I’m not totally sure. She would not explain anything. I just figured she means that I am sending something that is for sale or something.
Quote: "CassTaylor"Just out of curiosity what did she mean by "merchandise"?
As in is it one of those laws against mailing "antiques" that's in your way or what?
I’m not totally sure. She would not explain anything. I just figured she means that I am sending something that is for sale or something.
Over here with Canada post, if it’s more than a couple millimetres thick, it’s technically not a letter. Yet that’s not a problem because they just slap on a declaration form and I’ll write down tokens and put a nominal value to it. I imagine it should have been the same process in the US. Though I’ve never mailed out coins from the US myself.
That is right, it is a rule and they are trying to enforce it. 'merchandise' is any object other than paper.
An ordinary 1st class letter must be flat and "machinable" which is to say it must able to pass through high speed rollers. If it contains anything other than paper, it must go as a package with a customs declaration, and that now costs minimum of $14.
If you want to conceal coins in a letter, to get away with letter postage, by cutting out a disk in a sheet of card and fitting the coin into it, so it cannot be detected by feel, the card must be very soft and bendable, and only smaller coins, nothing bigger than a quarter or shilling.
Jamais l'or n'a perdu la plus petite occasion de se montrer stupide. -Balzac
Sometimes I will say it is pictures I put between cardboard so they don't bend. I tell them to stamp it "DO NOT BEND" . The letter will then be accepted.
Quote: "CassTaylor"Just out of curiosity what did she mean by "merchandise"?
As in is it one of those laws against mailing "antiques" that's in your way or what?
I’m not totally sure. She would not explain anything. I just figured she means that I am sending something that is for sale or something.
Over here with Canada post, if it’s more than a couple millimetres thick, it’s technically not a letter. Yet that’s not a problem because they just slap on a declaration form and I’ll write down tokens and put a nominal value to it. I imagine it should have been the same process in the US. Though I’ve never mailed out coins from the US myself.
Same in swasiland. 1mm over their measurements and they let you pay through your nose.
Last time they wanted like 14$ more for 20 grams over weight. I opened package, took a bite of the chocolate i was sending to china and put it back in. Problem solved.
USPS are their own worst enemy. Since mid 2018 they've been trying to enforce a policy of restricting the contents of letter post to documents only. Unfortunately they can't seem to come up with a definition of what exactly constitutes a "document" that is acceptable to the public and understood by their own employees.
A single sheet of A4 is OK, even two, maybe three if carefully folded. Longer letters are OK (with an additional ounce surcharge) as long as it can be folded at a touch, so what if you're using cartridge paper or card stock? Photos are OK but not photo slides. In addition to the weight surcharge there's a non machineable surcharge but if it's both overweight and non machineable then it's a parcel.... I'm a regular user of the Post Office and I can't understand it, and from personal experience I can state with certainty that their counter clerks understand it even less.
It's clear that they can make a profit delivering mail with a single 1st class stamp but their gross inefficiency and overstaffing at the non customer level means they have to raise more and more money by gouging users.
This latest chicanery may return to bite them in their bloated rear end. Their postal monopoly is only applied to mail carrying, i.e. letters. By restricting the definition they are opening themselves up to competition from private carriers who are restricted to parcels and freight only. If USPS insist that 4 sheets of A4 constitutes a parcel then they can't really complain if UPS start to deliver them can they?
Non illegitimis carborundum est. Excellent advice for all coins.
Make Numismatics Great Again!
Quote: "frowell"I sent both of mine off overseas without even a second glance from the postal worker.
If I where in your shoes - I would try a different post office (or different employee :-)
I am thinking about trying to open the envelope and find something thinner to put around the coins. How thick was your envelope?
I used a peice of card stock (like a greeting card or post card) folded in half, coins taped to the inside so there is paper sandwhiched around both sides of the coin. The coin was wrapped once in tissue paper and taped securely to the cardstock.
And then I think I covered the outside of card stock all in tape before putting it in the envelope, just because.
For reference, one of the coins I sent was over 2 mm thick and 13 grams in weight.
Quote: "frowell"I used a peice of card stock (like a greeting card or post card) folded in half, coins taped to the inside so there is paper sandwhiched around both sides of the coin. The coin was wrapped once in tissue paper and taped securely to the cardstock.
And then I think I covered the outside of card stock all in tape before putting it in the envelope, just because.
For reference, one of the coins I sent was over 2 mm thick and 13 grams in weight.
Here is a great in depth post that I followed: https://en.numista.com/forum/topic35878.html
I do the same thing, Keep the envelope as thin and light as possible and the workers don't seem to mind as much. I also tried to decorate them as Christmas cards, but that won't work all year.
Quote: "JRo69" I also tried to decorate them as Christmas cards, but that won't work all year.
Good idea; I didn't do that intentionally but come to think about it mine were sent in A6 size greeting card sized envelopes instead of business/letter style #10's. The only question the clerk asked me was if I needed Christmas themed stamps.
I'm new to swapping here so the only swap mailing experiences I've had are in the last few months :-)
Try switching from "Collectible Metal Discs" to "Hobby Items".
When I wrote something like that, I got the same stupid look. So I changed it to hobby items and have not had a problem since.
Mailing coins is a real pain in the ass. I really despise going to the Post Office. Here, they do anything they can to get out of work. I almost got kicked out because of a disagreement with them.
Now, I try to go when this 1 girl works. She goes out of her way to help me, and shes a pretty little thing too.
I use “hobby supplies” and it works fine. The guys at the Post Office know that I am mailing coins, (we always discuss where I am sending them,etc) but they agree “hobby supplies” is better to protect against theft.
Yes, some employees will try to insist that if there's anything other than paper in the envelope it's not a "letter" and therefore needs go to at parcel rate ($14+) and have a customs form.
I just use the automatic kiosk for international swaps. I pay the non-machinable surcharge for a rigid envelope, print the postage label, and drop it in the box. Once it's in "the system" they don't seem to care. At least, I've never had one returned to me!
I am a huge supporter of the USPS - where else can you get a letter delivered to the most deserted rural areas anywhere in the country, in two or three days, for 50 cents? But policies like this are really frustrating and self-defeated. I'm sure they are under some mandate to increase "profits". I blame Congress.
Quote: "Jesse11"Yes, some employees will try to insist that if there's anything other than paper in the envelope it's not a "letter" and therefore needs go to at parcel rate ($14+) and have a customs form.
I just use the automatic kiosk for international swaps. I pay the non-machinable surcharge for a rigid envelope, print the postage label, and drop it in the box. Once it's in "the system" they don't seem to care. At least, I've never had one returned to me!
I am a huge supporter of the USPS - where else can you get a letter delivered to the most deserted rural areas anywhere in the country, in two or three days, for 50 cents? But policies like this are really frustrating and self-defeated. I'm sure they are under some mandate to increase "profits". I blame Congress.
In all fairness, our Post Office has improved 100% in the last 2 years. They hired more employees and its not quite as bad, but its still work. Like most government agencies they seem to forget that they work for us, not the other way around. Im talking about policies, not employees.
And yes 50 cents is cheap for a letter. But letters are almost a thing of the past, texting and internet etc. have almost made letters obsolete. And a lot cheaper then stamps.
I agree,Congress or whoever governs it, is the problem. But Im not even going to open that can of worms. If our Post Office continues its current trend, it will improve more in the upcoming years.
Quote: "Jesse11"I just use the automatic kiosk for international swaps. I pay the non-machinable surcharge for a rigid envelope, print the postage label, and drop it in the box. Once it's in "the system" they don't seem to care. At least, I've never had one returned to me!
There is a kiosk where you can print international labels? The one by me always tells me to go to the counter.
I have also found that using the automated kiosk to get the proper postage, then applying the postage myself, allows me to mail the package without interacting with the clerk and the machine. I have done this several times and only had the post office return one package. Ironically, the clerk accepted that package with a custom form and didn't charge me the higher price.
Quote: "Cerulean""Hobby supplies" isn't specific enough at my USPS counter. "Old bus tokens" works fine, with the excuse that "people will buy anything on eBay".
Haha! I like that and will keep it in mind if things change.
Went to a different post office and they took it with no problem. I took out the coins from their 2x2 and wrapped them in tissue paper and placed in a greeting card envelope though.
