ScottishDan wrote:So guys, for the meantime I have bought some us dollars. How much dollars should I put in per envelope? Thanks

For an A5 envelope, I would include $2, for a bigger envelope, $3.

So guys, for the meantime I have bought some us dollars. How much dollars should I put in per envelope? Thanks

i agree... IRC's are freaking STUPID. they cost something like $2.10 but they are only good for 98 cents returned postage... WTH?????

thats robbery!

i would reccommend trading... which i would be glad to do with you at some point... not right now b/c i just traded most of my stamps for UK ones but i'd be willing to sell you some if you have paypal

Using the Cash method works as well!! I do that on my overseas requests and have always had a very good reply rate!!

Cash works better from the US to the UK, where you have $1 bills to work with - the lowest denomination of paper money we have is the £5 note, which is currently about $7.80, which is substantially more than twice what it would cost in stamps.

Using the Cash method works as well!! I do that on my overseas requests and have always had a very good reply rate!! I sometimes even get handwritten letters back thanking me for enclosing the cash as a return option.

RYAN J.

Thanks for the help guys, what do you think my chances are of getting a reply with just sending a letter and an envelope? or how about putting dollars inside?

IRCs are ridiculously expensive for their value, even if you can persuade a post office to sell them to you. Their value is around half of what you will end up paying, quite apart from the hassle of trying to get the damned things.

If you can't find someone here to trade, eBay is quite a good source of US stamps, look for "Forever Stamps". They're worth 49c, and are like our 1st and 2nd class stamps without prices on, so you can still use them when the prices go up.

I bought a load of 98c stamps from someone recently at less than face value because he'd bought too many on holiday and wanted to get rid of them.

I also just slipped a work colleague who's on holiday in the US at the moment some cash to buy me some while he's over there.

On an A4 envelope with two photos and a piece of card for protection, altogether weighing just under 100g, I use 3 x 98c stamps. I haven't been able to make head or tail of any of the US postage sites, but from the research and asking around I've done around here and elsewhere - and the fact that I've had some back without any surcharges - that seems to be enough.

oh, and welcome btw!

If you cannot get American stamps, as your post office for International Reply Coupons. If they say they "dont exists anymore", they're either lying or missinformed. Go to another branch and try again. 2 or 3 would suffice (you put them in with your request and the recipient exchanges them in their post office for stamps.

Several of the members on here sell or trade USA stamps. If you have paypal, they could probably get you some and have them to you by next week. Here's one that needs UK stamps and is willing to trade USA one in exchange

http://www.fanmail.biz/mboard/viewtopic ... 7&t=188584

RYAN J.

RYAN J. wrote:You'd need American Stamps to put on the SASE for return to the UK.

RYAN J.

yeah, but where can i get these stamps from the Uk? The post Office doesn't seem to have a clue.