afem1010 wrote:If you are sending to places within North America, like Canada and such, it is best if you can obtain the countries respective stamps so you can add them onto an SASE. However, U.S. Dollar bills work fine in North America for most requests - Just include an SAE so you show you have taken the trouble to make sure they don't have any costs.

This may be a stupid question, but if sending to Canada, should i put american stamps on the sending envelope on the request envelope, and canadian on the return? And where might i get canadian stamps?

If you are sending to places within North America, like Canada and such, it is best if you can obtain the countries respective stamps so you can add them onto an SASE. However, U.S. Dollar bills work fine in North America for most requests - Just include an SAE so you show you have taken the trouble to make sure they don't have any costs.

For foreign countries, obtaining their respective stamps is difficult and time consuming. If you have access to them, the better as getting a reply would be easier. However, the best bet is to use IRC's. For Most international requests, 2 IRC's should guarentee something back. I have seen 1 IRC being used for 1 8x10 to be returned. However, 2 should be the good amount. Can't be too careful.

Some countries do use U.S. Dollar bills and may not mind receiving some in exchange to postage. However, to make life easier, if you can get the currency that they would use in their country and provide enough for postage by looking online for their postage costs, this would make life easier for them....perhaps not for you as you have to go to the bank all the time

You now have many options. However, if you are still wanting to use IRC's which is the easiest, I would suggest sending 2 if you are not sure about the postage costs in the country you are sending to. I personally don't like IRC's as they are a waste of money, but for international replys to certain countries like Japan and such, it is easier

You can decide now on which method you prefer

Cheers
afem1010

hi mate. I think you can buy other side stamps on internet.

I agree with Ian. Sending currency thru the mail to other countries for postage is pretty much worthless. When you consider the exchange rate and also the cost to have the currency converted it doesn't leave much if any at all for postage. I keep seeing where U.S. collectors keep saying their Post Office doesn't carry or refuses to get in IRC's. I've had this problem in the past and you basically have to make a scene and demand they carry them, Go over their heads if necessary. They are a government agency and they work for you. It's inexcusable that if a Postal Customer needs IRC's that they can't get some in. Offer to pay for them ahead of time. Tell them I need 10 IRC's or whatever and I'll pay you now to get them in for me. It does work. I live in a one horse town that if the horse died the population of the town would decrease and my P.O. carries IRC's.

Actually..sometimes American dollars are worth something in some countries and some are not (like some of Europe). It might be worth a few dollars, which is enough for postage sometimes.

Hey guys

When sending outside if the US you really need to enclose a couple of IRCs or some stamps from the country you are writing to. You should be able to buy international stamps online, or IRCs from your local post office.

To be honest, enclosing US $ bills is of no benefit overseas other than to demonstrate you would like to contribute towards the postage. If you are writing to the UK for example, the exchange rate and commission would make anything much less than $10 pretty much worthless once the agent/celeb tried to bank it.

My advice would be to write a decent letter and explain that you would like to have supplied the postage, but cannot get hold of any IRC's. Better yet, enclose some local stamps if you can

Good luck!
Ian

Skye wrote:You can send a SAE though but what will American money do for the celeb if they're in a different country?

That's what I said. I think American money will be just as good as sending American postage.

You can send a SAE though but what will American money do for the celeb if they're in a different country?