International Postage - is there a better way? *Updated*

[Catburglar1954]

*Please see further down for updated question. Thanks for your help!*



I'm sure this topic has probably been discussed lots before, but I'm new so I thought I'd ask

I'm based in the UK, but most of the autographs I request are from celebrities in the US and Australia, so I have taken to using IRCs (International reply coupons). I write the celebrity a personal letter, I enclose some photos, a self addressed envelope and some IRCs.

Unfortunately I'm not having much success with the IRCs but I have recently had a thought. If I'm sending my requests to large agencies, even if they have a big stack of pre-signed autographs, which I know lots do, an IRC means they would have to send somebody to the post office. Doing this for lots of people simply isn't worthwhile for them. This seems to make sense as I often see that collectors from the US get autographs where I do not. Of course I must be patient, but I think it must be so much easier for the agents to post where the US postage is already on the SAE.

So my question is this - rather than using IRCs, is there anyway I can buy US Airmail postage stamps? Or maybe buy them online and print them? That way I could stick them straight on the envelope and the agents will hopefully be more likely to reply.

I don't know if this is possible, but thought I would ask

Thanks in advance

Cat

[mufcdd]

Buy them from members on here, on other sites, stuff like that.

Using US stamps in much, much better than using IRCs or dollars., from experience (Im in the UK too)

[khackdrums]

IRC's rarely work, I know from experience. US postage can be purchsed from members on here or from the USPS offical website.

Khackdrums

[Jaffer]

I can sell you some Australia stamps next month

[Catburglar1954]

Thank you so much for your help everybody, very much appreciated Jaffer, thank you for your offer Unfortunately I don't have any more Australian requests to send yet, but I shall certainly bear that in mind. Cheers

Having read everybody's replies I've had a look at the USPS website and I wanted to ask your advice on this, hope you don't mind; please bear in mind I know very little about the US mail system, so I apologise if my question may be very simple

I have found this stamp online
https://shop.usps.com/webapp/wcs/stores ... c=10001891

I recognised it straight away as being the same stamp that a celebrity used to write back to me not too long ago.

Obviously I will need to work out the correct weight etc, but my question is this - if I send a SAE with some of these stamps on (they have the little airplane symbol) do you think that will be sufficient for the envelopes to be posted straight back to me (to the UK) by putting into the mail box like with any normal mail?

Again, thanks in advance everybody

[BossC]

The stamp you found is for a normal letter from the US overseas. It is worth 0.98. If the envelope is a small one (for a 4x6 or 5x7 photo, not a 8x10) it will work fine. If you send a larger SASE, you will need more stamps.

BossC

[Catburglar1954]

That is fantastic BossC, thank you so much for your help - thanks to everybody, VERY much appreciated

[dobie516]

You can also buy stamps on Ebay. I've just got some Italian stamps that way.