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Hey guys! How's it going? Anyways...today I decided to send out some fan mail since it had been a couple of weeks since I last sent something out. I had one letter, in a large envelope with a SASE and cardboard inside. I missed the mail man today so I had to take it to the post office and when I did I had it weighed just to make sure I had enough stamps. Well the lady told me I was short 30 something cents(I can't remember exactly, lol). This was weird and to me sounded like a lot that was missing. I always put 3 Forever stamps and usually one or two 2 cent penny stamps on the envelope and I've never ever had a problem. On my last five request I put exactly that much and so far no RTS and it's been a few weeks. I figured maybe it all comes down to how much the cardboard weighs and that this time it weighed a little too much but most of the time the carboard I use is pretty light and they all seem to weigh just about the same. So my question to everyone is how many stamps do you put on your envelopes? And do you think 3 stamps is not enough, should I put 4?



Thanks for all your help and suggestions.

Usually I don't put cardboard in mine so I only use 2 or 3 stamps. But there are times when I do use cardboard, and just to be on the safe side I use 4 regular stamps and no penny stamps.

I don't use cardboard, but use two 41 cent stamps on my SASE's. I'm going to start using 58 cent stamps though.

Well, to send an 9X12 (large envelope) in the US is now more than it has been before the price change earlier this year.

One ounce (about the weight of the envelope and letter) is 0.80
Depending on the weight of your cardboard, it could be anywhere from 2 to 4 ounces.

Two ounces (I sent a 8X10 photo, letter and 9X12 SASE in a 9X12 envelope for only 2 ounces--NO cardboard) 0.97
Three ounces: 1.14

So three Forever stamps should cover up to three ounces, but if it is heaver than that it wouldn't.

I don't usually use cardboard because it makes it weigh more and I like to keep the price inexpensive.

Also, the letter must be thinner than 3/4 of an inch. It is possible that the post office lady rung it up as a package which is what (I think) the price would be if it is thicker than 3/4 of an inch. I still haven't figured that out, so I try to stick to thin letters.

Sending internationally is another list of prices.

Hope this helped.

BossC

BossC wrote:Well, to send an 9X12 (large envelope) in the US is now more than it has been before the price change earlier this year.

One ounce (about the weight of the envelope and letter) is 0.80
Depending on the weight of your cardboard, it could be anywhere from 2 to 4 ounces.

Two ounces (I sent a 8X10 photo, letter and 9X12 SASE in a 9X12 envelope for only 2 ounces--NO cardboard) 0.97
Three ounces: 1.14

So three Forever stamps should cover up to three ounces, but if it is heaver than that it wouldn't.

I don't usually use cardboard because it makes it weigh more and I like to keep the price inexpensive.

Also, the letter must be thinner than 3/4 of an inch. It is possible that the post office lady rung it up as a package which is what (I think) the price would be if it is thicker than 3/4 of an inch. I still haven't figured that out, so I try to stick to thin letters.

Sending internationally is another list of prices.

Hope this helped.

BossC

Yeah, it helped a lot actually. Thanks! So maybe that's what happened the lady rung it up different, because like I said the cardboard I usually send they all weigh about the same and aren't very thick and on my last 4 or 5 request that I sent out about 2 or 3 weeks ago I've had no problem and none of them have come back. So maybe she just rung it up different. I think I'm gonna stop with the carboard, I usually just insert it in because sometimes my mail man or lady like to fold my letters and put in the mail box. But I think that if I just leave the do not bend I put all over the envelope they'll be careful and not bend them (I hope. Knock on Wood lol) Thanks for the help!

And to everyone else who posted thank you to you to, I appreciate the feedback you gave me!!

phantom04 wrote:Hey guys! How's it going? Anyways...today I decided to send out some fan mail since it had been a couple of weeks since I last sent something out. I had one letter, in a large envelope with a SASE and cardboard inside. I missed the mail man today so I had to take it to the post office and when I did I had it weighed just to make sure I had enough stamps. Well the lady told me I was short 30 something cents(I can't remember exactly, lol). This was weird and to me sounded like a lot that was missing. I always put 3 Forever stamps and usually one or two 2 cent penny stamps on the envelope and I've never ever had a problem. On my last five request I put exactly that much and so far no RTS and it's been a few weeks. I figured maybe it all comes down to how much the cardboard weighs and that this time it weighed a little too much but most of the time the carboard I use is pretty light and they all seem to weigh just about the same. So my question to everyone is how many stamps do you put on your envelopes? And do you think 3 stamps is not enough, should I put 4?



Thanks for all your help and suggestions.

Hi phantom04

It all depends on the weight and to where you are sending it Check out this thread to calculate your postage accurately http://www.fanmail.biz/mboard/viewtopic ... 17&t=14167

Hope this helps!
Ian

I never ever add cardboard. For one, I don't get enough cardboard from OTHER people in the mail to be able to add some, and any cardboard that is on boxes that we have is way too thick to try to cut and would probably force me to add extra postage.

I always take it to the post office to have it weighed just in case and I think she usually always puts 2 or 3 on it. I don't bother trying to buy my own books of stamps just for the purpose of collecting, seeing the weight could change by what I add to my envelopes and I may need more. Besides, I probably wouldn't use all the stamps in those books that I'd need to buy anyway.

And yes, as said before, 3 forever stamps should cover about 3 ounces.

I don't know if this was mentioned but the cardboard not only adds weight, it also makes the envelope "rigid." And a rigid envelope costs more to mail. I forgot how much, 30 cents or something. I didn't realize this until I was talking to an employee at the post office a few weeks ago.

At my post office, there is a machine in the lobby. You put your package on a scale, and fill out a survey on the computer. There, it will tell you how much you need to pay. You can then print a stamp right then and there. If your post office doesn't have that, I suggest you ask someone at the post office. Because different packages cost different amounts, I think it is better to be safe than sorry when it comes to this.

Hope this helps!

DwightKSchrute