CHRISTOPHER PLUMMER SUCCESS!

[nightowl]

Zorin, feel free to put a cardboard in your envelope to protect your photo. Oversized letters from Canada to US are $1.92 CA, before tax ($2 US should cover it) and allows up to 100 grams. Just be sure to get it weighed to make sure it remains under that weight. You shouldn't have a problem keeping it under---unless you use extremely heavy duty cardboard.

If you are uncertain how much 100 grams is just use an online converter. Hope that helps!

[Phoebe]

Zorin, feel free to put a cardboard in your envelope to protect your photo. Oversized letters from Canada to US are $1.92 CA, before tax ($2 US should cover it) and allows up to 100 grams. Just be sure to get it weighed to make sure it remains under that weight. You shouldn't have a problem keeping it under---unless you use extremely heavy duty cardboard.

If you are uncertain how much 100 grams is just use an online converter. Hope that helps!

Hi, Just out of interest, you don't know any of the posting info for posting envelopes from the US to the UK do you? See I'm writing to some American actors soon, and I wanted to incluse some SASEs, but I don't know how many stamps to put on.
I have $2.38 worth of US to UK stamps, and I want to send an A5 ish envelope with cardboard if possible.

Thank you!

[nightowl]

What I do when sending internationally is go onto the web site of the post office of that country and then look up the details of sending from that country to my own.

Just access international mailings and then put in the specifics. To which country, and the size and weight, if it asks, and it will then give you all the different ways of sending it, how much it costs, and how long it should take.

This should help:

http://ircalc.usps.gov/default.aspx?Mod ... &CID=10150

Just check off whether it's an envelope or large envelope and then put in the weight. You'll need to take your envelope with cardboard and photos and have them weighed at your local post office. BE SURE to only weigh what will be coming back to you---the photos, envelope and maybe cardboard.

Then take that weight---if in grams, access an online converter, grams to ounces---and put how much it weighs (in ounces) on the USPS web site (from US to UK).

The weight will determine your cost.

Here is a page showing Large Envelope Flat at the BOTTOM of the page. How much per ounce to UK.

http://pe.usps.com/text/Imm/fh_014.htm#ep3576772

As I have no idea how much your envelope weighs I can't give you an exact price. You'll need to get it weighed at the post office for an "accurate" weight. DON'T use a kitchen scale, or bathroom scale. If you want to be 100% certain you have to get it weighed at the post office.

So now, no matter what country you wish to mail to you can use this information. Just go to that country's post office on the net, and access international mailing. It should ask you for the destination (UK) and then ask the size, shape, and weight. It will also usually give very specific dimensions and the maximum length, width etc. You can usually find this by clicking on a link somewhere on the page.

Hope this helps! {thumb2}

[Phoebe]

Thanks - that's really helpful, gunna nip down to my post office today! Want to get some IRCs as well, don't know how they work, will have to ask there!

[nightowl]

IRC=International Reply Coupon.

These are meant to be used in foreign countries to purchase stamps. Thing is, not all countries accept them AND they charge a frickin' arm and a leg for them!!!!!

In Canada one IRC costs $3.50 and that gets me one standard stamp for a business envelope!!! I either try to get stamps from that country, and if I can't I put in money to pay for return postage. It's a LOT cheaper. Believe me. As you will most likely need more than one IRC it will cost you a LOT of money for one letter! I would probably need three for one envelope from the US to Canada (oversized envelope up to 3 oz.) That means I would pay $10.50 for postage to cover what should cost me $1.46 US!!!!!

More than just a little insane!

[Phoebe]

IRC=International Reply Coupon.

These are meant to be used in foreign countries to purchase stamps. Thing is, not all countries accept them AND they charge a frickin' arm and a leg for them!!!!!

In Canada one IRC costs $3.50 and that gets me one standard stamp for a business envelope!!! I either try to get stamps from that country, and if I can't I put in money to pay for return postage. It's a LOT cheaper. Believe me. As you will most likely need more than one IRC it will cost you a LOT of money for one letter! I would probably need three for one envelope from the US to Canada (oversized envelope up to 3 oz.) That means I would pay $10.50 for postage to cover what should cost me $1.46 US!!!!!

More than just a little insane!

Wow is that really true? That's mad. and rediculous. I'll have to see if a friend in America will send me some.

[willardcanada]

Yeah, I gotta be honest. IRC's are way too expensive here in Canada. I must have sent 4 with my request to England.

I'd love for the post system to create a pre-paid return envelope that can be tracked. It would be nice to know where my autographs are in the system.

[Phoebe]

Yeah, I gotta be honest. IRC's are way too expensive here in Canada. I must have sent 4 with my request to England.

I'd love for the post system to create a pre-paid return envelope that can be tracked. It would be nice to know where my autographs are in the system.

Sorry if it is a dense question, I am new to all this! Does it cost more to send from the USA to Canada or the UK? I'm thinking it's more to the UK, but what do I know!

Phoebe xxx

[Larisie]

Phoebe it costs more to send to the UK as the mail is crossing the ocean, in which case when it comes to Canada it is only crossing a boarder.

Definitely agree with the IRC prices being WAY too high, but we're not the only country like that. I'm very fortunate to have friends in the USA to get stamps from. My only problem now is finding people I want to send to.

[nightowl]

I am certain IRCs are expensive everywhere---compared to the cost of stamps. And now I am hearing they are not sold everywhere, nor accepted everywhere. So you'll need to do research first before you send off your mail.

I buy US stamps from USPS and have them mailed to me. You can just go online and get the number to phone them toll free and pay for them by credit card.

I am hearing that USPS is not selling stamps to foreign countries online anymore. BUT you can still order them by phone and pay for them by credit card.

I have purchased stamps from France. You can order exactly what you want in the amount you wish. I tried ordering from Switzerland but the minimum order was $15 and I didn't need that much.

I have had a friend in the UK sending me stamps, that I pay for. I see that the Royal Mail is now offering a booklet of 4 worldwide stamps at 1.22 pounds each. That will cover up to 40 grams, I believe. If I don't use any cardboard I will be able to keep it under 40 grams, and use those. They charge almost as much for shipping as they do for the stamps, so I may need to order two booklets to get a better deal. I will definitely use the stamps.

If I am unable to get stamps I'll put in two to four dollars US to cover return postage based on the info on that country's post office.

To mail to UK from Canada is $3.75 before tax, for an oversized envelope up to 100 grams. From the UK to Canada is 1.64 pounds (41-60 grams), 2.08 pounds (61-80 grams). So it will cost me around $4 US for return postage from the UK. Around $8 to mail there and back.

To the US from Canada, for an oversized envelope up to 100 grams, is $1.92 CA before tax. If the total of what you are mailing is over $5 you don't pay any tax. From the US to Canada, an oversized envelope of up to 85 grams is $1.46 US. As I usually send two pics and cardboard the weight is around there, sometimes lower. I use the US stamps I order in panes of twenty ($1, .41, and .05).