Envelopes

I was at the post office today mailing seeds and was told all the business size # 10 envelopes go through a machine even though they are already hand canceled so the seeds might get crushed. The lady told me to use the 6" X 9" yellow envelopes because they don't go through the machine and the cost of mailing is the same. I asked when this started and she said it was always suppose to be that way but they had just recently started enforcing it. I just thought I'd pass this on.

Thanks! Good to know.

snuggles, I have had good results usinig the greeting card envelopes, which are also (almost) 6 x 9. Wrap the seeds in bubblewrap... The envelope, as you say, does not fir in the machine. However, I am told it is 47c not 34c as the envelope is usually over the 1/4 inch. My P.O. still has the old style padded mailers about that size, selling them out 2 for $1. That usually costs between 57c and 80c with a few packets of seed. John

I went to WalMart today and purchased the 6" X 9" yellow envelopes 25 for $1.97. I didn't think that was bad. I'll use my own bubble wrap. I wish more people would read this post.

I read it and good information to pass along. I think as more people start into seed trading,will probably have more traffic. Maybe if we keep this towards the top,it will help.

If you buy 4 x 7 padded envelopes at the post office they're very expensive. But you can get them at places like Walmart, in ten packs, fairly reasonably. That's all I use, for several reasons:

1. Safety. They are perfect for all seeds, but especially for large ones that could get crushed in the mail handling equipment.

2. Convenience. They're a lot easier to store and use then all that messing around with bubble wrap.

3. They're reusable. If you seal them with tape, instead of using the sticky stuff that comes with them, the recipient merely slits the tape and opens the envelope. Then, a new address label is all it takes. I've had some that were used as many as eight times.

4. They are automatically hand cancelled, because they are too thick, even empty, to go through the maill sorting rollers---thus providing additional protection.

Finally, take _anything_ you're told at the PO with a grain of salt. Very few clerks are really familiar with the way things are done outside their own office. If you ask the same question at ten different POs, you are likely to get ten different answers. If you have an important issue to discuss, insist that they actually check the manual, and show you the appropriate section.

I always try to use the padded envelopes
from WalMart (10-4x7's in a pack for $3.57)
for sending seeds.
These envelopes are marked "Care Mail".
They sell the same packs of envelopes
at our local Office Max, but they are a
$1.42 more, (for the same pk. of envelopes)
so I stick with WalMart's!
I always try to write: "Garden Seeds"
(in red Sharpie marker) on the envelopes
too. I figure every little bit
(of extra precaution) helps those seeds get
to their destination in one piece!

Check on ebay - I got some 4 x7 padded envelopes last year really cheap, sorry don't remember how much but I think it was about .04, I have a lifetime supply, lol.

I have been wondering, why many people in US use 'long' envelopes? Also USPS is getting very annoying I think, my friend tried to send a letter to me from there and there was SUOMI in the country line in the address instead of FINLAND, and the guy in PO said they can't send it because they don't know where it is going.. :/ There was FIN- before the postnumber though.

Hey Azalea!
PJ, thanks so much for the suggestion
to try Ebay for padded mailing envelopes!
Wow! There are several suppliers selling
them there. I ended up buying a pkg. of 100,
but there was seller there that had lots of 200
at a better price than my 100.
I figured that I really didn't have
room to store 200 padded mailers, but hey,
for those of you that live close,
going in together and splitting the order could work!
Evert,
Don't feel bad about the US post office not knowing where
Suomi is...We have a college in Michigan's upper peninsula
named Suomi College and many folks don't have any idea where that is, let alone the upper peninsula! :-)

Wow, Suomi college? :) Doesn't there live lots of Finnish people in Michigan, Wisconsin and New York area? What I know..

Here all is so expensive, except envelopes.. or padded ones are expensive, especially little ones which I would like. one padded one costs about 2,50-5 markkaa / 40-85 €-cents. Normal letters (C5 and C6 sizes) are usually sold in big quantities.. I should buy more, I use them a lot. I also bought some 'long american style ones' :) They cost 20 pennies each. (isn't it confusing to use 2 currencies, eh..?) =)

yea Evert that was my post office. They give me trouble every now and then. thankfully i have a choice of three, they are all about 5 miles from me. so when i get mad a one i use another LOL and Evert i still have it here promise I will mail it this week. Lana :)

Asking about regulations is fine, if they have a current reg manual, which is a big book and must be updated frequently to be useful. My little country minded post office, and most of those within 25 miles, won't bother to update, and only occasionally will anyone look up regs. Insisting won't help, just incurs the wrath of the minimalists. I can't go in the back and show them the manual, and if they totally deny it exists, I have no other avenue. No, the "governors" won't intervene. I tried going all the way up the chain of command several years ago, and as a result, I still have trouble getting my mail because of the resulting hostility. I had too many problems with them to detail, and get anxiety just thinking about trying to receive tender plants. I sometimes resort to having things delivered to my son's house in Austin or to the one in between. But that doesn't keep things from being returned when I send them and no one at the PO knows to take extra steps. It's totally irritating to those of us cursed with ignorant and lazy workers.