QUESTION.....

This may be a DUMB question...but how do you determine the weight of the package? I had a scale, because I sell on ebay...but it is not working, and I have not bought another one.
I use the USPS printed postage, and have the PO pick up here at the house. I know the weight of my ebay items....but I have quite a few plants I plan to offer cutting of. Last year I shipped out over 100 cuttings and seeds to DG folks. This year i will be offering even more.
I am guessing that a box filled with a few of each cutting will weigh about 1 1/2 lbs..... I think.
I know all over the US a 1 pound pkg goes out for $4.05...but then it gets messy after a pound.
A 1 1/2 pound package to Lake port, CA is $6.05....but a 1 1/2 pound pkg to santa clara, UT is $5.30. I know one of the rules on DG is you can not charge for items...if I figure full pkgs at a flat rate of $6.05, and actual cost is $5.30 will folks get mad?
I am sorry...I have not been here for a year, until the past few weeks...so I have forgotten how to go about this.
Thanks for ANY help!!!
Sue

I'm not sure if this will help or not, but the usps on line site has a calulator to determine postage. If I understand it correctly, flat rate boxes are usually the same price for the same size box irregardless of weight.

http://postcalc.usps.gov/mailpiecedimensions.asp

Thanks a bunch. I went to the site and checked out the flat rate box section...it is a flat rate of $8.10. I am so confused, I really would love to share with folks...instead of adding to the compost pile. Geeze, what to do....what to do.
Thanks again so very much!!!!
Sue

You're welcome. I had the same confusion as you.
Made many unnecessary trips to the post office until the clerk told me about the usps site. I didn't know they would send you free boxes until I asked the clerk and she told me that I could ony get the shoe box size from the web site.

I'm glad you won't have to "kill" your extras in the compost pile. I even get a bad feeling about thinning out seedlings. LOL

ME too!! LOL I hate to waste anything... I have even been painting the empty washed cat food cans...LOL I guess that is getting pretty bad huh??? LOL

Sounds like you're a recycler too. What clever decoration do you make with the painted cat food cans?
You should see my work shop floor. Covered in emply orange juice cartons just waiting for me to get around to carving out a flap so I can use them for winter sowing. My DH now asks me if I'd like to check the trash can before he takes it to the dump; he forbids me from diving at the dumpster!LOL

LOL...My hubby stops along the Highway to pick up bungie straps the big truck loose...and is always bringing in stuff he picks up before the garbage men get it!! But his whole family does that...then the call each other and compare notes and see who has the best **FIND OF THE DAY** LOL
I painted about 35 last month with Snowmen and santa faces, holly and peppermints. I give them to my mom, and she takes them to the church and they sell the for the Bizaars and fund raisers. Shoot, it's better than dumping on Mother Earth!! She has enough folks dumping on her.
Great idea for the cartons!! I use empty pill bottles for seed storage.

Oh how creative!

I had thought about doing some with a flower theme, poking holes in them and stringing 3 together, so folks could use them as door decorations, or something like that. I will try to remember to get pics. of the next ones I make.

Hey, why not poke holes in them and put a tea candle in them. The lit candle would shine through the holes and the outside would be decorated with your cute paintings.

Great idea!! I will have to play around with them and see what i can come up with!!
Thanks!!

A tip for doing tin punching on cans - fill them with water and freeze. Then the punching won't bend the can.

WOW, Great tip!!!! Thanks so much...I was thinking about using a drill, but thought they might still bend.
Thanks!!!!

Flat rate is really only practical if you are mailing something heavy like books or metal plant markers or bulbs, etc. I think there are 3 sizes (but that may just be my favorites) that are marked for flat rate and anything you can fit in them, no matter how heavy is $8.10.

I bought a really nice scale off Ebay that goes up to 52 pounds, has the postal rates glued inside, takes batter or adaptor. I want to say it was $25 including shipping. I'll look up the seller if anyone is interested.

The USPS website is a wonderful tool if you ship much. ;)

FYI re the Flat rate...what badseed said is exactly right....except I have found if it's going far (i.e. coast to coast) anything 2 lbs or over ends up being cheaper going flat rate..sad I know.

Yeah, shipping to California is a killer! LOL I have too many friends out there though. :)

Yes...CA, and ALaska is another killer. Sounds like Flat rate might be the best way to go.
Thanks so much for all your help!!!!
Sue

I too bought the little digital scale on Ebay....about $25, and it has paid for itself in what I have saved and the convenience of having it.

My PO also gave me printouts of what zip codes are in what zones, and then the chart that tells the different cost of different poundages shipped Priority, or Parcel post.

If someone gives me their zip, I can soon tell at a glance what a 1, 2, 3, etc lb box would be, and wether or not a flat rate would be the best value. I've found due to the size of the flat rate boxes, that they are not always the best value. It just depends how close, or how far the box is going.

Also, when doing a trade, if the box is just a little over a pound (or 2 or 3, etc,) I can add other goodies without going over the next pound. It really takes a lot of guesswork out of shipping.

Sue

Lots of good advice here!

One more comment... Sue asked if folks would get mad if they paid postage for a box and the actual shipping cost was a little less than what they sent. Well, I know some people will get mad about anything, but in general I think DGers are pretty mellow. And for heaven's sake, if you are sharing plants for postage cost, not even asking for a trade in return, it would be really unreasonable to get upset over a couple of dollars. You're not talking about asking for $20 to cover a $5 postage, just about small differences between estimated and actual costs.

When you're sending a box for postage, it seems reasonable to me to use the flat rates (for large & small boxes, depending on what you're sending) to estimate postage costs. If actual postage turns out to be less, no big deal... I think most people would rather be sure you didn't get stuck paying more for postage than they sent rather worrying about whether they sent you a little too much.

Oh, and I think this has been discussed elsewhere... but if you pack in an official flat rate box, some USPS offices won't let you ship it at regular Priority Mail rates instead... although some postal workers may look the other way while you scratch out the Flat Rate markings with a sharpie marker!