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Shipping singles (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Mtvernonbryan
- Start date
Right. So you CAN ship a single chip in a business envelope, as long as it's thin enough. I'll take drumhoss word that 1/4 inch thick is the max. I've done it - I put a chip in a plastic sleeve, then taped some thin (think cereal box) cardboard around it, stuck it in an envelope, and it went out for something like 90 cents or less. But I don't have one hundred percent confidence that a chip like this is protected well enough, and I'd only do it with chips that are easily replaced.
Right. I hope I made it clear that I don't think its a good idea.
But for example, one time shortly after the cleveland horseshoe sale, somebody needed a single chip. I was happy to send them one for free, because I had plenty of extras that I had gotten cheap, but I didn't want to spend $3 to ship a fifty-cent chip. That's when it makes sense.
Problem
I shipped a bunch of one and two chip orders this week. All in business envelopes, first class mail. Wrapped in thin cardboard, edges of the envelope taped - like I said above, it's not the best way to ship, but compare 49 cents to $2.77 to ship a two-dollar chip, and it makes sense.
Here's the problem - the last few I shipped, the post office lady wasn't having it. She said a first class letter is for paper only, and anything else, no matter how thin, no matter how it's packaged, needs to pay a parcel rate. And as far as I can tell, the lowest parcel rate for any size package is the paypal $2.77.
So, assuming I can't ship a single cheap chip in a first class envelope, is there any cheaper way to ship a single chip than $2.77?
I shipped a bunch of one and two chip orders this week. All in business envelopes, first class mail. Wrapped in thin cardboard, edges of the envelope taped - like I said above, it's not the best way to ship, but compare 49 cents to $2.77 to ship a two-dollar chip, and it makes sense.
Here's the problem - the last few I shipped, the post office lady wasn't having it. She said a first class letter is for paper only, and anything else, no matter how thin, no matter how it's packaged, needs to pay a parcel rate. And as far as I can tell, the lowest parcel rate for any size package is the paypal $2.77.
So, assuming I can't ship a single cheap chip in a first class envelope, is there any cheaper way to ship a single chip than $2.77?
Quicksilver-75
4 of a Kind
Padded envelopes wont ship as standard oversized?
I guess there's two question there - can they, and should they. As far as can they, I guess you could stick a couple of stamps on one, drop it in the mailbox and hope for the best. The "should they" question concerns me more, because I don't want any hassles of returned packages (and frankly, I don't think its a good idea to mess with the USPS.) I'm guessing the answer to "should they" is no, based on what this lady said. She made it clear that any sort of merchandise, anything that isn't papers, has to be shipped with a parcel rate, and she was surprised that other post office people were allowing me to ship poker chips in first class envelopes.
You can ship it as first class mail and with no additional charge if it is under .25". If it is over .25" there is an extra cost. and will ship at $2.60 for anything under 4oz.
I usually just ship it at $2.60 which is what most ebayer's are doing. If it is an inexpensive chip try the regular postage. If it is an expensive chip use the bubble mailer and pay $2.60. If the postage is short they will not ship it back but they will hold it and make the recipient pay the additional postage.
David
Quicksilver-75
4 of a Kind
I ask because I ship up to 7-8 chips in a padded envelope as letter standard with over weight postage.
I ship single chips in business envelopes all the time.
The key is making sure the chip won't get loose, and that it's near the top of the envelope. You don't want the chip at the bottom of the envelope, where it will get pinched by the machine rollers. That's where you run the risk of a broken chip.
So wrap the chip in some paper, then tape the paper to a folded full sheet of paper such that it's near the top center of the envelope. That will avoid most problems.
The key is making sure the chip won't get loose, and that it's near the top of the envelope. You don't want the chip at the bottom of the envelope, where it will get pinched by the machine rollers. That's where you run the risk of a broken chip.
So wrap the chip in some paper, then tape the paper to a folded full sheet of paper such that it's near the top center of the envelope. That will avoid most problems.
I appreciate this, and I may whip it out if I choose to ship this way again. But I'm tightening my range on chips I ship this way, down to the cheapest of the cheap. Of the chips I sent this way last week, I had one go missing for a few days (chewed up envelope, likely a sorter problem, lucky it survived) , and another one arrived like this:
GoStumpy
Flush
https://www.air-tites.com/casino-chip-holders-and-collecting-supplies.htm#.Wd5LOiKWwpE
I bought ~40+ of those clear things for a good price, along with 43mm ones for all my singles... at ~60c per, they would be a pretty good safety net for shipping in an envelope IMO!
And as was said, tape it with packing tape to the center of a piece of thin cardboard the size of an envelope...
I bought ~40+ of those clear things for a good price, along with 43mm ones for all my singles... at ~60c per, they would be a pretty good safety net for shipping in an envelope IMO!
And as was said, tape it with packing tape to the center of a piece of thin cardboard the size of an envelope...
WedgeRock
Royal Flush
Stapled in four corners of a coffee sleeve, taped to a sheet of paper to keep them centered in the middle of an envelope.
Single chip is 70c postage (domestic) and 2-3 chips is 91c.
This method is not recommended for valuable chips, but I haven't lost one yet shipping this way. YMMV.
Single chip is 70c postage (domestic) and 2-3 chips is 91c.
This method is not recommended for valuable chips, but I haven't lost one yet shipping this way. YMMV.
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For cheaper singles (usually traders ($1-$15), I do what Wedge Rock does. For chips that are more expensive, i still use the coffee sleeve, but then put it in a bubble envelope. I usually just re-use an old one.
WedgeRock
Royal Flush
Yup.
And for 7-ish+ chips, coffee sleeves in a bubble mailer.
Get up to a barrel, SFRB.
All I have to say is that it seemed worthwhile to save the $2 and ship in a first class envelope, as long as it wasn't costing me. Now that it's cost me, me and my buyers will shell out the $2.74 to ship in a padded mailer for everything but the cheapest of chips.
AWenger
Full House
I've received single chips in standard envelopes from well-rated eBay sellers that had "NONMACHINABLE SURCHARGE" printed or stamped in red (maybe even handwritten) on the envelope. The chips weren't just dropped in the envelope, they were typically wrapped in paper, or in a cardboard sleeve, made from cardboard the thickness of a cereal box.
As I understand, the post office sorters should not run these envelopes through the automatic sorters, that would otherwise damage something thin & fragile.
Quick google search says a couple different things:
"According to the USPS, the butterfly stamp is intended for greeting cards that may weigh less than one ounce but require non-standard envelopes that carry a surcharge. Its face value is $0.70."
"Square or non-machineable surcharge 21 cents." (additional over first class postage)
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