How to save on international postage?

Hello everyone! ^_^

Okay, so after the huge rise in postage at the end of April in the UK, it is now £3.30 to send a pin to the US.... this is making me consider not trading overseas anymore, I have things to mail tomorrow that will total around £23 for 6 packets! I totally cannot afford this much longer...

So, I am seeking some tips on how to save on postage... I would be very grateful if anyone has any secret tips or tricks they'd like to share! I know you can sometimes sneak in thin jiffy bags for the cost of a letter (£1.90) at my local post office, but I do worry about being slapped with even MORE fees.... so, post away and YAY for frugality!

p.s. sorry if there is a similar thread already, and if so I would be grateful if somebody could point it out!

I was wondering the same thing cause I was shipping 4 pins to the UK for 4 Jasmine/Aladdin UK pins that recently was released. I had actually PM'd xprincessemilyx asking if she'd do me a huge favor and would be based on a trust that was growing. I asked her if I mailed her all 4 pins plus packaging supplies and then transferred money to her, if she'd be willing to send out the other 3 pins I had to mail out to the UK so instead of mailing out 4 packages, it'd just be 1 bigger package to one person who will do me the kind favor. I calculated the price of doing that and of sending the 4 packages out separately and I would save about $16 total. I decided $16 isn't that much extra as I thought I'd be saving so I'm going to go ahead and ship each package separately so there will be no problems whatsoever. I do thank Emily for her kindness in agreeing to help me out if that was the way i was going to go, but I just didn't see how comfortable the other traders would be knowing I sent their pin(s) to someone else to send to them as a cost saver.

I think the only thing you can do is try and sneak them through as letters. I have done that a few times now but I did a BIG trade last week that nearly cost me £4. british post is so expensive. I am hoping that the paypal international postage thing will be cheaper when it happens.

I can send a USPS First Class International bubble envelope to Europe for around $3.45 USD. The customs form comes with tracking info at least to the US Customs jurisidiction line. Bummer it costs more coming from Europe than it does to send. Doesn't seem fair.

SyriusLionwing said:

I think the only thing you can do is try and sneak them through as letters. I have done that a few times now but I did a BIG trade last week that nearly cost me £4. british post is so expensive. I am hoping that the paypal international postage thing will be cheaper when it happens.

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I was afraid this was the only solution I can do this, but I hate that it depends on the post office worker, I was wondering if it'd be risky doing it via printing out postage pre-paid labels from the website? I don't want anyone to get slapped with fees, whether it be me or the tradee!

markheardjr said:

I can send a USPS First Class International bubble envelope to Europe for around $3.45 USD. The customs form comes with tracking info at least to the US Customs jurisidiction line. Bummer it costs more coming from Europe than it does to send. Doesn't seem fair.

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I don't think it is fair! You US traders are very lucky

I'd love to know the answer to this question too! I've sent out a lot of parcels recently, well 1 pin in a bubble mailer, and it seems extortionate that it has cost me nearly £10 to send pins to three people! I have pins incoming from Hong Kong at the moment and that cost me $3.50 to recieve 3 pins!!! It's because their system is based off weights in lower brackets than ours. A single pin doesn't reach the minimum weight limit so you end up paying the price of shipping something much heavier than it

I'm praying that the postage goes down too. I was really enjoying PIF as well but I can't afford it at the moment due to the high postal costs

Just stick to multi-trades thats what I am doing and I only trade now if I really want a pin. But obviously I have a couple of favourite traders who I do mail out to regularly so it's all about finding a balance.

When I first pin traded I could send pins for a pound then it went up and up to £2.07 now it's £3.30. Just stick to trades you want to make and if you are like me, where you purchase people pins, save the pins until you have more than 2 or 3 to post. All helps.

Thanks for all the tips, guys! ^_^ Keep them coming! <3 I hope postage does go down soon, though.... for some reason I don't think that'll happen for a long time :/ I just hope it doesn't go up again!

It will probably go up. Annoying but nevermind.

Bump! Any other tips? Keep them coming! <3

for single pin trades on small pins you could get away with a letter I suppose. But for UK pins, I am just sucking it up. To me, the extra postage is worth it for pins from overseas.

snip add:

I you have people in the U.S who are all doing separate trades, what about combining the packages into a flat rate box, then have them given to ( if local to eachother) or shipped within the u.s.??? ship the flat rate to one person with a high trade rateing all the pins you traded to others in the area and have them distribute?

The last few packages I had to send over seas (from California) is costing about $6 a package at the cheapest. And that was for 3 regular sized pins! So we're getting hit on this side also... Any advice is appreciated!

I think Im lucky as I send a pin to UK/US for 1.50euro and i sent 17 pins in one jiffy bag for 3.50euro to the UK. With ireland there is no first or 2nd class post just all one speed.

Psycho Pixie said:

for single pin trades on small pins you could get away with a letter I suppose. But for UK pins, I am just sucking it up. To me, the extra postage is worth it for pins from overseas.

snip add:

I you have people in the U.S who are all doing separate trades, what about combining the packages into a flat rate box, then have them given to ( if local to eachother) or shipped within the u.s.??? ship the flat rate to one person with a high trade rateing all the pins you traded to others in the area and have them distribute?

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I did think about this as ALL pins I shipped today were to So Cal, and that was 6 packs!!! I'd feel bad for the person having to distribute though...


Wow, looks like everyone is getting burned! I think for the US you can post using something to do w/ PayPal (there is a thread about it), can't wait for it to be available to the UK/overseas also!

a proposal for the UK traders....

yes, if you have paypal you can get a slightly reduced shipping rate, I use paypal for my shipping both in trades and the random ebay sales I do.


So, heres the deal... IF one of you folks in the UK has like several packages to ship, all to people in the USA, I can help out here. I am a stay at home mom for the moment, so at some point in my day or night I can make time to sort, and set up for re-shipping. The only way my offer is feesable on your end is if you have some sort of bulk shipping box in your country like we have here. the US has these flat rate shipping boxes. "If it fits, it ships" is the tag line they use. The small box could handle 20+ normal size pins and bubble wrap. But if is going to cost you the same amount to ship to me and then pay me the $2.00 +/- that our shipping costs it is not worth it.

Someone on your end needs to figure out exactly how much it will typically cost to ship me several trade orders to see if this is even worth it. Lets say for example, 6 orders averaging 4 oz each in one box to my address in southern cali. How much will it cost? will the total plus $2.00 each package save you anything?

The average package prices via my paypal account:

• under 2oz. = $1.64 US.
• 2-4oz. = $1.81 US.
• I buy small packing envelopes bulk, so figure .50c US each. Those packages handle a good deal of pins, and for small orders I tend to re-use old packages.
• You would ship to me, pop $2.00 or so into my paypal for each destination and packages will ship within 24 hours of arrival at my door.
• The way you save would be in wieght of packaging and handling fees for individual trades.

To make my life as easy as possible, I would strongly suggest you bubblewrap them, put them together in ziplocks sandwish bags or something with the address clearly printed so I can prep them, quickly, without having to figure out who's pin goes where. Perhaps a packing slip of sorts with details? I would need to be able to open the box, separate out each package and prep it for the mailman with a minimum of fuss and bother.

Also, what is in it for me? You may be asking why I offer... Besides being a super nice (and totally nuts) person to offer this, I figure it will help me build a reputation as a trusted trader here on DPF, and in the parks or at PTN's. Besides, I figure if I do this regularly, then you UK traders will look fondly upon me and be easier on me for trades. :angel:


I understand how frustrating it is to send out trade requests only to be told they wont ship outside their country, it is actually part of the reason I accept international trades. I hate to be dissappointed or to dissappoint. Perhaps we can work to set up a network of locals in each country to do this together. Create a bulk delivery system...?

That's a great idea, I will look it all up to see how much we'd all save! ^_^

and a BUMP for any more tips! <3

bump back up.

The other night in chat several of us US folks were talking to UK folks about being pin contacts so... I thought I would bring this subject back up....

The offer still stands, figure out if the pricing is worth it, and I will happily be one of the US contacts to re-pack bulk shipped trades.