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The struggle...

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The struggle...

Aceastrococopuff

Steamboat Willie Advocate
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Alberta, Canada
So yesterday I went on a pin trading rampage and sent out 60+ trade requests (happens every two weeks ish so watch out). This morning I open my email to see someone responded. They said yes to a trade in where I'd get Pin 60853 DLR - Matterhorn Bobsleds - Postcard I was excited as it's a beautiful pin! It was a fair trade and I was just about to send my address. Then I looked at the bottom of the email. It said send your address (US only). I was heart broken... A beautiful pin, but I can't trade for it since they will only trade in the US... They explained how it costs $7 instead of $2... Does this happen regularly fellow Canadians and other international traders? I have personally never seen this before... Let me know!

Corvyn
 
All. The. Time. I mean this is why I cherish the people from the forums here who are able to do so & that's it no big deal to send stuff internationally (though we are literally right above the US). But that's why I got my friend who lives in Cali & I just tell the seller to send it to my friend & my friend will send it to me later on :]
 

that is genius!!!
 
Woot woot! As long as you know some people are willing to do it for you, the struggle won't be as bad Now money conversion is also another story ...
 
I cant believe how the cost of shipping even to Canada is so high now. And they make you fill out like 20 forms. I used to sell/trade in North America only but now I think Im sticking to US only. I can barely afford to ship within the US now.
 
I ship anywhere as well it is only money LOL but I try to make it worth the while like multi trade just sent pin to France was $7 shipping to Cali it was almost 6 or 7 no don't use click and ship prefer to go to Post office we are in a rural area so stop on way to work
 
I got so frustrated with some Americans' refusal to trade or sell outside of the US that I actually asked someone once why that was. The answer they gave is that the US Postal Service will pick up domestic mail but not international. In other words, it's not that the people who don't ship internationally don't want our money or pins, they're just too lazy to take them.

However, I have also had some pretty good success with messaging EBay sellers who say they don't ship internationally and specifically asking them if they were willing to make the exception for me if I paid the difference. Most do. So don't give up just because they say they don't in their form letters.
 

That is interesting... Thanks for the tip!
 

I don't have a problem trading or zapping internationally. I do it all the time. But, I think your characterization that the US traders are just lazy is a bit unfair.

I believe that the vast majority of people who refuse to trade internationally do so because of the cost increases. To mail a 2 oz. package within the US costs $1.93 and to mail that same package internationally is $6.55, or more if you want it registered. I have mailed RAK packages to to Europe that cost me $30 when shipping in the US would have been $9.

So I appreciate that it must be frustrating to have people refusing to trade based on where you live, but that extra $5 (or more) per package can add up. Especially when a lot of traders here are college kids or young adults without a lot of discretionary income.

In addition, you have the the issue of customs charges on the other end. The traders in GB and France (don't know about Canada) are asking US traders to declare the value on the customs form as below a certain dollar amount, otherwise they get hit with high fees. That's not a problem with lower end pins, but if the US trader is sending a high dollar pin, it's a risk. You can only insure the pin against loss for the value you declare.

I'm really not trying to be a b*$ch here. I just wanted to point out that there may be reasons other than laziness for someone to be unwilling to trade internationally.
 
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So long as the envelope is less than 3 ounces and does not exceed 3/4 inch in thickness, postage to Canada is $2.71.

If you end up in the package category then it gets expensive. The same item then costs $7.65 or $6.91 (if prepaid via online service)
 
A recent RAK gift sent to UK would have cost me $12!!!!!!!! I left the post office without sending. So now I only can send very tiny RAK gifts when the nominee is international :sad:
 
Aceastrococopuff said:
Only $2.71??? That's crazy! We pay $7.80 at the cheapest...
Click to expand...

If you can get the PO to agree that it's an envelope and not a package. I have never yet been able to do that and from previous discussions we have had here on the forum about this topic, it seems that many other US traders haven't either. The PO will spout a lot of rules about uniform thickness, content (only paper for envelopes), etc. I know that Isabel has done a LOT of research about this and provided a lot of information, but my PO remains unimpressed.
 
Cjvandever said:
I don't have a problem trading or zapping internationally. I do it all the time. But, I think your characterization that the US traders are just lazy is a bit unfair.
Click to expand...

I tempered my words with "some"

The postage fees are a non-issue if I'm offering to pay them to have the pin shipped to me. The problem is that some of these people are just too lazy to go deliver it to a post office themselves.
 

I have yet to get my post office to agree to it. They will, however, give me a nice pre-paid mail acceptance receipt.
 
It might also be that they do not have the time, or that they work while the Post Office is open. Our post office is not open on weekends here. Even further, it could be the person is disabled like myself and CAN'T go to the PO. Maybe they have small children that they do not feel comfortable standing in a line for over an hour with at the Post Office. There are a million reasons why one would not want to go to the PO besides just being lazy. I understand your frustration but the comment was unnecessary. Personally, I have so much I can spend on mailings and once that is gone I am done until the next month plain and simple.
 
One of the tools that I picked up from my local post office is their "template" for checking the width of a package. While it may not be available to everyone, there should be ways to obtain a copy (PSN: 7530-10-000-0765 Designed for the US Postal Service and used with permission of Hasler, Inc, and Neopost, Inc. / Notice 3-S June 2007)

To be honest, it's very easy to make something like this for yourself.

1) A large envelope is defined as being 15" x 12" x 3/4"
2) Find a piece of sturdy paperboard or cardboard that is 18 x 12
3) Fold in half to produce a 9 x 12 size
4) Cut a 7.5 inch long x 3/4 inch wide slot at the fold - resulting in a 15" x 3/4" hole when opened
5) Anything that "fits" through this slot meets the definition of large envelope and qualifies for letter rate postage.
6) Package to ensure a uniform or average thickness within that those limits.

If your envelope meets these definitions and easily slides through the opening, it is a LARGE LETTER and qualifies for reduced postage.
 
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