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I was told by someone (can't remember who) that when mailing cards that are a bit "chunky" (i.e. with brads, eyelets, ribbons, etc.) that you should mark "HAND STAMP ONLY" on the outside so they don't put them through the machines that may accidently rip them open. Any comments or has any one else heard the same thing?
If your cards have many layers or embellishments you will need to ask for hand cancellation (which also costs an additional 12 cents postage). If you are in doubt, take the card to the counter at the post office and ask. Oddly enough, you may get a different answer depending on which clerk you ask. Once, I had a bunch of bulky cards to mail. I asked the mail clerk what the postage would be and she told me 37 cents. I sat there and put stamps on the cards, and took them back to the window. The first clerk was on her lunch break and the new clerk told me the cards would need the extra postage...Argh!
If I have anything with embellishments that could tear in the postal process (and if they can, they will), I put them in a small padded envelope. Office supply stores have packs of them in various sizes for very reasonable costs. HTH
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I used to just drop mine off at the mailbox with a reg. stamp on it. One day I got a RAK back..it was ripped to shreads! The only thing I could save was the hodgepodge buckle. They said if I put an extra 12 cents on and leave it with THEM, it would be fine! I figure the time I put into my cards is worth putting an extra 12 cents on!
I don't care about the extra $ (I have been putting 60 cents on my cards recently just in case), I just wanted to make sure about the "going through the machine" and ripping the card up. I would hate to have to make a special trip to the post office everytime I wanted to send a bulky card for them to set aside to hand cancel! Hopefully the mailman is paying attention!! And that the 60 cents covers it!
I don't care about the extra $ (I have been putting 60 cents on my cards recently just in case), I just wanted to make sure about the "going through the machine" and ripping the card up. I would hate to have to make a special trip to the post office everytime I wanted to send a bulky card for them to set aside to hand cancel! Hopefully the mailman is paying attention!! And that the 60 cents covers it!
Don't count on your carrier to notice something like that. It really is best to take it to the post office.
When I send anything with an embellishment, I usually put a small card-size sheet of bubble wrap in front of it. So far, no one's told me that their card arrived wrecked, but I'm probably just getting lucky. I think I'll ask for hand cancel in the future too. Just wish the post office woul be consistent on whether it's extra postage or not!
Someone gave me a good tip once - they said to take your paper trimmer and see if you can pass your card through the little bar on the ruler (it's the gutter part where your blades sit and slide). If you card easily passes through that, it doesn't need more than 37 cents - if it gets stuck whatsoever, then it needs extra postage. The guide that the post office has to determine extra postage is the same size. Of course if there's excessive bulk - I agree with everyone about the hand-cancelling. Better that than have them ripped to shreads (which has happened to 1-2 of the cards I've received).
I slip a piece of inexpensive, crimped CS into the envelope over the front of the card to protect embellishments during mailing. It's worked well so far.
__________________ "Life is much too important to be taken seriously." Oscar Wilde Proud to be a member of Mo's Digital Pencil Challenge DT! My BlogMy Gallery
The last time I sent a RAK I wrote hand cancel only on it, added on the extra postage and gave it to the postman at the desk. He told me I was wasting my money because they (I don't know if he meant our post office or the postal service in general) don't hand sort the mail anymore; it is all done by machines. Who knows if he is telling me the truth or not, but he made a pretty big deal that I was putting on extra postage for no reason...
__________________ Jess Don't tell God how big the storm is, tell the storm how big your God is!
I just had a card returned to me asking for an additional .12 cents because of the larger brads I used. It just said to attach .12 cents and remail. I didn't think to add "hand cancel" to the envelope. I hope it makes it.
__________________ Kelly
Just not enough time in the day to do everything that I love to do
Unfortunately, I have had first-hand experience with this nightmare. For this past Easter, I made 42 cards. In each card I inserted a cross I had made with the tacky tape and had beads attached to the tape and inserted the cross into the Easter card. I weighed the cards myself and they were less than one ounce so I just put on a 37 cent stamp. Half of the cards were delivered with no problem. The other half were returned to me in a bundle by the post office saying I had to pay the additional 12 cents handling charge. I received the cards about 5 days after Easter. Now I know.
I read a tip on here to put your card in the envelope with embellishments to the back of the envelope then attach a piece of packing tape to the back of the envelope over where the embellishments are to keep the envelope from ripping in the mail.
I've often wondered about hand cancelled; what does the post office actually do with that envelope? Do they dump it in the bin with all the other envelopes and it goes thru a machine anyway?
If I have anything with embellishments that could tear in the postal process (and if they can, they will), I put them in a small padded envelope. Office supply stores have packs of them in various sizes for very reasonable costs. HTH
Hi Kathy - Does using a padded envelope automatically put it in the "hand cancelled" category in the post office? Also, do you add the extra 12 cents when you use one?
Linda
__________________ Linda Art is the only way to run away without leaving home. -Twyla Tharp
The last time I sent a RAK I wrote hand cancel only on it, added on the extra postage and gave it to the postman at the desk. He told me I was wasting my money because they (I don't know if he meant our post office or the postal service in general) don't hand sort the mail anymore; it is all done by machines. Who knows if he is telling me the truth or not, but he made a pretty big deal that I was putting on extra postage for no reason...
Jess -
I was just told this last week at our post office. Although the answers are different with each clerk, this time I was told that there is no such thing as hand cancel any longer. Everything goes through the machine. AND to put and extra 12 cents on anything bumpy.
Love some of the ideas here -- the packing tape over the embellishmentss, the crimped cardstock -- I'm going to try these! If I'm putting extra postage on anyway, might as well add a little weight!
....... He told me I was wasting my money because they (I don't know if he meant our post office or the postal service in general) don't hand sort the mail anymore; it is all done by machines.
I searched through the USPS website a few weeks ago and found that they charge extra for several reasons.... all related to the fact that they have to hand cancel. For instance, square envelopes are not sortable.. the machine can't tell which edge is up. Also, lumpy thick envelopes.
I just take mine to the window without any postage and ask, "How much to hand cancel this?"
My post office also says they "don't hand cancel" anymore. I really find this hard to believe, because, what DO they do with bubble envelopes with bulky stuff inside???? :(
Sue
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I slip a piece of inexpensive, crimped CS into the envelope over the front of the card to protect embellishments during mailing. It's worked well so far.
I have given up trying to pay the extra .12 to have it hand canceled. I have been told several times at my post office that is wasn't required. Once the clerk even told me they didn't sell .12 stamps when I told him I thought I needed extra postage. As far as I know, everything I mail gets where it's going, but I do try not to make the embellishments make the card too thick or bulky.
If you put it in the mailbox, it is going to go through the machines - period.
No one reads - hand cancel. If they do, it is - oops- as it whizzes through the machine.
However, if you ask the post office to put the postage on it - meter strip - it doesn't get canceled because it isn't a stamp.
My post office still has the "hand cancel" stamper which they use - I think to humor me. Who know what happens when that little fish of a card leaves their hands and goes into the big ocean of mail.
The tough decision is whether to use an embellishment that is going to require you to take a trip to the post office.
I've also used the small cardboard photo mailers (those are treated as letters, and subject to machine sorting) and haven't had any problems with them. They are cheaper to mail than the padded/bubble envelopes because they are thinner, even though they weigh more. Whoda thunk?
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You don't have to take on the world, just get on its good side.
I put my card in the envelope so the embellishments face the back, and put tape over anything lumpy. No problems so far.
That's also the correct way to put a card in an envelope FWIW, with the front of the card showing when you open the envelope. I worked with an Ettiquette Queen who almost died when I put a letter in an envelope backwards - lol.
When I mail cards from home they go through a post office with rather unfriendly clerks (Just my opinion). When I mail them from work they go through a small friendly post office. At home, they always used to give them back to me if they had the slightest extra thickness and demand extra postage (usually ruining the decorated envelope in the meantime). At work, I stamp the envelope with a rubber stamp that says "Please hand cancel," put on a 37� stamp, and never have a problem. Mail from both places goes through the same large sorting facility before its ultimate destination. Go figure!
Well I'm not sure if this will be suitable/available to those of you that live in the USA, but I work in a post office here in Canada. We sell these large decorated cards called Tickle Me Note's. They are charged as an oversize letter and then we date stamp (official post date stamp) over the postage so it does not go through the sorter. Maybe this is something you can ask at your local post office if they are able to do for you for you handmade cards.
Cindy
__________________ Cindy
~~~
I have entered the snapdragon part of my life.
Part of me has snapped...........
And the rest of me is draggin.....
"Hand Stamp Only"?
Padded Envelopes
Tip I picked up somewhere....
