new postage increase also involves envelope widths...
 

i just found out today that my envelopes were too thick!! I had made several thank you cards for presents I received for mother's day. I used dimensionals & layered 2 pieces of card stock on a regular size card using medium envelopes. the postal clerk told me it was over the 1/4 inch thickness (pulled out a silver instrument that looked like tweezers) & made me pay 80 cents per card for postage. I almost had a coronary. I am hoping this doesn't effect all of my cards I make. I use dimensionals a lot, but if this is the case. I will not in the future!!!

Anita

postage thickness rates
 

that truly is outrageous, that could put an end to swapping.

This makes me think that I should make a template with chipboard that has a 1/4" slot in it. That way if I can't slide the envelope with the card through it, it's too thick. Man, that is outrageous to charge almost double postage!!!

Kimberly

I did this! I used a 12 X 12 sheet so that I could slide big envelopes through. I have a 1/4" slot and a 3/4" slot. The 3/4" slot is for the new "large envelope" classificiation.

Here is a thread with the rates/envelope sizes summarized:

http:////www.splitcoaststampers.com/...d.php?t=247871

If you have a Fiskars trimmer (like the ones sold in the SU catty), the slot that the blade fits in is 1/4". No need to make a template! :D

Thanks for that tidbit! Great to know!

Oh boy, this is going to be so confusing! I really am glad I don't work at the post office!

Glad I looked at this! Maybe that's why some swaps I sent back in March never made it...oh well.

~Martha

I guess you guys are all right. I should use my fiskars trimmer for measuring. I was shocked at the price, good thing I didn't just drop them in the mailbox without knowing. They would have gotten returned!!
The reason they gave me was that if they are thicker then they would not be able to be machine processed.

Thanks all for your great ideas

Anita

I sent out some quickutz dies today. They cost me more than double what they cost last week. They fall into a diff. catagory now. The used to go out as a letter now they go as a small package. from .60 to 1.30. I should have sent them out sooner. Rats.

Thanks for sharing
 

Wow! I'm glad I read this link. Guess, I'm gonna have to limit my dimension use. :(

Guess I shouldn't by stock in any "pop dots" companies!

Dimensionals are on their way out, that's for sure. Knowing about the slit on the Fiskars being 1/4 " is great. I just hope I remember that !

I posted this on the other forum as well, but for those who look here...
beware...
I mailed a 5x7 card with ONE brad that the postman felt through the envelope, and it cost me 17 cents additional to the 41 cent fee.
They are really making it hard for us card makers/senders.

it makes you feel as if you might have to reinforce the envelope so they can't feel anything through it.
I sent out over 100 bridal shower invitations last week. I am glad I did. I would have paid double I am sure, they were all layered & had ribbon on them.
I am a little frustrated that I wasn't aware they changed the width requirements before it went into affect.
I had never heard of any of this when they posted the new postal increase. Maybe it was my negligence but, I feel ripped off!!!

Anita

I just mailed off a couple of RAKs this morning expecting the worst. One of the cards had a layer plus I had tied a ribbon around the front of the card with a double knot. No problem at all. 41 cents. I told the gal that I just wanted to make sure I had the appropriate postage attached. She felt it and said that there wasn't a problem at all. (No brads or eyelets, but that knot sure would have been thicker than one of those.)

Kimberly

maybe different post offices are being stricter then other.
Like I said the post worker had a little tweezer gadge to measure the mail. Maybe other post offices are beng lax.(or maybe my post office is crazy)
I know for sure I am going to measure all of projects before I send them out & I might consider using glue dots instead of dimensionals.
As for my post office,
My mail is never on time here, I swear the amount of time it takes to get a netflix movie makes me wonder if they watch it first!! :p
I just figured that I would give other cardmakers a heads up, as I know sometimes we can hardly fit the cards inside the envelopes sometimes.

I definitely think it's a matter of some post offices being more strict than others. The "ladies" at my post office are the best and very helpful.
I think with all the recent changes they are feeling the frustration we are too!

I had the same experience at the Post Office yesterday. Just another money-making idea for them. Cost me 58cents to send a card with embossing. grrrr

I had a similar experience at my PO. I had two cards with buttons on them. I had put an extra piece of cardstock in to "shield" the buttons. I asked the lady if I needed extra postage. She just felt the cards, and said, Nope, I think these will go through the machine just fine!

I am assuming that the PO where you mail them is where the trouble will be, if there is a problem. I hope the cards don't get to another location and fail a "test" there, lol.

I really did laugh out loud on this one!!! Way too funny!! We have a small post office in our town... and I know they read the magazines... I got one with coffee stains once... Everyone knows it goes on and if they are waiting for one that is special... usually they go up to the counter and ask if it's come in yet... You bet I'm on it when the cattys are mailed out.... It makes me crazy sometimes, but that our town....lol

Faith

I wanted to let you in on another thing the post office is doing. (One of my friends is a postal carrier.) She said when you go off to mail a package now, it has to be messured by width, heighth, and lenght. Why you may ask? Instead of following in the footsteps of the rest of the world...we are going by how much space it takes up on the means of transportation. I went into the post office yesterday, and watched parents mail their son a guitar...while it would have coast them a fraction of the coast previously...totally outrageous price. I could have gotten 3 stamps sets, like 4 stamp pads, and a couple packs of cardstock.

Thought you might want to know, especially if you are trading or selling.