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So, I took my first cards to the post office and they charged me .88 each?! She said it was because something (a button) was sticking up). Anyone have anyway to mail without extra postage or what do you usually do? Do you make your cards different? Just curious. Thanks!!
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It depends on the thickness, size, and weight if the card. If it's a standard size, less than an ounce but more than a 1/4 inch than it's considered a large env, which is 88 for the 1st ounce. If it's standard size, less than an ounce and less than 1/4 thickness, but lumpy, than it's considered non machinable which is a 20 cent surcharge. If it's standard size, even in thickness, but less than 1/4 of an inch but over 1 ounce than it's 61 cents.
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Also depends on the person doing it. Sometimes I've been charged for something a little bumpy and other times not. (and I don't mean a big bump either)
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I've been charged extra too. Now I try to limit the embellies and hand deliver when possible.
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I love embelishments, but I don't use them very often on cards that I mail because of this.
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Yep happens to me too  . But I still make them the same. Everyone that I mail them to like them so much its worth it to me. At Holiday times it does get a little costly (about $12.00) but I only have about 15 people on my list that I send cards to. During the year a card here and there. So I really don't think about it all that much.
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I generally make large cards ... I think they are the A-9 size(?) ... and I tend to embellish them pretty heavily, so they always cost me extra postage. When I make cards sets for others, I make smaller sizes and go light on the embellishments so that they don't get hit with the high postage. It does get pretty expensive, doesn't it!!! 
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I still find the price to be fairly cheap. I dont mind it. If I have a card that is on the bumpy side sometimes I send it in a small box anyway (PO seems to like to tear stuff up). So my postage is usually higher anyway.
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I always pad my envelopes and I take them inside the post office and have them hand stamp it that way it doesn't go through the machinery at the post office. It ensures that it won't get ripped and will make it to its destination all in one piece. Yes. It does cost more, but I put alot of time and effort into it so I will pay the extra to protect it.
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Just ran into that very thing! I made bridal shower invites and pop dotted the umbrella on the front. The USPS clerk was pressing on it and I said they are bridal shower invites and I used a piece of foam on the front. He just smiled, charged me the regular price and hand canceled them. Thank goodness. . .there were 21 invites! They all arrived without any damage.
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yes it can get costly, but ask your self is the person worth oh let say extra .44 cents. i can't believe that if your going to hand make a card take the time and supplies that they aren't already worth at least a dollar or two. not only that but you keep someone in a job. i hope that is at least worth .44. 
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Yeah extra postage doesn't bother me either. I figure if I care enough to send a hand made card, then obviously that person is worth the extra postage too.
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LCCrafts wrote:Yeah extra postage doesn't bother me either. I figure if I care enough to send a hand made card, then obviously that person is worth the extra postage too. Yup, that about sums it up for me, too!
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rachie wrote:yes it can get costly, but ask your self is the person worth oh let say extra .44 cents. i can't believe that if your going to hand make a card take the time and supplies that they aren't already worth at least a dollar or two. not only that but you keep someone in a job. i hope that is at least worth .44. Please, Please keep sending your cards thru the mail. My DH is a postperson,( am I politically correct or what) and they are talking about layoffs. And anyway it's always nice to go to the mailbox to find a special card!
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Isn't the price for stamps going up again this Jan.? It just makes me wonder what will happen if they'd ever close the post offices. How would we send things then? If UPS or one of them took over it could get really $$$. Sorry, just thinking out loud. Things like this always come to my mind.
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I feel it is worth the extra money if I have put my time into making it. Last we I had to send a card next day that cost $15 and change, but it was worth it.
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I put a peice of white cardstock over the embellished side. I include it when selling the card and say what it is for. If it is over 1/4 inch I will pay extra if I need to. The post office has embellished cards now, wonder if they tell the people it might cost more?
Janie
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I too slide a piece of blank white cardstock in the envie in front of the card if it has embellishment on it.
I also have a handy dandy mailing template that one of my postmen gave me when I was in the post office one day. I posted on the MB about it a long time ago and I know some people were told by their post offices that they weren't for customers. I asked my postman about it not long ago and he said "Just one of the benefits of living in Ada America" LOL.
If you would like to read more information about it you can read about it HERE.
I tried to post pictures but they were HUGE!Edited by user Tuesday, September 28, 2010 4:06:17 PM(UTC)
| Reason: Pictures were too dang HUGE!
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okieladybug wrote:I too slide a piece of blank white cardstock in the envie in front of the card if it has embellishment on it.
I also have a handy dandy mailing template that one of my postmen gave me when I was in the post office one day. I posted on the MB about it a long time ago and I know some people were told by their post offices that they weren't for customers. I asked my postman about it not long ago and he said "Just one of the benefits of living in Ada America" LOL.
If you would like to read more information about it you can read about it HERE.
I tried to post pictures but they were HUGE! I also have one from my sweepstakes days. I always bought my stamps from a one person postoffice. I was her best customer so she gave me one. If you ask they may let you take a photocopy of it. Then you can make your own. It's been invaluable to me.
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Man - I was just going to post about that - the postperson showed me that one day - but I see okie beat me to the punch. I did not know about the cardstock which would have been helpful YESTERDAY!! Guess I'll see if they come back in the mail.
That okie sure is smart....just wish she was also psychic.
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I don't mind the extra postage. I only send cards to people I really love, so it does not bother me to have extra postage. I think our mail service is very cheap. During the pony express days, it was $5.00 a letter.
Carolyn
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In Canada it cost 57cents plus tax (64cents) To mail a card to the United States it cost $1.00 To send mail overseas is $1.90. And we don't have Saturday delivery either.
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CarolynS wrote:I don't mind the extra postage. I only send cards to people I really love, so it does not bother me to have extra postage. I think our mail service is very cheap. During the pony express days, it was $5.00 a letter.
Carolyn And we didn't even have Cricuts then!!!
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Sheesh, I asked if I could buy a template this week (because I had this issue too) and was told that they didn't give them out. They were nice about it though. I did stock up on 10 cents stamps (they dont carry 20's). I wonder if I could just make a template with my cricut .... For mass mailings that I am not sure will survive the postal system, such as elaborate Christmas cards, I have been know to mail myself one and see how it does. Edited by user Tuesday, September 28, 2010 8:41:04 PM(UTC)
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As I was laid-off from my job, I am watching my $, so I will keep this in mind when I make my Christmas cards. Thanks for the info.
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MargaretZamora wrote:As I was laid-off from my job, I am watching my $, so I will keep this in mind when I make my Christmas cards. Thanks for the info. take a piece of chipboard and cut a scant 1/4" slit in it. that's what these 'templates' are. Edited by user Wednesday, September 29, 2010 5:10:53 AM(UTC)
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i went 'round with the post office once on this and ended up walking out with my card still in hand. i had put an 'organza' bow (very small) on a card as the only embellishment. when the guy that i don't care for felt the tiny lump, he said that it would be extra (he's also the guy that ALWAYS asks me if i want to pay $30+ to express mail my packages - the answer is always a disgusted 'no'). i asked why so much and he said 'because it is 'uneven'. i had mailed cards many, many times with organza ribbons on them, so i took it and walked out. i later put my 44 cents postage on it and it arrived at its destination just fine! i'm all for keeping jobs, but don't overcharge the customer to do it. i feel that is dishonest. there surely are other ways our postal service can get back into the black. Edited by user Wednesday, September 29, 2010 3:48:58 AM(UTC)
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Honestly I always use embellishments (not huge) on all my cards and I just stick a stamp on them put them in the mail and they ALWAYS end up that their intended destination with absolutely no problems!
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Using Design Studio and my E, I cut a mailing template.
It's a piece of chipboard with a 1/4" wide slot in it.
If an envelope can't slide through the opening easily, it will require extra postage.
Sometimes I can press gently down on the card, inside the envelope, without crushing the embellishments and compress it enough that it will go with regular postage.
The post office says that if it's over the 1/4" thick that it has to be hand canceled, it won't go through their machines, that's why you pay extra postage.
Since all mail is now processed by machine, if you have very many embellishments on the card you do run the risk of them being damaged.
I don't make cards that are really very thick unless they will be hand delivered to the recipient along with a gift.
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I love to embellis my cards but the ones that have too much I hand deliver other wise I try to be careful when mailing
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