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hunter48820
Fireman
6024 Posts |
 Posted - 08/08/2011 : 12:31:16 PM
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Hi All,
Usually, I pay in the area of $5 when I ship each interchange freightcar using priority mail. Today, I shipped a car and the box was not marked priority mail and the cost was only $3.23, a very nice savings!!
I was wondering if anyone sees a need to use priority mail to ship our cars. I really doubt that they are delivered that much earlier and are basically handled the same way using either.
We can each save a dozen or more bucks each year if we just ship regular mail. Any thoughts??
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Best, Andy Keeney
Look out for #1, but don't step in #2! |
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Rusty Stumps
Fireman
USA
5929 Posts |
Posted - 08/08/2011 : 12:34:30 PM
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Andy, Unless something weighs 1 pound or more I generally ship First Class. With the system I use 1 pound or more is automatically Priority, Parcel Post or Express. Priority in most every case is the cheapest of these three.
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Walt
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mabloodhound
Fireman
USA
4621 Posts |
Posted - 08/08/2011 : 1:43:03 PM
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I ship one or two of my kits as 1st class mail. Only when they have to go into a larger box do I use Priority.
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Dave Mason
D&G RR (Dunstead & Granford) in On30
“Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.”~Benjamin Franklin
The 2nd Amendment, America’s 1st Homeland Security
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nhguy
Fireman
USA
3666 Posts |
Posted - 08/08/2011 : 2:14:54 PM
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First Class is cheaper. I've used it. But I get delivery confirmation so I know it got there so it adds a little more. Sometimes I use Priority. Here's a little information that I found out at the post office. If your package has ANY markings on the box for Priority Mail, a sticker, the packing tape, ANYTHING that identifies it as Priority Mail, the post office will only ship it Priority Mail. So if you want to ship it First Class you have to remove anything on the box that has anything to do with Priority mail. The P.O will not remove it. You have to before you walk in or your going to get the higher charge.
Another little tid-bit of information. Don't just keep adding tape to the box. Remove it down to the cardboard. All that packing tape adds to the weight of the package. I removed almost 2 ounces of weight from the last box I had. It saved me some cost on the shipping. Plus, the tape has a better chance of holding because it has a clean surface to adhere to.
Bill
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Bill Shanaman
Superintendent, New Haven RR in the 1948 to 1952 era
PMRA President 2013-14, OpSIG Member
NCE User Since 1999
Sugar City, Colorado |
Edited by - nhguy on 08/08/2011 2:17:10 PM |
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simon1966
Fireman
USA
2861 Posts |
Posted - 08/08/2011 : 2:44:49 PM
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| Bill is spot on, any hint of a priority label, stamp or tape and no choice it has to go priority. |
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k9wrangler
Fireman
USA
5890 Posts |
Posted - 08/08/2011 : 3:15:27 PM
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I've used both priority and first class. One consideration is that you can print out the priority label, for a few cents less than if done at the post office, request carrier pickup all online and save the cost of gas and time to drive it to the post office and IF they are open when you get there. Our local post office is only open 9-2! Serious effort being made to kill it, I think. Our rural carrier now works out of another post office a bit farther away yet. Ironically the closest PO to me is not my 'home' post office.
Sometimes I have repackaged interchange cars to smaller boxes and twice have combined 2 month's cars together as time has been scarce at times. |
Karl Scribner
H.M.F.W.B.I.C.
Kentucky Southern Rwy & Associated Lines
Sunfield Twp. Michigan
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Dutchman
Administrator
USA
23234 Posts |
Posted - 08/08/2011 : 6:47:29 PM
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| If I can find a small enough shipping box, I can usually send it first class. The bigger boxes must just add enough weight to eliminate that option. |
Bruce
Modeling the railroads of the Jersey Highlands in HO and the logging railroads of Pennsylvania in HOn3 |
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closetguy
Fireman
USA
1296 Posts |
Posted - 08/08/2011 : 10:54:19 PM
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Hi All
I take priority boxes and turn them inside out. I can than cut them down to what ever size I need. I ship priority only because it tracks 90% of the time daily. First class will only track if you get delivery confirmation and than only when it's delivered. I did have a fight with a postal clerk one day about covering up the flat rate box labeling. Once a postal clerk covered them up with tape for me and shipped the package regular priority. He was cool. When I tried that myself, the nice woman at the counter scolded me and refused to ship my package. So I had to repace in a none flat rate box to ship an 8oz item for $4.00.
Mike M
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spyder62
Engine Wiper
USA
465 Posts |
Posted - 08/09/2011 : 01:13:58 AM
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I use first class with confirmation for all items under one pound. For the 70 cents the conformation costs i have found it gets there as fast or faster then priority. But have also found that priority or conformation does not means it was delivered to the right address. It just meand they dropped it off. I had one were they said it was delivered but customer never got it. It was dropped at a empty house across the street and was there over a month before someone found it.
rich
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In my many years I have come to a conclusion that one useless man is a shame,
two is a law firm and three or more is a congress.
--John Adams
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thierry malaterre
New Hire
France
1 Posts |
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Geezer
Fireman
USA
8194 Posts |
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Philip
Fireman
USA
1398 Posts |
Posted - 04/19/2013 : 1:00:00 PM
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I ship 1st class, so far so good. I use pitney bowes (sp?) saves money plus no extra cost for tracking. In comparison USPS charges average 2.07 per parcel + 80cent tracking. Pitney average is 1.69 with tracking included.
I remember those priority boxes when they weren't printed on the inside, hence the verge of bankruptcy, or was it Lance Armstrong? |
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lazerman
Fireman
USA
1114 Posts |
Posted - 04/25/2013 : 04:08:58 AM
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I look at it as it always cost me less than 5 bucks to ship a car during our interchange program. It was still worth it. Seeing i would piss away more than that on something dumb , If you think about the things you buy in life and it may not get used or it breaks or its junk and your stuck with it , sending out a train car once a month is no big deal ,unless your a super tight ass on money!!!lol.. I had fun with the interchange car program didn't care about the cost to send it out and most of the time I was out of work to boot.
life is short have fun while you can########### |
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mabloodhound
Fireman
USA
4621 Posts |
Posted - 04/25/2013 : 10:16:55 AM
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I'm still shipping 1st class mail. If you use PayPal to buy and print your shipping labels you can print 1st class on line. Just can't print International 1st class.
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Dave Mason
D&G RR (Dunstead & Granford) in On30
“Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.”~Benjamin Franklin
The 2nd Amendment, America’s 1st Homeland Security
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Rusty Stumps
Fireman
USA
5929 Posts |
Posted - 04/25/2013 : 12:09:55 PM
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I use Stamps.com for my postage as I can do just about any shipping with them. I shipped over 1,000 packages last year and unless it's 14 ounces or more/or the customer requests, it goes priority. Otherwise it goes first class. Plus it automatically tracks all packages except those going out of the states.
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Walt
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Pennman
Crew Chief
USA
619 Posts |
Posted - 04/25/2013 : 10:04:48 PM
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I have shipped some smaller items first class, and when I couldn't find a suitable box that was sturdy, I can use a small flat-rate priority box, but, you must wrap it in brown paer, to cover up any "priority" wording. I got that info from a "Gov't" source, but was told not to tell! ...So, I'm NOT!![:-bigeyes]
Rich |
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Mailing Cost
