Online Postage Options Canada

[johnk_2000]

Is there any online postage options in Canada like there is in the USA?

Cheers


.

[lina-mallows]

johnk_2000 - PLEASE! Regardless of ANY ITC, or other offsetting tax credit- just because an item is tax deductible athe Federal Income Tax level- does not mean that the expense is FREE!

Purchasing stamps at 10% and beyond, BELOW FACE VALUE, is a VERY real saving that will not be offset if the money were sitting in the bank!

How much does each dollar of postage cost you with your fancy postage meter? Let's see you come up with a REAL HARD number for every dollar of postage you apply with those fancy little labels? (printing your own postage has REAL costs- adhesive labels- ink, and other sundry costs)

I pay 90¢ (or less) per dollar face of postage- AND I STILL get the ALL the WRITE OFFS- and offsetting tax credits!!!!!
I don't have printing errors. I don't have to pay for the stock to print my postage on, etc.

The abilty to 'write off expenses' is clearly not being understood.
DEDUCTIONS FOR USELESS, and NEEDLESS EXPENSES DO NOT MAKE SENSE.
While it is often said you have to spend money to make money- don't spend on items that have no purpose!

Where johnk_2000 is your cost/benefit analysis?

When you 'write something off', you are simply making that amount a NON- TAXABLE entity. So, depending on the bracket of tax you are in, you are saving something- BUT STILL SPENDING UNNECESSARILY!

THE BOTTOM LINE is, regardless of not having to pay tax on that amount- IT IS A VERY REAL COST- and it comes right out of your pocket!

So- lecture all you want. Being billed ONCE a month- is still being billed!
Spending money that need not be spent is sheer foolishness!

I spent thirteen years studying economics- and five years lecturing on the subject.
Waste all the money you want- I would rather not spend it in the first place!
AND JUST FOR THE RECORD johnk_2000 REST ASSURED I AM NO ONE'S HONEY!

[pierrelebel]

"Purchasing stamps at 10% and beyond, BELOW FACE VALUE, is a VERY real saving"

That is correct. However, matching stamps of many denominations on an envelope or parcel to make up the rate is time consuming and not for everyone.

If one looks around, a seller can purchase old Canadian postage at 20% to 30% below face value (stamps dealers do it all the time). I do it, most stamp dealers do it, but it is not for everyone. .

[johnk_2000]

See honey there is the difference between yourself and I.

I would never send out a parcel with a bunch of stamps from gods knows where I had to find them on them.

I run a very professional business and come accross that way to my customers.

You can rant and rave all you want but until you truly DO NOT have enough time in the day to complete your list of to-does your just flipping off at the wind.

Time is money honey and once you are in that position you will understand what a higher tax bracket is!

Anyway I have no time debating this with you and I shall leave it at that.

I have seen your rants here before and it seems you truly think you know it all honey.

Sometimes wise people just sit back and are silent on issues they truly are not informed on.

I see this isnot you!

Done

[lina-mallows]

Apparently there are those like johnk_2000 who have MORE money than most- and can AFFORD to go to great lengths to spend it foolishly.

Pierre is absolutely correct- and stamps are available through any number of Canadian stamp dealers at discounts between 20% and 30%.
Not everyone has a stamp dealer, or the resources to locate one willing to meet their needs. SHOPPER'S DRUG MART is pretty much everywhere across Canada- and their annual CHRISTMAS STAMP SALE provides books of SELF ADHESIVE stamps (in booklet form)- at a discount.

If anyone thinks that professionalism means receiving a package with a meter mark attached- they have no clue the value of applying postage stamps- especially when selling collectible items.

Pierre- how many people appreciate those stamps you apply? And how many take the extra time comment on them! That's what pleasing customers is about. Not wasting extra money for a METER LABEL!

[dipmicro]

Cost of mailing items is mainly in the labour, not the postage.

Both of you (Lina and John) are right. Some are running hobby business with plenty of time on their hands and that's perfectly fine, others are more oriented to assigning the tasks to others (or better tools) and with little expenditures achieving much greater efficiency.

An example:

Most people maintain at least one car - e.g. $100/m insurance, $80/m in gas, $150/m in depreciation, while they could use the public transport to get around saving $2000-$2500 a year.

I find it funny that many people spend $10 in gas to get a $5 stamp discounts. Plus their time. I find it amusing when people travel 10-20km one way, spending 1hr of their lives, just to pickup their order and save $2 on S/H.

Many folks tend to not value their own time. Companies like Primerica, Amway or Avon are taking advantage of that.

[pierrelebel]

"Some are running hobby business with plenty of time on their hands... "

... true... and some of us are running a full time mail order business, typically spending 60 hours a week at it.... and I use discount postage because... it saves me several thousand dollars every year.... and my customers (stamp collectors and dealers) prefer stamps to meters.

Yes it does take more time. It is not for every one but it certainly works for me. Spending an extra hour a week sorting and licking postage is worth over $40 an hour for me, let alone the added customer satisfaction. .

[lina-mallows]

Thank you Pierre for validating my claim that STAMPS can be both cost effective, and PROFESSIONAL!

Time is money, and for you, STAMPS make sense!

Postage STAMPS in Canada are available up to $8 value per stamp.
Many large packages we mail are in the $70 to $80 range.
SAVING $7 to place 9 or 10 stamps on a box is no big deal.
For our regular envelopes- it's one ot two stamps- so what's the big deal?
WE ARE NOT ASSEMBLING massive groups of 10 to fifty stamps per package! (though I personally enjoy those dealers who use smaller value stamps in LARGE quantities!)

There may be a huge difference in how STAMPS are perceived in the COLLECTOR'S market, and METER TAPE in the business market.
HOWEVER- at the end of the day spending MORE money on unnecessary items, than you need to, makes no sense!

[pierrelebel]

The question is often raised: where do I buy those large postage lots well below face value.

Answer: at philatelic auctions.

For example, tomorrow in London Ontario, there is an auction offering many large lots of mint Canadian stamps (all with original gum). Here is one:

---

Lot 458 - Canada massive accumulation of intact booklet, sheets, multiples, etc., etc., filling a carton. Very fine mint, never hinged. Face $2,900. Current Opening Bid $1900.00. Estimated Realization $2000.00

---

That auctioneer charges a 12.5% buyers fee. So if the lot goes for $2,000 as expected, the buyer will pay $2,250 (including the premium) or the equivalent of 22.5% below face value. If the lot goes for $1,900 (current high bid), then the buyer ends up paying 26.3% below face value.

There is a large philatelic auction coming up on October 21st in Toronto, with over 60 lots offered below face value (ranging from $8,000 face to below $1,000). .

[power_batteries]

We paid $400 for a thermal printer, but have been getting free labels from Canada Post to ship with ever since. Save us lots of time and the Xpresspost prepaid envelopes save us money to many locations. (Overall, more than we could save using stamps.) Which method makes more sense depends on what you ship and how much I guess.


C.G.

[celticstudio]

Nice chat!

If anyone would like a 100% tax write off please send me $1,000.00 and I will
provide a tax receipt. You can write it all off... imagine the great savings in
taxes you will have!!! I will even accept PayPal payments. I also have some
great swamp land in Florida that I am willing to sell... 100% tax write off.

I don't think lina-mallows will be taking me up on this .. damn honey.. your
just too smart!!

From a thrifty Scot

PS: I used to sell postage meters and in my opinion lina-mallows is 100%
correct.

[lina-mallows]

celticstudio- THANKS! 😉

[pierrelebel]

"great swamp land in Florida that I am willing to sell... 100% tax write off."

Generally, Canadian tax laws do not allow writting off real estate (land), in Florida or elsewhere! ;-) .

[power_batteries]

celticstudio - did you call the same people even after they have rejected you 3+ times already too? (2 different companies keep calling me about postage meters.) You'd think they'd give up after 5 no's. 😉


C.G.