Lettermail Tips & Tricks

[teenytrinkets]

Because it would cost a minimum of $18 for me to send a one inch cube from Vancouver to Toronto (and this is WITH a small biz shipping discount...RIDICULOUS!!!), I get really, really, really creative and take some risks with lettermail.

Since I sell cosmetics, clothing and toys, sometimes it's a bit of a gamble and quite challenging. But $2-3 vs. $18+? Soooo worth it...

My favourite trick is to buy 10 x 13 yellow envelopes, and line with thin cardboard, tape down the edges, and tape my lumpy little item(s) in the middle. Most of the time it fits in the slot (I test with a cardboard facsimile I made...lol) - and sometimes it's tight! But I go for it!!! I think visually they LOOK like they fit so they're not measured.

I have to admit, sometimes it's very, very time consuming to package my sales this way - and I'm sure some buyers scratch their heads when they get 3 tubes of mascara along with their flattened little containers taped to an old cereal box, but it's my little F-U to CP for charging so much!

I have sent tshirts and other smaller clothing in a ziplock with the air sucked out of it!

I use poly bags when I need to keep the package light to get it under 100g.

I re-use materials all the time for my lettermail - thin foam liners, insulation materials, tissue, thin bubble, thin cardboard, etc., to keep supply costs low.

I always ship at the counter, and the regular employee there always chuckles that my lettermail always "just fits".

I've been told that when CP is sorting lettermail at the depot, they put "large lettermail " in a different pile so it doesn't jam the machines! Interesting! That probably explains why some of ther more fragile items still show up in one piece!

Anyway, I'd looove to see what everyone else ships lettermail, and what clever packaging is used!

[femmefan1946]

My main "trick" is to use postage stamps, rather than having the PO clerk make a label.

Since I have an apparently endless supply of mint postage, purchased at auction, I can send even a parcel for much less than the counter price.

I sell postage under another ID as many know. We have about $17,000 worth packaged at the moment and really have to get a list out to our private customers.

[esclyons]

yes, you do:)

[richardcm]

I shipped a lot using Light Packet to USA and worldwide when that shipping option was available years ago.

I made my own small flat boxes that would fit the 2 cm slot. I made them out of thin cardboard from cereal boxes sides and any other thin walled cardboard like Christmas gift boxes. I used the inside blank side for my outer box and when assembled I would line the inside with thin kraft paper from shopping bags so the buyer would not see a Shreddies box.

The thin boxes would be an assortment of sizes. 3x5 inches, 4x6 and so on, even bigger. The small boxes would weigh 30 grams leaving 70 grams for the item. The boxes were actually 1.8 cm leaving thickness room for a CN22 label and discount postage stamps on front and back. Paper tape not plastic tape for the sides so the stamps would stick.

I made hundreds of them maybe even more than a thousand. My technique improved so much that I could make them quickly with minimal measuring. I no longer sell but I still have a few around.

I also made my own bubble envelopes from thin bubble wrap and paper shopping bags and glue. All recycled materials except the school glue which I would stock up on at fall back to school.

I only bought glue and packing tape for shipping for the most part.

[travis7s]

I haven't done this personally but if you use stamps and drop it in one of the red post boxes you can get away with a lot it seems. I buy on eBay as well as have received letters that are around 40mm thick sometimes.

[travis7s]

Also you can buy the legit letter checker template from Canada Post for $10 shipped.

If you sell DVDs or video games you can actually fit 4 standard cases in one lettermail shipment if you lay them flat in a 2x2 grid.

If you drop off at the post office, ask them not to put stamps on. If they print a postal label you will get a receipt with the buyer's postal code shown and a time stamp. It's not tracking but I have successfully used this receipt to appease antsy buyers.

I've seen some envelopes for mailing photos that are made of thin stiff cardstock, good if you need something to not bend and stay thin.

[hainesby-90]

I've seen pictures online of people shipping small parcels with stamps (definitely >20mm) and putting them in the red mailboxes.  Does CP care less about items in the mailbox than those dropped at the post office?

BTW these tricks mentioned are awesome, I will try them out.

[kh-leslie]

Hi everyone,

Due to the age of this thread, it has been closed to further replies. Please feel free to start a new thread if you wish to continue to discuss this topic.

Thank you for understanding.