stamps on polymailers

[jjvan7]

Can stamps be placed on polymailers/polybags ?

Can it be used to replace envelopes for letter mailing?

[femmefan1946]

Yes-- I have from time to time had problems with "lick n stick" stamps staying on poly-but usually this is because I sometimes use very old stamps (1950s or 1960s).

With those, I use a little bad language and grab my glue stick.

I rarely have problems with the newer peel n  stick ones.

If you want to get tracking you can use mostly stamps for postage, then at the PO counter have the cost of shipping adjusted and pay any extra. The clerk then attaches the tracking label.

It is polite to mark the value of the postage on the parcel to speed the clerk's work.

And you can overlap stamps as long as you leave the face value readable.

[ricarmic]

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@femmefan1946 wrote:

Yes-- I have from time to time had problems with "lick n stick" stamps staying on poly-but usually this is because I sometimes use very old stamps (1950s or 1960s).

With those, I use a little bad language and grab my glue stick.

I rarely have problems with the newer peel n  stick ones.

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Since COVID came and I've had to move to a remote tongue (partial washcloth) to "lick" the stamps, I have discovered that during the colder season, whether it is the stamps are colder or the air in the house is drier, the glue on lick and stick stamps takes much more work to make the water "stick" to it, the water literally beads up on some issues at this time of year! I have to have my "plate" the stamps are on on an angle so I can see in the light reflection that the gum has been properly moistened....and then I have to keep pressure on the stamps for a bit to make sure they stay stuck ( @femmefan1946  for me the dextrose (old) gum is fine, it is the PVA gum from the 45c era that is the biggest problem).

I put stamps on many 100s of the airjacket (bubble) envelopes each year and so far no problems. I actually like the newer style airjackets poly better.  

[richardcm]

I am a casual seller and use recycled shipping supplies I get for free from work. Used boxes, packing paper, bubble wrap, paper and poly bubble mailers and so on. I also got discarded paper labels no longer needed as they went to a dedicated label printer.

I clean the used boxes and mailers of labels. For poly mailers I put paper labels on the poly mailers and the the postage stamps on the labels.

I use discount postage stamps bought on eBay. I can have many small denominations stamps on a package. I put higher value stamps on poly mailers because I do not have as much space with the labels.

Poly mailers are about 5-10% of the bubble mailers I get. I also get a few poly envelopes but put stiffer bubble wrap inside to convert to a poly bubble mailer.

So my tip is to put paper labels on poly mailers to make sure postage stamps stick.

PS I also get some peel and stick stamps in my lots of discount postage stamps but rarely. It is my first choice for using on a poly mailer.

[ricarmic]

Unfortunately already some of the earliest self adhesive stamps "glue" is going bad (ie they don't stick), the 43c 45c era greetings are often bad as well as 1996 Canada Day stamp.

Thats the bad news about the self adhesives, the glue "expires" - the lickable stuff "never" does!

[widgetc]

I too use old labels but dollar store labels would work too.

[jjvan7]

Reason I'm asking is there seems to be a shortage on 6x9 envelopes . it's sold out everywhere for months.  I'm very low on stock.

if I use a poly bag without bubble wrapping with the same size 6x9, my items are always under 50 grams will Canada Post consider that a letter mail rate and not parcel?

I also don't provide tracking.

[ricarmic]

Lettermail only needs to be below 5mm or 20 MM for oversize (for Canada).

It doesn't matter what the "envelope" is made out of.

[ilikehockeyjerseys · Accepted solution]

You can send lettermail in anything (cardboard, bubble mailer, etc) so long as it is under 2 CM in thickness. The caveat being, it will be considered oversized lettermail, which costs 1.94+tax for a stamp. Rates go up every 100 grams, and the max weight is 500 grams.

What kind of 6 x 9 envelopes do you use? Are you only looking at retail, or have you looked online? Lots of places sell supplies at decent prices by cases of 200-300. Even if you don't do that much volume, it might be worth biting the bullet and buying a case of what you usually use.

[clemowbooks]

Canada Post went metric in 1974.

If you use Imperial measures, you will add some uncertainty to the sizing and may end up overpaying or underpaying for your shipment.

And use a digital scale, which is more accurate than a mechanical one.