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I read through the posts... Is there a better size in the priority to use? I see that there is 2 sizes. 11-7/8" x 3-3/8" x 13-5/8" and 11" X 8.5" X 5.5" - it seems to me that the 11-7/8 size has more cubic inches? But the pictures I see in the thread look like the 8.5 x 5.5 - Any help?

You're correct in that the narrower type 2 box has 30 (in^3) more volume. I just finished packing my first box with $75 FV in it. I think the issue with either box is not volume, but weight. $100 fv will fit into a type 1 medium flat rat box, but will weigh around 68 lbs. The limit of 70 lbs on flat rate boxes allows only a bit of leeway for packing material. Any tips on weight economy of reinforcement might be helpful. I'd like to try to fill a medium flat rate with $100 face, but I'm pretty sure I'd hit over the 70 lb. mark. I see buying a scale accurate to within an ounce up to 100 lbs in my future. Sigh...I thought I was going overboard in hobby equipment investments with the Popsicles I bought for their sticks.

Final question: Do you guys usually make 4 bricks for $100 FV or 3 bricks of approx $33.33 each?

mtldealer wrote:I read through the posts... Is there a better size in the priority to use? I see that there is 2 sizes. 11-7/8" x 3-3/8" x 13-5/8" and 11" X 8.5" X 5.5" - it seems to me that the 11-7/8 size has more cubic inches? But the pictures I see in the thread look like the 8.5 x 5.5 - Any help?

http://coincollectingenterprises.com/pr ... boxes-mail

Your copper pennies are mailed in medium flat rate priority mail boxes shipped via USPS. We use strong paper tape that is extremely durable and holds the boxes together. Our paper tape is pressure-sensitive due to having fiberglass filament reinforcement that is of professional strength. Below is a basic illustration of how many pounds equates to how many boxes. Meaning every 68 pounds = 1 box.
Pounds of
Copper Pennies Number of Boxes
Mailed to You
68 1
204 3
476 7
680 10


This is the most efficient and cost effective manner to ship copper pennies directly to you. Each box will contain two 34 pound coin bags filled with copper pennies, totaling for a 68 pound copper pennies bullion order. Quantities are therefore in 68 pound orders.

This needs to be a sticky.

My2Cents wrote:This needs to be a sticky.

+1 very helpful info here

Thanks so much for the great info and for making this a sticky.

I personally use the 6 small flats rates inside medium flat rate method. Each small flat rate weighs 11.5lb - .15 weight of each box is 11.35 x 6 = 68.1lb of copper. With tape and everything I come in just under the 70 lb mark.

Easiest way to ship $100 face and not worry about going over the 70 pound limit is to use a couple of Plastic coin shipment bags with 5000 in each bag. You can reinforce the medium FRB pretty well and still come in around 69 pounds.

great tips guys and love the pics too.

I just received a package of pennies via the USPS from one of our members. The box looked like Japan after the war. With all the good penny-shipping info in this thread and others, nobody should be making this kind of mistake...right?...right?!

Pennies were ready to fall out, making all kinds of penny noise, outing my collecting habits to the postman. Mad? No, I ain't mad.

I'm going to release Mrs. shinnosuke, the silent ninja assassin, the next time something like this happens! Oh sure, go ahead and laugh. You won't be laughing when that short-bladed katana finds your aorta.

shinnosuke wrote:I just received a package of pennies via the USPS from one of our members. The box looked like Japan after the war. With all the good penny-shipping info in this thread and others, nobody should be making this kind of mistake...right?...right?!

Pennies were ready to fall out, making all kinds of penny noise, outing my collecting habits to the postman. Mad? No, I ain't mad.

I'm going to release Mrs. shinnosuke, the silent ninja assassin, the next time something like this happens! Oh sure, go ahead and laugh. You won't be laughing when that short-bladed katana finds your aorta.

Breathe in...breathe out....relax....at least you got your pennies, right? That box must've been in pretty bad shape, eh?

What do I do when the post office claims my box was overweight by 3 pounds? I have shipped many before with no problems. My scale only goes up to 35 lb. but I know my box only weighs about 69 lb., 10 oz. tops. The box was picked up on the 18th and I got the notice in the mailbox today, dated yesterday. I called the post office and they said they couldn't find the box anywhere at the post office but the postman didn't have it either -- just the notice. They told me to call tomorrow but I am worried they will refuse to weigh the box again or cheat me out of $10.85 postage, and that my buyer will complain.

thripp wrote:What do I do when the post office claims my box was overweight by 3 pounds? I have shipped many before with no problems. My scale only goes up to 35 lb. but I know my box only weighs about 69 lb., 10 oz. tops. The box was picked up on the 18th and I got the notice in the mailbox today, dated yesterday. I called the post office and they said they couldn't find the box anywhere at the post office but the postman didn't have it either -- just the notice. They told me to call tomorrow but I am worried they will refuse to weigh the box again or cheat me out of $10.85 postage, and that my buyer will complain.

They have scales right at the customer service counter. Just ask them nicely to weigh it. They should given it is their job. You can always ask to speak with the postmaster if the postal workers in general refuse to assist you properly. Hopefully you have tracking information!

I had to go pick it up and they refused to weigh it, so I took it to a different post office and they shipped it. It was only 69 lbs., 8.0 ozs.

Any experience with shipping to Canada

Trapper30 wrote:Any experience with shipping to Canada

Yes, I used to ship wheat cents to Canada, but it is expensive. UPS was the best deal at the time.

thripp wrote:What do I do when the post office claims my box was overweight by 3 pounds? I have shipped many before with no problems. My scale only goes up to 35 lb. but I know my box only weighs about 69 lb., 10 oz. tops. The box was picked up on the 18th and I got the notice in the mailbox today, dated yesterday. I called the post office and they said they couldn't find the box anywhere at the post office but the postman didn't have it either -- just the notice. They told me to call tomorrow but I am worried they will refuse to weigh the box again or cheat me out of $10.85 postage, and that my buyer will complain.

Didn't they weigh it when you dropped it off at the post office the first time? They would tell you if you were overweight the first time you tried to ship it off. I had one come back for being overweight once. The main regional post office sent it back to my my PO claiming it was a couple of pounds over 70. Turns out they put it in one of those tubs before putting it on the scale and forgot to tare for the tub. Mu PO who knows my packages always make weight weighed it on three seperate scales and sent it back to the regional po. It only delayed shipment to the buyer by a few extra days.

HoardCopperByTheTon wrote:

thripp wrote:What do I do when the post office claims my box was overweight by 3 pounds? I have shipped many before with no problems. My scale only goes up to 35 lb. but I know my box only weighs about 69 lb., 10 oz. tops. The box was picked up on the 18th and I got the notice in the mailbox today, dated yesterday. I called the post office and they said they couldn't find the box anywhere at the post office but the postman didn't have it either -- just the notice. They told me to call tomorrow but I am worried they will refuse to weigh the box again or cheat me out of $10.85 postage, and that my buyer will complain.

Didn't they weigh it when you dropped it off at the post office the first time? They would tell you if you were overweight the first time you tried to ship it off. I had one come back for being overweight once. The main regional post office sent it back to my my PO claiming it was a couple of pounds over 70. Turns out they put it in one of those tubs before putting it on the scale and forgot to tare for the tub. Mu PO who knows my packages always make weight weighed it on three seperate scales and sent it back to the regional po. It only delayed shipment to the buyer by a few extra days.

No, because I scheduled a pickup and had the postman pick it up at my house. Then I got the notice in my mailbox a few days letter that it was held for being overweight. When I took it to the other post office they weighed it on three scales like yours did and they were all under 70 lbs., so they shipped it off anyway. I think they may have weighed it with the tub since it was in one when I got it from the post office that refused to weigh it, but it should have been under 72 lbs. even then, not 73 lbs. like they said, because the tubs weigh 1.94 lbs.

slickeast wrote:

galenrog wrote:I've been looking at several way of packing the medium flat rate box. I have found that I can fit six small flat rate boxes in the medium. It is a good snug fit. Each small flat rate box holds 1500 cents, which I pack into ziplock bags of 500 each. 9000 cents into the medium box. I've bounced this around a bit by dropping it to concrete from every angle I could thing of. The medium box gets quite a bit of damage, but I could not get any pennies to spill. I like this method, although others like the way they do it. Anything I put up for sale here will be packed this way.

I have done this method before. I think I was selling 60lbs of copper. Trying to sell $100 face might push this method over the 70lb mark.

Now I just double box and use canvas bags and a lot of tape.

I ship $100 all the time and it's right at 69.3#. I push the limit but they'll take it. My method is a little different than the one above but works the same. I did have the guy at the post office tell me one time that you can't tape the outside of the box. Seemed crazy to me since it was clear tape. He ended up taking it and it arrived intact.

Has anyone ever called the dept of weights and measures about a p.o. That has given you problems. A local big chain grocery had scales that were way off. I called the dept and they were happy to go out.

Thanks for this bit of info i will be shipping out some boxes here before to long glad to know how to properly do it.
Thanks
PIP

68Camaro wrote:Thanks to Spikeanator for helping me relocate this thread...

A) This needs to be made a sticky! (Who can make that happen?)

B) I was just told yesterday by my postmaster (not a clerk) that reinforcement of the faces of a flat rate box is not allowed. Seams/edges can be taped, but not the faces, to do so violates the terms of the flat rate rule, and he will start charging me postage due based on non flat rate weight on anything improperly done, going forward. He said he had no problem with the heavy boxes themselves - the weight wasn't the issue - he is aware (yikes! I have a reputation!) that I've rec'd a number of others that were not so taped and they arrived fine. Note that this doesn't prevent internal reinforcement (though it wouldn't be as effective) or reinforcement of the internal box on its external surface (this would work fine).

Comments?

I was a victim of this today. My box got shipped to the receiving post office, and they refused it and sent it back. I called the receiving post office, and spoke to a lady who was really nice and directed me to a manager at another office. I called him, and he was completely rude and got into a heated argument with me. He told me that taping a box is altering it. He said priority mail boxes must be shipped AS-IS. I asked if that meant no tape, and just kept responding that they must be shipped as-is. If you tape it, it is not as-is. He told me if you mail something that heavy then you are abusing flat rate services, and you must pay full price. He was completely nasty with me and told me he would make sure my box was not delivered no matter how many times I resent it. Unless I did not tape it. I had to refund the customer's money since I apparently can not possibly ship pennies to him.

chris6084 wrote: If you tape it, it is not as-is. He told me if you mail something that heavy then you are abusing flat rate services, and you must pay full price. He was completely nasty with me and told me he would make sure my box was not delivered no matter how many times I resent it. Unless I did not tape it.

Well according to the USPS advertisements and THEIR regulations if it fits it ships up to 70 lbs. So how is that abusing the system? And by using tape on the outside of the box you are not altering it you are reinforcing it. I have been shipping $100.00 face value copper for years and I use a LOT of reinforced tape every time I ship a box.

I don't use any reinforced tape, but I do use a lot of regular packing tape and the Priority mail 2" by 3" and 2" by 12" stickers for reinforcement with no problems besides that time they told me my box weighed 73 pounds when it was really 69 lbs., 10 ozs.

So the" box inside the box" is severely taped.


The outside box is not taped.

Let's adjust our tactics so the box appears unaltered. We can make a CTU $98fv plus a silver dime.

a CTU is OUR definition. This is not a problem.