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Christmas Card Conundrum
Sun Dec 02 2007

After reading this, I’m trying to decide whether to try and find rectangle holiday greeting cards, or forego sending cards altogether this year.

If you don’t want to click on the link, the story is as follows (as found on www.usps.com, the website for the United States Postal Service):

Square cards cost 17¢ more.

Because square greeting cards won't flow through standard postal sort machines, we charge a 17¢ nonmachinable surcharge to handle these special cards. So, you'll need a total of 58¢ in postage.

As well, square greeting cards more than 6 1/8" tall are priced as large envelopes. To determine how much postage you need use the USPS.com rate calculator and pick "large envelope" as the shape of your mailing.

6 Comments
  • From:
    Welshamethyst (Legacy)
    On:
    Mon Dec 03 2007
    Just another way for the USPS to stick it to us, I guess.
  • From:
    Pragmatist (Legacy)
    On:
    Mon Dec 03 2007
    OK, here's what you do. Pare your list down to the barest of bare. Eliminate relatives and friends you see frequently and will probably see during the holidays. And probably will be merry-making with them at some time during the holidays.

    What you have left is people far away whose friendship you treasure.

    The rest of us will be happy with best wishes here on DD.

    And instead of a card, a handwritten note. But if you insist on a card, then go with the rectangular.

    Love,
    Gramma Fixit.
  • From:
    DancingButterfly (Legacy)
    On:
    Mon Dec 03 2007
    I just look around for nice rectangle 'post office preferred' size cards for mailing. For gift giving, anything goes. What's more important, the issue of postage, or the issue of wanting to keep in touch with loved ones? Make things as easy for yourself as possible :)
  • From:
    Yetzirah (Legacy)
    On:
    Mon Dec 03 2007
    Since the latest price hike for letters, I am slowly finding out all the other things that they have raised, including junk like this.

    Sorry to say, the Post Office is no longer my friend.

  • From:
    Pragmatist (Legacy)
    On:
    Mon Dec 03 2007
    It does seem that holiday entertainment is geared toward the young'uns. Particularly at Christmas. And the reason for that particular celebration seems to be mostly lost.

    Parents of the older kids can get together and try to come up with appropriate entertainment for their teens. I am heartened when I read about a group of kids visiting people in nursing homes. I read about a group who did skits, sang songs, and got the patients involved with the singing.

    I was amused at the titles of your suggested movies.


    Bless
  • From:
    Salamander (Legacy)
    On:
    Tue Dec 04 2007
    The postage rates have been that way for quite a few years now. At first, when the change was new, Hallmark used to give away normal sized envelopes to put the smaller cards into, so you could use regular postage rates. I don't know if they do that any more, but you can probably buy bulk card envelopes on the cheap and do it yourself.