go to usps.com and under supplies order the 7x7x8 priority box.
BUT it's not a $5.00 flat rate box. It goes by weight and zones. You could pay almost $10 to mail a heavy box if you are on the east coast and are mailing to the west coast.

I started using regular Priority since the flat rate went up. I think it used to be $8.60. If it's only bare roots you're mailing, it's cheaper to go regular Priority--usually--depending on where it's being sent.

I'm sure our evil oil industry has everything to do with shipping costs.

You can send up to about 2 pounds priority mail for around 5 dollars.

Here is the pricing structure.

Kathy

Here is a link that might be useful: Priority Mail Rates

This link shows the 2 sizes of the Small Flat Rate boxes, the Large Flat Rate box, as well as the cardboard Flat Rate envelope available.
The link also shows what it costs to send different weight boxes paying by the pound to the different mail zones.

Here you can fill in your zip code, get a list of all the Mail Zones from your zip, and print out a printer friendly version. Here in IN I find that anyone east of the Mississippi is in Mail Zone 4 or less. I usually don't respond to trades if I don't know where the member is located, and usually limit my trading to those in zones 1-4, unless it is a small maybe 1 LB or less trade.

Here you can order the 3 different sizes of Flat Rate boxes for free as well as the Flat Rate Envelope. You can also order all the other sizes of Priority Boxes. It looks like some are a minimum order of 10. I am able to pick most of these up at my small local PO in small quantities of 2 or 3 at a time.

Here you can print out your postage on line. You will first need to set up an account and it requires a credit card. It will then 'remember' your card for use the next time. You will also need to know the weight of your box if you are not using flat rate packaging. It does not require any special paper...you just tape the printout to your box according to instructions, being careful to not tape over the barcade.

Here tells about The Scan Form and its use. When one pays on line with Free Delivery Confirmation, the scan form will show in the USPS tracking system that the package was indeed mailed and what time it entered the USPS system. If this is not used, then I don't believe the Free Delivery Confirmation will not be found on line, until it shows that the package was delivered.

Here you can schedule a pick up from your home. It says you can schedule up until 2AM for same day pick up, but I found that it does not work. I schedule before midnight for pickup the next day. This is for Priority mail only, and with Prepaid on line postage.

Here is a list of the First Class Mail costs. (seeds and small trades)
Letters (must be under 3.5 OZ, flexible and under 1/4" thick.
Large Envelopes must be under 3/4" thick, flexible, and with the contents evenly distributed, and taped down (as in a bunch of seed packs NOT shifting)
First Class Parcels...up to 13 OZ is $3.21 or less. This is perfect for small trades, or for items that are just small by nature...iris, daffodils and other bulbs, a daylily fan if cut back. I salvage all sizes and shapes of light weight, yet sturdy boxes from the recycling center. Even a pizza box (cut down )is fine for a lot of things...cuttings, small seedlings, etc come to mind. I sometimes put a piece of styrofoam in it to keep it safe from getting flattened. I received in some irises in a Pringals can.

Finally, a postal scale from ebay is a valuable tool to have if one is going to do much trading of seeds, or plants, or both. One can then pack up a box to within 1/10th of an ounce without going over to the next pound. I often put in a bonus of something to say...fill a box to 1 LB 15 OZ since I will be paying for a 2 LB box.
Here are the postal scales offered on ebay. I see there is a nice one going out in about an hour...no bids...opening price of $24.99 with Free Shipping!...a good deal.

I think and hope all I said above is correct...Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong. If anyone has any questions, feel free to post here, or email me.

Sue...off to get busy

Sue, thanks for all that info. I've bookmarked this page for further reference. I knew some of it, but not all. Thanks again for the links.

You're welcome.

I see the $24.99 scale (with free shipping) is still there...with 27 minutes left.

This post might get moved to the Conversation side of the forum, as some are, that are not actual trade requests. So...if you don't find it here, check there.(Conversations)

Sue

Ima,
Yes Sue has some good points....She is the reason I have a postal scale! And it has saved me money!

This is the one I have and it's listed by the same seller I bought from, it has always been accurate for me.

Vic

Here is a link that might be useful: scale on ebay

Dang...that scale has shipping of $15.87, but so far just has 1 bid of 96 cents with 8 hours to go. I wonder if it is a GWer that bid on it maybe? $26 or less is about the best price....and that includes shipping. They sure can't be found that cheap anywhere else that I know of.

I've been known to (one time) bid on a scale, have the seller ship it to the cyber GW friend, and then the GWer reimburse me via a money order...so if ya don't 'do' ebay, you can contact me, and I might be able to help ya out.

Sue

Once again, Sue - you are the bomb!

You always have such wonderful and valuable knowledge to offer.

Thank you so much!
Diana

lol..... Okay, I just bid on a postal scale. Why not? I guess I'm going to have to do a lot of trading. I especially like the idea of free delivery confirmation. Well, not sure how it all works, but I'll figure it out and it will save trips to the post office.
Thanks Sue and Vic. I've been thinking about it lately and it was just the push I needed. Last week I checked on some postal scales at a local store and the prices were too high. Can't beat the prices on ebay. And I like the fact you can use it for lighter envelopes, too. If I don't win I can always bid again. Seems that they come up every couple of hours with another scale.

You're welcome!

Yesterday I sent out a bubble envelope. It weighed exactly 1 OZ on my scale...I weighed it several times, placing it in different positions on the scale. Well, today it came back to me as postage due, needing a little more postage, as I guess it weighed over 1 OZ for them....grrrrrr...If I was going into town, I'd sure stop by the PO with my scale and that envy in hand, to see if mine was wrong, or what. No biggie...I kind of thought I might be pushing the envelope (get it?) in putting postage on it for 1 OZ.

I often am not in town during the hours that the PO is open, for 2,3, or 4 weeks, so printing on line, and scheduling pick-ups is the way to go for me. Gas is too high to drive into town, without it being a necessary trip and running many errands while I'm there.

Postal scales bought locally are really high.

Postage printed on line runs about $.25 to $.75 cheaper too, than paying at the PO...another savings.

Sue

Dirt,
don't bid higher than .96 or .98 on that scale, if you go right to the sellers page chances are they have many of them. I went to the page, found the one with the least amt of time left and bid .96 and won, yea, the S&H is a lot, but ya either pay 20 something for free ship, or buy the scale cheap and pay higher shipping, works out about the same.
Right now they got 50lb ones for the same price, just minutes left on some, but they have lots!
(I should ask them for commission-sp) LOL

Here is a link that might be useful: scales

Dang...unless someone bids on those going out really soon, they will be really cheap. I was a bit high I guess in saying that $25 or so was a 'good' price if it included shipping.

My bad...

Sue

chemocurl & Vic,
Well, OK, so I had to bid $3.00 on a scale...(hope it wasn't someone here I was bidding against)..but I got it for $20.+ change...so I think it's worth it. I've been checking them out at the post office and it seems to me they were more at the post office.

kwy...you did good!

I see there are 4 that are to go out this hour, no bids, with an opening bid of 96 cents, and $15.97 to ship.

There's lots to go around.

Thanks for all the guidance. I finally got my scale after 3 failed attempts. But, I got it at the right price and I got the color I wanted.

Congtats!

Maybe vic should be getting a commission from the seller..that's tow right her.

s

Glad you guys got one!
I think it took me a full day to get one at the lowest price, but I was determined! LOL

I do wish I had gotten the 50lb one, then I could use it to weight Zack LOL

I just wonder where they have gotten all those from........

bumping up this great info