Shocking Postage Increase January 27 2013

Monkey swooned.

The US Post Office has announced a huge postage increase starting January 27.

Monkey swooned when I told him.

Thank goodness most Inklingo books are downloadable!

The increase will affect all of the “books on paper” from Inklingo, which we send in flat rate Priority envelopes.

  • Priority Mail USA is now $5.15.
    It will go up 9% to $5.60.
  • Global Priority to Canada is now $12.95.
    It will go up almost 55 % to $19.95.
  • Global Priority to everywhere else is now $16.95.
    It will go up 40% to $23.95.

In the past, the weight of the books has made the flat rate envelopes the most economical choice.

With these dramatic, shocking increase, I will try to find a more economical option. There is never a “handling” fee. You pay what I pay.

 

The Inklingo Handbook    The Patchworks of Lucy Boston

Inklingo Shape Collection # 3     Quilted Diamonds

The Inklingo Handbook, The Patchworks of Lucy Boston by Diana Boston, Inklingo # 3, and Quilted Diamonds are all more expensive to send by first class than in the flat rate envelopes.

 

POTC   Jane Austen Patchwork Mystery  Jane Austen's Writing Table Quilts

However, there may be a slower alternative for Lucy Boston Patchwork of the Crosses,  Jane Austen Patchwork Mystery and Jane Austen’s Writing Table Quilts because they are smaller.

We will take examples to the Post Office for exact info and will let you know.

BEAT THE INCREASE IF YOU CAN!

  • If you intend to order any of these books this year, you can save by ordering ahead of the increase. Our last trip before the prices go up will be Thursday 24 January 2013.
  • If you order two or more books, they can often be mailed together in one envelope.
  • Some quilters get together on an order and share the postage. That works well if you can deliver to each other in person.

A COOL DEAL TO SOFTEN THE BLOW

I will include 2 sheets of heavy freezer paper (18 x 18 inches) with every order that fits in a flat rate Priority envelope, if you order before January 24.

If Monkey hadn’t fainted, he would say that is a cool deal. (Freezer paper, cool. Get it? He loves puns.)

Let me know if you have questions!

Hunter's Star Combo - All Shapes

DO YOU  PRINT ON FABRIC WITH YOUR INKJET PRINTER?

The first chapter of The Inklingo Handbook includes everything you need to know about printing on fabric.

Those instructions are so important that I included them in the FREE shape collection for Diamond Triangles Squares, but you are going to want the whole handbook (5 chapters, 128 pages, machine piecing, hand piecing, appliqué and more), so it would be wise to order before the postage goes up. You still get the $10 coupon with it too (below).

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I’m going to revive Monkey now.

Linda & Monkey

New to Inklingo? Order and download free shapes and start sewing in the next few minutes. Quick Start (Always FREE.) There are triangles, diamonds, and squares in the free collection—great for dozens of different blocks.

$10 Coupon!  6 Year Anniversary Special on the handbook

Inklingo for Beginners

Inklingo Quiz – Just for Fun!

11 thoughts on “Shocking Postage Increase January 27 2013”

  1. Swoon indeed!! Thanks for the warning. I usually order my fabrics in the USA per flat rate envelope. It is not even that long ago that the rate went up to 16.95…
    Maybe you have just given me an excuse to do some immediate fabric shopping! Who knows what cotton prices will do in 2013. I will be *saving* money if I start hoarding now! 😉
    Annika, always prepared to see a silver lining.

    Reply
  2. I just had a big smile when I saw your picture of Monkey passed out on top of the priority mail box — so funny! :o)

    I feel like fainting too every time I see a tax increase that I didn’t vote for – everything goes up with every tax increase. My husband does taxes and just shakes his head when he tells me that people don’t understand why their taxes are so high. Maybe he needs to have a little fainting stuffed animal on his desk. :o)

    I would join monkey in a faint too, but I’d crush the box. :o)

    Glenda

    Reply
  3. Another thing you could do, Linda, is to have “repositories” of your mailable products with trusted lieutenants in Australia, Europe and other somewhere(s)? who could mail within their countries and environs. I would do this for you if I were in the appropriate location, and I am sure that there are others you know better and who you trust who would do it because of their commitment to you and to Inklingo. If you choose to do this, I suggest that you send Monkey to do the offsite training. I seriously think this could work. I will help any way I can, organizing things, etc., if it would help. Office organization/efficiencies is one of my longstanding employment skills. I’m retired on Social Security, so can’t make any money, so it’s perfect for you -it’s free! I do go on, don’t I? Enough. I hope that this does not negatively affect you and your wonderful World of Inklingo! Jack

    Reply
  4. Thanks for the suggestions.
    It is really the OVERSEAS rates I am most worried about because Inklingo is very popular in Australia, Europe and Asia and these are shocking increases. Media Mail is not an option to Australia! It is a good thing most of Inklingo is downloadable!!!!
    Priority Mail within the USA is not going up as dramatically and I have never had good luck with Media Mail. I hate it when anyone sends anything to me by Media Mail because it takes so long. The USPS website says 8 days delivery, but there is no tracking and it can take much longer. Three WEEKS from Niagara Falls to California caused a lot of anxiety for me and a shop, no tracking, extra expense for delivery confirmation, extra cost for packaging, and Media Mail must NOT include a personal note or a sample of Inklingo-printed fabric, which I normally include.
    If necessary, I will consider First Class instead of Priority, but I won’t encourage Media Mail unless a customer specifically asks for it and is willing to wait.

    Reply
  5. Yes… I ditto what Eileen suggested. Try Media Mail it is considerably less, but could take a good deal longer in transit. “Could” is the watch word. My post office told me that most times Media Mail is thrown in with First Class mail, but not always. I have had excellent results using Media Mail – about 3 days from California to NewYork. Also, using Click-n-Ship to print postage online saves money too. Plus the extra bonus is “Delivery Confirmation” is included for no additional charge… nice.

    Reply
  6. You may want to look into the media rate. At one point it was cheaper than first class when mailing books in bulk, but I don’t know how it compares to flat rate postage. Heck, for all I know USPS may not offer it anymore.

    Reply
  7. OMGosh! Hope you know monkey CPR!! I’m mailing my order to you tomorrow! Thanks for the “cool” deal of the freezer paper sheets! You’re the best!!

    Reply
  8. That is a huge increase in rates! It’s almost as expensive as Canada Storage now, isn’t it?
    The addition of those two sheets of heavy-duty freezer paper definitely would soften the blow — I still have a couple of sheets of it left and love it! Lasts through many, many uses.

    Reply

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