5 ms·

> but ordering stamps... on eBay OP was ordering US stamps to include _in_ the letter, on an SAE (self-addressed envelope) they were sending _from_ the UK, so

> but ordering stamps... on eBay OP was ordering US stamps to include _in_ the letter, on an SAE (self-addressed envelope) they were sending _from_ the UK, so that the FSF could reply (from the US) using said stamps. As a millennial myself, I have no idea where else I'd look for <recipient country> stamps should I want to include them on a SAE I was sending to said country, so that they recipient wouldn't incur the cost of replying to me. I don't find looking on eBay particularly strange, though I'd do a quick search for alternatives first.

mytailorisrich 1y ago
Sure but, on the other hand, this was overly kind of him. In general, unless it is explicitely requested that you must provide a stamped envelope for the reply the assumption of snail mail is that each side pays for its own envelopes and stamps.
- palata 1y ago
  And you could also put a dollars bill in the envelope?
  - FeepingCreature 1y ago
    From the UK...?
    - pansa2 1y ago
      The Post Office will sell you US currency, but AFAIK not US stamps.
    - deleted 1y ago
      [deleted]
    - dmurray 1y ago
      Perhaps a couple of grams of silver?
  - wongarsu 1y ago
    How to get accountants to hate you in one easy step
mjevans 1y ago
Offhand, I don't think I've ever mailed an International letter or package. Is return postage something that, normally, my local post office would help me with? E.G. do they have some method of marking or adding post to a package that would be accepted globally (or at least within the destination country)?
- ahazred8ta 1y ago
  -
  - Lex-2008 1y ago
    yep, article also mentions them: > I was disappointed to find out that the UK’s Royal Mail discontinued international reply coupons in 2011. The only alternative that I could think of was to buy some US stamps.
- Symbiote 1y ago
  That's the International Reply Coupon mentioned in the article, but it's not supported by all countries. I think I've sent far more international letters and parcels than domestic. Christmas cards for elderly relatives in the country I was born in, and postcards when I travelled abroad. Some obscure things I sold on eBay were mostly sent abroad.
  - mjevans 1y ago
    """ United Kingdom The Royal Mail stopped selling IRCs on 31 December 2011[26] due to a lack of demand. United States The United States Postal Service stopped selling international reply coupons on 27 January 2013.[27] """ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_reply_coupon#United_Kingdom https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_reply_coupon#Uni... That explains why I was confounded in my efforts to search within USPS results.
- dl9999 1y ago
  I send $3 U.S. with QSL (ham radio) cards. It seems like everybody is able to convert that to local currency to cover postage.
Someone 1y ago
> I have no idea where else I'd look for <recipient country> stamps should I want to include them on a SAE I was sending to said country I would try to buy them online from their post office. For the USA, there is https://www.usps.com/business/postage-options.htm https://www.usps.com/business/postage-options.htm: “Print Labels Online with Click-N-Ship With your free USPS.com account, you can pay for postage and print just one label or a batch of shipping labels online” Germany has (https://www.iamexpat.de/expat-info/germany-news/deutsche-post-now-lets-you-pay-postage-their-app https://www.iamexpat.de/expat-info/germany-news/deutsche-pos...): “You simply need to open the app, select the appropriate postage service, tick “Code for labelling” (Code zum Beschriften), and pay with PayPal. You will then immediately receive a code, consisting of the letters #PORTO and an eight-digit string, which you must write in pen in the top right-hand corner of the envelope or postcard. Then, just pop it in the post box, and you’re done! The code is valid for 14 days and can only be used for Germany-bound mail.” That 14-day limit may not be a good idea for this use case.
- kalleboo 1y ago
  That German app is not available in the App Store in my country (and I presume in any country other than Germany), so I would also be forced to go to eBay for stamps
  - Someone 1y ago
    Then I would Google for an alternative, and find https://shop.deutschepost.de/briefversand/briefmarken/briefmarken-international https://shop.deutschepost.de/briefversand/briefmarken/briefm...
- Suppafly 1y ago
  that honestly seems more complicated and likely to fail than just buying the correct stamps on ebay.
- wbl 1y ago
  You use an International Reply Coupon https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_reply_coupon https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_reply_coupon

mytailorisrich 1y ago

Sure but, on the other hand, this was overly kind of him. In general, unless it is explicitely requested that you must provide a stamped envelope for the reply the assumption of snail mail is that each side pays for its own envelopes and stamps.

palata 1y ago
And you could also put a dollars bill in the envelope?
- FeepingCreature 1y ago
  From the UK...?
  - pansa2 1y ago
    The Post Office will sell you US currency, but AFAIK not US stamps.
  - deleted 1y ago
    [deleted]
  - dmurray 1y ago
    Perhaps a couple of grams of silver?
- wongarsu 1y ago
  How to get accountants to hate you in one easy step

mjevans 1y ago

Offhand, I don't think I've ever mailed an International letter or package. Is return postage something that, normally, my local post office would help me with? E.G. do they have some method of marking or adding post to a package that would be accepted globally (or at least within the destination country)?

ahazred8ta 1y ago
-
- Lex-2008 1y ago
  yep, article also mentions them: > I was disappointed to find out that the UK’s Royal Mail discontinued international reply coupons in 2011. The only alternative that I could think of was to buy some US stamps.
Symbiote 1y ago
That's the International Reply Coupon mentioned in the article, but it's not supported by all countries. I think I've sent far more international letters and parcels than domestic. Christmas cards for elderly relatives in the country I was born in, and postcards when I travelled abroad. Some obscure things I sold on eBay were mostly sent abroad.
- mjevans 1y ago
  """ United Kingdom The Royal Mail stopped selling IRCs on 31 December 2011[26] due to a lack of demand. United States The United States Postal Service stopped selling international reply coupons on 27 January 2013.[27] """ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_reply_coupon#United_Kingdom https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_reply_coupon#Uni... That explains why I was confounded in my efforts to search within USPS results.
dl9999 1y ago
I send $3 U.S. with QSL (ham radio) cards. It seems like everybody is able to convert that to local currency to cover postage.

Someone 1y ago

> I have no idea where else I'd look for <recipient country> stamps should I want to include them on a SAE I was sending to said country I would try to buy them online from their post office. For the USA, there is https://www.usps.com/business/postage-options.htm https://www.usps.com/business/postage-options.htm: “Print Labels Online with Click-N-Ship With your free USPS.com account, you can pay for postage and print just one label or a batch of shipping labels online” Germany has (https://www.iamexpat.de/expat-info/germany-news/deutsche-post-now-lets-you-pay-postage-their-app https://www.iamexpat.de/expat-info/germany-news/deutsche-pos...): “You simply need to open the app, select the appropriate postage service, tick “Code for labelling” (Code zum Beschriften), and pay with PayPal. You will then immediately receive a code, consisting of the letters #PORTO and an eight-digit string, which you must write in pen in the top right-hand corner of the envelope or postcard. Then, just pop it in the post box, and you’re done! The code is valid for 14 days and can only be used for Germany-bound mail.” That 14-day limit may not be a good idea for this use case.

kalleboo 1y ago
That German app is not available in the App Store in my country (and I presume in any country other than Germany), so I would also be forced to go to eBay for stamps
- Someone 1y ago
  Then I would Google for an alternative, and find https://shop.deutschepost.de/briefversand/briefmarken/briefmarken-international https://shop.deutschepost.de/briefversand/briefmarken/briefm...
Suppafly 1y ago
that honestly seems more complicated and likely to fail than just buying the correct stamps on ebay.
wbl 1y ago
You use an International Reply Coupon https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_reply_coupon https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_reply_coupon