POST OFFICE BLUES

Iwas trying to do a favor for a friend.

I’d seen his want list online, pulled together a couple cards he needed and carefully packaged them up for shipping to Canada.

Now, it’s worth noting that this wasn’t exactly Hot List material. The bubble mailer was probably worth more than the cards involved. But we all know how tough it can be to find those last commons to fill out a set, and I was happy to send them his way.

At least I was … until I got to the post office, where I was told it would be $10.50 to ship the package.

That wasn’t tracked. Or insured. $10.50 simply to turn it over and hope for the best.

It wasn’t sticker shock. More like sticker anger. “Seriously?,” I asked.

“That’s what it costs,” the woman behind the counter replied, unsympathetically. “Do you want to ship it or not?”

What could I do? I paid it and walked off, muttering “never again.”

Of course, I knew that wasn’t true. That’s the thing with collecting hockey cards. It is, inevitably, a international enterprise. Limiting ourselves to what we can find within our own borders, whether that’s Canada, the U.S. or elsewhere, means giving up on the chance to acquire the countless limited-quantity cards that make their way to hobby shops collectors around the world.

So dealing with international shipping is part of the equation. The question is, what’s the best way to go about it?

I’ve heard a few suggestions from my circle over the past few months, but I want to open the floor to Beckett Hockey readers like you. I want to hear your best tips for saving on shipping costs in particular, but also packaging ideas as well. Nothing is too obvious and anything might help. Send them to me in care of amuir@beckett.com and I’ll share your insights in an upcoming issue.