On occasion I send pairs of RCA phono plugs
to customers. These have resistors or capacitors in them to
provide loading for a cartridge. The weight is negligible
6 grams or ¼ ounce so it should be cheap to mail.
However by small package Post Office it costs $3.80!
I looked into a cheaper way and this led
me into the arcane world of USPS regulations.
First Class letter seems obvious, $.55 for
an ounce, but there is a ¼ thickness limit and
the plugs are too big.
First Class large envelope starts at $1
for one ounce, with a ¾ thickness limit. However
it must be of uniform thickness (not varying more than ¼),
rectangular, non-rigid and have a minimum size of 3-1/2
X 5 X .007. Thankfully they allow a little leeway
at the edges.
So I cut a piece of 1/2 foam 3.5
by 5 and cut a hole in the middle for two plugs. Then
put it in a sturdy envelope (not padded).
Total weight 1.8 oz, so it would mail for
$1.20.
For other items less than 3/4 thick
I cut a piece of manila folder and tape the item down, then
fill in the voids with foam or cardboard to make a uniform thickness,
then insert in a unpadded mailer
Seems like a bit of a bother, but once I
figured it out then I could repeat as needed.
Note: There is no tracking.

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