How can I save money on mailing catalogs and flyers?

I have 3 enevoples wth one catalog each to mail to 3 different people. I am hoping to gather a few more sales for August.
How much does it cost to mail a catalog? Will three stamps, 1.21 be enough?
Charlene

Do you have any flyers or anything going in there? When I mail a catalog and have a flyer or two in there, it usually ends up being $1.06-$1.09. Three .37 stamps is $1.11, so that should be fine, but it's cutting it kind of close. You can weigh it (I use the scale I have to weigh portions of food and stuff.....I guess it comes in handy for SOMETHING since I'm not using it much for Weight Watchers ) and you can look at www.usps.com to see their postage amounts. I printed up the table they have so I always have it handy to know how much postage to put on the bigger things.

Good luck! By the way, our cluster does a big bulk mailing everytime a new catalog comes out. The directors pay for the bulk mail permit, then we pay per catalog/envelope we send out. It ends up being about the cost of mailing a letter, so it's WELL worth it. You may want to check that out with your director and cluster. The advantage is obviously you can send catalogs to customers for way cheap. The disadvantage is EVERY envelope must have the same exact contents. We have one flyer that everyone sends out with it (obviously we can have our individual names on them), but you can't add any personal notes or anything like that. They all have to be exactly the same.

The costI have mailed catalogs and they cost $ 1.06. I take them to the post office and have them mail it. The new mini-catalogs will only cost .37

cbord said:

I have 3 enevoples wth one catalog each to mail to 3 different people. I am hoping to gather a few more sales for August.
How much does it cost to mail a catalog? Will three stamps, 1.21 be enough?
Charlene

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You can also ask your post office for the book rate/media mail. I send mine that way, as well as my host packets, since they are recycleable, and it saves me some. Just a suggestion.

chefbilyeu said:

You can also ask your post office for the book rate/media mail. I send mine that way, as well as my host packets, since they are recycleable, and it saves me some. Just a suggestion.

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I used to send my catalogs media rate but our local post office says I can't any more. They say that because the catalogs have prices in them, they can't be sent with that rate. They also said that any time I include post cards (even though to use them stamps have to be added ) I can't use media rate.

Our post office makes you leave the envelope open so they can check if you're cheating.

Ouch Beth!
Well, I have three post offices in my area towns. One of them will not allow media mail rate. They even provided me with a flyer as to why it did not qualify. After learning our host packet did not qualify for media mail, I didn't worry about it. On a later occassion, I went to another post office. They said "oh, Pampered Chef! Do you want to send this media mail?" Of course, I said yes. So if I'm in that area, I always go to that post office. The 3rd post office doesn't ask, so I don't question. I just say Media Mail and they accept.

As far as mini-cats. I had called HO customer service and they told me it was post card rate. I mailed 10 one day using postcard stamps (after mailing 10 2 days prior using the 37 cents). They did not return them to me, but sent me a postage due letter in the mail for the difference. (It was the same post office that did not accept media mail). I am convinced it just depends on who's working the desk.

rwesterpchef said:

Ouch Beth!
Well, I have three post offices in my area towns. One of them will not allow media mail rate. They even provided me with a flyer as to why it did not qualify. After learning our host packet did not qualify for media mail, I didn't worry about it. On a later occassion, I went to another post office. They said "oh, Pampered Chef! Do you want to send this media mail?" Of course, I said yes. So if I'm in that area, I always go to that post office. The 3rd post office doesn't ask, so I don't question. I just say Media Mail and they accept.

As far as mini-cats. I had called HO customer service and they told me it was post card rate. I mailed 10 one day using postcard stamps (after mailing 10 2 days prior using the 37 cents). They did not return them to me, but sent me a postage due letter in the mail for the difference. (It was the same post office that did not accept media mail). I am convinced it just depends on who's working the desk.

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Thanks for the heads up. I will check out other post offices - this is rediculous - you would think that the USPS would be standard.

I believe PC told us that it does take a first class stamp for the mini-catalogs so that didn't surprize me.

Mini Brochures Do Not qualify for Post Card RateFYI post card rate (23 cents) applies only to a postcard no thicker than 0.016 inches and no bigger than 4 1/4 inches by 6 inches.

The mini brochure is 6 7/8 inches bye 4 1/4 inches. Just misses!!

Why do I know these obscure facts? Because my post office isn't quite as nice as another poster here. Last year, instead of sending me a letter that there was postage due, my mailings were returned for me to affix the additional postage so everything was delayed.

Save yourself the trouble and put a 37 cent stamp on the brochure. Better yet, put it in a 6 inch by 9 inch manilla envelope with a 1/2 sheet flyer from you with the upcoming Host Bonuses. Still costs only 37 cents and you get more bang for the buck.

Phyllis Rampulla
Independent Sales Director
www.pamperedchef.biz/phyllisramp

rwesterpchef said:

As far as mini-cats. I had called HO customer service and they told me it was post card rate. I mailed 10 one day using postcard stamps (after mailing 10 2 days prior using the 37 cents). They did not return them to me, but sent me a postage due letter in the mail for the difference. (It was the same post office that did not accept media mail). I am convinced it just depends on who's working the desk.

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I am so glad that I was not the only one that heard that we could mail them for a postcard stamp. However, I did about 50 mini catalogs and postcard stamped them all and the post office sent them all back to me with a note explaining exactly what a post card is. Only 1 sheet of paper for a post card. I am sure glad that my mail man is awesome!!!

What I did was to tuck a 1/4 sheet piece of paper in each of the mini catalogs (fit perfectly!), tape up the 3 open edges and throw a .37 stamp on them. I've had a couple returned to me for the wrong address but nothing else.

Bound Printed MatterIf you send your host packets with 4 stamps and the words Bound Printed Matter it is a little cheaper! Neither PO in my area will allow Media or Book Rate for my stuff. But they did give me the BPM advice.

I do my packets with a 3prong folder, 5 page protectors with the show planner & 8 flyers, 3 to 5 catalogs and 5 outside order forms. Not to mention the pack of invites. So, my host packet is pretty hefty.

FYI, now when I send the NEW catalog and two flyers in a while 9X12 envelope, it's $1.29!! I forget if I mentioned this before, but see if your director will team up with some other clusters and get a bulk mail permit. There are lots of requirements for this, like having at least 150 or 200 pieces of the same mailing. And EVERY piece has to be the same. meaning the same exactly flyers, no personal notes written on them, although your contact info on the flyers can be yours and other consultants can put theirs. We did this and it only cost .36 to mail out the catalog and two flyers! And I believe the permit is good for a year, so if your cluster does various fairs and things throughout the year and send out catalogs as follow up to people, this is very worth it.

But, just so you all know since the new catalogs are bigger, it now costs quite a bit more to send them.