Here's a few suggestions on how more economically use the Bureau.

1.) Send at least 7 cards in each envelope you mail to us.  Depending upon the weight of the card stock used for your QSL, you may be able to send up to 11 cards for one ounce (42 cents) postage.  It might be worth a trip to your Post Office with some of your cards and have them weigh one envelope and your cards to determine how many make up one ounce.

2.) Use the 17 cent stamp!  Both for mailings to us and for SASE's you supply.  If you put one 42 cent and one 17 cent stamp on your SASE, we can send 2 ounces worth of cards for the 59 cents postage - that's normally 15 cards.  If you put one 42 cent and two 17 cent stamps on an SASE, we can send 3 ounces worth of cards for the 76 cents postage - that's normally 23 cards.

3.) You can generally send three #10 envelope SASE's for 42 cents postage.  You don't need additional postage on the envelope containing those three SASE's.  The SASE's can be sent flat in a #11 envelope or folded in thirds to fit in a #10 envelope.

4.) If you want us to wait for more than 7 cards before mailing and can't get the 17 cent stamps, send your SASE's with 42 cents postage on each and some loose stamps.  I can put 17 cent stamps from our "stamp kitty" on each of your SASE's for a total of 59 cents postage making them good for 15 cards. But  DO INCLUDE  a note telling me that's what you want to do.

    For Example:  If you want us to wait until we have 15 cards before mailing, send us three SASE's with a 42
    cent stamps on each, and some loose stamps.  I will put a 17 cent stamp on each of the three envelopes and
    credit you for the amount your loose stamps exceed 51 cents.

5.) If you put two 39 cent stamps on your SASE's, we assume you want us to wait until we get 23 cards before mailing, since78 cents postage will now handle 3 ounces.  If that's not what you want us to do, please include a note telling us what you do want.

6.) Another good reason to use the 17 cents stamp is because of the postage rate steps.  One ounce does require
42 cents postage, but two ounces requires only 59 cents postage, 17 cents more.  And, three ounces requires only 76 cents postage, again only 17 cents more.

7.) If you use 42 cents per SASE (7 cards), the per card postage cost is 6 cents.  If you use 59 cents per SASE (15 cards), the per card postage cost is down to 3.93 cents.  For 76 cents per SASE (23 cards), the per card postage cost is down to 3.30 cents.  However, it may take quite a while for us to receive 23 cards or even 15 cards for you.

8.) Often we receive only one card for a "DX" member in an incoming envelope.  That is some savings over mailing the card direct, 42 cents versus 94 cents.  But I do not make immediate mailing of your card to the DX member via the DX FISTS QSL Bureaus.

My mailings are periodic to Chuck, M0AVW in England and to Nigel, ZL2TX in New Zealand and to Harry Shibata - JL3AMK in Japan.  These chaps handle distribution of cards to our DX members.  Generally mail to them goes out about every 30 days.

The average cost of mailing cards to Chuck in England has been 7.8 cents per card, and average cost of mailing cards to Nigel in New Zealand has been 8.6 cents and the average cost of mailing cards to Naka in Japan has
been 12.5 cents.

9.) Costs for overseas mailing come from donations made by our members.  So far we are in the black, due to the generous donations from some 1,677 of our members.  Your contributions are always welcome!

10.) All of the above is for our U.S. members.  Generally our Canadian members and other members on this side of the Atlantic send us SAE's and U.S. dollars.

    The postage rate steps for mailing to Canada are the first ounce (7 cards) requires 72 cents postage, the
    second ounce (15 cards) requires 96 cents postage, the third ounce (23 cards) requires $1.20 postage.

    The postage rate steps for mailing to Mexico are the first ounce (7 cards) requires 72 cents postage, the
    second ounce (15 cards) requires $1.27 postage, the third ounce (23 cards) requires $1.82 postage.

    The postage rate steps for mailing to other countries are the first ounce (7 cards) requires 94 cents postage,
    the second ounce (15 cards) requires $1.88 cents postage, the third ounce (23 cards) requires $2.82 postage.