[Dx-qsl] Thank you all for the assistance (was Help needed to find airmail envelopes)

Thu Apr 5 09:09:49 EDT 2007

After my recent experience with the 3Y0X cards, I HIGHLY recommend using
QUALITY envelopes regardless of color or "air mail" variety.
I had too many airmail envelopes arriving here damaged with their contents
missing. These were mostly the "tissue thin" airmail variety.
I can also say that too many of the supplied SAE's that I mailed out were
lost in transit, or were returned damaged to the point that the addressee's
address was unreadable.
This tells me that quite a few more were just LOST both incoming and
outgoing. Probably due to the increase in automatic sorting machines
mangling the mail?
I will also say that some USA envelopes and SASE's that I get are extremely
poor quality as well. 
All I can say is please don't get too cheap when you select your envelopes
for QSL cards. Nesting ones are good.
Or consider using security envelopes as they are usually better quality as
well. Or use a white envelope with a slightly heavier paper stock.
I have also found that using a heavier weight paper stock envelope for
overseas mail is a better alternative to using tissue paper thin airmail
envelopes. You can just write AIR MAIL in red ink on the front and back of a
regular strong white envelope if you want.
Of course, self stick envelopes are wonderful! (I've licked far too many
envelopes in my 30 years of QSL managing!)
In any case, use some common sense folks.
If you KNOW the card you are sending for is going to be a double or triple
sided card, send an appropriate heavy weight envelope.
Happy hunting everyone.
Bob N2OO
-----Original Message-----
From: dx-qsl-bounces at mailman.qth.net [mailto:dx-qsl-bounces at mailman.qth.net]
On Behalf Of VR2BrettGraham
Sent: Thursday, April 05, 2007 8:38 AM
To: dx-qsl at mailman.qth.net
Subject: Re: [Dx-qsl] Thank you all for the assistance (was Help needed to
find airmail envelopes)
W2PA asked:
>Maybe this is a stoopid question, but: these days, why would anyone
>need air mail markings on an envelope containing a QSL, SAE and return
>postage (GS or IRC)?
>>I'd think air mail would be the default method, or determined by the
>amount of postage, and that "slow boat the wrong way around the world,
>then horseback", or any other method, would be something you'd have to
>specify if that's what you want. I've been getting very fast returns
>with plain white envelopes for years.

Your postal authority might treat the item as a priority (aka
air mail) one, but others may not.
I end up chopping all SAEs I receive, but imagine a lot that
are not do manage to be handled as priority - it all depends
on where they are posted & to a lesser extent where they
are going.
73, VR2BrettGraham.
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