Whenever possible I have tried to use First Class postage on packages.  In the U.S. I can ship up to 13 ounces (3 skeins) at First Class, and above that it automatically converts to Priority rate.  For international shipping, I could still ship First Class International, which is roughly one-third the cost for Priority International.

Last night, U.S. postal rates went up again.  AND they removed the discount for purchasing postage online, whether through PayPal or through USPS.com.  Especially for international packages, the discount was just barely enough to cover the cost of envelopes, inner plastic wrapping, tape, ink-and-paper for shipping labels, etc., so I only had to invoice for the retail cost of postage, and count the discount toward the “and-handling” portion of the “shipping-and-handling”  cost on the invoices.

Since I can’t leverage the on-line purchasing toward that cost, I will have to recalculate all my regular shipping costs (which are listed on the Blog Reader Specials page) which will look like a big increase to cover both the increase in postage itself, and the amount for the “and-handling” portion — roughly $1.00

This is what it used to be for U.S. delivery:

Rates updated July 2015 with USPS changes
1 skein = $3.00
2 skeins = $3.75
3 skeins = $4.50

and this is what it will be:

Rates updated July 2015 with USPS changes
1 skein = $4.00
2 skeins = $4.75
3 skeins = $5.50

Shipping 4 skeins would be $11.25 because in the U.S. everything over 13 ounces goes automatically to Priority.

I can’t change postal rates that are beyond my control, and I can’t change the weight of the yarn no matter how tightly I pack it, and every year my shipping envelopes and tape and so forth increase.

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