Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
But this might be a good time to hold off mailing anything as strikes do tend to lead to long delays and lost mail.
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Keep those cards and letters (to Canada) folks! The posties are officially on strike as of today. No indication as to how long it might last.
I'll try to provide updates as things develop.
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Never mind what is happening in Canada. How's this for a company NOT on strike.
I am due a package from Royal Mail, it was posted on the 13th of November complete with Tracking Number. Their 48 hour service. It arrived at Royal Mails
"Midland SUPER Hub" on the 14th of November.
Where is it at this precise moment. Yeah you've guessed. Still in the Midland SUPER Hub!!!!
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Geez Ian. When the colonies start doing (even marginally) better than the colonizers maybe it's time for some drastic action! Like pouring a wee dram of Macallan 18 year old (my personal favourite).
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I too approve of the Macallan 18 year old remedy.
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Sounds like the Royal Mail needs an English version of these (suggested) US stamps:
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I used the CP chat feature today to ask when service is expected to resume. After having to provide all my information - phone, email, address, name I was able to briefly chat with an agent.
She had no idea. Sent me to the CP notices page, which had no new info since November 15th!
Then I asked her if she knew whether the CP employees were getting paid while on strike. This led to an immediate disruption in my communication with her and I was transferred to her colleague, who came up with a smart a* response "The employees' financial situation is not something that we can provide."
Hey, I wasn't interested in anyone's financial situation, just if CP is still paying its employees. How else can I gauge the duration of this strike?
Told them , they may as well join the strike action 
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I sure miss my daily Pizza ans McDonald ads !!!!!
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Post Offices are open but the carriers are not transporting mail Mail is stuck in the offices
A community post master in Nova Scotia has decided to collect the letters to Santa They will be answered , Santa can be emailed you know,and if the letters can not be mailed back to the children ,the local Fire dept will deliver Santa`s return letter personally to the children of the surrounding communities serviced by that Post Office
In the country Post Offices are the hub of a community if they have a post master who goes above and beyond the call of duty!!!!
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So what do we do us in Canada?
I already have a pile of undelivered mail to me which I have no idea if I will ever going to receive.
Do we pay the invoices we get knowing that the orders cannot be shipped and are at risk of being lost in the postal system?
Please advise.
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09:57:18pm
I'm not buying, or even checking, anything on E-bay. I'm staying away from buying most items unless it's something I really want and get a guarantee from the seller that he'll wait until the strike is over before shipping. I don't mind paying a SoR invoice as long as the seller is willing to wait. This strike may last a long time and cause hard feelings since I read today that some mail delivery people are being laid off. Why they are doing that I have no idea since the same article said they weren't being paid anyway! Much patience is needed by both buyers and sellers.
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I am tempted to continue buying and have been doing so in the hope the situation will be resolved soon and the river will start flowing again.
But the past couple of days I have been hearing the strike may last for 4 months !!!
Does anyone know of a country not having a postal service for 4 months?? I imagine even in Ukraine the postal service continues to function!!
What a disaster!
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It wouldn't be Christmas without a postal strike in Canada.....seems like. I may be wrong, but I don't recall one lasting through Christmas. These days though, with fewer Christmas cards and packages in the mail, there might be less pressure on government to settle before Christmas. Courier services like UPS, Amazon, etc will do very well.
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09:47:56am
As far as I can figure out I only have two lots out there in limbo - one from here and one from Deveney Stamps and neither lot is very pricey. Not too bad but I have been cutting back because of the strike. My local dealer does have a very pricey stamp for me but I'm doing a road trip on Monday. It will also be paid in two payments so it'll be a while until his next order. I think this strike could last a while!!
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As most of you who have dealt with me in the past know, I am certainly willing to open an invoice for you and have it remain that way until it is large enough to mitigate the postal charges. This month end I will be opening invoices for all who have purchased from me in the past month. I will inform you of the total number of stamps and the dollar amount owing. You will NOT BE REQUIRED to pay the invoice. It will remain open (and hopefully added to) for the duration of the Canada Postal Strike. At that time I will submit the total for payment and mail the orders.
Should anyone require a periodic update, please feel free to ask.
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11:42:44am
Thanks Dennis, greatly appreciated! You always offer interesting stuff!!
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communications, folks, communications
Let each other know your status and your willingness to do X or Y.
David
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12:26:29pm
Over the last two weeks I have paid 4 invoices including the message with the payment that they shouldn't ship until after the postal strike. Actually I'd suggest waiting at least a week after it is over to allow the backlog to disappear a bit. Two of the 4 have decided to ship anyway. I assume this means they (no names) don't realize there is a strike up here. It also implies they don't check out this area as well as not read their messages. I really hope the stamps arrive OK, most of the items are not real expensive but I do want the items or I wouldn't have bought them. Should I stop paying invoices until the strike is over? That doesn't seem fair to the seller if I do that! Am I being unreasonable?
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You are not being unreasonable. Dennis (see above) is right on top of it. I made a purchase from him and he is willing to hold it until this is resolved. He doesn’t want payment until then, but I don’t mind paying ahead if he wishes. It is out of our control, but communication is the key.
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10:47:32am
Even though I don't want to, I'm going to have to stop buying stamps until the strike is over! I buy, sometimes only minor items, from StampoRama, E-bay, HipStamps and Deveney Stamps. I always send a message asking, almost begging, the sellers to hold onto the stamps until the end of the strike. Almost no one listens to me or maybe no one reads messages anymore!! Even Canadian sellers are posting (somehow) their orders. How dumb is that??? This stuff is sitting in post offices piling up possibly never to be seen again. Do some people even know that the strike exists?
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That's a bummer. Does UPS operate up there?
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11:22:16am
"Does UPS operate up there?"
I assume that as soon as US mail using USPS reaches the border it comes into the hands of Canada Post and because of the strike it ends up in a warehouse somewhere at the border. Hopefully all of this mail will be delivered after the strike ends but there will probably be a major delay and many screw ups. I'm really hoping that I will eventually get my stamps.
Please, if any seller is reading this, DON'T SHIP TO CANADA FOR A WHILE!
What I really don't understand is why Canadian sellers are still shipping!
EDIT: Sorry Ernie! I just noticed you said UPS, not USPS! Yes UPS does operate up here and does a great job except I believe they charge a sort of brokerage fee at the border that makes them not great for lower priced shipments. Several years ago we ordered an item from E-Bay for a friend's birthday and used UPS since there was not much time to get it to us. The fee they charged was more than the worth of the item. This was quite a while ago so this might not happen anymore. Can anyone comment on this?
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Talk about "above & beyond"... I just purchased a lot of Belgian Congo airmails from a dealer in Ontario, and they travel once a week across the border to post their lots at the US post office!
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"they travel once a week across the border to post their lots at the US post office"
Which means that it will still not get into Canada and may even take longer due to being stuck in customs.
I guess if it is going anywhere other than Canada it may get there quicker.
Regarding the cost of couriers this article from CBC shows the cost.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/as ...
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Is there an update from the union on this problem?
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Is there an update from the union on this problem?
David,
If you google "how is the postal strike in Canada going ? It will give you an up to date blow by blow account of how the management and the unions are trying to resolve their differences
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The workers may be ordered back to work next week.
Read this
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/mackinn ...
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I was sorting through some old covers and found this little gem from the Postal Strike of 1978. The stamp is a caricature of Pierre Trudeau who just happens to be the father of our current prime minister, "Justin the selfie king"
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Canadian Christmas carols.
"Tis the season for a postal strike, fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la."
"Oh postal strike, our mail is held for hostage."
"We wish you a merry postal strike, we wish you a merry postal strike, we wish you a merry postal strike, and no package for me."
Just par for the course in Canada. A seasonal tradition.
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01:10:51pm
I got this notice from someone on HipStamp that I just bought from. It states the situation better than I ever could.
"Dear Sir/Madam:
Please excuse me for this form letter as there are over 50 stamp collectors that need to be informed. There simply is not enough time to write each one of you separately. At this time Canada Post is preparing for the reopening of their operations with the striking employees being ordered by politicians to resume the movement of mail and parcels next week. In anticipation of this progress, I have processed all the orders received by my customers for the past 4 weeks which are paid in full and they are ready for dropping off at my local post office box as usual. I have left positive feedback for each one of you for your patience and understanding that there was virtually little I could have done to deliver your purchase(s). I kindly ask you to do the same for me when you receive your envelope of stamps.
Although I cannot predict the time it will take to deliver your purchase(s), I would like to convey my previous experience with similar scenarios. Please, allow Canada Post approximately a couple of weeks to clear the backlog of not only items on hand, but also items incoming from different sources like mailboxes, imports from other countries, and items for export to other countries. After this period of time current mail will start to flow at a somewhat normal manner.
• In Canada mail should arrive in about 2 weeks after the backlog has cleared, mail to the U.S.A. should arrive in about 4 weeks after the backlog has cleared, and mail going overseas should arrive in about 6 weeks after the backlog has cleared.
• There is a possibility that you may receive your order earlier or later than the above estimates. If by some chance you have not received your order by the end of March 2025 then you may ask me to contact Canada Post on your behalf to investigate the incident.
Again, thank you for your patience, patronage and prompt remittance.
Your purchase has been very carefully packaged and will leave in the morning by regular airmail.
Trusting it will arrive quickly and in good order to the above address as provided in Hip Stamp/Paypal.
I have posted positive feedback for you and trust you will do the same for me on receipt.
Hope to be of service again.
Wishing you, and yours only the very best"
This is the seller's name. Hopefully he doesn't mind me sharing this with you!
Boutique Stampnpete
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03:04:49pm
All good, except this:
"If by some chance you have not received your order by the end of March 2025 then you may ask me to contact Canada Post on your behalf to investigate the incident. ... will leave in the morning by regular airmail."
"Regular airmail" does not include tracking. Without tracking, there is not a darn thing they can, or will, do about it.
Roy
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Anyone shipping to Canada should probably wait for a while to let the backlog clear. Shipping as soon as Canada Post goes back to work is just adding to the backlog. Just my opinion.
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Tomorrow's return of Canada Post: For the labor, a mixed bag; otherwise, HALLELUJAH!
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To update my earlier post on December 11th, I made a purchase online from a dealer in Gatineau, Quebec, on December 6th. The dealer arranged for travel across the border and my lot was posted in Syracuse, New York, on December 9th. It arrived in my mailbox in Everett, Washington on December 16th. So, while mail going into Canada may be a problem, I certainly applaud the extra effort many Canadian dealers have made to keep the mail coming in our direction.
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We learned yesterday that the strike was over, at least for a time, but that mail deliveries would be slow to resume. Not very slow! But two purchases from Weeda Stamps in Victoria, British Columbia, arrived in Vancouver today:
This one, since I used free-franking a lot after the U.S. Navy transferred me to the U.S. Marines and we were sent to South Vietnam, interested me. Normally, soldiers/sailors/airmen just had to write "Free" on the upper, right-hand corner of an envelope instead of using a stamp (and assuming they were content to have the letter sent by surface mail rather than email. I even had free-franking privileges when I was in the Navy hospital in San Diego recovering from a bullet wound, which was kinda weird. I have no idea if the postal clerks at the hospital had a list of patients who were authorized to use free franking.
My apologies for the unreadable print. It quotes Roy M. North, "...acting third assistant postmaster general...":
"The stickers are in similitude of and approximately the same size as some postage stamps and would cause confusion when attached to the outside of letters and letters bearing such stickers would not be acceptable for mailing."
The rouletted "stickers," designed by an airman at the U.S. Air Forces base in Albuquerque, were originally sold in sheets (don't know how many stickers per sheet), and 3,000 were sold before the U.S. postal overlords put the kabab on the scheme. And, really, is it hard to write "free" on an envelope? Nevertheless, the cover fits nicely into my collection of free-franked mail (American WWII, American Korean War, American Vietnam War, Canadian WWII, German WWII, and Russian WWII).
Years ago, in the Usenet stamp collecting group, I brought up the topic of these "Austrian Costumes" stamps, which Stamporama member Tracy Barber then dubbed "Bob's Harem". Until now, I've only collected used copies.
Bob
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Cool story about the "Free" stickers. So some airman just printed off a bunch of labels and sold him at a profit and pocketed the money.. . I've picked up a couple of "free" franked items sent by soldiers and sailors recently. Love the Beauties! They should be MINT
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You're right, Ernie, that airman probably made a bundle, at least by 1942 wartime standards. The sheets sold for only 10 cents each, or $300 for the 3,000 sheets. Not bad!
Several years ago my mother bought a box of covers and other, miscellaneous documents at a secondhand store and shipped it to me. It turned out to be a significant portion of the correspondence between a solder, Luster Main, from Kansas City, Kansas, and his parents, although most of their letters were not included. Speaking from experience in South Vietnam, I know that being a combat zone makes it very difficult to save mail from friend and families.
Luster was shipped off to Europe late in 1944 and was captured on the first day of the Battle of the Bulge. Among his letters are some that were posted by airmail, at six cents twice the rate of surface postage. HBoth Luster and his parents often sent V-mail letters, which were postage free. In one letter to his parents, he writes that he decided to spring for the extra postage because had an urgent request for money? In another letter, he thanks his parents for the money they sent him -- $1!
Bob
P.S. I added some information to my previous post, about the postal official who nixed the free-post label schemes. He was Roy M. North, "...acting third assistant postmaster general...". A small-p poobah!
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Bob,
Yep. I've picked up some correspondence from soldiers and sailors that were stationed around here. Some were very poignant. Alot of "I wish I was home" and "hope to come home for Christmas".
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Just getting back to the postal strike for a sec...
Workers are mandated back until probably late spring. According to my poker buddy (a long-time mail carrier) there will be delays of a month or two for delivery of items sent to Canada from the US - probably half that going from Canada to the US.
He also warned that there may (probably will) be some shenanigans with the mail. Being told to report to work, and having your bargaining rights revoked, does not sit well with many folks.
Last time we had a strike there were (a few) incidents later reported of undelivered mail being found in dumpsters, and postal employee's homes.
If I receive anything stamp-related sent to me I'll provide an update on date mailed/received for reference purposes.
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Do you think domestic Canadian mail gets priority over mail arriving from the States or is it all treated the same way?
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Mail from UK posted November 6th. arrived here in Manitoba yesterday, so things are moving, albeit slowly.
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I received one item from the States on the first day Canada Post employees returned to work and two items on Friday - one from Canada and one from the States, with all stamps on both letters uncancelled.
Mail within my city moves well - delivery is next day. I was going to mail a couple of cheques to a town 150km away, but was told all mail to this destination is sent to a bigger center - 600km away and is then sent back. Instead of the 150km, the cheques were going to travel 1,050km, but the worse part was they were going to end up in the big back log pile and delivered within 4 weeks. So I drove the 150km myself to deliver them.
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To answer Ernie's question once it's in the general Canadian system there is no priority given to source.
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bob, I seem to recall your quest of a .5g stamp in the costume series on cover, and the elation when, years later, you found one. I've kept my eye out ever since, hoping to double the hall
On Viet Nam covers, hard to find, although I'm no longer a dedicated looker
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10:58:31am
A 72-hour strike notice was given today by the Union. Whether they actually walk off will be determined by the progress in negotiations.
But this might be a good time to hold off mailing anything as strikes do tend to lead to long delays and lost mail.
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10:33:41am
re: Canada Post - Officially On Strike
Keep those cards and letters (to Canada) folks! The posties are officially on strike as of today. No indication as to how long it might last.
I'll try to provide updates as things develop.
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02:49:25pm
re: Canada Post - Officially On Strike
Never mind what is happening in Canada. How's this for a company NOT on strike.
I am due a package from Royal Mail, it was posted on the 13th of November complete with Tracking Number. Their 48 hour service. It arrived at Royal Mails
"Midland SUPER Hub" on the 14th of November.
Where is it at this precise moment. Yeah you've guessed. Still in the Midland SUPER Hub!!!!
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08:17:48pm
re: Canada Post - Officially On Strike
Geez Ian. When the colonies start doing (even marginally) better than the colonizers maybe it's time for some drastic action! Like pouring a wee dram of Macallan 18 year old (my personal favourite).
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re: Canada Post - Officially On Strike
I too approve of the Macallan 18 year old remedy.
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02:14:12pm
re: Canada Post - Officially On Strike
Sounds like the Royal Mail needs an English version of these (suggested) US stamps:
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re: Canada Post - Officially On Strike
I used the CP chat feature today to ask when service is expected to resume. After having to provide all my information - phone, email, address, name I was able to briefly chat with an agent.
She had no idea. Sent me to the CP notices page, which had no new info since November 15th!
Then I asked her if she knew whether the CP employees were getting paid while on strike. This led to an immediate disruption in my communication with her and I was transferred to her colleague, who came up with a smart a* response "The employees' financial situation is not something that we can provide."
Hey, I wasn't interested in anyone's financial situation, just if CP is still paying its employees. How else can I gauge the duration of this strike?
Told them , they may as well join the strike action
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12:11:04pm
re: Canada Post - Officially On Strike
I sure miss my daily Pizza ans McDonald ads !!!!!
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08:31:29pm
re: Canada Post - Officially On Strike
Post Offices are open but the carriers are not transporting mail Mail is stuck in the offices
A community post master in Nova Scotia has decided to collect the letters to Santa They will be answered , Santa can be emailed you know,and if the letters can not be mailed back to the children ,the local Fire dept will deliver Santa`s return letter personally to the children of the surrounding communities serviced by that Post Office
In the country Post Offices are the hub of a community if they have a post master who goes above and beyond the call of duty!!!!
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re: Canada Post - Officially On Strike
So what do we do us in Canada?
I already have a pile of undelivered mail to me which I have no idea if I will ever going to receive.
Do we pay the invoices we get knowing that the orders cannot be shipped and are at risk of being lost in the postal system?
Please advise.
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Back when I had a bunch! I think, therefore I am - I think! Descartes, sort of!
29 Nov 2024
09:57:18pm
re: Canada Post - Officially On Strike
I'm not buying, or even checking, anything on E-bay. I'm staying away from buying most items unless it's something I really want and get a guarantee from the seller that he'll wait until the strike is over before shipping. I don't mind paying a SoR invoice as long as the seller is willing to wait. This strike may last a long time and cause hard feelings since I read today that some mail delivery people are being laid off. Why they are doing that I have no idea since the same article said they weren't being paid anyway! Much patience is needed by both buyers and sellers.
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re: Canada Post - Officially On Strike
I am tempted to continue buying and have been doing so in the hope the situation will be resolved soon and the river will start flowing again.
But the past couple of days I have been hearing the strike may last for 4 months !!!
Does anyone know of a country not having a postal service for 4 months?? I imagine even in Ukraine the postal service continues to function!!
What a disaster!
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01:22:29am
re: Canada Post - Officially On Strike
It wouldn't be Christmas without a postal strike in Canada.....seems like. I may be wrong, but I don't recall one lasting through Christmas. These days though, with fewer Christmas cards and packages in the mail, there might be less pressure on government to settle before Christmas. Courier services like UPS, Amazon, etc will do very well.
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Back when I had a bunch! I think, therefore I am - I think! Descartes, sort of!
30 Nov 2024
09:47:56am
re: Canada Post - Officially On Strike
As far as I can figure out I only have two lots out there in limbo - one from here and one from Deveney Stamps and neither lot is very pricey. Not too bad but I have been cutting back because of the strike. My local dealer does have a very pricey stamp for me but I'm doing a road trip on Monday. It will also be paid in two payments so it'll be a while until his next order. I think this strike could last a while!!
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re: Canada Post - Officially On Strike
As most of you who have dealt with me in the past know, I am certainly willing to open an invoice for you and have it remain that way until it is large enough to mitigate the postal charges. This month end I will be opening invoices for all who have purchased from me in the past month. I will inform you of the total number of stamps and the dollar amount owing. You will NOT BE REQUIRED to pay the invoice. It will remain open (and hopefully added to) for the duration of the Canada Postal Strike. At that time I will submit the total for payment and mail the orders.
Should anyone require a periodic update, please feel free to ask.
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Back when I had a bunch! I think, therefore I am - I think! Descartes, sort of!
30 Nov 2024
11:42:44am
re: Canada Post - Officially On Strike
Thanks Dennis, greatly appreciated! You always offer interesting stuff!!
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re: Canada Post - Officially On Strike
communications, folks, communications
Let each other know your status and your willingness to do X or Y.
David
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Back when I had a bunch! I think, therefore I am - I think! Descartes, sort of!
02 Dec 2024
12:26:29pm
re: Canada Post - Officially On Strike
Over the last two weeks I have paid 4 invoices including the message with the payment that they shouldn't ship until after the postal strike. Actually I'd suggest waiting at least a week after it is over to allow the backlog to disappear a bit. Two of the 4 have decided to ship anyway. I assume this means they (no names) don't realize there is a strike up here. It also implies they don't check out this area as well as not read their messages. I really hope the stamps arrive OK, most of the items are not real expensive but I do want the items or I wouldn't have bought them. Should I stop paying invoices until the strike is over? That doesn't seem fair to the seller if I do that! Am I being unreasonable?
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09:13:20pm
re: Canada Post - Officially On Strike
You are not being unreasonable. Dennis (see above) is right on top of it. I made a purchase from him and he is willing to hold it until this is resolved. He doesn’t want payment until then, but I don’t mind paying ahead if he wishes. It is out of our control, but communication is the key.
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Back when I had a bunch! I think, therefore I am - I think! Descartes, sort of!
11 Dec 2024
10:47:32am
re: Canada Post - Officially On Strike
Even though I don't want to, I'm going to have to stop buying stamps until the strike is over! I buy, sometimes only minor items, from StampoRama, E-bay, HipStamps and Deveney Stamps. I always send a message asking, almost begging, the sellers to hold onto the stamps until the end of the strike. Almost no one listens to me or maybe no one reads messages anymore!! Even Canadian sellers are posting (somehow) their orders. How dumb is that??? This stuff is sitting in post offices piling up possibly never to be seen again. Do some people even know that the strike exists?
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re: Canada Post - Officially On Strike
That's a bummer. Does UPS operate up there?
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Back when I had a bunch! I think, therefore I am - I think! Descartes, sort of!
11 Dec 2024
11:22:16am
re: Canada Post - Officially On Strike
"Does UPS operate up there?"
I assume that as soon as US mail using USPS reaches the border it comes into the hands of Canada Post and because of the strike it ends up in a warehouse somewhere at the border. Hopefully all of this mail will be delivered after the strike ends but there will probably be a major delay and many screw ups. I'm really hoping that I will eventually get my stamps.
Please, if any seller is reading this, DON'T SHIP TO CANADA FOR A WHILE!
What I really don't understand is why Canadian sellers are still shipping!
EDIT: Sorry Ernie! I just noticed you said UPS, not USPS! Yes UPS does operate up here and does a great job except I believe they charge a sort of brokerage fee at the border that makes them not great for lower priced shipments. Several years ago we ordered an item from E-Bay for a friend's birthday and used UPS since there was not much time to get it to us. The fee they charged was more than the worth of the item. This was quite a while ago so this might not happen anymore. Can anyone comment on this?
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re: Canada Post - Officially On Strike
Talk about "above & beyond"... I just purchased a lot of Belgian Congo airmails from a dealer in Ontario, and they travel once a week across the border to post their lots at the US post office!
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re: Canada Post - Officially On Strike
"they travel once a week across the border to post their lots at the US post office"
Which means that it will still not get into Canada and may even take longer due to being stuck in customs.
I guess if it is going anywhere other than Canada it may get there quicker.
Regarding the cost of couriers this article from CBC shows the cost.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/as ...
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re: Canada Post - Officially On Strike
Is there an update from the union on this problem?
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re: Canada Post - Officially On Strike
Is there an update from the union on this problem?
David,
If you google "how is the postal strike in Canada going ? It will give you an up to date blow by blow account of how the management and the unions are trying to resolve their differences
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re: Canada Post - Officially On Strike
The workers may be ordered back to work next week.
Read this
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/mackinn ...
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re: Canada Post - Officially On Strike
I was sorting through some old covers and found this little gem from the Postal Strike of 1978. The stamp is a caricature of Pierre Trudeau who just happens to be the father of our current prime minister, "Justin the selfie king"
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06:06:51pm
re: Canada Post - Officially On Strike
Canadian Christmas carols.
"Tis the season for a postal strike, fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la."
"Oh postal strike, our mail is held for hostage."
"We wish you a merry postal strike, we wish you a merry postal strike, we wish you a merry postal strike, and no package for me."
Just par for the course in Canada. A seasonal tradition.
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Back when I had a bunch! I think, therefore I am - I think! Descartes, sort of!
15 Dec 2024
01:10:51pm
re: Canada Post - Officially On Strike
I got this notice from someone on HipStamp that I just bought from. It states the situation better than I ever could.
"Dear Sir/Madam:
Please excuse me for this form letter as there are over 50 stamp collectors that need to be informed. There simply is not enough time to write each one of you separately. At this time Canada Post is preparing for the reopening of their operations with the striking employees being ordered by politicians to resume the movement of mail and parcels next week. In anticipation of this progress, I have processed all the orders received by my customers for the past 4 weeks which are paid in full and they are ready for dropping off at my local post office box as usual. I have left positive feedback for each one of you for your patience and understanding that there was virtually little I could have done to deliver your purchase(s). I kindly ask you to do the same for me when you receive your envelope of stamps.
Although I cannot predict the time it will take to deliver your purchase(s), I would like to convey my previous experience with similar scenarios. Please, allow Canada Post approximately a couple of weeks to clear the backlog of not only items on hand, but also items incoming from different sources like mailboxes, imports from other countries, and items for export to other countries. After this period of time current mail will start to flow at a somewhat normal manner.
• In Canada mail should arrive in about 2 weeks after the backlog has cleared, mail to the U.S.A. should arrive in about 4 weeks after the backlog has cleared, and mail going overseas should arrive in about 6 weeks after the backlog has cleared.
• There is a possibility that you may receive your order earlier or later than the above estimates. If by some chance you have not received your order by the end of March 2025 then you may ask me to contact Canada Post on your behalf to investigate the incident.
Again, thank you for your patience, patronage and prompt remittance.
Your purchase has been very carefully packaged and will leave in the morning by regular airmail.
Trusting it will arrive quickly and in good order to the above address as provided in Hip Stamp/Paypal.
I have posted positive feedback for you and trust you will do the same for me on receipt.
Hope to be of service again.
Wishing you, and yours only the very best"
This is the seller's name. Hopefully he doesn't mind me sharing this with you!
Boutique Stampnpete
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BuckaCover.com - 80,000 covers priced 60c to $1.50 - Easy browsing 500 categories
15 Dec 2024
03:04:49pm
re: Canada Post - Officially On Strike
All good, except this:
"If by some chance you have not received your order by the end of March 2025 then you may ask me to contact Canada Post on your behalf to investigate the incident. ... will leave in the morning by regular airmail."
"Regular airmail" does not include tracking. Without tracking, there is not a darn thing they can, or will, do about it.
Roy
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re: Canada Post - Officially On Strike
Anyone shipping to Canada should probably wait for a while to let the backlog clear. Shipping as soon as Canada Post goes back to work is just adding to the backlog. Just my opinion.
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10:54:04am
re: Canada Post - Officially On Strike
Tomorrow's return of Canada Post: For the labor, a mixed bag; otherwise, HALLELUJAH!
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re: Canada Post - Officially On Strike
To update my earlier post on December 11th, I made a purchase online from a dealer in Gatineau, Quebec, on December 6th. The dealer arranged for travel across the border and my lot was posted in Syracuse, New York, on December 9th. It arrived in my mailbox in Everett, Washington on December 16th. So, while mail going into Canada may be a problem, I certainly applaud the extra effort many Canadian dealers have made to keep the mail coming in our direction.
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re: Canada Post - Officially On Strike
We learned yesterday that the strike was over, at least for a time, but that mail deliveries would be slow to resume. Not very slow! But two purchases from Weeda Stamps in Victoria, British Columbia, arrived in Vancouver today:
This one, since I used free-franking a lot after the U.S. Navy transferred me to the U.S. Marines and we were sent to South Vietnam, interested me. Normally, soldiers/sailors/airmen just had to write "Free" on the upper, right-hand corner of an envelope instead of using a stamp (and assuming they were content to have the letter sent by surface mail rather than email. I even had free-franking privileges when I was in the Navy hospital in San Diego recovering from a bullet wound, which was kinda weird. I have no idea if the postal clerks at the hospital had a list of patients who were authorized to use free franking.
My apologies for the unreadable print. It quotes Roy M. North, "...acting third assistant postmaster general...":
"The stickers are in similitude of and approximately the same size as some postage stamps and would cause confusion when attached to the outside of letters and letters bearing such stickers would not be acceptable for mailing."
The rouletted "stickers," designed by an airman at the U.S. Air Forces base in Albuquerque, were originally sold in sheets (don't know how many stickers per sheet), and 3,000 were sold before the U.S. postal overlords put the kabab on the scheme. And, really, is it hard to write "free" on an envelope? Nevertheless, the cover fits nicely into my collection of free-franked mail (American WWII, American Korean War, American Vietnam War, Canadian WWII, German WWII, and Russian WWII).
Years ago, in the Usenet stamp collecting group, I brought up the topic of these "Austrian Costumes" stamps, which Stamporama member Tracy Barber then dubbed "Bob's Harem". Until now, I've only collected used copies.
Bob
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re: Canada Post - Officially On Strike
Cool story about the "Free" stickers. So some airman just printed off a bunch of labels and sold him at a profit and pocketed the money.. . I've picked up a couple of "free" franked items sent by soldiers and sailors recently. Love the Beauties! They should be MINT
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re: Canada Post - Officially On Strike
You're right, Ernie, that airman probably made a bundle, at least by 1942 wartime standards. The sheets sold for only 10 cents each, or $300 for the 3,000 sheets. Not bad!
Several years ago my mother bought a box of covers and other, miscellaneous documents at a secondhand store and shipped it to me. It turned out to be a significant portion of the correspondence between a solder, Luster Main, from Kansas City, Kansas, and his parents, although most of their letters were not included. Speaking from experience in South Vietnam, I know that being a combat zone makes it very difficult to save mail from friend and families.
Luster was shipped off to Europe late in 1944 and was captured on the first day of the Battle of the Bulge. Among his letters are some that were posted by airmail, at six cents twice the rate of surface postage. HBoth Luster and his parents often sent V-mail letters, which were postage free. In one letter to his parents, he writes that he decided to spring for the extra postage because had an urgent request for money? In another letter, he thanks his parents for the money they sent him -- $1!
Bob
P.S. I added some information to my previous post, about the postal official who nixed the free-post label schemes. He was Roy M. North, "...acting third assistant postmaster general...". A small-p poobah!
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re: Canada Post - Officially On Strike
Bob,
Yep. I've picked up some correspondence from soldiers and sailors that were stationed around here. Some were very poignant. Alot of "I wish I was home" and "hope to come home for Christmas".
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01:47:45am
re: Canada Post - Officially On Strike
Just getting back to the postal strike for a sec...
Workers are mandated back until probably late spring. According to my poker buddy (a long-time mail carrier) there will be delays of a month or two for delivery of items sent to Canada from the US - probably half that going from Canada to the US.
He also warned that there may (probably will) be some shenanigans with the mail. Being told to report to work, and having your bargaining rights revoked, does not sit well with many folks.
Last time we had a strike there were (a few) incidents later reported of undelivered mail being found in dumpsters, and postal employee's homes.
If I receive anything stamp-related sent to me I'll provide an update on date mailed/received for reference purposes.
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re: Canada Post - Officially On Strike
Do you think domestic Canadian mail gets priority over mail arriving from the States or is it all treated the same way?
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re: Canada Post - Officially On Strike
Mail from UK posted November 6th. arrived here in Manitoba yesterday, so things are moving, albeit slowly.
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re: Canada Post - Officially On Strike
I received one item from the States on the first day Canada Post employees returned to work and two items on Friday - one from Canada and one from the States, with all stamps on both letters uncancelled.
Mail within my city moves well - delivery is next day. I was going to mail a couple of cheques to a town 150km away, but was told all mail to this destination is sent to a bigger center - 600km away and is then sent back. Instead of the 150km, the cheques were going to travel 1,050km, but the worse part was they were going to end up in the big back log pile and delivered within 4 weeks. So I drove the 150km myself to deliver them.
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08:47:19pm
re: Canada Post - Officially On Strike
To answer Ernie's question once it's in the general Canadian system there is no priority given to source.
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re: Canada Post - Officially On Strike
bob, I seem to recall your quest of a .5g stamp in the costume series on cover, and the elation when, years later, you found one. I've kept my eye out ever since, hoping to double the hall
On Viet Nam covers, hard to find, although I'm no longer a dedicated looker
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