[Dx-qsl] More old US IRCs exchanged @ USPS today

[Patrick STODDARD]

Hi!

Earlier this morning, I went to the same post office I visited last
week to exchange some more old IRCs for another ham on this list.
I had 71 IRCs from US post offices all over the country, sold between
1979 and 2000, and was hoping to get them exchanged at the rate 
listed in the USPS International Mail Manual (1 cent less than the 
original selling price stamped on each IRC).  I had 20 IRCs priced at
$1.05, 45 at 95 cents, 5 at 65 cents, and 1 from 1979 at 42 cents.  I 
made another printout from the part of that USPS manual related to 
IRCs, and also had a printout of the latest USPS postal bulletin about
the changes to the text in the manual.

I was not questioned about being the original purchaser of any of
these IRCs.  The clerk read over my printout, and looked at my
IRCs.  I had them sorted in groups based on the face value, then in 
groups of 20 if necessary, with post-it notes showing the face value 
and the value each group had in exchange for stamps.  I ended up with
$66.71 in stamps.  

It might take some explaining, and bringing along a copy of that part
of the International Mail Manual, but at least there is some hope for
those that have pre-2002 IRCs from the USA and want to get something 
for them.  For those of us in the USA, this is now the USPS policy, 
accepting the non-US pre-2002 IRCs for the rest of this year and 
accepting any pre-2002 IRC from the USA indefinitely.  Any IRC with
the 31 December 2006 expiration date... those better be dealt with
in the next few weeks, as there appears to be no hope for them in 2007
or beyond other than as a collector's item. 

73!



Patrick WD9EWK/VA7EWK 
http://www.wd9ewk.net/