[QCWA] IRCs Are A Thing Of The Past / My Solution

Sat Dec 8 02:01:23 EST 2012

I'm not surprised at the USPS decision.  When I moved down to the coast of 
Oregon the clerk and Postmaster at the little community near me didn't know 
what they were nor how to deal with them, didn't want to give me the stamps 
that were needed for first class to country x, y or z, and generally tried 
to stonewall me.  The clerk who finally took them and gave me the right 
amount of stamps was storing them (the IRC's I was taking in) in her desk 
because she didn't know what to do with them. I had to actually take in 
copies of their own USPS manual pages on IRC's and explain how the system 
works.

So, they only took them because I insisted (well, maybe a bit stronger word 
would suffice). The clerk didn't think she was going to get reimbursed for 
them and would suffer a poor performance evaluation because her till was 
coming up short.  So, 'lesson 2', I acquainted the clerk with their own 
internal post office procedures on how a postoffice receives reimbursement 
from a higher USPS office.

All that said, the IRC's I take in and exchange all come from other 
countries. So are the ones I send to other foreign amateur radio ops or QSL 
managers. I don't buy my IRC's from the USPS though.  I buy mine from 
managers for DX stations or those who have been on personal dxpeditions 
(including the vacation kind) and have them flowing out their ears for one 
reason or another. All are postmarked from a country other than the US. The 
mail keeps coming in from the foreign countries hams I send them to.

The Postoffice in a country in the Postal Union doesn't care where the IRC 
was purchased and stamped (if it was stamped by the issuer). They just know 
it converts to X amount of postage from their country to the country where 
the letter is going. And what if the issuing office doesn't frank or stamp 
the IRC. Not to worry, international postal regulations allow for that.

Need IRC's?  Find a big DX station manager and buy or barter. I get mine for 
between a $1 and $1.50 US each, better than the $2.10 the USPS wants 
(wanted).

Don W7WLL
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "KF5P Vern Jackson" <vernonj at softhome.net>
To: <qcwa at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Friday, December 07, 2012 9:52 PM
Subject: Re: [QCWA] IRCs Are A Thing Of The Past / My Solution

I just purchased postage stamps from the Canada Post Office on line, for use
on SASE's to Canadian hams.  It was cheaper than IRC's, and only took a few
days to get them.  Other countries may sell their stamps on-line, too.  I
haven't checked.

Here's a link to the Universal Postal Union information:

About International Reply Coupons

IRC's are not being discontinued, but it looks like U.S.Post Offices will
quit selling them.  The UPU says "If a Post does not sell IRCs, it is
possible to purchase them in a post office located in a neighbouring
country."  I'd be cautious about buying IRC's outside the U.S., as I'm not
sure they would have the same value, but it's something to look into if it
is really necessary to get them.

IRC's were used in the original Ponzi scheme.

73, Vern, KF5P

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Fred Atkinson, WB4AEJ" <fred at wb4aej.com>
To: <qcwa at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Friday, December 07, 2012 7:11 PM
Subject: [QCWA] IRCs Are A Thing Of The Past / My Solution

> Folks,
>
>      I was just reading on the QRZ Web site that IRCs (International Reply
> Coupons) are going to be a thing of the past as of January 13th, 2013. The
> Postal Service is axing them.
>
>      Some people said there was no alternative to the use of IRCs and were
> all panicky because of the impact it would have on their QSL chasing
> efforts.
>
>      I say that's not true.  I came up with an alternative to that years
> ago and I used it in a non-ham related way.  But it should work well for
> hams.
>
>      Find your local stamp collectors store [or find one on the Internet]
> that sells foreign postage stamps.  Buy the correct amounts of postage for
> the countries you want to work.
>
>      When you work a new country, pull up that country's postal site and
> find out the cost in their local currency for mailing an international
> letter.
>
>      When you prepare your Self-Addressed-Stamped-Envelope (SASE) (yes,
> stamped but with the correct foreign postage, not U.S. postage), put
> enough foreign postage on it for that nation's international letter rate.
>
>      Then put your filled out QSL card and the SASE in another envelope.
> Address it to the foreign station, put enough U.S. postage to get it to
> its destination, and then drop it in the mail.
>
>      This is even easier for the foreign station because he/she doesn't
> have to go cash in your IRCs at his/her local post office.  They just fill
> out their QSL card, put it in your SASE, and drop your SASE in the
> outgoing mail.
>
>      I've never found a stamp store in the area where I now live.
> However, I did find one today on the Internet.  The URL is:
> http://www.mesastamps.com (Mesa Stamps in Mesa, Arizona) .  I tried to
> check them out on the Better Business Bureau (BBB) web site but they
> didn't show up.  That usually means that the BBB has received no
> complaints against them.
>
>      I can't recommend Mesa Stamps because I've never used them.
>
>      I was using a stamp store in the Washington, DC area when I did this.
> But I don't now remember their name. They were a small operation and may
> no longer be around.  They were local to me and I went to their store when
> I needed foreign postage.
>
>      If any of our QSL chasers should try my method, I would like to find
> out how well it works for them.  If you use mesastamps.com, I'd be
> interested in finding out how well they do business with you.
>
>      If you find any other stamp dealers that you use, let me know about
> them, too (if they work out well, availability of postage for different
> countries, etc.).
>
>      73,
>
>
>
>
>
> Fred, WB4AEJ
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