The most damaged postcard that I ever received! HOW TO avoid getting damaged postcards or maximum cards, with over-cancelling, scratches and missing chunks/corners?

I share here some useful info from the postcard exchange great website http://www.forum.postcrossing.com, where my username is dorinco.

That is also my username for the primary website http://www.postcrossing.com.
This website is good - it facilitates "blind" (you don't choose your partner) exchanges of postcards with addresses chosen at random by their computers.

But the forum http://www.forum.postcrossing.com is much better, in my opinion, because you can choose your exchange partners for postcards, stamps, maximum cards, and other items!

The messages below are about a Round Robin exchange of maximum cards - the thread path (sub-folders) is this:
Postcrossing Official Forum » General » Tags, Trades, Notebooks, Round Robins and Pen-Pals » Round Robins » NEW Maxicards/Maximum cards RR!! Group3 Need ONE for travelling!!New groups!!!(always OPEN)

dorinco [that's me, remember?] said:
"Thank you, gracefool, for the very cute MC from Gr.6!

Unfortunately, it is the most damaged postcard that I ever received! :flaming: [emoticon]

Australia Post/Adelaide put our MC face-down over a heavily-inked mailpiece, so ink migrated onto the face side of our kangaroo MC.
It also roller-stamped it across the address-side, although it says that it's PREPAID!

Then, between Australia Post and US Postal Service, a chunk was ripped of a corner!

See also some roll marks, near the left, at about 45 degrees angle.

Not your fault, but next time you either talk to your postal clerk, or you send it in a transparent bag to have the stamps on the postcard visible, or you just send it like a CIA agent - "undercover".

==========
gracefool replied:


"Dorinco - A self-made Wintery Lighthouse MC, I really love it thank you. Your cancellations are very nice.

Also, Dorin, I am so sorry about the condition the MaxiCard arrived to you in!! 
That is terrible!!! I have sent so so so many MCs and I have not had any report like this before. 
However I have received quite a few cards myself which have heavy cancellations on front and back (but not ripped), it is the risk we all take when putting mail through the postal system(s) I think. 
I have never sent in "transparent bag" before, can you explain this?"
==============
dorinco replied:

"Thank you, gracefool, I'm glad you like the unique/UNICATE/UNIKAT in the world MC that I created for you! :)

Transparent bag can be any transparent plastic bag that looks like a transparent envelope - you can cut and modify it to desired size.
After you get the needed postmarks on the due postage (that may or may not include the stamp for the MC), seal that bag with scotch tape.
Or you can use a re-sealable bag, like Ziploc - best option, since it allows postal postmarking in the arrival country, with re-insertion of your MC back in the bag to reach you.

This is a custom MC, that I made from a page from a book.
Why? Coz I like it! :)
To you (and any other viewer here) and my US Postal Service, it's just a postcard with a stamp.
It's not terribly thick, but it's thick enough to be accepted as a postcard by USPS.

Instead of mailing it as a naked postcard, subject to postal damage, I tested this: I inserted it in a transparent plastic bag/envelope and I put mailing address labels for sender and receiver (which is me in both cases) on the outside of the bag.
I could have postmarked it, but personalized stamps in USA don't necessarily require postmarking - their encrypted value (little B&W squares) is supposed to be voided by the scanner of the Post.

So I mailed it like this:

It arrived to me by mail, without any postmark and any damage.
The value of the stamp is presumably voided, as it should.

The point is that whenever you suspect that your MC sent as a naked postcard will get damaged or over-canceled, you can enclose it in a protective transparent bag, or a glassine envelope, etc.
You just tell your postal clerk that you have a "philatelic item, sent under protective cover/bag."
In USA, currently it's 98c to mail either a postcard or a First-Class (1 to 3.5oz) letter internationally, except Canada and Mexico.

The advantage of using a transparent bag instead of a normal opaque envelope is that:
you could use the maximaphily stamp as part of the postage, totaling from both sides,
IF that stamp is still valid for postage
and IF you get all the stamps postmarked with that date when you send it.

In your case, gracefool, I already had the MC stamp cancelled in December, so I had to put now 98c on the address side."

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Please visit http://www.wordlesswednesday.com/newhome/

Wordless is good, but if you simply look at the above images, you may miss some of the important aspects about them.

Some images are best left wordless, but some could use some meaningful words. :)

=================

Please visit and join ABC Wednesday meme!

http://abcwednesday-mrsnesbitt.blogspot.com/

Today,  J is for JOEY = baby kangaroo.

Also:

"JUNK MAIL? No, protect your mail! Don't let the Automated Postal System or the postal associates ruin your mail!" :)

Read from rt.com: BREAKING NEWS - Japan on nuclear standby. Also, I show you a postcard with a cute fox kitten from Hokkaido. Did you know that some Zoo animals are very agitated right before an earthquake?

Read from rt.com: http://rt.com/news/japan-nuclear-standby/

My most favorite news source is BBC, but look at the ascent of Russia TV http://rt.com !
Intieresnii...:)

South Korea is helping Japan with almost all its reserve of boric acid.
"Japan’s Defense Ministry decided to use helicopters and fire trucks to spray water and boric acid to prevent further radiation leaks and to cool down the reactors. But the operation had to be aborted due to high radiation levels over the facility.

Japan has requested boric acid from South Korea. Seoul on Wednesday said it would provide 53 tons of the acid, which amounts to almost all the country has, except for a quantity for domestic use."

http://rt.com/news/japan-nuclear-standby/

Speaking about the Chernobyl Disaster, what happened to the wildlife in that area?

"In reality, radioactivity at the level associated with the Chornobyl meltdown does have discernible, negative impacts on plant and animal life [4,5]. However, the benefit of excluding humans from this highly contaminated ecosystem appears to outweigh significantly any negative cost associated  with Chornobyl radiation [8]. Therein lies the often paradoxical relationship between ecological and human health risk considerations. "

"The observation that typical human activity (industrialization, farming, cattle raising, collection of firewood, hunting, etc.) is more devastating to biodiversity and abundance  of  local flora and fauna than is the worst nuclear power plant disaster validates the negative impact the exponential growth of human populations has on wildlife. 

If the world cannot afford to experience more nuclear disasters comparable to Chornobyl, then how much more significant is the implication that the world cannot afford to experience additional human population growth? "

http://web.archive.org/web/20031005140805/http://www.nsrl.ttu.edu/chernobyl/wildlifepreserve.htm

===================

Please visit and join The Guest Heart Thursday meme!

http://clytie-randomhearts.blogspot.com/

Welcome to Guest Heart Thursday -
A place to share YOUR hearts!

My entry for today is a little anatomical heart blue shape (kind of...yes, it's a stretch, but hey!) in front of the nose of this lovely Hokkaido (Japan) fox kitten (kitakitsune).

Check out this image: A cat on a personalized stamp that I have customized at Zazzle.

Cat1.jpg A cat on a personalized stamp that I have customized at Zazzle. If you are having problems viewing this email, copy and paste the following into your browser: http://s289.photobucket.com/albums/ll201/dorincard/Stamps/?action=view¤t=Cat1.jpg&evt=user_media_share

===============

Please visit: http://viridianpostcard.blogspot.com/

Not really flying: The Siberian Flying Squirrel (Pteromys volans) - WWF maximum cards/ maxicards/ dorincards FROM Estonia (Eesti) ("FROM", not "ABOUT" Estonia, because they are really postmarked locally). Happy Postcard Friendship Friday! meme.

Mother Nature, or The Supreme Genetic Engineer gave this species the skinny - the furry glide membrane or patagium, a flap of skin that stretches between the front and rear legs.

"By spreading this membrane the flying squirrel may glide from tree to tree across distances of over a hundred meters, and have been known to record a glide ratio of 3.31, but is normally 1-1.5.^[2]"

^{http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siberian_Flying_Squirrel}

It would have been better if the postcards didn't have the basically identical, enlarged image of each matching stamp. Viva variety, you National Postal Administrations! :)

==================

Happy PFF (Postcard Friendship Friday)!

Please visit: http://thebestheartsarecrunchy.blogspot.com/ (wait until Beth posts the today's Linky tool for the meme, then make your entry, if you want to join).

Why would you, or why should you care about personalized stamps/ personalised stamps/ customized postage/ P-stamps, in general, and zazzle stamps, in particular? What's in it for you? To me, the answer is self-evident, self-explanatory, but hey!...here are some ideas for you to think about. Prerequisite: open mind. Got one? :)

I just noticed that Zazzle has quietly removed blank stamp designs, with or without border, from the Public Gallery.  I'll find out why exactly. Hmmm!...

I could write a whole illustrated book about this subject. Someday, maybe I will. :)

Look at the above borderless stamp design: it's based on the initial image of a blank stamp from zazzle.com, from which I have removed the black border, for extra space and designing effects, such as irregular contours.

The point for that is to show you that YOU can further customize a blank design, with or without border, with image(s) and custom text of your choice, pending final approval from Zazzle.

Designing is FREE!!!

Then you can put the approved design in your Private Gallery, or in the Public Gallery (where people can buy it and you receive royalty from Zazzle).

In the above design, besides the mandatory info about zazzle.com, do you see any advertisement?

Say No, "coz it ain't".

It doesn't have to be, if you so choose.

Like this:

I often hear comments like: "I don't like personalized stamps; I prefer the regular stamps!".

Dear Sirs and Madams [although Madam may mean various things]: that is a FALSE DICHOTOMY.

It's not EITHER personalized, OR regular stamps.

They are not mutually exclusive.

Do you see ONLY personalized stamps in my blog, for example?

No.

I like many regular stamps, and I like many personalized ones.

I like them because I like THEM, not automatically because they fall into either one of those two categories.

After a while, I decided to "sign" my stamp designs:

Later on, I decided that since nobody seems to even see my stamp creations, let alone buy, I should advertise my zazzle little shop, by including the info: Design by zazzle.com/dorinco*.

 The asterisc after dorinco is VERY important because Zazzle tracks referrals by that, with a number code in the address.

Like this:

In the above picture, top row, the second tiger from the left is a customized version of somebody else's tiger stamp at Zazzle.

So, I could customize, create and buy THAT, but I could not put THAT new design in MY Public Gallery -  I was not the original author; just a customizer, a subsequent author.

See how I chose to remove the border for that, just for Schitzengiggels?

The above stamp, about euphemism - do I really believe that ANYBODY would like to buy it?

Translation: are you crazy???

:)

That euphemism thingie was just "for entertainment purposes only".

Why did I do it?

I'll answer like Bill Clinton:

The obvious advantage, for me [how come YOU don't see it?] is that personalized stamps can fill a hole, a gap in your stamp collection.

Is there a subject...

 ...that never appeared on ANY stamp, ANYWHERE in the world?

Then YOU do it, for [your] sake!!!

When it comes to buying, there are tips and tricks about not paying full retail.

[A VOICE FROM THE PUBLIC]: Like what? Like what?

[DORIN]: Like creating a design for the Public Gallery, then customizing all your future designs based on that initial design, even if you remove completely its initial image and text, and replace them.

Like using the 10% discount that Zazzle gives you for a future order over $45 or so.

Like various Holidays discounts.

Like $5 off if you post on zazzle's blog a photo of you with a zazzle product that you designed and purchased.

Like special promotions, such as in the past July 2010, when you could have purchased zazzle stamps AT FACE VALUE!!!

Get it? :)

Now I'll do something for which Google, in their wisdom, might penalize me with "artificial demoting in search ranking", coz they'll think I'm spamming you by simply exposing you to stuff that, yes, can be purchased.

As if you are an addict that HAS to buy everything that comes in sight!

:)

Links for more info about this subject:

http://s289.photobucket.com/albums/ll201/dorincard/Stamps/?start=all

http://www.zazzle.com/dorinco*/

More links, to personalized stamps from USA and about 25 more countries:

My friend, Peter C. Elias, has a lot of information and examples of interesting personalized stamps

http://www.freewebs.com/photostamps/

Dentelli Stravaganti [Unusual stamps] - images of personalized stamps from around the world!

http://www.eryx.it/dentelli/personal.htm
http://www.eryx.it/dentelli/personal2.htm
http://www.eryx.it/dentelli/indexeng.htm 

The personalized stamps (from many countries) section of "A World-Wide List of Turtles and Tortoises on Stamps" by Donald N. Riemer

http://www.personal.psu.edu/crr2/turtstmp/current/personal.html

============

I just got off the phone with Zazzle (1-888-8ZAZZLE).

Here's the trick:


[for the record, I leave as "text with strikethrough line" the previous statements, and conflicting statements from Zazzle phone reps]

To design US zazzle stamps, you can do it ONLY thru zazzle.com.

NOT thru any of these sites: http://www.zazzle.com/international.
UPDATE: contrary to what I thought (and to what was confirmed on the phone by zazzle rep), the subsequent email from her shows that YOU CAN DESIGN Zazzle US postage from (at least) the following 4 local sites:

**In the case of orders placed through Zazzle's International web portals, the local tax and customs fees are covered by Zazzle. Separate customs charges will not apply unless the order is shipped outside of the region covered by the portal's distinct agreement with the local customs office. For more information, on what to expect when ordering through one of the Zazzle international portals, please select your local Zazzle site:

• Zazzle.ca (Canada)
• Zazzle.com.au (Australia)
• Zazzle.co.uk (UK)
• Zazzle.co.nz (New Zealand)

To buy zazzle stamps from outside US, you can do it ONLY thru an international zazzle site (local site): http://www.zazzle.com/international.

NOT thru zazzle.com.

To have that postage shipped, your country HAS TO BE on the approved list.

If not, you arrange with somebody from such a country.

OK? :)

That was the info that I got on the phone from a customer service representative.
Then I received this email from her - I still want to verify if these links are compatible, or not, with what she said:
Hello Dorin,

Thanks for contacting the support team at Zazzle.com.

I have inserted a few links below for your review.

International Shipping Destinations
http://zazzle.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/453

Overseas shipping options and rates
http://zazzle.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/149

Zazzle Manufacturing & Turnaround Times
http://zazzle.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/145

Ordering Zazzle Stamps outside of the USA
http://zazzle.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/641


----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If you have any more questions, we're always glad to address your concerns.
For more immediate answers, don't forget to check our help section here:https://www.Zazzle.com/help?CMPN=cs

"Currently we do offer Stamps for sale internationally.

It is important to note the following regarding international orders for Zazzle stamps:

1. International orders for Zazzle Stamps are only available through our international websites (not through www.Zazzle.com). Attempting to ship stamps outside of the U.S. through the www.zazzle.com portal will result in an error during the checkout process. 

2. All Zazzle stamps are sold in US denominations pre-determined by the US Postal Sevice. A full list of those available denominations follow:

* $0.28: postcards
* $0.44: First-class, 1 oz
* $0.64: 1 oz mailings, unusual shapes
* $0.61: 2 oz mailings
* $0.78: 3 oz mailings
* $0.95: 3.5 oz mailings
* $1.39: 4 oz mailings
* $4.90: Priority Mail (up to 16 oz)

3. You can get started with your International Zazzle Stamp order here:

UK: Zazzle.co.uk
Stamp info page: http://www.zazzle.co.uk/custom/stamps?CMPN=cs
Stamp Design tool: http://www.zazzle.co.uk/cr/design/pt-stamp?CMPN=cs
Public Stamp Designs: http://www.zazzle.co.uk/stamps?CMPN=cs

Canada: Zazzle.ca
Stamp info page: http://www.zazzle.ca/custom/stamps?CMPN=cs
Stamp Design tool: http://www.zazzle.ca/cr/design/pt-stamp?CMPN=cs
Public Stamp Designs: http://www.zazzle.ca/stamps?CMPN=cs

Australia: Zazzle.com.au
Stamp info page: http://www.zazzle.com.au/custom/stamps?CMPN=cs
Stamp Design tool: http://www.zazzle.com.au/cr/design/pt-stamp?CMPN=cs 
Public Stamp Designs: http://www.zazzle.com.au/stamps?CMPN=cs

New Zealand: Zazzle.co.nz
Stamp info page: http://www.zazzle.co.nz/custom/stamps?CMPN=cs
Stamp Design tool: http://www.zazzle.co.nz/cr/design/pt-stamp?CMPN=cs 
Public Stamp Designs: http://www.zazzle.co.nz/stamps?CMPN=cs "

http://zazzle.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/641

UPDATE 02 March 2011:

 Because yesterday I had another Zazzle rep tell me on the phone that "you can only design and buy zazzle stamps thru zazzle.com" regardless of where you are in the world, I have emailed Zazzle about all this.

Here's the answer:

"Response Via Email (Hollie)

03/02/2011 11:50 AM

Hello Dorin, Thanks for contacting our support team. Currently we do offer Zazzle Custom Stamps for sale internationally. It is important to note the following regarding international orders for Zazzle Custom Stamps. 1. International orders for Zazzle Custom Stamps are only available through the international Zazzle portals** (not through www.zazzle.com). Attempting to ship stamps outside of the U.S. through the www.zazzle.com portal will result in an error during the checkout process. 2. All Zazzle Custom Stamps are sold in US denominations pre-determined by the US Postal Service. A full list of those available denominations follow: * $0.28: Postcards * $0.44: First-class, 1 oz. * $0.64: 1 oz. mailings, unusual shapes * $0.61: 2 oz. mailings * $0.78: 3 oz. mailings * $0.95: 3.5 oz. mailings * $1.39: 4 oz. mailings * $4.95: Priority Mail (up to 16 oz.) 3. **Stamps are available internationally through the following portals: United Kingdom (www.zazzle.co.uk) Zazzle Custom Stamp info page: http://www.zazzle.co.uk/custom/stamps?CMPN=cs Zazzle Custom Stamp design tool: http://www.zazzle.co.uk/cr/design/pt-stamp?CMPN=cs Zazzle Custom Stamp public designs: http://www.zazzle.co.uk/stamps?CMPN=cs Australia (www.zazzle.com.au) Zazzle Custom Stamp info page: http://www.zazzle.com.au/custom/stamps?CMPN=cs Zazzle Custom Stamp design tool: http://www.zazzle.com.au/cr/design/pt-stamp?CMPN=cs Zazzle Custom Stamp public designs: http://www.zazzle.com.au/stamps?CMPN=cs Canada (www.zazzle.ca) Zazzle Custom Stamp info page: http://www.zazzle.ca/custom/stamps?CMPN=cs Zazzle Custom Stamp design tool: http://www.zazzle.ca/cr/design/pt-stamp?CMPN=cs Zazzle Custom Stamp public designs: http://www.zazzle.ca/stamps?CMPN=cs New Zealand (www.zazzle.co.nz) Zazzle Custom Stamp info page: http://www.zazzle.co.nz/custom/stamps?CMPN=cs Zazzle Custom Stamp design tool: http://www.zazzle.co.nz/cr/design/pt-stamp?CMPN=cs Zazzle Custom Stamp public designs: http://www.zazzle.co.nz/stamps?CMPN=cs ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- If you have any more questions, we're always glad to address your concerns. For more immediate answers, don't forget to check our help section here: https://www.Zazzle.com/help?CMPN=cs Best Regards, Hollie Customer Support Team Zazzle Inc."

UPDATE 16 MARCH 2011

I spoke on the phone 1-888-8ZAZZLE (1-888-892-9953)with Jillina @zazzle, and she checked with her supervisor.

Zazzle stamps can ONLY be shipped to an US address!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The best procedure is this:

1) you can design zazzle personalized stamps by registering at zazzle.com (the main US website of Zazzle), regardless of where in the world you reside.

Put them in the Public Gallery so you can receive royalty payments (thru PayPal or check) from Zazzle, should your products find buyers!

2) you can order zazzle stamps ONLY from zazzle.com (not the regional zazzle portals!), regardless of where in the world is your billing address associated with your credit card.

3) you can ONLY receive those stamps at an address in USA! So you better get a partner/friend in USA! :)

======================================================

Happy Sunday Stamps!

Please visit and join http://viridianpostcard.blogspot.com/

Insurance industry says earthquakes are 'acts of God'. BBC: 'New Zealand earthquake: 65 dead in Christchurch'. What's in a name, like Christchurch? Nothing but wishful thinking?... 'for Christ's sake'? Also, a maximum card from New Zealand, otherwise a beautiful country, whose green scenery you should remember from 'Lord of the Rings' movies.

Read from BBC:
'New Zealand earthquake: 65 dead in Christchurch'
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12533291

==============

Maximum card/ maxicard/ dorincard from New Zealand.

Christchurch, under assault from the TeCtonic Knights?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tectonics

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teutonic_knights

If you will never come around to reading the whole article about New Zealand, at least read this, will you? :)

"New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island) and numerous smaller islands, most notably Stewart Island/Rakiura and the Chatham Islands. The indigenous Māori name for New Zealand is Aotearoa, commonly translated as land of the long white cloud. The Realm of New Zealand also includes Tokelau; the Cook Islands and Niue (self-governing but in free association); and the Ross Dependency, New Zealand's territorial claim in Antarctica.

New Zealand is notable for its geographic isolation: it is situated about 2,000 kilometres (1,200 mi) southeast of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and its closest neighbours to the north are the Pacific Islands of New Caledonia, Fiji and Tonga. 

The country's sharp mountain peaks owe much to the earthquakes and volcanic activity caused by the clashing Pacific and Indo-Australian Plates. 

The climate is mild and temperate and most of the landscape is covered by tussock grass or forests of podocarp, kauri or southern beech. 

During its long isolation New Zealand developed a distinctive fauna dominated by birds, a number of which became extinct after the arrival of humans and introduced mammals."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_zealand

A Romney shiquolt and lambs.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Romney_Ewe_and_Lamb.jpg

An image with Romney lambs.

In German: Ein Bild mit Romney Lämmer.

Mitt Romney:

"Willard Mitt Romney (born March 12, 1947) is an American businessman, and a Republican who was the 70th Governor of Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007, was a candidate in the 2008 U.S. presidential election, and is a likely candidate in the 2012 presidential election."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitt_Romney