[Rockhounds] mineral trades

[Lawrence Rush]

Tim and Dave are both correct. But, there is a Flat Rate box for Domestic 
use that costs $9.85, regardless of weight or US destination. I have packed 
as much as 25 pounds of minerals in one of these, a real bargain! A postal 
clerk told me she once sent one of these with steel bars in it to Hawaii, 
which would have cost $70 otherwise. When using them for non-domestic 
shipping, they are usually cheaper, but you must compare prices with other 
classes, as they are not always the cheapest form of USPS shipping, 
depending on the weight and destination. This is not always convenient, 
since you can't always change the classification when at the counter, as the 
FR boxes MUST be sent in the PO special box. And the USPS does not make it 
easy for the customer to understand their arcane and often indecipherable 
rules.

Larry Rush