Which way works out best for you for maling your books?

Using PBS postage, or at the PO??Do you use any of PBS mailing options DC etc?

When I joined there was no PBS postage.  I found that taking my books to the PO was inconvenient (the nearest one was out of the way/etc).  I would have used the APC...had we had one.  [I also didn't have a small scale when I joined, so I wouldn't really have known which book weighed what anyway without pre-weighing everything at the PO.]

Somewhere in there PBS DC was made available, and I started using that.  I liked the concept of getting my credit early and I could watch the barcode scans.  The only time I had trouble with it was when I went to my old MD post office (I was living in DE when I joined) and the clerk had trouble with the DC and told me it was invalid.  [She also started giving me trouble over the possibility of "ads" in the book, so I just took the book to another nearby branch.]

I don't remember when PBS Postage started.  I remember using the APC at the PO here in Texas.  And since DH usually passed the PO to/from work, I'd wrap and send them with him.

But when PBS Postage was made available, I jumped on it.  I prefer the convenience of just being able to drop it off at any blue box at any time of day.  Slimmer books I can even mail out from the apartment complex.   If I'm low on funds on my account I'll just use DC, then leave the books for DH to take to teh PO.  Although now that's not so easy, so I try to keep my account funded.  :D

I don't use pbs postage because I don't have a scale.  But I do use pbs DC.

When I used to drive by the PO every day for work, I used PBS DC only and paid at the counter or the APC.  Now that we moved and I don't go very close to the PO anymore, I use PBS postage most of the time. Sometimes I just use PBS-DC and stamps for the smaller books.  There are a couple of blueboxes on the way to work so I drop th book in one of those.

I do like to use the PBS DC, I too like the quick credit and "watching" the book travel, but I have so much trouble with the PO scanning it that I don't use it often.  If I use DC I have to go to a certain PO to get them to accept it - which is a pain.  If I am in a hurry - and not feeling cheap - I use the PBS postage - it is easy. I like all the options we have here.

I mainly use PBS printed postage. With the price of gas continuing to rise it costs more to drive to the PO than the little bit it costs to use printable postage.

Twice a month I go into town to do errands and then I will only use PBS-DC since I have to go right past the PO anyway. And the clerks miss me if I don't go at least once in a while...........they call me the Media Mail Queen!

I think it varies for everyone. I personally think the postage fee and DC fee are a waste of money.  The DC fee quickly adds up to more than what an occasional lost book/credit would cost.  I use the PBS postage sometimes when I have a bulk order or a game book (game books require DC) and it's over 13oz and the only thing I have to mail.  Then it's worth the fee to just pop it in my mail box. For books under 13oz, I just put stamps on them. If I have several to mail then it's worth a trip to the post office to me. 

For others, they use the printed postage on eveyr book because they can't stand going ot hte post office or their work hours don't let them. Other people stress out over every book they mail and want the DC.  I pay little attention to them once I mail them and have only had 1 go lost in probably 2,000+ sent books now.  So DC to me is an unneeded expense.  And don't really get the people who buy the PBS postage and then take it to the post office clerk for scanning.  I mean that just defeats the purpose of the fee to me.  But whatever.  It's not my money.

I order books occasionally from the PBS Market, donated back credits and support PBS in other ways (like paying for PBS DC on games books when paypal is cheaper). 

So do what works for you. If you are going to stress about every book you send until it's marked received, then buy the PBS DC.   If you can't get to the post office then use the printed postage either on PBS or paypal or wherever. 

i always take my books to PO.  I may go to PO up to 3x a week.  I pass 3 of them on way to daughter's school or running errands so as long as I have errands to do I will be near a PO at least once M-F. Our PO is physically closer but in totally opposite direction  from any thing--it's a small farm town and PO is amid orange groves near a crossroads that is prob only reason it ever was made a town! (we live in new large subdivision with thousands of people, but they haven't been able to give us our own town name though we outnumber the little town we "officially" belong to even though it's 5 miles away.)

I take my books to my small local (rural) post office and buy postage there. I figure with so many closures of post offices, i want to support my local one. Also, I have a PO box there for my mail, so, it's not an inconvenience to mail books over the counter.

I seldom get to the post office because I work basically the same hours that it's open, so I use stamps on books up to 13 ounces, paypal postage on single book requests over 13 ounces and use paperbackswap postage on multiple book requests or if I ever need instant credit. Then I just drop the package(s) in the blue box outside my post office on my way to work. I have a digital scale, and my post office doesn't have an APC.

I use Paypal postage since it's cheaper than PBS postage.  Getting to the PO counter is not an option for me more than once a week and it's 30+ blocks out of my way.  I rarely go there.

As you can see by the comments Becky, depends on what will work for each member.  I'm at (or near) the PO frequently, so I like to print labels with DC and buy postage at the counter.  This way I can support PBS, credits transfer quickly, and always have the right postage without owning a scale.  When we move, my mailing system might change.  But for now, it works great!

I have a scale but no printer to do up a label so I go to the post office once a week. It works best for me  as I usually have a stop to make at the library which is just down the street from the p.o. and it's my running-errands day of the week.

I've sometimes used postage stamps to mail during the week but it's hard to make the exact amount so it was costing a little more each time to mail that way, didn't think it was worth it even if it wasn't a lot of money. I never use DC, have only had one book (to Alaska) never show up.

Gail

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I really like using PBS Postage.  I started using it when I joined and my little boy was just a baby.  I couldn't get to the PO very easliy, so being able to print at home was awesome.  I still use it.  Love it!

my job is right accross the street from a post office

so I just go there to mail my  packages when I pick up the

mail from the office po box.

Since my post office is within walking distance of my home, a mile, I always take my books to the post office.

I don't use PBS DC because I've sent out hundreds of books and only had two go lost.  Financially, it doesn't make sense, for me, to just get the credits earlier than I would without it.

APC is an automated Postal Center. It is a different choice then either using pre paid postage or stamps...We don't have one at my post  office, so i personally haven't used one.

I know that is cost a little more, but I would say 99.9% of my books I send out, I use the prepaid postage. It is easier for me to keep money in my postage account then keep coming ot the PO to buy postage or use stamps.  At one time or another I did both, but I just chuck it in the blue box out side the post office on my way to or from work.

Shanan........geez hun.......APC stands for "Automated Postal Center"  (I think!)  It is a machine that allows you to mail packages even when the window area is closed.  It requires using a credit or debit card.  Stamps, in a sheet of 18, are also available at the APC.

My office has a scale.  I only go to the PO whenever I have either a hard back or many paperbacks to send.  I buy 98 cent and 28 cents stamps for the rest of the books.  They can go into the outgoing mail in my office.

I've never had a book go lost.  (knock on wood)

I'm just too busy to go to the Post Office.

I use PayPal except for multiple shipments or if I'm pressed for time, then I use PBS Postage. It's faster to print the label with all the info than having to go to PayPal and type everything by hand.