Thanks, Sophia. :)

Thank you, to Sarah for your PM's  back :)

Jennifer, lol, check your mailbox. :)

i'm firmly in the 2 train camp. Like someone said, it takes 2-3 months to get the train through everyone now as it is. So that means we ony have 4-6 trains per year already the way it is currently running.

Thanks for your vote Jeanne. I will put up a sign up list in a few just so we know how many folks would be aboard and then it will make more sense to decide one train or two. Meantime, I have a favor to ask of any of you. I will do my best to get to the PO either today or Saturday. I will bring with me a bunch of stickers and a big manila envelope. I will enter in someone like Jeanne's zip code, since she lives opposite end of US from me and sometimes cost does go by distance and try to figure out simply cost. I think it as Janet said it would be very helpful to have a basic idea that 20 sheets of stickers flat cost X, 30 cost Y, etc. Then we can much more easily try to limit weight that way. So...if one of you would be willing to do this also, I would appreciate it so much, that way we get an extra PO opinion. Please do ask when large envelope rate becomes package rate so we would know that, too.

I may not be on again until tomorrow afternoon. I want all of you to know I just told a fellow rider and dear friend that it made me smile to realize we have eben doing these trains since at least 2014. How lovely it will be many years from now, to look back on right now, thank God with an extra smile and know that of course He brought us together to begin with and has always been steering our trains--that we chose to keep them going in love. Love to you all and God Bless You.

Were most of the surprise stickers from the two bags taken?

There seemed to be a bunch in one ziploc.......maybe people didn't understand they could take one from each of the 2 surprise batches? The other had 3 left I think.

Mona,

what if i just start 2 trains for the #12 train ride?

train A and train B

that way one of the trains isnt just starting off completely fresh with only a few sticker sheets.

i can take some out, add my own, then divide some stickers up for train A and train B, then from there we can have 2 trains each time? (or whatever we decide)

im completely fine with sending 2 trains off this go around to test it out, just let me know :)

Thanks, Sophia.  I think that would be helpful, too.

I do have an update to share that I'd like (with all your okay) to implent going forward. I pray it will make the process simpler and also much more affordable for all. I went to the PO this morning. I brought with me to the PO a 6X9 manila (non padded) envelope. Inside, was a regular sized greeting card along with...get ready....40 sheets of stickers!!! They were all pretty much the same size as my old favorite Care Bear Stamp stickers pictured here: https://www.amazon.com/Care-Bears-72-Stickers/dp/B00415XNSQ Whoa, btw, that Amazon is asking going on $10 for these. Dollar Tree used to carry them. I used a zip code of a friend from back east because sometimes (I think) cost is influenced by distance and the charge would have beeen $1.99! I weighed this on the self service scale, selecting large envelope. I did double check with a PO clerk, who agreed the package would be condered a large envelope. I did, btw, select at the kiosk "package" just to see how much the same 40 stickers would cost to mail should they be considered a package and that cost was $3.02. So key, I think, is to keep our trains large envelope mailing rate.

My suggestion going forward is that we limit each train to 40 total sheets of stickers. 30 New to the current train sheets (as we move along) plus 10 sheets in a last call from the previous train envelope. So a new train might start with 13 total sheets for example. 10 from previous train and 3 new that the beginning person added. Each end person would be responsible for saving up to 10 sheets of stickers from their train and putting them inside a marked last call train 11 for example envelope so it would stay separate from the new cargo. Larger sheets of stickers can be cut in half.

Down the road or tracks :p :D, if anyone wants to head up a separate sticker trade that up front is a more stuff the train type of deal, kind of like we have now, please go for it. That way everyone at the ticket counter, would know there would be a larger cost from the get-go.

Thanks everyone! Let me know what you think and we can add this descriptor to the Train 12 thread. Speaking of Train 12 and possibly Train 13, as well, if we did do 2 trains at once, is our for sure count at 7? Sarah, Jennifer, Cheryl, Sophia, Jeanne, Lisa, and Me? Waiting to get confirmation from: Kim, Renee, Sara, Jacquleine, and of course anyone new who wishes to hop aboard.

P.S. To Sarah, thank you for your kind offer :) If we do run two trains, I would definitely appreciate your heading up the train for Jennifer in TX. I can do the one for Cheryl in Nor Cal, or Jennifer you are welcome to it and lol I can kinda of watch over both, doesn't matter to me :)

Sounds good to me! :)

Sounds good to me also.  

I feel better now and thanks to both of you! :)

P.S. Jennifer, i love your avatar. It reminds me of the yellow Chick Easter eggs I gave out to a few friends last year (yes each egg had a sticker inside :d)

Good! And you're welcome!!! :) 

Sounds good.  No more than 40 sheets total in Large Envelope 6x9.  Got it! 
If we are limiting the train to a total of 40 sheets do we need two trains, or should we just stick with one?

I am aboard either way :)

Thanks to everyone for figuring this out!

So glad you are coming Renee :) The envelope could be full size manila.  I also get at Wal-Mart a box of larger colored envelopes that can hold a folded piece of 12X12 scrapbook paper,so it is big enough for a regular card and stickers, that can work, too. We just want to keep the train l;arge Enevelope as opposed to package rate because that is when cost jumps! I think, and hope all of you do, too, 40 sheets is still a lot of variety, especially if we did ever try two trains.

Thanks, Renee for riding along and your kind words. Right now we are at an even 8. That would be very easy 4 and 4 split which should also make both trains go fairly fast. I still, yes after all our talk, at hear prefer one train for the main reason I have said that everyone signs one card for the same friend. Lol, I know that is about me and being sentimental sometimes card wise.  We have 8 riders at the moment for sure. I am thinking we will probably have at least 10, next few days. So...a 5 and  or even if it grew to 12 as we had this train 6 and 6 split is easy and would be good try once.

Hsppy Sunday to all!

i'm in for 1 or 2 trains.

:) I am so happy you are Kim. Prayers and an extra hug to you, my friend.

ETA: We are at 10:) Sarah, Jennifer, Cheryl, Sophia, Jeanne, Lisa, Kim, Renee, Me and a welcome to new rider Melissa B. Waiting to get confirmation from current riders Sara and Jacqueline. Of course,  anyone new who wishes to hop aboard is most very welcome, please PM me your mailing info within the next few days.

Since it doesn't appear that the leftover stickers from the grab bag will return to me as I had anticipated, I have asked Sarah H. (hakk) if she would return the extras to me and there has been no response.

Sarah, can you please confirm that you will be sending the extra stickers along to me since I won't be apparently seeing the last call envelope or the leftover stickers from the grab bag?

Thank you.