Thanks! I try and find interesting cards for collectors at a reasonable price. Also, I often find material for my own collection while searching, if you can believe such a thing. I love the picture of your collection!
I tried using the Ecoswift 6.5 x 4.5 rigid kraft mailers exclusively, so I wouldn't need to deal with the inserts, (mailer costs an extra 25 cents, and the postage increases by about 50 cents due to being nonmachineable and an additional ounce). Seemed to work great until buyers sent me pictures of how the smooth surface of the mailer would get caught in postal machinery and ripped apart. Once, only the corner was torn and the cards, although hanging out, were ok.
I have a little digital scale I got just to weigh envelopes so I pretty much always got that right with the post office. Thickness seems to be the real issue for me.
I've had some luck with carefully selected continental and rack cards and those go in yellow envelopes with a cut manila pieces, they seem to mail for 1st class rate.
..and just rereading the original post, I think I was about 5 when my grandmother sat me down with an old album, a pile of cards and bottle of elmers and had me 'organize' the cards for her and glue them in the album, that I still have!
