Shipping and tracking envelope sized, under $10 items, like stamps?

[globalrangerusstamps]

I sell (and buy) quite a few stamps, and most items tend to fit within a standard #10 envelope and also have a value in the $5 to $20 range.  Since they are not 'packages' the USPS won't track them without Registration ($16!), and other services like FedEx are pretty costly, too.  Sure, Priority Mail is $8 or so, but for a $10 item?

Good news is, my claims for non-delivery are pretty low, 1% or so.  The bad news is, beyond the hassle of refunds when things are 'lost in the mail', eBay seems to want tracking numbers on EVER?YTHING for obvious reasons.  No way to be a Top Rated Seller without tracking, for instance, but that is clearly not practical in the Stamp category.  Does anyone have a workaround, beyond NOT selling low dollar items?  We all have times when we need a few odds and ends to fill out a collection or set, right?  Not everyone can spend $100++ per item?  Thoughts?

[msgtdavid]

I don't know of anything.

Have you asked your local post office?

[bobdenneu]

Aside from relying on the USPS to deliver your envelope, you could declare the letter  a "package".  That would be the smallest  rate charged.  I send items in a 9x6 envelope that the USPS considers as a "letter"  but will charge the package rate if you want to have tracking.  This comes in handy for items over $25 or higher.  For the lower amounts, you basically rely on the USPS delivery and the honesty of the buyer.  

[xbolts]

I HAVE BEEN SELLING ON EBAY FOR YEARS. I SELF INSURE, ALL THE MONEY I WOULD HAVE SPENT ON TRACKING GOES IN A  POCKET IN MY PANTS, AND IF I GET ANY LOST ITEMS, I WILL REPAY ANY CLAIMS OUT OF THAT POCKET. NO CLAMS YET? HAHA EBAY, YOU DON'T GET THAT MONEY. I DO USE TRACKING ON ITEMS THAT SELL FOR OVER $50.00, NOT MANY. IT MIGHT NOT WORK FOR EVERYONE, BUT WORKS FINE FOR ME.

[thines]

I agree with xbolts - I don't bother with tracking for cheap (less than $50) items and in 20+ years on Ebay have only had one or two items go missing, all of them cheap. The cost of replacing them or refunding the buyer was absolutely trivial. The vast majority of Ebay buyers are honest.

[billsey]

The preferred method when you really do want the tracking is to put enough cardboard in the envelope to make it more than ¼ inch thick, so you can send it as a package. Tracking is available for packages... Just not for first class.

[annadryl]

A first class package under four ounces is $3.49 at the most. A poly mailer or bubble mailer with cardboard stiffeners will suffice. It includes tracking and is usually pretty fast. This is how I ship everything (except over a pound it goes PFR) and I rarely get INR's.