Well, we were all expecting it, and it's time: On January 27th, Postal rates are increasing again. I know, none of us likes it when prices increase on anything, but it's inevitable - from a loaf of bread to postage, everything generally trends upward. This increase is a little different in that they're changing how they calculate box postage, rather than just increasing the cost by a certain amount. It's good to stay informed about these things when you buy online from anyplace, as it will help you decide how to get the best value for your shipping dollar. Here's a quick view of the changes as we understand them:
Where First Class used to be priced by weight, no matter where in the US it was going, it will now cost a different amount to send an 8 oz package to New York than it does to California. They already do this with Parcel Post and Priority, so they were bound to make this decision eventually.
Also, for Postal Zones nearest the sender (for us that's pretty much East coast states down through Virginia), prices will increase based on weight more than they used to. We used to tell folks in these areas that they could pretty much order as heavy a load as they wanted and shipping costs would only go up a couple of dollars.... Starting on January 27th, every pound will count, just as it does when shipping everyplace else.
I wish we could tell you, "This size box will increase by this much," but because every destination's pricing is different, there's no easy way to say how much the change will affect shipping until we see it in action. However, one thing is certain (along with the usual "death and taxes"): Shipping is going up.
We can't change what they charge, but at least we can keep you informed ahead of their price changes. If you've had your eye on something, you might want to order before the price change to get the lower rate while it's still available.
And you betcha, if Breyer new releases land here before that date, we'll be doing our best to insure all pre-ordered items are on the way before January 27th!
Happy collecting,
Eleda