Jessica has just sent me this: (Which will be real bad news for US sellers)

The United States Parcel Service has announced plans to raise their postage rates in January, and is discontinuing some mail services.

What you need to know

• Shipping rates will go up an average of about 10% for most shipping services. Priority Mail will increase by 9.8%, and Retail Flat Box rates will increase an average of 8.6%.

7 minutes ago, Dave Rimmer said:

Jessica has just sent me this: (Which will be real bad news for US sellers)

The United States Parcel Service has announced plans to raise their postage rates in January, and is discontinuing some mail services.

What you need to know

• Shipping rates will go up an average of about 10% for most shipping services. Priority Mail will increase by 9.8%, and Retail Flat Box rates will increase an average of 8.6%.

This is bad for both USA sellers as outside buyers actually ! Inflation is not considered anymore as an economic problem in some elite circles... but only as a social issue to be solved by the aim to get rich if worthy. It's not the case as such here with the rises of outside USA postal fees, but it does participate to that general downfall of the lower wages in their economical, social and political everyday empowerment once again.

The last price hike saw at least 50% of my regular customers go elsewhere....in reality, I haven't got anymore buyers to lose....in Europe at any rate! Ha!

It's currently $12.75 to mail one 45 from California via international airmail to Europe....from January, that will supposedly increase to around $14....so something like 10 quid.

Yes but a lot of American sellers are already charging $14 or $15 now.Cheaper stuff is only worth buying if you get 2 or 3 records.

Might need to get me suitcase out again and go a record rummaging!!!

I find now that I only buy from US when I know someone will be going there or someone is visiting from there - fortunate to have a family address to use - sucks to wait a couple of  months and not a good way to process feedback either being so long after purchase. And you don't get any customs issues.

Oh dear... the GSP might start to look attractive to US sellers; when buyers purchase a 7" record the GSP deliver it in a freight container with a load of bubble wrap or with no packaging and it rattling around until it's smashed into thousands of pieces.