Not really news, but I ordered a part off bay Dec 14, which seller sent immediately, same day, USPS. It sat in the USPS facility for 10 days in Md until 900pm Dec 24.....an eccentric in an envelope.
I had a similar issue. Opened a USPS package research case. The package showed up two days later. It sat in a distribution center for 11 days
Christmas card from Denver arrived today (12/26). Would have flown from that city to Twin Cities. Postmarked Dec. 15.
I have always supported the USPS. But, crummy service is not likely to promote loyalty or new customers (not rocket science).
Frank
Quote from: ReelFishingProblems on December 27, 2020, 12:59:22 AM
I had a similar issue. Opened a USPS package research case. The package showed up two days later. It sat in a distribution center for 11 days
Had I known it was in Md, I wouldve just driven the four hours, got the eccentric, then swung by to sample that tenderloin and bourbon you had....
I have a fiend, at home, who is retired from the Postal Service....I "queried" him about the unusually poor service this year,and in his email reply, he said'
"Well I did a little research, and found that there were 711 mail sorting machines taken down and dismantled this year. Each machine can sort 3600 pieces of mail per hour. That's 2,559,600 pieces of mail PER HOUR less being sorted then last year. Now mail has to go farther to be shorted as well."
I trust my friend, and can only trust his "research", as well !
Likewise.... but just a little bit. I sent priority 3-day flat rate boxes from Oahu to the Big Island, Alaska, California, Texas and New York. Each took about six days instead of three, but all arrived safe and sound. I'm satisfied, what with the pandemic, their agency being turned upside down by a dysfunctional director, and acute low moral.
-steve
In my small town in Minn., mail deposited in the past went into "local" and "out-of-town" boxes. Local mail was postmarked on site and placed for delivery; you could mail a letter by 8AM and it would be postmarked and delivered the same day. Almost all the US out-of-town mail went to a sorting center less than 50 mi. away, and 90% was delivered within 2 days and almost all the rest within 3 days. They eventually deleted the "local" box at the post office, but mail still went to the same sorting center and came back to town to be delivered the next day. Last change had all mail going to a sorting center 150+ miles away. Local mail is usually delivered in 2 or 3 days. Anything that has to go on a plane from the sorting center city is supposed to be delivered within 2 or 3 days, but my non-scientific survey says 3 days minimum and usually a day or two more than that. Around the holidays, all bets are off, and this year, in-town mail is a minimum of three days and out-of-town anywhere from 5 to 10 days.
I'm old enough to remember mail being delivered in town at least twice a day. A 1st class letter would go anywhere in the lower 48 in 2 or 3 days and for an extra few pennies, you could go airmail and most letters made it in 1 or 2 days. Special delivery still existed as well; that has been gone for 25+ yrs. now, I suppose.
No matter how you slice it, despite all the technological progress, I am strongly of the opinion that the speed and quality of mail service has decreased gradually but greatly over the past 30-40 years. No sign of improvement either. And, the prices keep going up.
Frank
Well....
When you have a PostMaster General (Louis Dejoy, hand-picked appointee by the Board of Governors of the USPS, in June 2020), who takes sorting machines off line, taken apart and parts disseminated and /or destroyed; who does not act to place machines back on-line, in violation of a Federal Court order; you would expect that mail would be impacted (slowed).
The Board of Governors of the USPS (9 positions) are presidential appointees requiring senate confirmation. Of those 9 positions, only 5 may be from the same political party (currently, only 4 Republican and 2 Democratic seats are filled, all appointed by President Trump). The Board requires a quorum of 6, but can operate with fewer under temporary emergency). The Board of Governors of the USPS was last complete in 2014.
The Board of Governors of the USPS selects the PMG and Deputy PMG, both of whom also sit on the "Board of the USPS". The board selects the Postal Inspector General as well.
And when PMG Dejoy is replaced, how will the USPS pay for new mail sorting machines?
Quote from: thorhammer on December 27, 2020, 12:39:45 AM
Not really news, but I ordered a part off bay Dec 14, which seller sent immediately, same day, USPS. It sat in the USPS facility for 10 days in Md until 900pm Dec 24.....an eccentric in an envelope.
yeah, same here, I bought a whole bunch of stuff and looks like all the East Coast USPS staff were abducted by aliens!
Quote from: Jim Fujitani on December 27, 2020, 09:48:29 PM
Well....
When you have a PostMaster General (Louis Dejoy, hand-picked appointee by the Board of Governors of the USPS, in June 2020), who takes sorting machines off line, taken apart and parts disseminated and /or destroyed; who does not act to place machines back on-line, in violation of a Federal Court order; you would expect that mail would be impacted (slowed).
The Board of Governors of the USPS (9 positions) are presidential appointees requiring senate confirmation. Of those 9 positions, only 5 may be from the same political party (currently, only 4 Republican and 2 Democratic seats are filled, all appointed by President Trump). The Board requires a quorum of 6, but can operate with fewer under temporary emergency). The Board of Governors of the USPS was last complete in 2014.
The Board of Governors of the USPS selects the PMG and Deputy PMG, both of whom also sit on the "Board of the USPS". The board selects the Postal Inspector General as well.
And when PMG Dejoy is replaced, how will the USPS pay for new mail sorting machines?
Thorough description. Thank you Jim. I guess nobody ever said it had to make sense.
-steve
We sent a box of fruit from California to our friend in Rhode Island 3 weeks ago. She hasn't received it yet. Hope it isn't a box of fruit mush.
still nothing, and now the email with my tracking is gone....wondered if it was retracted....
Quote from: thorhammer on December 28, 2020, 03:56:45 PM
still nothing, and now the email with my tracking is gone....wondered if it was retracted....
Check your email for a trash or deleted folder. It may be moved there. If not, try looking in your browser's history for the last time you viewed the tracking info. The link in history may contain the tracking number.
Quote from: thorhammer on December 28, 2020, 03:56:45 PM
still nothing, and now the email with my tracking is gone....wondered if it was retracted....
They read this thread and the( Soup Nazi ) off Seinfield is in charge of complaints.....
just sayin ::)
Quote from: Wompus Cat on December 28, 2020, 04:33:35 PM
Quote from: thorhammer on December 28, 2020, 03:56:45 PM
still nothing, and now the email with my tracking is gone....wondered if it was retracted....
They read this thread and the( Soup Nazi ) off Seinfield is in charge of complaints.....
just sayin ::)
HA! My favorite Seinfeld episode. "NO MAIL FOR YOU!"
When I was a kid, my dad who perhaps had an excessive sense of humor, would always use that "Nazi" put-down for cold, overly authoritative people.
Just shipped a USPS box and paid a kings ransom for guaranteed 1day delivery, but delivery date is for 2 days from now. Yep, the soup nazi is alive and well !
When it really has to get there on time you are better off using FedEx. It's more expensive and they have their own set of problems, but at least they still take responsibility for their actions. USPS does not.
You see a lot of that in all things these days. The pandemic is used as an excuse for poor performance.
-s
They have been good to me this year. Ordered this the 16th. Came on the 21st. ;D
All I can attest to is that over the years I have had little to no problems with USPS, only maybe once or twice & they really weren't USPS's fault. Case in point, I purchased a 10" x12" sheet of 4 ply tortoise shell plastic @ 9:00 PM CST on Tue, Dec 22, standard delivery from the Huston area. It couldn't be shipped until Wed, the 23, and it arrived in today's mail, the 28th. Not too shabby, IMHO, considering 2 of the 5 days were Christmas day & a Sunday.
Maybe it's a regional thing.
Whoa, Daron. Home defense?, or are you goin into business for yourself?
I used to use a pistol grip Remy Police Mag for backpacking and home protection, with a sincere hope that ejecting an empty shell a racking a live one would be all I needed to do to scare off people.
3 day Priority Mail, sent 12/18 got here on the 24th. 3 days late, not bad for X-mas time!
I just like guns. Been raised with them. Served in the Military to shoot the big ones.
Me and my Uncles and Granpa were alway doing something shooting related.
Turkey Shoots were a big favorite. It is a family tradition.
I just collect now. They only get more valuable.
I have built 8 of these the past two months.
Dammit. I have been mostly resisting collecting Newells and guns (the Liberty Fatboy may argue that) because I can get the Jones off nicely rebuilding a 9 or LB 65. But I'm out of rod and reel room.
And my wife likes guns. Has several of her own. Carries. I have no excuse. Crap. I like Mausers, and they used to be 40 bucks in a barrel at Rose's. No more.
On 12/15 I mailed 3 bill payments at the main post office before the noon pickup. One was delivered by 12/21 (in state) but as of today 12/28 the other two payments have not yet been delivered. >:(
A few months ago I mailed 2 bill payments to the same address on the same day (for myself and my wife; I know better than to put them in the same envelope, the corporate machine is not equipped to handle that...). One arrived safely, the other was lost.
I'm in Colorado. USPS seems to be getting less reliable even though mail volume is down 30% in the past decade. If this is the new normal, then I'll change to electronic bill pay for almost everything (of course that isn't fool proof either).
I received a rod by USPS a few days ago...with one of the plastic end caps ripped plum off the tube...and the rod was STILL in the tube! Unbelievable.......:-\
For me at least, it is important to be patient (not always easy) with the Post Office.
Yes — the Pandemic, political Postmaster appointments, pulling of sorting machines, weather, the onslaught of mounrtains of extra deliveries due to Covid, the popularity of online shopping, and other challenges — all lead to tough and challenging working conditions — along with a low morale among most PO workers.
They are out in the public — or in processing centers — doing their jobs so we can stay at home and have the things we need.
The USPS definitely needs a tune-up, and an overhaul — but it is still there for us. And we will see rates go up — likely 30% over the next 5 years.
However, while FedEx & UPS are alternatives — we need to remember that they are also profit-oriented companies. And as such — could be merged, changed, sold to an Amazon or WalMart, or a foreign corporation.
At least the USPS is considered a necessary and public utility for the good of the citizenry.
I have had (6) major delays — seemingly for no disclosed reasons over the last 8 months — both coming and going. 5 have been in the East, or Northeast — one from Washington State to California. But they all eventually arrived. (1) is pending as of this morning — Priority Mailed on the 18th to Massachusetts — ETA with tracking was the 21st. Still hasn't showed up as of today, the 29th — and USPS tracking shows "in transit".
It is a new and different world we are living in — and it is important for me to put things into perspective.
I will try to do more with emails, and electronic communications, and keep as many transactions as possible online — but the shipping we do still requires the USPS. I will always use Priority with tracking. No use saving a couple of bucks — to not have any idea what is going on — or no one accountable.
And I am grateful that they are active and here for us.
Just my personal opinions —
Best, Fred
Quote from: foakes on December 29, 2020, 06:26:19 PM
For me at least, it is important to be patient (not always easy) with the Post Office.
Best, Fred
Patience is fine, and we sure do need a
well run USPS.
But I see a strange parallel between the USPS and, say, AMTRAK. When the finances get tough, service is cut and/or rates go up rather than trying to find a way the make the service better and leaner. So, what came first, the reduction in service or the decline in ridership? AMTRAK wants us to believe the decline came first, and that no doubt was true to a certain extent (cars and air travel), but I suggest the
continuing decline came about because of fewer trains serving fewer places and a rate structure that makes it cost more to ride long distance trains than airplanes. USPS is eerily similar. Yeah, emails and electronic messaging would've caused some decline, but I'd like to suggest that USPS has helped cut it's own throat with higher rates, less service and high cost labor; otherwise, UPS and Fed Ex would never have gotten a foot in the door. Indeed, both of these businesses are for-profit, but USPS gets enormous subsidies from the government, whereas these two private businesses do not. I just can't understand why USPS cannot see this.
Frank
I don't know. Maybe there are some structural efficiency issues too. If I mail something from the island of Oahu to the Big Island of Hawaii, it goes to California first and spends a couple of days there before it is sent back over the ocean to the Big Island.
Mailing an odd-shaped parcel like a fishing rod to Hawaii can get insane. It first goes to a holding facility in Culver City or somewhere and is eventually packed into a cargo container. Getting you package into the cargo container seems like the hardest part. The cargo container is eventually put on a ship and sent over. Our cute post lady says they call the CA holding facility the "black hole" because it is so hard to get stuff back out of there.
Several USPS carriers have told me that Ebay has been their financial salvation.
The late great president of the Unite States thought Amazon was getting too low of a rate from USPS.
Maybe so, but Amazon deliveries seem much less likely to be waylaid by USPS because they incur penalties. Amazon will likely have their own delivery service at some point. Maybe we should just give them the USPS.
Shoot! What am I talking about? I hate that Amazon is taking over the world. I like USPS despite everything and hope they get it all turned around for them.
-s
now ebay server is down so i cant contact seller...I just want my 4400 eccentric :( , Santa.
The package label I posted above was on a rod box. A birthday present to mail back to the Grandson in a month. But, only a whole 3 ft. long! HA! One of those functional Zebco-spincaster-molded-combo teaching toys with a Micky Mouse theme. Might take a couple more years for him to be able to make it work.
Good thread, tempting thread, waitin for the inevitable, though. No moderator threats yet, hmmm...
Until the last few months I have always had good service from USPS.Our local letter carrier was really stressed last time I talked to her.She said that the increased volume of mail plus the restraints being put on them was taking its toll.For those of us who live in rural areas it is vital.One has to remember that UPS and FedEx are not required to provide daily mail service 6 days a week to every citizen of the USA.If they were required to do this they would also be looking for help.There is no way to show a profit delivering mail daily to largely unpopulated rural America.Myself I actually avoid retailers who use FedEx because of the poor service I've had from them,so many of the packages arrived looking as if they were recovered from the county dump.UPS has been good here.
Ordered some parts from Mystic the other day, went out same day. This is not unusual for Mo and Scott, they are benchmark. While i get covid, low morale, politics etc etc, NONE of that can excuse the fact that the parts, typically delivering in two days, went from NJ to Miami and are on way back to me....I live twenty minutes from the exact halfway point on I-95, so my parts went by, waved, and kept on 700 miles south- and also 20 minutes from a state capital hub. No wonder everything is so backed up with these types of algorithms driving the business. Scott's has a disclaimer on the site that USPS may be up to three weeks out, not updating tracking, and having packages sit for weeks not scanned in or out.
I think what has happened is that so many people started biatching & complaining the powers to be at USPS decided they would give them something to complain about! ::) :D USPS service really didn't seem all that bad until a certain group people decided to make a big deal about things. ;) Just sayin'. ;D
Quote from: Shark Hunter on December 28, 2020, 11:39:02 PM
I just like guns. Been raised with them. Served in the Military to shoot the big ones.
Me and my Uncles and Granpa were alway doing something shooting related.
Turkey Shoots were a big favorite. It is a family tradition.
I just collect now. They only get more valuable.
I have built 8 of these the past two months.
Daron I'm a gun nut too. I have a Military M-16. I think I paid 2k for it a few years ago.
I get reels shipped to me all the time. I ship them back and have never had any problems. I do keep the boxes in the shop. They are free. Just order some at the online postal service.
I wager that service will get better this year. When the time comes, remind me that I said that.
-s
Quote from: WeyeFisherCO on December 29, 2020, 12:50:19 AM
On 12/15 I mailed 3 bill payments at the main post office before the noon pickup. One was delivered by 12/21 (in state) but as of today 12/28 the other two payments have not yet been delivered. >:(
A few months ago I mailed 2 bill payments to the same address on the same day (for myself and my wife; I know better than to put them in the same envelope, the corporate machine is not equipped to handle that...). One arrived safely, the other was lost.
I'm in Colorado. USPS seems to be getting less reliable even though mail volume is down 30% in the past decade. If this is the new normal, then I'll change to electronic bill pay for almost everything (of course that isn't fool proof either).
Both "lost" first class letters arrived 1/4/2021. Better late than lost forever I guess....
Parts showed up today- that shipped from Md on Dec 14, five hours away from me. I received something else from Baltimore today that shipped 12-21.
just checked the Mystic order- parts actually made it to the Raleigh hub 20 minutes from me, then promptly out to the hub in Greensboro a hundred miles west. This is insane.
I had an order leave Charlotte 3 days ago and it's floating somewhere hopefully on the east coast, maybe we need to start driving halfway and delivering each others orders.
I can't complain about the Postal Service —
Yes, there seem to be regional slowdowns — but all packages seem to get to and from eventually.
And generally — fairly quickly, taking everything going on into consideration.
Have sent out around 40 packages in the last 6 weeks — no issues with any of them — generally 2-3 days if shipped USPS Priority.
And we live in a rural mountain area that usually takes an extra day to get from the main PO in Fresno, CA — up to our house.
Received a shipment of (11) reels this morning at 11:24 AM. It was mailed one minute less than 48 hours ago — from a small town in rural Virginia.
Maybe we have been lucky — but this is the norm.
OCCASIONALLY, a small slowdown issue — but never enough to get too concerned about — Priority with tracking almost always arrives sooner than later.
Best,
Fred
Did get the parts from Mo today- gonna try to upgrade my 80 Int with the carbon fiber donut this weekend. My cottage is up in the woods so some things i get delivered to the house...I'm taking inventory to see what I have everything of in one place to start putting things back together: Calcutta 400 with help from Alan, the 80, the 4400SS again with help from Alan, plus the parts that started this thread, three Mitchell 300's courtesy of Steve and Wayne, assorted jiggy leggo goings-on, rod work, etc etc, and a few Quick Micros and small Mitchell parts I'm gonna have to speak to Fred about.
Wayne shipped me a package from the Bay Area yesterday — it arrived 18 hours and 59 minutes later in my locking mailbox!
10 postal scans — San Mateo to San Francisco — San Francisco to Fresno — Fresno to Auberry — Auberry up to our mailbox, which is in a rural mountain area. They estimated it would arrive on the 19th — guess it caught a tailwind.
Best, Fred
wow....they busted out the pony express!
Fred!!! WOW!!!!
When I dropped the reel package off at San Mateo PO, they told me Oct. 19 for sure.
And 18 hours plus change you have it!!!!! Cant' complain today at the USPS!!!!
Inside is a Dam Quick 330 I purchased locally on CL, seller wanted $12, how could you pass up that deal???
When we met at the local In N Out burger place, and I turned the handle, I explained to the seller NO WAY can I walk away ONLY paying $12. This reel is worth more than $12.
Seller said, "Nope, that is not the deal", he said, $12 please, put $12 in my hand."
And I then told the seller, I see you are with your young grandson, how about if I buy him an afternoon snack here at In N Out Burger. Grandson jumped on it,
I left with the reel, the Seller with his $12, and 13 yr. old Grandson with a 3X3 Animal Style Burger, large Fries, and a malted Chocolate shake!!!!!
Always great when all parties are satisfied with the deal.
Fred, show us all the 330 when you are done with it.
Wayne
Both of you gents are princes among men. I don't get out to the left coast much these days but you know I go animal style when I do....
Lots of grumbling & moaning goin' on about USPS but all I can say is I haven't seen any delays or times out of the ordinary. Case in point, I ordered some guitar parts from a dealer in Canada on Dec 31, New Years Eve Day. They arrived at my door on Jan 11 (note there was New Years Day and two weekends within that 12 days). Not too shabby, especially for the time of year, I would say.
Yeah, been watching my girlish figure for the last 18 months — lost 43 pounds — and In-N-Out Burger is our go-to place maybe once every couple of months, nowadays.
And it is always "Animal Style" for me.
Grilled onions, twice greens — MMMM, MMMM, Good!
Used to be free if you asked for it — now they charge a little extra — but it is worth it.
I do have them cut back on the sauce — too much makes the burger soggy, at least to me.
Best,
Fred
dang Fred. to lose that, I'd have to cut off a laig.....
It appears that the issues with USPS vary depending on the location, and how many states/distance the parcel/letter has to traverse before it gets delivered.
I had a conversation with my next door neighbor (the wife half) yesterday. Her twin sister living in Virginia received a Christmas card that was mailed from Florida on December 9th. It took over a month! The brother-in-law mailed a small package of Jerky several states away. It took six months before delivery, last summer into fall!
I rarely use priority USPS shipping boxes when I know the shipping stays within our state. I just ship USPS in cardboard boxes. t is cheaper and usually takes a day or two more at most.
Like Fred Oakes and others have noted, here at Pineo Outdoors LLC we've had generally good results with USPS Priority mail service, up until last early summer, when the widely reported sabotaging of the Postal Service began under Louis DeJoy. Out of nowhere starting about June, some of our shipments started arriving days or weeks delayed. We sent some polyester webbing to one of our vendors in Boise, Idaho. It went from Spokane to Boise, then on to a city in Pennsylvania, then to another city in Pennsy, then was finally delivered to the correct address in Boise 2 weeks later. We sent a hunting vest to a customer in Boise, which went to Boise, then Denver, then Salt Lake City, then back to its proper delivery address in Boise. We have had shipments to the east coast take a couple weeks to arrive at customers' addresses. All of these were sent by Priorty, which should only take 3-4 days max from Spokane to say, someone in Florida. International Priority orders have sometimes taken over 2 months to make it to the delivery address.
The USPS has indeed been overwhelmed. Mail volume has shot up after years of decline, and as someone noted, they can't turn down a shipment, unlike UPS and FEDEX. Staffing has been hammered by COVID 19. I don't blame USPS, but rather the pandemic and systematic efforts to undermine and sabotage OUR postal service, founded at Benjamin Franklin's urging, as a national service to help unite the country. There's no excuse for removal and destruction of mail sorting machines across the country. For thousands of small businesses like ours, USPS has historically been the best shipping value proposition for us and our customers.
Quote from: falconer on January 16, 2021, 08:27:44 PM
Like Fred Oakes and others have noted, here at Pineo Outdoors LLC we've had generally good results with USPS Priority mail service, up until last early summer, when the widely reported sabotaging of the Postal Service began under Louis DeJoy.
The USPS has indeed been overwhelmed. Mail volume has shot up after years of decline, and as someone noted, they can't turn down a shipment, unlike UPS and FEDEX. Staffing has been hammered by COVID 19. I don't blame USPS, but rather the pandemic and systematic efforts to undermine and sabotage OUR postal service, founded at Benjamin Franklin's urging, as a national service to help unite the country. There's no excuse for removal and destruction of mail sorting machines across the country. For thousands of small businesses like ours, USPS has historically been the best shipping value proposition for us and our customers.
Hey Doug, how's it going? Long time since we fished together (and it may be longer still, I can't make this year's 10 day).
I hope you are in good health and staying safe.
Jim (the Sarge)
Quote from: Shark Hunter on December 28, 2020, 08:58:22 PMThey have been good to me this year. Ordered this the 16th. Came on the 21st. ;D
Nice Daron. !
I have a stock Colt M16 with extra magazines
Quote from: thorhammer on January 15, 2021, 11:43:50 PMBoth of you gents are princes among men. I don't get out to the left coast much these days but you know I go animal style when I do....
I'll have to remember that one. "princes among men" lol ;D
You Have a Colt AR-15 Keith. If it was a true M-16. It would have a 3 round burst and full auto selector switch.
Where you been hiding, my brother?
here in the UK you have 2 options for normal post. first class and second class.
lately the prices have skyrocketed and the quality of service has dropped.The difference in price is a huge 50p between the 2 classes. international is £2.20 worldwide.
To add insult to injury, in a lot of cases a second class letter will arrive just as quick as 1st class.
As for USPS the international prices are a nightmare. it can cost upto £15 or more to send a small letter containing an item such as a drag washer or small spring. where do they get their prices.
Quote from: kevin cozens on October 02, 2023, 11:32:29 AMhere in the UK you have 2 options for normal post. first class and second class.
lately the prices have skyrocketed and the quality of service has dropped.The difference in price is a huge 50p between the 2 classes. international is £2.20 worldwide.
To add insult to injury, in a lot of cases a second class letter will arrive just as quick as 1st class.
As for USPS the international prices are a nightmare. it can cost upto £15 or more to send a small letter containing an item such as a drag washer or small spring. where do they get their prices.
A medium flat rate box within the US is $15 USD. I just sent one to Australia for a cool $85 USD. And it's been 2.5 weeks so far.
Beginning of the year i ordered custom parts for my abu from a seller in England. It took 3 months to arrive. Not the sellers fault, but holy crap.
I am careful to be thankful for the Postal Service —-
Yes, there are weird delays and occasional issues —- but pretty good overall.
Sending a parcel from up here in the remote Sierra Nevada Mountains of California —- to say, San Mateo, CA —- if mailed before 3:30 —- will often be at the recipients door the next day.
Sent a package from here to Valrico, Florida —- last week —- took 1.5 days to land at recipients front door.
For some reason, almost anything I am receiving from the NE quadrant of the country —- bounces around about 3-5 distribution centers before it ever starts making its way out West.
All in all, though —- without the USPS —- and the internet —- none of us could do the tackle hobby that we love —- as quickly and effectively.
Postage cost is just the tariff we pay to get what we want —- whether it is a reel, toaster, or dog food.
So, no complaints here.
Best, Fred
Not to be Tommy Downer but the rate hikes of the last 3 or 4 years have practically put an end to the lower tier of reel and tackle collecting. I used to buy around 20 reels a month but since shipping took such steep increases I've practically quit buying all together. I'll bet I haven't purchased 20 reels in the last 5 years. Shipping prices in comparison to item prices are the first things I look at nowadays and I know a lot of guys, and collectors, that take the same position as I do. I'm pretty sure that's why so many reels just sit on the 'Bay day after day & week after week with no takers. It's really a shame because it was a fun hobby for such a long time.
I have in the past had some negative things to say about USPS. And frankly those things weren't untrue. But I've come to realize that a flawed but affordable public option beats the pants off a more expensive private option that quite frankly is still quite flawed.
And that story about the part from England, well it got lost on the far side of the pond. Once it got over here I had it in a few days.
It's funny, this post should come up!
This is why, you can't buy one piece fishing rods anymore either!
Unless, you want to pay, at the very minimum $100, on up to $200!
If I want a rod, that is truly 8 foot long, not 7'10", like they make them now, because of these new, rules and rates!
It's 100 bucks for tackle direct to send me a 8' rod and I live 5 miles from there!
And yes, I do drive there, just stating the facts lol!
I was actually thinking about starting a transporting business, 4-5 years ago!
But then, the country took a plunge, and inflation went through the roof with gas prices!
Quote from: Midway Tommy on October 02, 2023, 04:33:45 PMNot to be Tommy Downer but the rate hikes of the last 3 or 4 years have practically put an end to the lower tier of reel and tackle collecting. I used to buy around 20 reels a month but since shipping took such steep increases I've practically quit buying all together. I'll bet I haven't purchased 20 reels in the last 5 years. Shipping prices in comparison to item prices are the first things I look at nowadays and I know a lot of guys, and collectors, that take the same position as I do. I'm pretty sure that's why so many reels just sit on the 'Bay day after day & week after week with no takers. It's really a shame because it was a fun hobby for such a long time.
Not everyone has been as fortunate as you or me, Tommy —-
To be able to pickup reels when prices were a lot cheaper, and shipping was less.
Or to be able to buy them in person by the truckload.
However, postage is just an added charge that we all pay, if we choose to continue our hobby —- or we can stop at anytime.
On my little Vintage Reel Sale Post "Free, Cheap, and Easy" -- lots of guys are buying 5-7 reels at a time. This reduces Priority 2-day Shipping to less than $4 for each reel.
Everyone has to make their own choices —- depending on their situation and importance of their hobby.
Best, Fred
Quote from: foakes on October 02, 2023, 09:51:41 PMQuote from: Midway Tommy on October 02, 2023, 04:33:45 PMNot to be Tommy Downer but the rate hikes of the last 3 or 4 years have practically put an end to the lower tier of reel and tackle collecting. I used to buy around 20 reels a month but since shipping took such steep increases I've practically quit buying all together. I'll bet I haven't purchased 20 reels in the last 5 years. Shipping prices in comparison to item prices are the first things I look at nowadays and I know a lot of guys, and collectors, that take the same position as I do. I'm pretty sure that's why so many reels just sit on the 'Bay day after day & week after week with no takers. It's really a shame because it was a fun hobby for such a long time.
Not everyone has been as fortunate as you or me, Tommy —-
To be able to pickup reels when prices were a lot cheaper, and shipping was less.
Or to be able to buy them in person by the truckload.
However, postage is just an added charge that we all pay, if we choose to continue our hobby —- or we can stop at anytime.
On my little Vintage Reel Sale Post "Free, Cheap, and Easy" -- lots of guys are buying 5-7 reels at a time. This reduces Priority 2-day Shipping to less than $4 for each reel.
Everyone has to make their own choices —- depending on their situation and importance of their hobby.
Best, Fred
One positive aspect of a buying hiatus, or sabbatical, as some might call it, is that it has given me time to service and restore a lot of reels I wouldn't have been able to get to. For a long time reels were piling up and coming in faster than I could get to them. Not any longer, ;) I'm now finally making some headway. :D