Those of you who don't do much shipping may not be aware of this. It is my understanding that the USPS has replaced the old "First Class" shipping option with a new designation called Ground with Tracking. I've shipped a lot of Swap thread items and used to select a more expensive option (think Priority or First Class) just to get a tracking number for added protection for both parties. I'm certainly no authority on the matter, but thus far I haven't found any hidden downsides. Ask your PO about anything I'm leaving out. It's pretty much how I roll now, as I recently made a swap of similar size/weight packages. He sprang for Priority and cheapo me went with GWT and we each shipped & received our packages on the same day, but I saved about $10. YMMV and the destination could be a point of diminishing returns on the savings, IDK.

My experience has been that ground is often faster than priority and is cheaper. Biggest difference is on packages over 30”. About half the “ long package” surcharge. Thanks John

Forgot to add, it comes with $100.00 of insurance along with the tracking number

TThis has been a great tool for us and is working great.

I've expressed that here several times, it's called Ground Advantage. You can do it all yourself on USPS.com/, even print your own labels.

With ground advantage you can’t use the free priority boxes tho or they charge the recipient they tell me…

With ground advantage you can’t use the free priority boxes tho or they charge the recipient they tell me…

Shipping has really gone up since Covid. I just sent a pair of binoculars to Texas from Minnesota and it cost $16.95. Cotton

Www.pirateship.com gives you commercial rates on USPS and UPS. I shipped a 70” boxed recurve UPS for $38 FL to CO. Was quoted $95 at the UPS store. You do have to measure, weigh and print your own label. Extra insurance charges apply if needed.

kennym, that's because they're specifically made for Priority Mail. Just find another box.

Also, don't use the free Priority address labels as that also triggers paying Priority prices. My experience with the Ground Advantage is just as good as Priority.

""kennym, that's because they're specifically made for Priority Mail. Just find another box.""

Yep, I ship a lot of stuff, and boxes cost me a couple bucks each to buy, so the free boxes pretty much make it an even trade off.

So how precisely do you need to have these weighed when printing your own label?

And what is the length where “long” charges kick in??

I have a postal scale and a luggage scale. I usually program in a little more weight than my scales and add a little more dimensionally but have found that rates seem to be calculated in “windows” or “blocks” of both. I understand that they will come back and bill you if there are additional charges after dropping off. My packages have been scanned when dropped off. Don’t remember them actually verifying anything else. Don’t remember where the length charge kick in…

Pirate Ship is cheaper and handier for USPS and UPS shipping. You just weigh and measure your package and you can see the different charges. Pick the one you want and print your label.

Where is the Pirateship store? I have never seen one. And if you take it to the post office how can it be cheaper? Old guy wanting to know these new things.

Online www.pirateship.com set up an account and feel like your Amazon…

The “long package “ surcharge is on anything over 30”.

I don’t understand how they do it, but you figure size and weight and choose your shipper. Then you can pay by PayPal or credit card and print your label. Put the label on your box and take it to a UPS shipper and drop it off or to the PO if that’s what you choose. They must have a deal with the shippers, but I don’t understand how they do it. I printed a label once and had it on the bow box and the guy changed his mind and didn’t want the bow. I just filed a request for a refund and had it in a matter of hours.

FYI. Two weeks ago I mailed a 62" longbow from southern NM to western OR. in a schedule 40 PVC tube. Used USPS Ground Advantage plus insured it for $450. Total cost- $31. Delivery time- 2 days. I did look into Pirateship and did not see a significant advantage.

My wife is a reseller and ships multiple items a day. This is her explanation.

They combined "Retail Ground", "Parcel Select Ground", and "First Class" into "Ground Advantage". Ground Advantage offers $100 insurance at no extra charge, with the option to purchase insurance coverage up to $5000. Ground Advantage is supposed to be 2-5 days ship time, with Priority 1-3 days. Essentially Priority is supposed to be faster, but costs a bit more, with the added "benefit" of the free boxes.

If you sell an item through Ebay, the Priority option tends to be cheaper through pirateship.com rather than Ebay's built-in shipping.

Ground Advantage is weighed every 4oz up to 1 pound, then per pound beyond that. Priority is weighed per pound.

You can sometimes also find good deals at the little mom and pop "middlemen" shipping outlets. A year or so ago, I was at the USPS and had a package that might have been an inch too long and was not paying the oversized mark-up. Went across the street to a joint called "Goin' Postal" that supposedly is a "middleman" for USPS, UPS and FedEx, whatever's cheapest. Never heard of them or seen another one, but other than the name not being a confidence builder, they were significantly cheaper than the PO. I asked how they were shipping it, was told USPS. I told them "I just came from there", what gives? They just smiled. I figure they're not as good at measuring as the PO. What're they going to do, waste time bringing it back for a few bucks, lol?!

Earlier this week I shipped two bows I sold. A fellow trad archer at my bow club told me about how he uses USPS Ground Advantage, so I tried it. Both bows shipped came to $33.83. That’s a much better deal than USPS Priority, it just takes a day or so longer.

I quit using USPS for everything but letters. Went to pirateship and choose the least expensive way--so far, so good

I have shipped A LOT of bows this year, used to hate USPS but UPS and FedEx prices have gotten absurd locally. I use ground advantage and it has been incredible. I swear it’s faster than two day priority. Shipped a Whip to NY from WA and it was there in two business days, myself and the buyer were stunned (in a good way)

I've been pleasantly surprised with using Ground Advantage too. Had one smashed box, but PRIORITY also has had some of those.

Pirate,ground,& others, I have tried to say for ages there are cheaper ways of shipping. They have multiple rates in the computers. For the most part they all travel on the same carriers. You can not use a box that has Priorty on it or a single piece of Priorty tape or you are going to pay extra. I have overlooked that twice & came back home to mark it out, tape over it, or re wrap. Making two trips to the P.O.is still much cheaper. It still comes with $100 worth of insurence & you can purchase as much as you want extra. Beware not to over insure they will demand proof of value if lost & not what it is worth to you. >>>>------> Ken

I just shipped a bow in a 72-ish tube by ground advantage from Idaho to Texas on a Thursday and it was delivered Monday for less than $25.

He sure did. I have it. I received another one the same day same size & it was $58. I didn't actually see him but I believe the same person driving the same truck put it on the front porch. >>>----> Ken

I’m glad to hear about this… I just carted a dozen and a half shafts from a sponsor here, and shipping came to $37 and change…. Makes it cheaper to forego a substantial discount and just pay “full price”, but snag the free shipping.

Just makes it clear that these times are tough on all of the small shops which support what we love….

A guy sent my bow, that i haven't received yet, priority 7 days ago and the tracking is stuck on the 27th. All tracking keeps saying is; "In transit to next facility". No State or city listed with that. It's been this way since the 27th. Who knows??

Earlier this month I sold a bow to a guy in New Jersey. I’m in New York. Sent it priority mail and it took 5 days for him to get it. I’m now waiting on an item that a guy in Colorado sent me via priority mail on Nov 22nd. It was supposed to be here Monday. For whatever reason it went to Pennsylvania instead of NY. Its been there 2days. Tracking number says it’s moving through the system. I think the system is broke.

It's hit/miss,, been using the ground advantage for awhile after priority got to be so expensive. Depends on where the pkg is going, last pkg I sent from OH to WA was 9 days. It got there so I guess I'm happy it did. That's how I feel anymore about the PO, just happy it got there.

I was told by USPS folks the charge for 30Inch packages is to save space REALLY? REALLY?

I was told by USPS folks the charge for 30Inch packages is to save space REALLY? REALLY?

Update on my package to be delivered by usps. Bought my bow on Nov. 22nd, tracking said delivery the 27th. Still haven't received it. Called my local usps and they did a check and told me that it hasn't even left the post office of the city i bought it from. Can you believe it????? Think I am done with postal service. UPS or FED EX from now on.

I used pirateship twice lately and was pretty happy with the lower prices. I have two longbows to mail, so I was going to use it again today. When I pulled the price up for the first bow, it recommended UPS and said it was $5 cheaper than the USPS. The next bow showed USPS as being $10 cheaper than UPS? Both "best" prices were just under $30 each, which isn't terribly bad. I noticed that the USPS quote was for "priority mail", not "Ground advantage", so I went to the USPS site and got quotes for each long. The total was $20 less than I would have paid at pirateship, where I was only offered UPS ground or Priority Mail. You just have to do your homework.

I have been sent many packages by this ground advantage in the last few months and I understand it is a good savings but it has to be one of the slowest methods used. And it doesn't get handled any better than the rest. Some packages appear to have been dropped from the plane in flight and make you afraid to see what's left. The last bow I received had the end of the tube missing any kind of cap or tape and it took almost 3 weeks to get here. Tracking gets you the same messages about being in transit which might as well say in outer space. I'm not against the new service but I am far from impressed. You can save some coin but better not be in a hurry! Good luck to us all!

It’s like buying airplane tickets.

Here's a Bad Situation/ UPS To MO. From Utah 60 inch Bear Bow Insured For an extra 200.00 on top of the 100.00 offered with ground shipping. Was told the only thing the insurance covered was LOSS Not Breakage WHAT? 84.00 Later!! because of length . Outrageous !!!! So its time to start selling Takedowns.These Shipping folks USPS And UPS , Forget Fed Express unless you have an Extra savings Account, have us where the Hair is Short!!!

I received a bow a couple weeks ago shipped usps ground.It was shipped from Washington state to Michigan. From the time it was dropped off at the post office till i received it was 50 hours. It was mailed on Monday morning and i received it Wednesday morning. It said i wouldn't get it till Friday.

Think what you will but most of the time priority & ground travel on the same vehicles. The delays are at the sorting centers. I have to go through 3 bad ones. North Houston, one in Florida & one in N.Y. I am sure there are more but those always delay my shipping. The PostMaster told me that priority would get there at most one day earlier. They seem to both be delayed equally at the distribution centers. There don't seem to be anyone sorting them puting one on the slow boat & one on the speed boat.

Two bows were mailed together at the same time. One got here 3 days after the other. I mailed them back when finished & the same thing happened. Handed them to the clerk at the same time & one got there 3 days before the other. The delays are getting on the truck to take them to the airport. It don't matter how you mail them except for the cost. >>>----> Ken

Waiting on a set of Bear Limbs that were shipped 2 day delivery about 2 weeks ago from Michigan to Illinois ( 20 miles from St. Louis Mo.). They made it to St. Louis then went to Northern Illinois ( Champaigne ) and are now back in St. Louis, and tomorrow is a Holiday so who knows when I'll get them. USPS is pretty unpredictable at times. HaHa

My experience long and skinny so a crap shoot. Had a 62" longbow go from IA to TX to GA to TX in only 7 weeks. Package was in rough shape, but the bow gladly served. They put a Delivery Exception on it. Thankfully it finally made it after we put multiple tracking requests in at the PO on both ends, and a couple on-line inquiries. Finally they delivered it late on a Sunday!!! The bow is a Big River mild D/R longbow and John hasn't been makin bows for a couple years, passed last year, so irreplaceable. $100 insurance wouldn't even put a dent in the value.

Once again priority & 2 day delivery is just a waste of money. They travel the same way. It is in the distribution centers where packages get overlooked equally. >>>----> Ken

Nothing but horrible service from them the last year. This holiday season and the couple months since, have made it where I don’t use usps at all. Ups is always on time and it’s 25 bucks to send a takedown.

Had them lose a silvertip for 12 days, lose it again for 3 weeks. Requests and everything out in, no tracking updates at all. Awful to deal with.

Money orders have not made it.

Important paperwork 2 weeks late.

Check from insurance received a month after printing.

The list goes on.

I’ve had some delays but two or three out of twenty or more shipments. And the delays got where they were supposed eventually.

2bears, I don’t believe priority and ground advantage travel the same. They may go through the same distribution centers but not the same mode of transportation. And some distribution centers do tend to overlook or temporarily misplace packages.

Phil I send & receive every week. They are getting there or getting delayed just the same. I won't pay the extra money anymore. >>>----> Ken

Just a PSA update. The last trade I made on the SWAP thread was with a Waller in Wasilla, AK and I'm relatively certain it went at least partway by dogsled. I shipped the next day by Ground Advantage, and it took a month from N.C. I'm not complaining. The rate for ILF limbs was within reason compared to some I've paid, and it eventually did arrive. But I wouldn't be surprised when they say "ground" if it means it never leaves it! Good thing it wasn't going to an island. I'm just glad that the Iditarod wasn't being run or my team might have got distracted with my package ending up in Gnome!

Ken, maybe its a problem with the hub that services your area?

Weather it is USPS, UPS, OR FEDEX, the tracking is only as good as the person handling the package.

We have experienced the good and the bad from all carriers and all options. Much can be said about the last (local) carrier handling the package/delivery. Bigjim

I'm not sure Priority is even worth it these days. I have sent packages and paid a premium for Priority including insurance and have never had the package arrive on time.

Bought a bow from a fellow leatherwaller last week. Bow was mailed out Monday March 25 ground advantage and supposed to arrive March 28th. Tracking showed it left the acceptance post office on the 25th and updates for 2 days said it was moving thru the system and due to arrive on the 28th. It never did. Update on March 29th says its going to arrive late and is moving thru the system. No updates since. Filed a search request with USPS agent on Monday. I was told someone would get back to me in 3 days. We’ll see.

Just so you know it's actually the responsibility of the person that sent it to find it.

Two packages from different locations usps ground preffered one mailed March 23 the other Marck 25. Both have not left their states according to tracking numbers. Went to distribution centers and died on th vine.

I just had 2 USPS packages show accepted at the shipping location and then just die on the vine. Separate packages sent from different parts of the country, they both showed up 4 days after the scheduled date. When I mailed a package to these same 2 locations last month they arrived earlier or right on time.

Anything posted through the USPS has a good chance of being delayed or mis-routed, particularly at distribution centers. A very recent priority mail package went to seven locations before getting here, twice to my distribution center. The sender is 80 miles away. Bank bill pay will now warn you that USPS service cannot be relied upon for timely delivery and that time sensitive payments may arrive after five days now. Anything of any importance I send UPS - and not the “saver” or “smart post” options.

Like Big Jim says. I had a bow come from Washington to Michigan in 2 days. One from Wisconsin took 5 days both were ground advantage

The latest bows I received were shipped through UPS ground and the tracking was outstanding. The previous one was USPS and it was scanned when it was shipped and never again until delivered. They all arrived well, but I do appreciate the tracking I got from UPS

Had a good experience with USPS this last week. I send my PMO's in a priority envelope, the last one got there in three days to WA state. The bow was sent Wed. to OH to be delivered on Sat. I didn't expect that to happen, I picked it up yesterday, tracking still said "in transit arriving late".

USPS used FedEx for air transport of priority mail. They just signed a new contract with UPS to provide air transport going forward, leaving FedEx. It's anyone's guess if that will help or hurt priority mail delivery times

I always shutter when my stuff goes through that Jamaica sound outlet. Lots goes missing for a time.

guess I have been blesssed= nothing but good service from USPS and UPS Fed X can be a little rough on packages here but they were heavy ones

We have a couple distribution centers in TX that are last then stellar. Add to that the fact the USPS switched tracking systems in early December, timing!!! Also, hand written addresses can be a challenge. Manpower is also an issue for packages that can not be easily automatically scanned.

I have a longbow mailed to Idaho on March 5th. Took 7 days to get to St. Louis, which is about 70 miles. Last scan of the 16th saying arriving late but on its way to next facility. Nothing since. 10 days ago initiated a search with my local PO. Not heard from them since. Tomorrow will go back again. I fear the worst.

First words from the clerk behind the counter was “ blame it on DeJoy” who is the Postmaster General. Actually, I blame it on the employee’s failure to do their job in a diligent manner at these distribution centers.

Also, do an on-line inquiry.

I called the 800 customer service number and spoke with a representative to file my search request.

Just had a short conversation with the PM here in town about things today. Seems that Houston combined 5 sorting sites into 1 mega site to help with the holdups in S. Texas. Houston in particular as well as TX as a whole is experiencing huge number of out of staters moving in which apparently can cause problems with the mail. Indy, Pittsburg, Detroit are also problem areas they are trying to get ironed out, poor service overall is the term he used.

I have heard some stories about items being shipped via USPS that absolutely AMAZE ME! Things seem to bounce back and fort all over America worse than a SUPER BALL on STEROIDS! Why all of this AROUND the WORLD stuff? Doesn't THAT cause a lot of extra expense to the P.O. ? Makes absolutely NO SENSE.

I am seeing horrible shipping times the last month from USPS. I have had 1 bow destroyed and I have 4 bows that have a status "Moving through the Network". After these 4 bows I am switching back to UPS. So disappointed in USPS.

My bow arrived this morning. Exactly one week later than it was supposed to arrive. Was a little concerned when I saw that one end of the pvc tube was completely open and the limb tip was sticking out of the wrapper around the bow. But all is well, the bow was unscathed. Miracles do happen ??

Had a Paul Bunyan Fiberglas bow show up with a boot print on the box, which was broken open. Bow was ok, but box fell apart when I pulled the bow out.

Funny, or maybe not so funny. Midway USA uses varying methods of shipping when it is free. My package that I picked up today was delivered by UPS directly to my local PO. Arrived yesterday around 2pm, but stated delivered to local PO - not accepted or notice left in box. So, I waited until the USPS notified UPS that notice had been left so UPS could update their tracking. Then went to local PO and the clerk couldn't find the package after handing her the yellow slip. “Must not be logged in yet”, was her reply to my receiving notice. “So, logging in is not simultaneous with sending notice to UPS that you had the package and had left notice in my box?” I ask politely. Blank stare. She looks again and finds the box. Separated she said due to the lithium battery warning about not shipping on passenger airlines. My PO is about 3600 feet above sea level, but… well.

USPS screws up when commercial carriers hand it to them at the final destination. Their new motto, “whether rain, sleet, snow or darkness of night - or any other time - forget about it”.

All I know is about 2 years ago, I shipped out 4 bows one weekend, and then the next weekend, I did the same, and every package 30" ( or more (all of the ones I shipped) had a $15.00 fee tacked on. That was an additional $60.00 that I wasn't charged the prior week. No warning, no signs posted, just SURPRISE! The sad part is, there was no improvement in customer service, for that increase. At least give me better something, for charging me that much. I'm sort of glad I hung it up when I did.

About 6 weeks ago I had a bow end up at the wrong post office (Minooka instead of Bolingbrook), it just sat there for days. I contacted the post office thru their automated voice mail. Someone from my my post office called me, not a machine, a real person. They got the bow moving again and in arrived in perfect condition, box and all in a couple of days. So it took 10 days, but they responded, and got it to me in perfect shape. I was impressed, the personal phone call goes a long way, much better when you have communication and know what to expect. That was my Browning Wasp.

It's been all over the map for me. Recently a package was mailed to me (USPS Ground Advantage) from West Virginia to Idaho, mailed on a Saturday morning and was in my rural mailbox by midday Monday. Yet had an envelope mailed from Montana to Idaho that took over a week. Go figure.

Typical of the post office. The price goes up and service goes down. I ordered an extra set of limbs for a Black hunter from China. tracking was every other day till I received them. Postal service you'd be lucky to hear once a week

So quick question… I’m working a deal with a guy and am wondering if I can send him a link or a PDF of the Pirate label, for UPS and (if so) do I have to specify the date of shipment, or is that non-critical?

I've been told by my postal clerk that alot of packages are being delayed because a few postal supercenters are having walkouts regarding a wages dispute. I recently had a bow delayed a week that went through the supercenter in Atlanta. This is one current cause if your package is delayed if it's going through one of these centers.

My bow from Iowa in December made it to San Antonio in four days, then hovered and went to Atlanta for a week, then came back after I had initiated an on-line inquiry. Tracking updates were all over the map, but it finally got here after 7 weeks. Non-replaceable bow since the bowyer passed more than a year ago.

GF you haven't gotten that Bitzenburger jig shipped yet ?

I have a bow stuck in the asshole of the world New Jersey USPS distribution center. They can’t find it. They don’t know what happened to it in my show up.

I mailed a longbow in a PVC tube to Idaho on the 5th of March. They say it still might be in St Louis cite of last scan on March 12th. St Lois is 65 miles from me so it took 7 days to get there.

Now they have no idea where it is at nor will they initiate a lost insurance claim so I'm stuck waiting. Luckily the bow is going to a friend of mine who is very patient.

And now the USPS wants to raise the postage stamp rate by 5 cents and it won't bring any better service.

I just got a tracking notice for the bow shipped to me in Dec. They said they have been unable to find, but are going to keep searching. Neat: since it was delivered 28 January, after seven weeks of traveling America. Efficiency at it's best.

On a lighter note, let it never be said that I don't give credit where credit is due. Granted, with the PO it sounds as if there hasn't been much due lately. But I made a swap with Muddyboots and what he sent me by Ground Advantage last weekend I got in two days, NM to NC! That ain't bad. I think there's at least a couple hour time difference and I wasn't able to get his shipping info before 11AM (EDT), when my "po- dunk" PO closes on Sat. I shipped Mon. also, GAWT, and it's ETA is Sat.. go figure! Maybe it's better to ship on weekends and get a "head start"? My theory is that since I wasn't shipping to Alaska this time, the aforementioned dogsleds were on furlough until next winter. And even though it shipped "ground" there may have just enough room left on an east-bound Boeing to toss my package on before they slammed the door. And when said door just happened to blow off over my "neck of the woods" on the way to the aforementioned a**hole NJ Distribution Center, where it would have been lost for eternity.....my package coincidentally fell out right on my front porch. You can't beat luck!

They found my missing bow. It was in the wrong distribution center. I filed the online report. I think that helped glory hallelujah.

They found my missing bow. It was in the wrong distribution center. I filed the online report. I think that helped glory hallelujah.

I shipped a bow from eastern PA to western NJ via USPS ground. It took 22 days for the shipment to make it. I think the Pony Express was faster back in the day on that route.

My bow popped up after I filed an on-line inquiry, as well.

I wonder why the price varies so much. I received a 60 inch bow from N.J. and it cost the shipper $29. I shipped a 60 inch bow in the same box to Michigan and it cost me $93. Kinda sounds scammy to me. both ground advantage

My bow was missing in the mail in limbo, it took a request from me to find it to pop up and finally after 2 weeks it showed up.

Just filed an online inquiry for my missing longbow that was shipped on March 4th, last scan on March 16th on its way to destination, then crickets. Two searches by my local Post Office have turned up nothing. Hopefully my online inquiry gets some action. Geez how do you mis place a 62", 4" diameter pvc tube?

The packages that need to be hand sorted are the ones that get hung up. Some because of staffing, some because of tracking system at the hub. Square or triangular boxes also don't fall of the conveyors as easily.

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