Hi All:

I'm looking to buy some IRC's. I'm mainly interested in the new larger size
ones. Does anyone have some to sell?



--
John Passaneau W3JXP
Penn State University Physics
6D Osmond lab

814-863-4297

I'm looking to buy some IRC's. I'm mainly interested in
the new larger size ones. Does anyone have some to sell?

Best bet is the Post Office. Though in some areas you'll
have to get them to special order them.

I disagree - why pay $1.75 at the PO when QSL managers will
sell them for 80c to $1 each? The poster did the right
thing by asking here. Also try QSL managers of recent
expeditions or managers of busy stations. I sold my last
lot for 80c each, but now that I'm not an active manager
I'm hanging on to my last 100 or so for my own QSLing.

One of the perks of being a QSL manager is that you get a
steady supply of IRCs, but I wouldn't do it just for that!

Derek aa5bt

I'm looking to buy some IRC's. I'm mainly interested in
the new larger size ones. Does anyone have some to sell?

Best bet is the Post Office. Though in some areas you'll
have to get them to special order them.

I disagree - why pay $1.75 at the PO when QSL managers will
sell them for 80c to $1 each? The poster did the right
thing by asking here. Also try QSL managers of recent
expeditions or managers of busy stations. I sold my last
lot for 80c each, but now that I'm not an active manager
I'm hanging on to my last 100 or so for my own QSLing.

One of the perks of being a QSL manager is that you get a
steady supply of IRCs, but I wouldn't do it just for that!

Derek aa5bt

"Derek Wills" wrote in message
...
I'm looking to buy some IRC's. I'm mainly interested in
the new larger size ones. Does anyone have some to sell?

Best bet is the Post Office. Though in some areas you'll
have to get them to special order them.

I disagree - why pay $1.75 at the PO when QSL managers will
sell them for 80c to $1 each? The poster did the right
thing by asking here. Also try QSL managers of recent
expeditions or managers of busy stations. I sold my last
lot for 80c each, but now that I'm not an active manager
I'm hanging on to my last 100 or so for my own QSLing.


And where do the QSL managers get them so cheap? From hams who send them?
Why aren't the QSL managers using them as intended, that is to send a QSL
direct to the ham that provided that IRC and the envelope. Are the QSL
managers keeping the IRCs and sending the QSLs via the bureau? That would
be quite unethical.

One of the perks of being a QSL manager is that you get a
steady supply of IRCs, but I wouldn't do it just for that!


There shouldn't be any IRCs left over for the manager. The hams who send
them are doing so to get direct QSL responses. So how do you have an
excess??

Dee D. Flint, N8UZE

"Derek Wills" wrote in message
...
I'm looking to buy some IRC's. I'm mainly interested in
the new larger size ones. Does anyone have some to sell?

Best bet is the Post Office. Though in some areas you'll
have to get them to special order them.

I disagree - why pay $1.75 at the PO when QSL managers will
sell them for 80c to $1 each? The poster did the right
thing by asking here. Also try QSL managers of recent
expeditions or managers of busy stations. I sold my last
lot for 80c each, but now that I'm not an active manager
I'm hanging on to my last 100 or so for my own QSLing.


And where do the QSL managers get them so cheap? From hams who send them?
Why aren't the QSL managers using them as intended, that is to send a QSL
direct to the ham that provided that IRC and the envelope. Are the QSL
managers keeping the IRCs and sending the QSLs via the bureau? That would
be quite unethical.

One of the perks of being a QSL manager is that you get a
steady supply of IRCs, but I wouldn't do it just for that!


There shouldn't be any IRCs left over for the manager. The hams who send
them are doing so to get direct QSL responses. So how do you have an
excess??

Dee D. Flint, N8UZE

There's nothing unethical about this process! The manager gets loads of
IRCs and replies to the cards via airmail, as would be expected. But, rather
than redeeming them at the Post Office for $0.80 (in the US), he/she sells
them for face value or a slight markup (I've seen them go for $0.80-$1.10
recently) to other DXers as a service. That way, DXers get the IRCs at a
significant discount compared to Post Office prices and the manager gets
what he would have if he had redeemed them at the Post Office, or possibly a
slight profit that can be rolled into printing more QSL cards or other
operating expenses.
I haven't purchased an IRC from the Post Office since the early 1970s,
when they were considerably less expensive. I've never redeemed an IRC at
the Post Office. I've been buying them from QSL managers for years. They
simply continue making the rounds as a sort of currency. The new IRCs have
an expiration date which will somewhat short circuit this wonderful process.
I certainly appreciate the efforts of Derek and other QSL managers for
selling IRCs back to the DX community.

Regards,

Rich Eckman KO4MR
Hampton, VA
--

"Dee D. Flint" wrote in message
gy.com...

"Derek Wills" wrote in message
...
I'm looking to buy some IRC's. I'm mainly interested in
the new larger size ones. Does anyone have some to sell?

Best bet is the Post Office. Though in some areas you'll
have to get them to special order them.

I disagree - why pay $1.75 at the PO when QSL managers will
sell them for 80c to $1 each? The poster did the right
thing by asking here. Also try QSL managers of recent
expeditions or managers of busy stations. I sold my last
lot for 80c each, but now that I'm not an active manager
I'm hanging on to my last 100 or so for my own QSLing.


And where do the QSL managers get them so cheap? From hams who send them?
Why aren't the QSL managers using them as intended, that is to send a QSL
direct to the ham that provided that IRC and the envelope. Are the QSL
managers keeping the IRCs and sending the QSLs via the bureau? That would
be quite unethical.

One of the perks of being a QSL manager is that you get a
steady supply of IRCs, but I wouldn't do it just for that!


There shouldn't be any IRCs left over for the manager. The hams who send
them are doing so to get direct QSL responses. So how do you have an
excess??

Dee D. Flint, N8UZE

There's nothing unethical about this process! The manager gets loads of
IRCs and replies to the cards via airmail, as would be expected. But, rather
than redeeming them at the Post Office for $0.80 (in the US), he/she sells
them for face value or a slight markup (I've seen them go for $0.80-$1.10
recently) to other DXers as a service. That way, DXers get the IRCs at a
significant discount compared to Post Office prices and the manager gets
what he would have if he had redeemed them at the Post Office, or possibly a
slight profit that can be rolled into printing more QSL cards or other
operating expenses.
I haven't purchased an IRC from the Post Office since the early 1970s,
when they were considerably less expensive. I've never redeemed an IRC at
the Post Office. I've been buying them from QSL managers for years. They
simply continue making the rounds as a sort of currency. The new IRCs have
an expiration date which will somewhat short circuit this wonderful process.
I certainly appreciate the efforts of Derek and other QSL managers for
selling IRCs back to the DX community.

Regards,

Rich Eckman KO4MR
Hampton, VA
--

"Dee D. Flint" wrote in message
gy.com...

"Derek Wills" wrote in message
...
I'm looking to buy some IRC's. I'm mainly interested in
the new larger size ones. Does anyone have some to sell?

Best bet is the Post Office. Though in some areas you'll
have to get them to special order them.

I disagree - why pay $1.75 at the PO when QSL managers will
sell them for 80c to $1 each? The poster did the right
thing by asking here. Also try QSL managers of recent
expeditions or managers of busy stations. I sold my last
lot for 80c each, but now that I'm not an active manager
I'm hanging on to my last 100 or so for my own QSLing.


And where do the QSL managers get them so cheap? From hams who send them?
Why aren't the QSL managers using them as intended, that is to send a QSL
direct to the ham that provided that IRC and the envelope. Are the QSL
managers keeping the IRCs and sending the QSLs via the bureau? That would
be quite unethical.

One of the perks of being a QSL manager is that you get a
steady supply of IRCs, but I wouldn't do it just for that!


There shouldn't be any IRCs left over for the manager. The hams who send
them are doing so to get direct QSL responses. So how do you have an
excess??

Dee D. Flint, N8UZE

And where do the QSL managers get them so cheap? From hams
who send them? Why aren't the QSL managers using them as
intended, that is to send a QSL direct to the ham that
provided that IRC and the envelope. Are the QSL managers
keeping the IRCs and sending the QSLs via the bureau?
That would be quite unethical.

Umm.. An overseas ham sends the QSL manager an IRC.
The manager doesn't (although could) take that to the
post office and exchange it for an airmail stamp. The
manager buys stamps at the post office using his/her
local currency. So the ham gets her or his direct QSL
reply, and the manager has effectively bought the IRC
for 80 cents. The manager can then re-sell the IRC
to other DXers for 80 cents (or a little over in order
to bring in a few cents towards ongoing cost of buying
cards, or sending cards via buro when they arrive that
way). Or, of course, the manager can keep the IRC for
her/his own QSLing purposes. Nobody has been cheated
out of anything (unless you count the post office, who
sells the things for $1.75!).

Derek aa5bt

And where do the QSL managers get them so cheap? From hams
who send them? Why aren't the QSL managers using them as
intended, that is to send a QSL direct to the ham that
provided that IRC and the envelope. Are the QSL managers
keeping the IRCs and sending the QSLs via the bureau?
That would be quite unethical.

Umm.. An overseas ham sends the QSL manager an IRC.
The manager doesn't (although could) take that to the
post office and exchange it for an airmail stamp. The
manager buys stamps at the post office using his/her
local currency. So the ham gets her or his direct QSL
reply, and the manager has effectively bought the IRC
for 80 cents. The manager can then re-sell the IRC
to other DXers for 80 cents (or a little over in order
to bring in a few cents towards ongoing cost of buying
cards, or sending cards via buro when they arrive that
way). Or, of course, the manager can keep the IRC for
her/his own QSLing purposes. Nobody has been cheated
out of anything (unless you count the post office, who
sells the things for $1.75!).

Derek aa5bt

"Richard Eckman" wrote in message
news:ym4Kb.34762$F22.17774@lakeread02...
There's nothing unethical about this process! The manager gets loads of
IRCs and replies to the cards via airmail, as would be expected. But,
rather
than redeeming them at the Post Office for $0.80 (in the US), he/she sells
them for face value or a slight markup (I've seen them go for $0.80-$1.10
recently) to other DXers as a service. That way, DXers get the IRCs at a
significant discount compared to Post Office prices and the manager gets
what he would have if he had redeemed them at the Post Office, or possibly
a
slight profit that can be rolled into printing more QSL cards or other
operating expenses.

Some one bought them at post office prices originally. And somewhere along
the line the QSL manager has to buy postage. If he is buying postage for
$0.80 and selling the IRCs for $1 that is probably illegal.

I haven't purchased an IRC from the Post Office since the early 1970s,
when they were considerably less expensive. I've never redeemed an IRC at
the Post Office. I've been buying them from QSL managers for years. They
simply continue making the rounds as a sort of currency. The new IRCs have
an expiration date which will somewhat short circuit this wonderful
process.
I certainly appreciate the efforts of Derek and other QSL managers for
selling IRCs back to the DX community.


Since they were never intended to be "currency" this is probably illegal and
no doubt one of several reasons that expiration dates are now put on them.

Dee D. Flint, N8UZE