If you're hoping to bypass the lineup at the postal counter with your oversize lettermail, you can use on of Canada Post's rate charts (here or here)to calculate the postage, and if you've already got enough stamps, you're all set. But you will have to have a fairly accurate idea of its weight and measurements.
The measurements are the easy part, of course, but how do you get the weight? Not many people have postal scales at home.Bathroom scales are not exactly the best way to register weights of less than a pound.
That's where I come in. We (the business) have a postal scale, and I've been doing some work with it, finding the weights of standard items. Here's some of what I've found :
- 2 CDs in box: 78
- 400-page paperback book: 203
- cloth-covered barrette:26
- gift card: 5
- silk scarf, 40"x 40": 50
- necktie: 36
- video cassette: 200
- kids' picture book, 32 pages: 133
- Promotional ballpoint pen: 14
- Picture in 5"x7" frame with glass: 186
Still way under 500 grams. Amazing what a "letter" can hold.
