Found Collection

>  I have also now quit actively selling coins due to 3 valuable packages
>  lost in the mail. All three were registered and insured, sent from Finland
>  to Netherlands. The first package simply dissappeared, the second one
>  arrived with the coins removed and replaced by a heavy metal hook
>  after being on it's way for over three weeks. The third one, with coins
>  worth around 2300 euros, was sent the same time as the second one,
>  and still no news about it.

>  If anyone has similar experience with packages sent to Netherlands,
>  I would be very interested in hearing more about the cases. According
>  to the registration tracking the packages have left Finland ok, so it is
>  likely in my opinion that the thiefs in these cases are in Netherlands.

>  If anyone is interested in any Finnish Euro items, I can still supply them
>  but with larger deals I will use a courier, sending by postal mail only at
>  buyers own responsibility.

>  Best wishes,

>       - Mike from Finland -

> You definitely have to be careful packaging them. I spent a year in
> Switzerland on a study abroad program, and wanted to mail some coins
> to a friend as a Christmas gift. I didn't secure them properly so they
> clinked just a bit when the postal worker picked up the envelope. She
> immediately recognized what it was and tossed it back at me, refusing
> to send it. I went home, re-secured the coins, and snuck in just
> before they closed. They were in such a rush because of the holidays
> that even though I got the same clerk she didn't even blink- just
> slapped the postage on and tossed it in the bin.

> I usually wrap each coin in a little bit of paper, then tape them to a
> piece of cardboard. I distribute them over the cardboard so the weight
> is even, and it's thin enough to look like just bulky documents. If it
> isn't already a padded envelope, I'll put a layer of bubblewrap over
> the coins so you can't feel the bumps. I've always had to fill out a
> customs form when I'm sending a package out of the US, regardless of
> the weight. I just put "documents" ;)

> Alison K.

> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Coin Collecting for Beginners
> http://www.coin-newbies.com
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

>  The packing is not a problem, I always pack the items very carefully
>  in every way. (One exception out of my 100 where I didn't sufficiently
>  cover the rolls with cardboard etc. and the rolls where thus reportedly
>  broken within the bubblewrap packing.) I really take great concern in
>  packing the items very carefully, nobody should suspect them to have
>  coins inside or anything like that.

>  And out of over a hundred I've sent only these three packages to
>  Netherlands have been lost or contents stolen. These were however
>  different from my average packages, with weights of 2-3kg and the
>  recent 3200 euro package of over 11kg. So they would stand out,
>  and if there is not much control within the postal system I don't really
>  wonder that they would get stolen. So I am mostly interested now in
>  doing what I can to solve the case or at least get the postal system
>  aware of these thiefs.

>  Out of the almost hundred packages I have been sent, I have received
>  every single one as far as I remember. Only one letter which was cut
>  open from sides but the whole letter packing seemed very strange, so
>  I have no idea if the person sent it to me that way especially as he has
>  not responded to my letter anymore after initially explaining something
>  and promising to send me a few new coins which I never received...

>  Best wishes,

>        - Mike from Finland -

> > The only time I've had a package disappear was when I was sending it
> > to Estonia. The guy I was trading with was very understanding about
> > it; he said that several people have sent him packages that he never
> > got. I later sent him a different set of coins using registered mail
> > and he got them just fine. I don't bother to insure the packages since
> > the contents aren't that valuable, but I do register it.

> > You definitely have to be careful packaging them. I spent a year in
> > Switzerland on a study abroad program, and wanted to mail some coins
> > to a friend as a Christmas gift. I didn't secure them properly so they
> > clinked just a bit when the postal worker picked up the envelope. She
> > immediately recognized what it was and tossed it back at me, refusing
> > to send it. I went home, re-secured the coins, and snuck in just
> > before they closed. They were in such a rush because of the holidays
> > that even though I got the same clerk she didn't even blink- just
> > slapped the postage on and tossed it in the bin.

> > I usually wrap each coin in a little bit of paper, then tape them to a
> > piece of cardboard. I distribute them over the cardboard so the weight
> > is even, and it's thin enough to look like just bulky documents. If it
> > isn't already a padded envelope, I'll put a layer of bubblewrap over
> > the coins so you can't feel the bumps. I've always had to fill out a
> > customs form when I'm sending a package out of the US, regardless of
> > the weight. I just put "documents" ;)

> > Alison K.

> > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> > Coin Collecting for Beginners
> > http://www.coin-newbies.com
> > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

> I suppose the package you send were insured, although when I for example
> send a package to Germany any package above 2 kilograms CANNOT be insured.
> When they are insured I think you should claim your damage with the
Finnish
> post, out of my own experience I know the Dutch post company is starting a
> research then overhere. Of course I don't know if this leads to something,
> but stealing post employees are not very common here and punished by
firing
> them.

> Luit (from the Netherlands)

> >  The packing is not a problem, I always pack the items very carefully
> >  in every way. (One exception out of my 100 where I didn't sufficiently
> >  cover the rolls with cardboard etc. and the rolls where thus reportedly
> >  broken within the bubblewrap packing.) I really take great concern in
> >  packing the items very carefully, nobody should suspect them to have
> >  coins inside or anything like that.

> >  And out of over a hundred I've sent only these three packages to
> >  Netherlands have been lost or contents stolen. These were however
> >  different from my average packages, with weights of 2-3kg and the
> >  recent 3200 euro package of over 11kg. So they would stand out,
> >  and if there is not much control within the postal system I don't
really
> >  wonder that they would get stolen. So I am mostly interested now in
> >  doing what I can to solve the case or at least get the postal system
> >  aware of these thiefs.

> >  Out of the almost hundred packages I have been sent, I have received
> >  every single one as far as I remember. Only one letter which was cut
> >  open from sides but the whole letter packing seemed very strange, so
> >  I have no idea if the person sent it to me that way especially as he
has
> >  not responded to my letter anymore after initially explaining something
> >  and promising to send me a few new coins which I never received...

> >  Best wishes,

> >        - Mike from Finland -

> > > The only time I've had a package disappear was when I was sending it
> > > to Estonia. The guy I was trading with was very understanding about
> > > it; he said that several people have sent him packages that he never
> > > got. I later sent him a different set of coins using registered mail
> > > and he got them just fine. I don't bother to insure the packages since
> > > the contents aren't that valuable, but I do register it.

> > > You definitely have to be careful packaging them. I spent a year in
> > > Switzerland on a study abroad program, and wanted to mail some coins
> > > to a friend as a Christmas gift. I didn't secure them properly so they
> > > clinked just a bit when the postal worker picked up the envelope. She
> > > immediately recognized what it was and tossed it back at me, refusing
> > > to send it. I went home, re-secured the coins, and snuck in just
> > > before they closed. They were in such a rush because of the holidays
> > > that even though I got the same clerk she didn't even blink- just
> > > slapped the postage on and tossed it in the bin.

> > > I usually wrap each coin in a little bit of paper, then tape them to a
> > > piece of cardboard. I distribute them over the cardboard so the weight
> > > is even, and it's thin enough to look like just bulky documents. If it
> > > isn't already a padded envelope, I'll put a layer of bubblewrap over
> > > the coins so you can't feel the bumps. I've always had to fill out a
> > > customs form when I'm sending a package out of the US, regardless of
> > > the weight. I just put "documents" ;)

> > > Alison K.

> > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> > > Coin Collecting for Beginners
> > > http://www.coin-newbies.com
> > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~