Are you sick of sending greenstamps for your direct QSLs? You know, some guys only QSL direct, and have specific requirements if you want a card back. IRCs have changed a bit over the years. Some guys want direct only with greenstamps. Some only direct with IRC. Some only via the buro. Some only e-QSL. While I can’t cover all of those scenarios at present, here is the scoop on IRCs. It’s funny to see inflation hit almost everything in life. A direct QSL from a DX station use to just run you a dollar, now it’s two. I have worked a few stations that say they will only QSL direct, and for whatever reason request only IRCs – even though most will take your greenstamps happily.
First of all, finding IRCs can be a real pain in the butt. Years ago when I was first becoming a big QSLer, I would buy them at either the main Richmond post office, or in Winchester. No one else would stock them, even though they are a procurable item just like stamps are. (If you want your local post office to order some – refer them to section 372 of the international mail manual – or click here for the international mail manual online. I managed to locate a small stash of them at my local post office, so I bought a few up for us to use.
First you want to make sure you have the right kind. I’m sure we have all seen the older/smaller yellow kind. These are known as the C-22 design. Generally, these are as useful as toilet paper right now. They are no longer valid.
This next version was valid from 2000 – 2006, and have now been replaced. These were known as the Bejing version. You could redeem these until December 2006.
The latest version is called the CN01 version – and is valid until December 2009. Use them while you can. They cost $2.00 at the post office, and require that a postmark is placed at the post office of purchase in the left box. When being redeemed, they would be stamped in the right box. This would allow the recipient to trade it for a stamp in their country valid for air mail back to the sender. If I gave you an IRC to take back to the post office, you could get a whopping 84 cent stamp.
The following info is from the Phillipine Amateur Radio Assoc about IRCs:
There are 190 member “countries” of the Universal Postal Union, a United Nations-based organization that seeks “to foster the sustainable development of quality universal, efficient accessible postal services in order to facilitate communication among the people of the world.”
Since there are 193 countries in the world but only 190 member countries of the UPU, who’s not part of this useful organization? There are actually five non-member countries but two non-country members!
Country Non-Members
The five non-member countries include three former United States territories, for whom the United States Postal Service still delivers the mail – the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, and Palau.
The other two are Andorra and Taiwan. Andorra is listed as a “UN member country whose situation with regard to the UPU has not yet been settled.” Taiwan is an interesting case because they’re not listed as being part of China, as one might expect.
Non-Country Members
The two non-country members are the 1) Netherlands Antilles and Aruba and the 2) Overseas Territories of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The Netherlands Antilles and Aruba entered the UPU in 1875 and the Overseas Territories joined the UPU in 1877. Both are composed of territories of the Netherlands and United Kingdom, respectively. The Overseas Territories includes:
* Anguilla * Ascension * Bermuda * British Indian Ocean Territory * British Virgin Islands * Cayman Islands * Falkland Islands (Malvinas) * Gibraltar * Montserrat * Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie and Oeno Islands * South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands * St. Helena * Tristan da Cunha * Turks and Caicos Islands
The overseas territories of the United States (Guam, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, and Virgin Islands of the United States of America) are not counted as a combined individual member as do the U.K. territories; the U.S. territories fall under the U.S. membership.
Where to purchase in the Richmond, VA area:
Chester Post Office on Route 10 (confirmed August 2007)
Richmond Post Office on Brook Road (last confirmed 2004)
Don’t visit the Krause Road Post Office – told W4GNE that they were no longer in use.
If you need to prod someone at the post office to order some for you, refer them to the international mail manual section 372. The stock number for IRCs is 330700.
Note the price changed from $1.85 to $2 with the May 2007 increase in postal costs…..And is now up to $2.10 with the most recent 2008 changes. updated 8/3/07, 7/6/08
