Do wax seals get ruined in the mail?

Wax seals can be mailed on the outside of your envelope, though there is a chance that it will get scuffed by the modern sorting machines. Scuffing will affect less than 1 in 100 envelopes sent.

Will wax seals fall off in the mail?

Very rarely will wax seals melt in the mail. However, it can happen! The only instances we've had where a customers wax seals melted was during a heat wave in the hotter parts of the world. Typically your wax seals will stay solid and beautiful!

Can you send wax seals in the mail USPS?

The mailer must securely seal envelopes. Paper or cellulose strips or wax or paper seals must not be placed over the intersections of flaps of letter-size envelopes where the postmark impressions are made. Packages must be sealed with mucilage or glue or with plain paper or cloth tape.

Does a wax seal affect postage?

Please remember that adding the weight of a wax seal to your mailed item may increase the postage required for mailing. If in doubt, take a completed item to your postal office for a postage quote. If you opt to have items hand cancelled, your postal office may charge a fee for this service.

How many stamps do I need for a wax seal?

2. Expect to use more postage on your wedding invitations than you think you need. Wax seal? Add 21 cents.

How to Mail Wax Sealed Envelopes

What does blue wax seal mean?

Blue seals were commonly associated with romance and passion, very strong feelings for one another. The stronger the blue used, the stronger the feelings being conveyed.

Are wax seals non machinable?

Keep in mind, even if your wax seal is on the inside of your mailing envelope, it is still non-machinable. USPS is basically looking for anything that makes your envelope “bulge” and preventing it from running through the machine.

How much does it cost to mail a letter with a wax seal?

So, for example, a letter that weighs 1.05 ounces and has a wax seal will require 85 cents to mail (e.g., 70 cents based on weight, plus 15 cents for the surcharge).

When did wax seals stop being used?

By the mid-to-late 19th century, with the proliferation of pre-gummed envelopes, wax seals fell out of common use.

Why are wax seals red?

The earliest such wax was uncoloured; later the wax was coloured red with vermilion. From the 16th century it was compounded of various proportions of shellac, turpentine, resin, chalk or plaster, and colouring matter (often vermilion, or red lead), but not necessarily beeswax.

Do people collect wax seals?

If you are interested in collecting Antique Wax Seals the best place I would recommend you to start would of course be eBay. However, with eBay you need to be aware of fake materials and slight misrepresentations.

Can I use a regular spoon to melt wax?

You can use a spoon, a glue pot, or a heating tool to re-melt the scrap wax. You cannot "waste" sealing wax. By mixing different color wax bits and pieces you can produce unique and beautiful "marbled" seals. To make a wax seal, press in the stamp straight (vertically) into the molten wax gently but firmly.

How do you mail a wax seal on a wedding invitation?

Traditional wax-on-paper seals should be sturdy enough to send through the mail, but if you're concerned about the seals getting damaged, you have two options: use outer envelopes to protect the seals before mailing, or ask your local post office about hand-sorting (also known as hand-canceling) the mail.

Does the color of a wax seal mean anything?

While the most common color seal is red, the color of the seal used to actually represent the contents of the letter, as it was likely the first thing you'd see when receiving your post.

Can I use a crayon as a sealing wax?

To make a wax seal with a crayon, you first need to select one or more wax crayons for your project. Next, chop small pieces off the crayons you wish to use for your seal and place them on a metal spoon. The next step is to melt the wax on the spoon which you can do over a candle or lit gas stove.

What does gold wax seal mean?

Some early common kinds of sealing wax were called Indian and Dutch, both being red. Sealing wax was made into many colors. Black sealing wax was made with the common lamp black. The golden sealing wax used powdered yellow mica or cat gold instead of vermilion like the Indian and Dutch used.

Is sealing wax toxic?

The good news is that modern sealing wax no longer contains turpentine and there is no evidence that says that it is toxic to humans.

Can post office read calligraphy?

Address Legibility

Calligraphy is slightly tougher to read, but as long as the writing is large enough, the machines won't have an issue.

What makes a letter Non machinable?

Examples of a non-machinable letter:

A letter that has clasps, strings, buttons, or similar closure devices. A letter that is too rigid. A letter that has a delivery address parallel to the shorter side of the mail piece. A letter that contains items such as pens, pencils, or keys that create an uneven thickness.