Quite a few years ago I worked an eastern European station who was in
a country I didn't have confirmed. I sent a QSL plus one green stamp.
After several months went by, I heard him on the air again and asked
if he sent my card yet. He said he'd never received mine. So I sent
another with another green stamp. After another wait of months, I
crossed paths with him again and asked about the card. He said he'd
received my card but needed another dollar to send one back. So off
went another card and green stamp from me.
Shortly after that, I got an Easter card in the mail from him. An
EASTER card! But no QSL.
After another wait, he said he didn't receive my other dollar. This
sent on for a while, with a total of 6 US dollars being sent. Finally
I got a card from him.
So did he actually receive all of my cards and make $6? Or how much
did he actually receive? I guess I'll never know.
73, Zack W9SZ
On 8/31/13, Charles Harpole <hs0zcw@gmail.com> wrote:
> I now have two years of good $ records of income and outgo for answering
> QSL cards direct and via buro for my Thailand call sign.
>
> The answer is I can account for $11.00 USD net cost to me per month.
>
> That is eleven dollars times 12 months = $132.00 USD per year.
>
> This includes printing cards, paying for Air Mail stamps, and answering
> buro cards. That includes cards resulting from CONTESTS*. I do not send
> any card that is not requested, direct and buro.
>
> It does not include travel to post office, a P. O. box rental, envelopes
> for some, and such misc.
> It is via the generosity of direct mailing hams including green stamps that
> cuts my costs and very cheap local printing of color cards, as cheap as
> plain other places.
>
> I can not see how hams who respond faithfully to all card requests can
> possibly make money on QSL cards. I guess my costs are low which means the
> net cost/loss to hams in other locations must be higher.
>
> I enjoy so much getting cards and responding that my costs are a tiny price
> to pay for the joy they give me. That is especially true for those that
> say, "I am 70 years old, a ham all my life, and you are my first Thailand
> QSO, pse QSL."
>
> There is just no substitute for touching real things, 73,
>
> --
> Charly, HS0ZCW
> *See how this message is relevant to contests! Ah ha!
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>
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