Wow I have never been charged that much postage for a small bubble envelope.
And allways only get charged on plain envelopes regular postage even with a little padding in them.
I usally put 2 stamps on my bubble envelope and they get mailed with just 2 stamps.

If I was you I would weight them if under 1 0z put 2 stamps on the bubble envelops and dump them in a USPS BLUE MAIL BOX.Same with letters one stamp and put in USPS blue box.
You should get mine in the mail and check the postage,also note I reuse bubble envelopes.I even cut down larger ones to make 2 or 4 more Bubble envelops saves on money.
Some postal workers don't know all the regulations.

Plain paper envelopes have to be no more than 1/4 inch thick. The USPS has a template they use to see if your envelope will easily slide through. As long as there is padding and the seeds are protected I agree--$.65 is a better price. For thinner packing material with the same protection try cut up styrofoam meat trays or styrofoam plates. Use two pieces and tape the seeds flat between them. This helps you keep under the 1/4" requirement.
Every time I take a bubble envelope to the post office it's $1.95. If I mail it myself I can put 2 or 3 stamps on it like the last post.
If anyone uses flat rate boxes I recommend Click-N-Ship on the internet. The box is the same amount, but you get the tracking number for free. If I mail it downtown I have to pay more for the tracking number. If you use Click-N-Ship be sure to enter the correct date. If you're mailing the same day make sure the package gets to the mail that day. They can reject it otherwise.
I would say most of us would accept seeds either bubble envelope or padded envelope as long as the seeds arrive safe. I traded for 2 years and thought a lot like you--until I received smashed seeds. They were something I really, really wanted to grow and they were toast.
Other suggestions:
Write the words HAND CANCEL under the stamps in the right corner. Use a dark or red permanent marker. You're doing everything you can to avoid the nasty automatic sorting machines that smash the seeds.
Along the bottom of the envelope under the address write Seeds--example:
Mr. Smith
123 Elm Street
New Alpha, NX 89340

SEEDS-----SEEDS------SEEDS
I like to use a pen or green marker. I like to tell myself the person handling my mail will use a little more TLC if they know it's seeds (and don't think I'm trying to send explosives through the mail).
Never use duct tape-bombers use duct tape and the USPS may open and inspect your package.
When you package your seeds into small baggies or envelopes it may be prudent to get a slightly larger baggie so the seeds can lay flat. They may fit in a tiny bag, but they may be bulkier.

I just mailed out 4 Walmart plastic w/bubbles envelopes and the post was no more than .90. One was only .65. I agree that for those small not so fragile seeds a regular envelope would be fine. But I don't mind paying .90 for postage if there are 3 kinds of seeds and some are too large for a regular envelope. Check out the Walmart ones, they are sooo lightweight and you still get the added protection.

I was in the same dilemma, but the truth is unless you're small bubble envelope is more than 1/4 inch thick and longer than 6.5 x 8" than you only need 2 first class stamps.

I mail with a plain envelope and some bubble wrap taped around the seed pack. I've received several trades like this and have never gotten any crushed seeds. They are protected with the same amount of bubbles. If I use a bubble envelope for a trade and put it in my rural mailbox it only needs two stamps. If I take it into town, which is a different post office, it costs more. I have gotten seeds that were mostly crushed when they were mailed without any protection. I talked to the mail lady about hand stamping. She said all mail has to go through a machine nowdays.

I too get charged 1.95 for a bubbly IF I take it inside the post office. The first few trades I did, I did take them inside and figured that my guy KNEW what he was doing on the charges, since it had been a long time since I had done any kind of trading. HOWEVER, I received a few with only a couple of stamps and one person only had one .45 stamp that the POST OFFICE had put on and I asked her HOW she did that and she said that is was because that is what the actual charge was supposed to be.
SO the last few trades I did I put a couple of stamps IF it was bulky but if it wasn't I only put one. THEY all made it. With a couple of excepts and one of those was entirely my fault because I used a small box because I sent small onion babies and wanted the extra protection so postage was due on it.
BUT since then I have sent a few trade in plain envies because it was just a few packs BUT when I use regular mailing envies I do always put bubble wrap around all the seed packets and then tape them in the middle at the top low enough for the envy to close BUT high enough for the machine NOT to crush them. Taping them to the envy ensures they will not move inside it an maybe get crushed.
I would not send large seeds like Big Max pumpkins in a reg. white envy simply because they are too big and might end up getting damaged. The only sure way to send in a plain white envy is taping them in place though, I personally do not mind getting small trades like this BUT if the trader doesn't make sure my seeds will make it safely I would prefer to have a bubbly even if it has been cut down to a small wee one.
:) Aqua

I too get charges the 1.95. Sometimes it's even more. If I want to hand cancel a plain envelope with padding, I get charged an extra .20. I tried the "stick it in the blue box" thing and have had people complain that postage was due. I even had one less than 1/4" plain envelope with 1 stamp come back with postage due! I have talked to them about it, but they insist they are right. They can't ALL be right! I wonder if there is a copy of the regulations on the internet where we can read for ourselves. Then we could print out the part we need to take to the PO.

here is an older thread with some helpfull info
http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/exseed/con0800121916933.html

I have mailed all sizes and I think my mail office hates me I have gotten over priced many times, and my hubby can go in with larger pak and he only get a sm price so I send him often. I think mail what you have on hand and hope for the best,I have used bubble env. and I have used bubble wrap which I like best if I have it on hand, I cut in half and put seeds paks flat as possable taped to it if alot, I also use a card and put bubble wrap at times it for a bit of thickness and tape the edges so the mail dont rip if up. but I have had a few tell me the mail tore it up but it got there ok in tact seeds so I guess not to think on the cards. You cant make the US Post office do what you want they tell you what they want and out goes your wallet. Many times on a lg trade over 1/4 in I pay in a bubble env. 1-4 dollars to mail it and they mail me the same seeds too so Iam happy sometimes you loose sometimes you gain in the Price both ways so it all runs off in the wash I say. I love trading big or small. lol Sometimes you feel like a nut sometimes you don't I say at the post office. I go away scratching my head. LIve and Learn. We will never solve this issue.

I put my seeds in the little zip-baggies, tape them to a 3x5 notecard, tape that to a 3x5ish piece of bubble wrap, put that in an envelope and send it out in a regular envelope (for small trades). They have tried to charge me for a parcel, but I put my foot down about it. They do charge me the extra 20 cents to hand cancel, but I think I might try and just slap a stamp on it next time. IDK, I just worry that someone won't get their seeds on time/they'll get lost/whatever, you know?