UPS I think has better rates. Just be sure the box is as small as possible as cost is figured on size of box.

I like to use FEDEX ground.......

I agree 100% with that sentiment! I have used USPS & UPS & Fed Ex & found them all to be fine. I always want confirmation, tho.

I no longer use ups as I live down a 2/10's of a mile drive way. And they will leave it at the top of the driveway instead of driving it down. It could get stolen up there as I can't see it from here. FedX is not beyond of driving it down here.
UPS use to also drive it down until my UPS man retired, now the new ones don't care. So FedX or USPS is what I use.
Insurance and confirmed delivery of course.

Well, I'll tell you, I have just had a package from Hancocks of Paducah delivered by FedEx to heavens-only-knows-who but entered it to the website as delivered to my front door. I happened to read that tracking website not 23 minutes after his entry of delivery, and I could not find the package anywhere. Talked to three neighbors and non could locate it at their house. Supposedly FedEx has been tracking it since Saturday morning, and calling to keep me updated -- a surprising plus -- but they still have not located the driver who supposedly delivered it. Makes me wonder and really rather ticks me off. There's no way he brought it here -- 1/2 mile down a private, dead-end, graveled lane where all 10 neighbors know each other and 2 swear no truck came down the lane on Saturday.
Now gotta go through all that followup, reordering and waiting again. Drat!

Jan in VA

This info really came at a great time. Monday we are shipping a quilt from Oregon to Boston and I was worried about how to ship. Thanks everyone!

to everyone who uses USPS with insurance - have you ever tried to make a claim on that insurance? I have heard it is quite difficult. Especially if you don't have any kind of an invoice that shows a price someone paid, like if it is a gift. Sure, they will be happy to take your money to insure it for $500, without telling you that you may not be able to collect if something goes wrong.

I have had 2 claims with UPS insurance - piece of cake both times. Under $100 they don't even send anyone out to see the item or want you to send it to them. They just pay the claim, after seeing the invoice.

only if it going by air, not UPS Ground.

be very careful sending anything usps i sent my brother a hat and 2 gift cards for my neices birthdays on march 19th
2011and theyve yet to recieve them hence i havent shipped anything usps since lol i usually use fed ex or i just deliver them personally. i actually did mail one pkg from the post office in another town cause its a small office and they dont look at you like a criminal when you mail something. the post office here refused to even search for my pkg i replaced the cards and eventually i found another hat but i was really ticked that they wouldnt even look i complained online and that got me a call from the bulk cntr in ft worth tx but it appears it didnt make it that far no clue where it wound up i hope theyre enjoying the empty gift cards since i canceled them and the dallas cowboy hat
maybe thats why the cowboys did so bad last year.
carla m

I send my quilts by FEDEX both within the USA and to Canada by ground. If you set up an account with them and fill out the paperwork on lline before going in the price is slightly higher than the post office. The post offices are so nasty (dirty and unpleasant workers) near me that I have swtiched my shipping to FEDEX)