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horgad
1000+ Penny Miser Member
USA
1641 Posts |
 Posted - 02/11/2008 : 15:31:30
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First-class postage is going up by a 1 penny from 41 to 42 cents starting in May. That is about a 2.4% increase. Those of you that hoarded forever stamps congrats. Those of you that didn't hoard any (myself included), I think they may still be available for 41 cents. At least, they are still showing online for that price...
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Gresham
Penny Pincher Member
184 Posts |
Posted - 02/11/2008 : 16:37:30
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For those of you who did buy the stamp, tell the rest of us how it worked out. Does it work like it is advertized?
I remember there being a reason why we shouldn't get them. Something about being indexed to the CPI instead of the actual cost of shipping. |
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Mike
Penny Sorter Member
USA
65 Posts |
Posted - 02/11/2008 : 19:38:16
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| I have no problem remembering when postage was 4 cents, a gallon of gas was 22 cents, and a paperback book was 65 cents. Over the past 45 years the dollar has lost 90%+ of its purchasing power. If this happened over the course of 6 to 12 months, I suppose people would be up in arms about it. But over 45 years, I guess the sheep just don't care. |
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NotABigDeal
1000+ Penny Miser Member
USA
3890 Posts |
Posted - 02/12/2008 : 06:38:06
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At one of my local post offices, if you go inside and buy stamps you get the plain old $0.41 stamp. If you use the automatic stamp machine in the 24 hour lobby, you get the forever stamps. I have quite a few of them, why not? I do not do any direct deposits or automatic bill payment deductions. Yep, I still write checks and still see the bank ladies at least twice a week. So I use stamps. Might as well play the postage angle....Don't think I can lose as I have to mail things....
Deal |
Live free or die.
Plain and simple.
"If you love wealth more than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, depart from us in peace. We ask not your council or your arms. Crouch down and lick the hand that feeds you. May your chains rest lightly upon you and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen."
- Samuel Adams |
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horgad
1000+ Penny Miser Member
USA
1641 Posts |
Posted - 02/12/2008 : 08:44:44
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quote:
Originally posted by Gresham
For those of you who did buy the stamp, tell the rest of us how it worked out. Does it work like it is advertized?
I remember there being a reason why we shouldn't get them. Something about being indexed to the CPI instead of the actual cost of shipping.
The big problem that I had with them was that it wasn't clear if they would work for packages or just for first class letters less than 1 ounce. I just don't mail enough letters to make hoarding a stamp like that worthwhile. If it worked for packages, that would be a whole different story. (Heck I would buy enough to mail all my pennies around when I sell them.)
I never did get a clear answer to that question...not even from the post office. So I am still not that exciting about the prospect of buying them.
And yes about the time that the Forever stamps came out, postal rates where tied to the official inflation rate. So potentially you would be better off hoarding something that reflects the real inflation rate. But if the post office is going to telegraph their punches and let people make a quick 2.5% "gain" over a couple months that is a little different... |
Edited by - horgad on 02/12/2008 08:53:47 |
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pencilvanian
1000+ Penny Miser Member
USA
2209 Posts |
Posted - 02/12/2008 : 17:08:49
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"The big problem that I had with them was that it wasn't clear if they would work for packages or just for first class letters less than 1 ounce. I just don't mail enough letters to make hoarding a stamp like that worthwhile. If it worked for packages, that would be a whole different story. "
I am a clerical employee that handles mail daily and I can tell you first hand I have seen the forever stamps on large envelopes and packages delivered to my place of work.
Our customers just use the forever stamps as they would use regular stamps. The post office just accepts them as paid for stamps and sends the packages and letters where they need to go, no objection, no problem.
Footnote: A coin dealer I know sends out post card advertisements with stamps from the 1940's on them as postage and the post cards get delivered without any griping from the USPS. Of course, the old stamps used are those with little if any value to a stamp collector.
I guess as far as the post office is concerned, any stamp that isn't cancelled is still an acceptable stamp, old, new, with a face value printed on it or not. |
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horgad
1000+ Penny Miser Member
USA
1641 Posts |
Posted - 02/13/2008 : 08:09:27
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quote:
I am a clerical employee that handles mail daily and I can tell you first hand I have seen the forever stamps on large envelopes and packages delivered to my place of work.
Our customers just use the forever stamps as they would use regular stamps. The post office just accepts them as paid for stamps and sends the packages and letters where they need to go, no objection, no problem.
Thanks, so as far as I can tell you can get yourself a 2.4% discount on shipping in a few months if you can get a hold of some forever stamps now. |
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Tourney64
1000+ Penny Miser Member
USA
1035 Posts |
Posted - 02/13/2008 : 18:54:34
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| Are the Priority Mail packages going up too? Many of us coin horders use them to ship $50 in coppers. |
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TexasPQ
Penny Sorter Member
47 Posts |
Posted - 02/28/2008 : 20:39:41
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If you really want to save on postage try this:
I went to a stamp show recently and there were vendors selling sheets of stamps for 20% under face value. These were like 20 cent and under stamps from the 70s and 80s. They don't really have any collectors value.
The thing is these are still legal, valid postage stamps. Buy them at 20% under face and then use them to send out your mail. So yes you get some forever stamps and save 2.4% but if you are willing to put some effort into getting these older stamps you can save 20%.
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n/a
deleted
192 Posts |
Posted - 02/28/2008 : 23:15:24
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I went to th post office today and the machine didn't have any forever stamps in it.
I was able to buy some from the clerk, but she didn't have many either.
I think they must be rationing them out slowly.
That's conjecture, I'll admit, but the fact is the machine no longer had any. |
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The market can stay irrational longer than you can stay solvent.
John Maynard Keynes,
English economist (1883 - 1946)
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misteroman
Administrator
USA
2565 Posts |
Posted - 02/29/2008 : 10:55:05
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I planned on buying them right before the increase but as the above post states they may be getting scarce.Have to go check with the ladies there.
Derek |
Buying CU cents!!!! Paying 1.2 unlimited amounts wanted. Can pick up if near Ohio area. |
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pencilvanian
1000+ Penny Miser Member
USA
2209 Posts |
Posted - 03/01/2008 : 19:22:25
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I saw forever stamps for sale at my local post office, but didn't bother to buy any (I was on my way to the bank to get some penny rolls.)
They didn't hseem to have a shortage though that may not be the case next week or next month. |
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NotABigDeal
1000+ Penny Miser Member
USA
3890 Posts |
Posted - 03/01/2008 : 20:14:55
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Still in the automated machines at my local Post Office. Not sold over the counter though....
Deal |
Live free or die.
Plain and simple.
"If you love wealth more than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, depart from us in peace. We ask not your council or your arms. Crouch down and lick the hand that feeds you. May your chains rest lightly upon you and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen."
- Samuel Adams |
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Know Common Cents
Penny Pincher Member
195 Posts |
Posted - 03/02/2008 : 15:35:57
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I don't remember the exact number of additional Forever Stamps being printed in advance of the May increase, but I believe that it was in the billions. The USPS makes their money by having everyone buy these and then misplacing them. They're the true benefactor of the Generally Dumb Public losing these stamps "forever." Hence the name in the true sense.
Notice that they don't sell Forevers in coil rolls of 100, 500, etc. That's to make it tough for large volume pre-sort mailers to machine apply these to outbound mail at some point in the future. I agree with Texas PQ on the use of mint US stamps from the past few decades. It's one of the best deals available these days.
Find a stamp show in your area and attend just to buy "scrap" postage. Most stamp dealers are just happy to clear out their stock as they may have paid someone $0.65-0.70 per dollar when buying entire collections, etc. Most pre-date the self-adhesive variety, but by using a small sponge (instead of your tongue), it's easy enough to do this. I just bought $100 face of stamps for $81. Many are Christmas stamps from as far back as the 70s and 80s, but they do the trick. I have a child in college and plaster the packages to her with as many bizarre stamps as possible. It not only saves me $0.19 per dollar of postage costs, but make her an instant celebrity at the dorm when her friends see all of the stamps. Nothing is very collectible anymore from the USPS, so anything goes.
Stamps and state quarters are a hopeless investment. Oh yes. When buying postal scrap, best to make sure that the stamps still have their full, original gum on the back. If not, a glue stick will become your best friend soon. Without the gum, though, you should be able to buy the unused stamps for as low as $0.60 per dollar face. Never a problem mailing them and I've been doing it for years. Not suggesting trying to scam the Postal Service as the stamps I use are genuinely mint and never used for anything. |
Here in Wisconsin, we have some of the highest property and gasoline taxes in the US. We're squeezed so much, I have to make my daughter wear penny boxes for shoes. At least she has an endless supply. |
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mickeyman
Penny Pincher Member
Canada
243 Posts |
Posted - 03/17/2008 : 15:07:17
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| The Canadian Post Office sells their version of forever stamps in large rolls, as well as packs of 10 or 20. I think the largest rolls have 100 stamps. |
Not all who wander are lost. |
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Stamp Prices Going Up
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