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Thread: Starting in 2011, all first-class stamps will be "forever"

  1. #1

    Starting in 2011, all first-class stamps will be "forever"

    WASHINGTON (AP) -- Beginning in January, all new postage stamps good for 1 ounce of first-class mail will be marked as "forever."

    The U.S. Postal Service is doing away with issuing first-class stamps with denominations.

    A Postal Service official tells The Associated Press that the move is designed to help customers who have struggled to match 1- and 2-cent stamps with first-class stamps after postal rates have changed. The official requested anonymity to discuss a policy that hasn't been announced formally."

    Full story @ http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories...MPLATE=DEFAULT



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  3. #2
    Interesting....


    I just wish they'd keep a good supply of "Cowboy" stamps at my local post office, I like those.

    "And who the hell are you?" he asked. "Me?" said Galt. "I'm the driver."

  4. #3
    Hmmmm... maybe they are anticipating hyper-inflation.
    Thousands of men and women have come and gone here in our country's history, and except for the few, most go unnoticed and remain nameless in the pages of history, as I am sure I will be. -Ron Paul (1984)

  5. #4

  6. #5
    Lol @ before 2011 USPS selling postage promises they couldn't honor

  7. #6
    Quote Originally Posted by Standing Like A Rock View Post
    Hmmmm... maybe they are anticipating hyper-inflation.
    Deflation, more likely.

  8. #7
    So, you buy a $#@!-load at today's prices, knowing you can still use them 10 years from now?

  9. #8
    Quote Originally Posted by Bruno View Post
    So, you buy a $#@!-load at today's prices, knowing you can still use them 10 years from now?
    I believe so. I guess theoretically, you could use it as a hedge against inflation.



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  11. #9
    Quote Originally Posted by Kludge View Post
    I believe so. I guess theoretically, you could use it as a hedge against inflation.
    Just another reason the USPS continues to lose money. I can't imagine McDonald's selling cheeseburger coupons at today's prices to honor the coupon for a cheeseburger at any time in the future.

  12. #10
    Quote Originally Posted by Bruno View Post
    Just another reason the USPS continues to lose money. I can't imagine McDonald's selling cheeseburger coupons at today's prices to honor the coupon for a cheeseburger at any time in the future.
    Well - yeah, but McDonald's doesn't have demand from customers to have a supply of stamps at their house. 1c-2c stamps are a pain in the ass to need purchasing when prices increase, and it's probably a big hassle for the USPS, too.

  13. #11
    Small-denomination stamps are probably no longer worth the sticker paper they are printed on. Seriously. You know how expensive sticker paper is?

  14. #12
    Are they going to be the same price?
    No more IRS.
    I am now old enough to vote.

  15. #13
    If the USPS really wanted to generate sales, they would just sell the "forever" stamps for a couple of weeks a year, with no guarantees of any future offers. Everyone would buy a sh*tload of the things just to stock up that way.

  16. #14
    Why not just make them good for a few years, or maybe five? But "Forever"?

  17. #15
    I can just imagine people buying a lot of those stamps and then later the U.S. Postal service going out of business.

  18. #16
    I do a lot of business mailing. I buy 100 stamps at a time in rolls. That will last me about 1 month. The forever stamps will just eliminate the inconvenience of dealing with 1 and 2 cent stamps every couple years. Most small businesses will feel the same way.
    CPT Jack. R. T.
    US Army Resigned - Iraq Vet.
    Level III MACP instructor, USYKA/WYKKO sensei
    Professional Hunter/Trapper/Country living survivalist.



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  20. #17
    Quote Originally Posted by Dr.3D View Post
    I can just imagine people buying a lot of those stamps and then later the U.S. Postal service going out of business.
    LOL, Bingo!!
    Another mark of a tyrant is that he likes foreigners better than citizens, and lives with them and invites them to his table; for the one are enemies, but the Others enter into no rivalry with him. - Aristotle's Politics Book 5 Part 11

  21. #18
    I wonder if it was ever a consideration that if they just stop printing the cost on the stamps, it will be less obvious as prices rise, and we'd all stop talking about what a failure the USPS is everytime they raise the price again.

  22. #19
    Stamps? Really? Holy 1980s, batman!

    Who the Hell uses stamps for personal use anymore?

    Sure, we keep a few around collecting dust in a drawer, but rarely use them. Stamps are going the way of the buggy whip.

    Other than Christmas Cards (a silly tradition anachronism which we still engage in- for now at least), we use less than 20 stamps a year.

    Twenty years ago, I used lots of stamps- to pay bills (do 99% of that online now), to write letters (haven't done that in years, use email instead), do banking transactions (all done online now), and lots of other things. Now, I use stamps about as often as I go to a bank branch, write in long hand, or read a newspaper (e.g. essentially never).

  23. #20
    Another thing. If you think buying a ton of these "forever" stamps is a good financial idea, you are mistaken.

    Sure, you pay 42 cents (or whatever the heck a stamp costs, I have no idea) today, and the price may be 45 cents 5 years from now when you use the stamp, but unless there is rampant inflation, you aren't going to make/save money on this (or unless you use a lot of them and buy the day before the price goes up).

    For the average person, you will save little or nothing buy buying 5 years worth of stamps.

  24. #21
    I think it is useless to stock up on anything that may lose value with time. Including gold/silver. I will make the switch to PM currency when it is a universally acceptable business transaction currency in my area. Same with stamps. I will not buy more than a month's worth at a time.

    Things I will stock up on are long term storage necessities. Heating fuel (mostly firewood), diesel fuel and other combustible oils. I focus my extra income on things that I will need if I can't count on normal economic transactions.
    CPT Jack. R. T.
    US Army Resigned - Iraq Vet.
    Level III MACP instructor, USYKA/WYKKO sensei
    Professional Hunter/Trapper/Country living survivalist.

  25. #22
    I bought a big stack of forever stamps over one year ago (maybe 2 years ago - time flies), and since my purchase, they've already raised rates once.
    "And who the hell are you?" he asked. "Me?" said Galt. "I'm the driver."

  26. #23
    Quote Originally Posted by 2young2vote View Post
    Are they going to be the same price?
    No declaration stating otherwise, yet, but they haven't officially announced the change to only forever stamps, either. Id expect for them to raise their rates.

  27. #24
    "The transition to forever-only stamps will begin on Jan 22, when the postal service issues the commemorative Lunar New Year: Year of the Rabbit stamp. Other commemorative first class stamps will be converted to forever stamps as well." [src]

    Also, "Postal rates going up but not for most letters"

    "The post office said the 44-cent price of a first-class stamp won't change, but heavier letters will cost more. The basic rate is for the first ounce, and the price for each extra ounce will rise from 17 cents to 20 cents.

    ...

    - Post cards will rise by a penny to 29 cents.

    - Letters to Canada or Mexico increase to 80 cents, from 75 cents to Canada and 79 cents to Mexico.

    - Letters to other international destinations will remain unchanged at 98 cents.

    - Express Mail and Priority Mail prices are not affected.

    -There will be a variety of price changes for other mailing services, including advertising mail, periodicals and packages.

    Price increases in effect April 17" [src]



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  29. #25
    Quote Originally Posted by Kludge View Post
    Well - yeah, but McDonald's doesn't have demand from customers to have a supply of stamps at their house. 1c-2c stamps are a pain in the ass to need purchasing when prices increase, and it's probably a big hassle for the USPS, too.
    I am guessing they save money by not having to print / handle the one / two cent stamps ?



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