If you’ve been stocking up on Forever stamps since the last price hike at the beginning of 2014, we have some bad news: those the price of first-class stamps will fall by 2¢ down to 47¢ this weekend. That might perhaps causing slight annoyance for consumers, but will hurt the U.S. Postal Service financially. The price cut, you see, wasn’t their idea. [More]
stamps
USPS Proposes Price Increase For Postcards, International Mail; Cost Of First-Class “Forever” Stamps Unchanged
By 1.16.15
The United States Postal Service’s quest for financial stability might be hitting consumers’ pocketbooks come April if the agency’s proposed price increases gets the go-ahead. [More]
Why A Village With 500 Residents Mails More Than 10,000 Christmas Cards From Its Post Office Every Year
By 12.10.14
How is it possible that in a village that boasts a population of only about 500 people sends more than 10,000 Christmas cards from its post office every year? Is it because each person in town has 20 friends? Or is it because the town has something special to do with Christmas? [More]
Planning Ahead: USPS Advertises Christmas Stamps In June
By 6.24.14
We’ve chronicled the financial problems of the U.S. Postal Service, and it’s great that they’re seeking out new revenue sources. This prominently-placed poster in reader Chris’s local post office encourages postal customers to prepare early and buy their Christmas stamps now. In June. For Christmas cards. Cards for that holiday that doesn’t happen for another six months. [More]
World’s Most Valuable Stamp Sells For A Record $9.5 Million
By 6.18.14
If you’re like most people, the most expensive stamp you have in your possession is probably valued at around, oh, whatever the current price for postage is. High five! But among serious stamp collectors it’s a different story — and the world’s most valuable stamp of all stamps just raked in a pretty penny at auction. [More]
Your Eyes Do Not Deceive You: USPS Price Hike Brings Cost Of A First-Class Stamp To $0.49
By 1.27.14
Remember when it only cost a quarter to instantly get in touch with someone from a payphone? Then we all got nostalgic when the price started creeping up, until cell phones made that fond remembrance less of misty, water-colored memory. Now it costs almost two quarters to send a less-than-instant letter or card, with the new price of first-class stamps rising from $0.46 to $0.49. Kick in, nostalgia! [More]
USPS Seeks Price Increase On Stamps, Pays Futurist $565K To Mull Over Future Of Stamps
By 9.25.13
You know those stamps you use maybe once or twice a month? They could soon be slightly more expensive after the USPS Board of Governors has requested a three-cent price increase on first-class stamps in order to combat the expected $6 billion in losses this year. But since the USPS is already planning on losing that huge pile of cash anyway, why not throw another $565,000 toward some futurist firm that can ponder the destiny of the once-beloved postage stamp. [More]
One Way Or Another, You’re Going To Pay To Use DYMO/Endicia’s Stamp-Printing Software
By 4.25.13
It seemed like such a good plan. For their small businesses, several of our readers use postage printers from DYMO. The software that goes with these printers comes in two versions: free and $10 per month. The free version requires users to round their postage up slightly; the paid version does not. Then the company dropped a new rule on customers: if they want to use the free version of the software, they have to buy their labels from DYMO. If they want to keep using cheaper third-party labels, they have to pay $10/month for the service. [More]
Cash-Strapped USPS Raising The Price Of A Stamp By A Penny Starting Sunday
By 1.25.13
It’s a brand new year but already the cash-strained United States Postal Service is showing that it’s feeling the financial heat that kept zapping it in 2012. Starting on Sunday, the price of a first-class stamp will go from $0.45 to $0.46 as we were warned last year. Post card stamps will also rise a penny to $0.33. Sure, it’s only a penny, but it’s a penny you don’t have to pay on Saturday that you do on Sunday. [More]
New Zealanders Will Be Able To Buy Bilbo & Gandalf Stamps With ‘Hobbit’ Legal Tender
By 10.11.12
If there was a common currency* used in Middle Earth, Bilbo Baggins and Gandalf the Grey would’ve totally been famous enough to have their faces grace coins all over the land. But back here on regular old boring Earth, they’re important enough in New Zealand to be featured on actual legal tender, as well as a new set of stamps to commemorate the upcoming The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. [More]
How Does Eliminating Services 'Better Serve' Me?
By 5.30.12
Michael noticed a sign at the TD Bank ATM informing customers that postage stamps would no longer be available at that location. Aw, too bad. It’s fair if a business wants to discontinue a service because it’s unprofitable or problematic to offer. What annoys customers and insults their intelligence is when the change is spun as some kind of favor to customers. [More]
You'll Soon Have To Pay More For Those Stamps You Don't Use
By 10.18.11
Because none of you are using the U.S. Postal Service — unless you are deliberately mailing a check you hope gets lost or delayed — that means it’s time for the struggling USPS to raise rates on first-class stamps… by one penny. [More]
USPS: No Stamp Price Increases In 2010
By 10.17.09
You can rest easy and stock up on booklets of Simpsons stamps instead of boring old Forever stamps. The United States Postal Service assures us that it is not planning any stamp price increases in 2010.
Use ID Guard Stamp To (Sort Of) Block Personal Info
By 8.28.09
We’re not sure how effective a stamp would be to truly block out personal info on your mail—cross-cut shredding is always better—but at the very least this would be a fun thing to do while sorting your mail. Maybe it would be good if you’re one of those people who hates throwing out old magazines with your address info printed on the covers.
Buy Your Forever Stamps Now, Price Going Up In May
By 2.11.09
The USPS is raising stamp prices in May, so stock up on your “Forever Stamps” before the hike. Starting May 11, the price for a first-class mail stamp will go from $0.42 to $0.44.
Stamp Prices Rising May 12
By 5.6.08
New stamp prices go into effect starting May 12. Here’s the new prices you’ll be paying for postage:
Post Office Offers Refund In Stamps After Delivering Priority Mail Package Five Weeks Late
By 1.26.08
“I wanted to let you and my fellow readers know about the agonizing experience I had with the US postal service recently. They didn’t quite lose my “2 to 3 day” Priority Mail package, but inexplicably shipped it back and forth across the country for over 5 weeks, missing Christmas by over a week, and then told me I did not deserve a refund!”
USPS Ties Stamp Rate Hikes To Inflation
By 11.17.07
The US Postal Service adopted plans to always keep stamp price increases at or below the rate of inflation. The stamp hikes will be annual and capped by the consumer-price index, replacing the old system of periodic and steep increases. The USPS had the right to still do one more hike under the previous rule, but opted to go for the inflation-indexed approach ahead of schedule. Those clever Forever Stamps which were to remain valid forever, will still be forever valid.
