Stamps

I'm confused and I've even had coffee this morning. Isn't postage is 41 cents now?

I was wondering also why you would want to trade up to 39 cent stamps when the new stamps are 41 cents???

Yeah, that's what I meant!

Cindy

Plus, you have to hit on just the right question (like, how much are stamps!). There was a temp woman in there last week and I said, "Can I return my _39_ cent stamps?" She said no and laughed at me.

Now our regular guy (who I dated a couple times in high school - told you it's a small town) didn't come right out and offer to take them back. After ordering 500 2 cent stamps, he said, "is there anything else I can help you with?" and I said, no not unless you can take back my 500 _39_ cent stamps. And that's when he said if they haven't been opened I could trade them back in. I guess that's different than "returning" them.

He knew why I was buying 2 cent stamps. But he didn't offer to take the old stamps back. Maybe they are trained to not answer questions that aren't asked. Maybe it's a Federal Employee thing.

Cindy

supposed to take/buy/trade stamps back from customers...the only one authorized to do so would be the Postmaster. Now if the employee did take the "old" stamps back he could be the one in charge of ordering/returning "old" stamps to the distributor and may be doing it on the sly (no one there would know he did it....kind of thing.) My motto is...it doesn't hurt to ask...the least they can say is no! Launie, in Oregon

in the UK, they've wiped out this problem of old stamps not being the new value when the postage goes up, the introduced stamps that instead of saying the number of pence, say 1st, 2nd, or E (for Europe), I think there may also be W for rest of world, then when the price changes, they usually change the colour, but the old ones are still valid, with no time limit. I've been known to stock up on stamps the week before a price change!

Anne

As I waited in line for about 20 minutes last Friday to mail an Express Mail package the post office employees kept repeating, "I am sorry but we are out of 1 and 2 cent stamps." People were not pleased. I asked why they didn't just put a sign on the door so people wouldn't stand in line all that time and then find out there were no stamps. The clerk said it was a management decision not to post the sign on the door. Several others had suggested it. She said people act like she should be able to just go to the basement and print more stamps. They only receive stamp orders on Monday. With 250,000 on hand they thought they had it covered but ran out by Wednesday. This also illustrates that most people don't eavesdrop while waiting in line. The clerk was not whispering the news that they were out of stamps. Why were the people waiting in line and asking again? Were they thinking that the news would change? One gal had 250 wedding invitations ready to mail. Had she not read a newspaper or listened to a news report during the last month? This postal increase should not have been a surprise.

To all those friends who I owe packages: Sorry I didn't th>I was complaining (imagine that) to my local postmaster today that I

There was little or nothing in our local daily until Monday, the day the new rates went into effect. We listen to NPR a lot and heard little mention of the postal increase recently. It likely came as a surprise to a lot of people. I don't know why the USPS didn't give it more publicity in advance -- possibly didn't want a flood of mail the last few days.

Julia in MN

Howdy!

So I'm thinking, after standing in line so long just for some

2-penny stamps, and those aren't available, just buy some of the new stamps, 41-centers, and use those. Order the 2-penny stamps online or get them another day. Sheeze! I'm w/ you, Susan. Is this the RipVanWinkle Effect, people have been asleep for so long, they didn't hear, somehow, somewhere, didn't read it in the MAILBOX that postage was going up? ;-D (Susan, you can send me a package & I'll pay the difference in postage.) Btw, my realtor friend sends out 10 2-penny stamps to her customers on her mailing list when the postage prices go up like this. I love her! For those who bitch about the postal price increases: try hand delivery. 'Cause I think postal prices are still a good deal, compared to the alternatives. ;-D

Ragm> As I waited in line for about 20 minutes last Friday to mail an

I've seen precisely one sign informing of the change, depending on how much you mail stuff, it would be very easy to be unaware of the change.

Anne

I knew back in January, but I don't remember my source of info. I just put it in my computer calendar, with an alarm, when I first read about it. then I don't recall hearing anything more until the Friday before.

We were inundated with the message; newspaper, television, and a reminder in our mailbox. Since I rarely go to the post office, I'm not aware of any signs at all.

Pat, you make me giggle! I'd have had the inclination to do just as you did. I'd heard about the change, but not much. Sometimes people can be awfully rude.

One question: I found some older stamps in the drawer, but they're not marked with any denomination. Does anyone know what the Lady Liberty stamps (marked First Class) were worth? I don't know how many $.02 stamps to add!

obvious)

Thanks, Lisa. :)