Comments on: The New ‘Forever’ Stamp http://www.fivecentnickel.com/2006/05/04/the-new-forever-stamp/ personal finance tips, tricks, and commentary Sat, 21 Nov 2009 22:11:52 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc hourly 1 By: Forever Stamps http://www.fivecentnickel.com/2006/05/04/the-new-forever-stamp/comment-page-1/#comment-77680 Forever Stamps Thu, 10 May 2007 19:00:37 +0000 http://www.fivecentnickel.com/2006/05/04/the-new-forever-stamp/#comment-77680 All first class postage should be non-denominated. It's ridiculous to have to purchase supplemental postage. I bet these $0.01 and $0.02 supplemental stamps suffer the same fate as the uneconomic penny. It costs nearly $0.02 to produce a penny! All first class postage should be non-denominated. It’s ridiculous to have to purchase supplemental postage. I bet these $0.01 and $0.02 supplemental stamps suffer the same fate as the uneconomic penny. It costs nearly $0.02 to produce a penny!

]]> By: Andrew http://www.fivecentnickel.com/2006/05/04/the-new-forever-stamp/comment-page-1/#comment-4853 Andrew Mon, 08 May 2006 07:00:52 +0000 http://www.fivecentnickel.com/2006/05/04/the-new-forever-stamp/#comment-4853 Thinking of my situation in regards to stamps I have started paying the majority of my bills online. Not only saving time but a little money on stamps as well. I still hang on to paying a few bills through the mail but I know that will not last too much longer. I'm sure most of you bloggers are using online bill pay. So who cares if stamps go up right? They are slowly becoming obsolete, unless you send a large amount of letters or other mail. Thinking of my situation in regards to stamps I have started paying the majority of my bills online. Not only saving time but a little money on stamps as well. I still hang on to paying a few bills through the mail but I know that will not last too much longer. I’m sure most of you bloggers are using online bill pay. So who cares if stamps go up right? They are slowly becoming obsolete, unless you send a large amount of letters or other mail.

]]> By: GaryP http://www.fivecentnickel.com/2006/05/04/the-new-forever-stamp/comment-page-1/#comment-4385 GaryP Fri, 05 May 2006 19:53:31 +0000 http://www.fivecentnickel.com/2006/05/04/the-new-forever-stamp/#comment-4385 2 things I see here. First and foremost this is a great deal for the post office if people stock up on stamps. This will increase current year income without any matching expense since people are 'hoarding' the 'forever' stamp. If people hold on to the stamps for a couple years and then use them, the post office will have to increase rates because they have expenses but no corresponding income. Of course that is a new postmasters problem. 2nd their is an inconsistency in their story. As you quote above: <i>This would mean an end to those odd little two or three cent stamps that are used to ’round up’ an old stamp to the current price.</i> So, if I have a bunch of regular 39 cent stamps now and they raise it to 42 cents, I am still going to need 3 cent stamps. They will need fewer of these, but not none. Also there is no talk of a 'forever' stamp for post cards, and our small office mails out 100 of those a week and they need additional postage every time the rates go up. The only way I see it working is if they quit putting values on all first class mail stamps and put say a gold star? So a gold star stamp is always good for first class letter whether it has a flag on it or mickey mouse. 2 things I see here. First and foremost this is a great deal for the post office if people stock up on stamps. This will increase current year income without any matching expense since people are ‘hoarding’ the ‘forever’ stamp. If people hold on to the stamps for a couple years and then use them, the post office will have to increase rates because they have expenses but no corresponding income. Of course that is a new postmasters problem.

2nd their is an inconsistency in their story. As you quote above:

This would mean an end to those odd little two or three cent stamps that are used to ’round up’ an old stamp to the current price.

So, if I have a bunch of regular 39 cent stamps now and they raise it to 42 cents, I am still going to need 3 cent stamps. They will need fewer of these, but not none. Also there is no talk of a ‘forever’ stamp for post cards, and our small office mails out 100 of those a week and they need additional postage every time the rates go up.

The only way I see it working is if they quit putting values on all first class mail stamps and put say a gold star? So a gold star stamp is always good for first class letter whether it has a flag on it or mickey mouse.

]]> By: nickel http://www.fivecentnickel.com/2006/05/04/the-new-forever-stamp/comment-page-1/#comment-4357 nickel Fri, 05 May 2006 14:18:57 +0000 http://www.fivecentnickel.com/2006/05/04/the-new-forever-stamp/#comment-4357 It'll be the same price. After I've had a chance to think about, this is a smart move on the part of the USPS, as it'll make price hikes more invisible in the future -- no need to print the price on the stamp, and probably fewer people talking about it in the street. So it'll not only streamline their operations, but it'll also make it easier to bump prices going forward without as much negative publicity. It’ll be the same price. After I’ve had a chance to think about, this is a smart move on the part of the USPS, as it’ll make price hikes more invisible in the future — no need to print the price on the stamp, and probably fewer people talking about it in the street. So it’ll not only streamline their operations, but it’ll also make it easier to bump prices going forward without as much negative publicity.

]]> By: amit http://www.fivecentnickel.com/2006/05/04/the-new-forever-stamp/comment-page-1/#comment-4310 amit Fri, 05 May 2006 06:27:49 +0000 http://www.fivecentnickel.com/2006/05/04/the-new-forever-stamp/#comment-4310 Are you sure the forever stamp costs the same as the regular stamps, or might this special stamp be at a "special price" ?? Are you sure the forever stamp costs the same as the regular stamps, or might this special stamp be at a “special price” ??

]]> By: Kevin S. http://www.fivecentnickel.com/2006/05/04/the-new-forever-stamp/comment-page-1/#comment-4292 Kevin S. Thu, 04 May 2006 23:07:32 +0000 http://www.fivecentnickel.com/2006/05/04/the-new-forever-stamp/#comment-4292 What you left out was that the increase this past Jan. was required by an act of congress to create n surplus....the proposed increase for next year would go to actual expenses, as I mention in my own PF blog. What you left out was that the increase this past Jan. was required by an act of congress to create n surplus….the proposed increase for next year would go to actual expenses, as I mention in my own PF blog.

]]> By: Nick http://www.fivecentnickel.com/2006/05/04/the-new-forever-stamp/comment-page-1/#comment-4286 Nick Thu, 04 May 2006 18:36:48 +0000 http://www.fivecentnickel.com/2006/05/04/the-new-forever-stamp/#comment-4286 If the price of postage continues to rise 5% a year, stocking up on stamps while they're cheap could be a wise "investment." But I probably won't buy too many extra ones myself because of <a href="http://www.punny.org/money/postage-stamps-that-stay-first-class-forever/" rel="nofollow">all the things that could go wrong</a>. If the price of postage continues to rise 5% a year, stocking up on stamps while they’re cheap could be a wise “investment.” But I probably won’t buy too many extra ones myself because of all the things that could go wrong.

]]> By: jim http://www.fivecentnickel.com/2006/05/04/the-new-forever-stamp/comment-page-1/#comment-4281 jim Thu, 04 May 2006 17:56:14 +0000 http://www.fivecentnickel.com/2006/05/04/the-new-forever-stamp/#comment-4281 Between emails and faxes, mail is dead. Between emails and faxes, mail is dead.

]]> By: Norm http://www.fivecentnickel.com/2006/05/04/the-new-forever-stamp/comment-page-1/#comment-4280 Norm Thu, 04 May 2006 17:25:52 +0000 http://www.fivecentnickel.com/2006/05/04/the-new-forever-stamp/#comment-4280 Stamps? Mail? A busy mail month for us would be more than 2 pieces of mail going out. Stamps? Mail?

A busy mail month for us would be more than 2 pieces of mail going out.

]]> By: Blaine Moore http://www.fivecentnickel.com/2006/05/04/the-new-forever-stamp/comment-page-1/#comment-4277 Blaine Moore Thu, 04 May 2006 16:55:56 +0000 http://www.fivecentnickel.com/2006/05/04/the-new-forever-stamp/#comment-4277 I wouldn't bother. I do not mail enough first class envelopes anymore to warrant it. Unless I was going to have to send out wedding invitations again shortly after a price hike, it would just be a waste of time and money. I'd rather make the 3 cents in interest in a savings account. I wouldn’t bother. I do not mail enough first class envelopes anymore to warrant it. Unless I was going to have to send out wedding invitations again shortly after a price hike, it would just be a waste of time and money. I’d rather make the 3 cents in interest in a savings account.

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