Post office marks (all) new first-class stamps 'forever'

[tammywammy]

This is good news, since I only buy stamps once a year max.

Post office marks new first-class stamps 'forever'

?

WASHINGTON – Postal patron Sean Swilling is tired of the inconvenience that comes with every change in the price of mailing a letter. That makes him just the type of customer the U.S. Postal Service wants to please with a policy designating all new first-class stamps as "forever."

Beginning in January, all new stamps good for 1 ounce of domestic first-class mail will forgo a printed denomination and be acceptable for the typical letter regardless of the current postal rate.

"I think that's a great idea," Swilling, a research analyst for commercial property, said Tuesday during a mail run at a downtown Washington post office. "For me, a guy who uses snail mail regularly, it's a hassle to get 1- or 2-cent stamps. Streamline things — that would be perfect."

The move is designed to help customers cope with postage increases, a Postal Service official told The Associated Press on Tuesday. The official requested anonymity to discuss a policy that hasn't been announced formally.

Postmaster General Patrick R. Donahoe plans to announce the new policy Jan. 14, the official said.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101229/ap_on_bi_ge/us_postal_rates

[Denninmi]

1. They should just raise all of their rates a lot, at once.

Get it over with. Stop having these 2 cent rate increases every year.

The "forever" designation IS a good idea, IMO.

I realize my proposal would be hard on the poor, small businesses, etc. But, the fact is, our rates have been artificially low for many years compared to most countries.

It would give the teabaggers something else to scream about -- to quote Hyacinth Bucket, "Oh, Bloody Hell why not?"

[drm604]

2. They've been doing this for a while now.

I'm not sure what's new about this. :shrug:

[tammywammy]

3. It's all the stamps now

Before only the Liberty Bell stamps were forever, but if you bought the special occasion stamps, for instance the Mother Teresa ones, they were only 44 cent stamps. Now ALL stamps are forever, including the special released ones.

[devils chaplain]

4. It's new in that...

The Postal Service has still been selling many of its First Class stamps denominated in the current first class rate for a standard letter. One could request forever stamps, but many people still used the denominated stamps. No longer will they be issued; they will now all be "forever" stamps for the regular first class letter rate.

I love Forever Stamps not just because they're simple, but because it puts to rest the lie that somehow all of these postal rate increases are somehow screwing the consumer. They're not. Postage rates have always increased more slowly than inflation.

[Art_from_Ark]

7. Actually, postage rate increases exceeded inflation

between the late '50s and early '70s.

According to the inflation calculator, an item selling for 3 cents in 1957 (the last full year of the 3-cent 1st class letter rate) would cost 4.31 cents in 1971 (the year the US Post Office became the US Postal Service) but yet the price of a 1st class letter rose to 8 cents in 1971 (up from the 6 cents that had been in effect since 1968)

[flying rabbit]

5. Nice to see a good idea

implemented once in a while. Kudos to the USPS.

[Statistical]

6. Great idea. I wish they had done that 20 years ago. I hate the idea of getting a 2 cent stamp.

Never understood why they did that. Their can't be that many outstanding stamps. Also it would make more sense to raise rate in larger "chunks" less often. Rather than 2 cents and then 2 years later 3 cents. Just raise it 5 cents (or even 10 cents) and then keep price steady for 5-10 years.

The sad thing is they finally change this and now I almost NEVER mail anything. A book of stamps likely will last me three years.