Stamp Prices DECREASING

You read that right, Members. I said "decreasing." First Class postage is going down to 47 cents. I wrote all about why in a previous article, but the short story is that the surcharge rate approved for rising fuel costs is no longer valid under the law. As of April 10, 2016, the first ounce rate will be 47 cents. Each additional ounce will go to 21 cents, a penny less than it is now. Postcards and International stamps will return to being 34 cents and $1.15, respectively.

This is why I argued against Forever stamps in the first place. It's not the additional couple of cents. I would gladly pay those and more for the amazing service the U.S.P.S. provides me. No, what bothers me is the perception the pubic will have that they have been cheated. Swindled, even, into buying stamps at one price and having them decrease in value. Mind you, they won't remember the times that they bought them low and sold them high.

Price decreases in postage have only happened twice before. The two other rate reductions came on July 1, 1885, when you could send a whole ounce for 2 cents rather than the previous half ounce, and in 1919, when a WWI 1 cent surcharge was removed. All that said, I'm off to buy a load of stamps. If you think I'm waiting til April 10th, you're crazy. It's stamps. They're always worth it.

 

Comments

[FinnBadger]

Now is it time for another cool stamp rate info graphic? :)

[Alyssabeth]

People will find anything to complain about if they want to. Hopefully most in the letter writing community will see the positive in this

[Donovan Beeson]

Yes. Yes it is.

[Patrick]

I believe you are right about the incorrect perception the short-sighted public will have about Forever stamps. I buy 'em two books at a time, fully expecting postal rates to go up in the future. And yes, in the event that rates drop, I still know it's a heck of a deal, even if I'm "wasting" a 48 cent stamp on forty-seven cents of postage.

It's also worth the price when a library patron comes in, desperate to mail their college transcript or their taxes, and I can give them a stamp. Nobody else on campus seems to take joy in that. Less than fifty cents per smile? Such a deal.

[Cialina]

I was initially excited by the news, but I just read the press release over at USPS and it seems that this is hurting them. Sadly, our postal system is in debt and the lower rate is not helping.

I guess this means I'll just have to buy more stamps to keep the USPS afloat.

[Lori]

Write to Congress. They caused the debt situation at the USPS on an unrecorded voice vote in the lame duck session (December) of 2006.
(The Postal Enhancement and Accountability Act) I searched this out to see how one of my Congress people voted, and found out it was done as I wrote above.

I'm buying stamps now, and don't care if waiting a few months would save 2¢ a stamp. I want the USPS to succeed as a public service.

So I guess I'll have to participate in National Letter Writing in April, even though InCoWriMo was daunting for the first time.

[Lisa]

Letters are magical things, and stamps are so worth it.

[Lori]

I agree Lisa.
I posted above with the name of the Congressional act a little off. It was actually called the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act. Regardless, it forced the USPS to do something no other entity ever has to do.

The trouble for the USPS is that while it is a government entity, provided for in the Constitution, it is not like any other department. It isn't funded in the budget. Money comes from stamp and package sales. Congress has certain control, but call it political and not practical.

I bought some Snoopy stationery from the USPS. It upped the shipping, but I love Snoopy. I bought my brother some stamps (I found the From Me To You stamps in the collectors area I think).