We’ve been buying stamps forever, well since 1847 when they were introduced and immediately embraced with sales hovering around 3,700,000 for the 5¢ (for distances under 300 miles) and about 865,000 for the 10¢ variety which went the, uh, distance.
Today we pay by weight and time delivery, not distance, and now, the purchase of postage is comparable to a stock market gamble with more reliable returns. With the introduction of the Forever Stamp on May 14th, snail-mail users can hedge their bets against future postal rates by stocking up on Forever Stamps for months, years or forever.
This is how it works. On sale since April 12th, but only valid since Monday, the Forever Stamp price is 41¢, coinciding with the most recent hike in price of a first-class postage stamp from 39¢. If, when the price trickles up again by a cent or two, the Forever Stamp will spare you the cost increase ? and the frustration of hunting down those 2¢ stamps. So ten years from now, when a stamp costs a buck, if you stock piled Forever Stamps today, you’ll save 59¢ on every holiday card you send out. The price of the Forever stamp increases each time the cost of a first class stamp goes up; but the premise stays the same. Do you care? According to an independent federal agency, the U.S. Postal Service has annual revenues of $73 billion and delivers nearly half the world’s mail. It’s income doesn’t come from taxes and its expenses fluctuate: if the price of gas goes up just one cent, the annual nut for USPS goes up $8 million. Maybe we should keep our own future expenses down by stocking up on the Forever Stamp ? today.
Do you plan to buy the forever stamp? Are there other products you'd like to see with a "forever" version?
I think that if the forever stamp is really good forever than it is a good idea but at the same time when i thnk about it I think well if they quit raising the price of a stamp every few years then they wouldn't really need a stamp like the forever stamp. but I guess overall it is good to have a forever stamp so that you son't have to keep track of the price of stamps and keep track of when the next date is the price goes up.
cloud9cl::
on Jun 09, 2007
Wow.I had heard some passing mention of the forever stamp, but this is the first I had read about how it really works. I think it is a great idea for consumers, but I wonder if the USPS is stabbing themselves in the foot. They will get the money up front, but if many of us actually purchase the forever stamp this many actually hurt them in the furture (That is assuming that we don't all put our forever stamps in such a safe place that we forget where they are--story of my life). Are they setting a time limit as to how long they will offer the forever stamp?
kyhomebody::
on Nov 19, 2008
i think its a great cocept but i have one concern.living in a rural area i regularly talk with my post mistress and according to her each pst office must be able to sustain itself solely on its own sales of stamps shipping and other purchases. if everyone in my area used forever stamps would the small semi anual p.o.box fee and the reduction of volume in holiday shipping along with money order sales be enough to keep rural post offices open? the nearest almost city to me is a 40 minute drive.
kyhomebody::
on Nov 19, 2008
me again,its unfortunate somany of us will have to watch our pennies, as one of the biggest thrills i get in december is to find a christmas card in amongst my bills and junk mail. IT'S a very personal way of saying your in my heart and thoughts. i get emailed to death with web jokes from friends and family but it is rare tho recieve any letters online or in the mail and i miss correspondence very much.
adelh666::
on Dec 03, 2008
i like the forever stamp, because i was getting tired of the post office increases! Its not like we have a CHOICE WHEN MAILING OUR MAIL. The post office is all we have. Before the forever stamp, i would only purchase the stamps i need, period. I subsidize everything else, but i refuse to subsidize them!
