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View Full Version : USA postage - new retro stamp (domestic first class "forever")



FredRydr
May 19th, 2018, 08:22 AM
I like retro stamps. The new 50-cent stamp (https://store.usps.com/store/product/buy-stamps/united-states-air-mail-blue-S_477704) issued 1 May 2018 looks like this:

https://www.usps.com/ecp/asset/images/477704-T0.jpg

I'll be using two of them plus 15-cents in vintage stamps for my international mail.

Chrissy
May 19th, 2018, 03:07 PM
I like it. I can't wait to see it in action. :) Maybe I might buy some while I'm there and put them to good use.

VertOlive
May 19th, 2018, 03:28 PM
I'd better get myself over to the Post Office, these are great for what I'd guess is a 100 Year sort of issue.

Pterodactylus
May 19th, 2018, 03:48 PM
Why do you (or somebody else, like me) know that this is a 50 Cent stamp?
I can’t see a number on it.... :noidea:

Chrissy
May 19th, 2018, 03:51 PM
Why do you (or somebody else, like me) know that this is a 50 Cent stamp?
I can’t see a number on it.... :noidea:
The USPS domestic 1st class Forever stamp doesn't have the value on there. They are always Forever stamps. So are their International Forever stamps.

British Royal Mail 1st and 2nd class stamps don't have values on there either. Nor do E stamps for Europe or Worldwide postage.

It means that you can always use them for that postage type regardless of how much the price goes up. Forever. They are by far the best types of stamps to buy.

Robert
May 19th, 2018, 04:11 PM
Thanks for the tip, Fred. Gotta get some of those! (But . . . if the plane were inverted, it would be even better!)

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/how-inverted-jenny-24-cent-stamp-came-be-worth-fortune-180969090/

FredRydr
May 19th, 2018, 04:54 PM
Why do you (or somebody else, like me) know that this is a 50 Cent stamp?
I can’t see a number on it.... :noidea:

Under postal union treaty, many nations are issuing stamps with no indicated denomination. Those stamps are instead issued for a particular use, and therefore good for that use even after postal rates increase. For example, in the USA, a domestic first class "Forever" stamp costs 50 cents, and simply have forever printed on the face. The stamp can be used any time in the future for domestic first class without having to buy additional postage, even if there were rate increases. Similar stamps are available for postcards and international first class, among others. Unfortunately, in the USA this has lead to fewer stamp varieties.

Also see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-denominated_postage

FredRydr
May 19th, 2018, 05:20 PM
Thanks for the tip, Fred. Gotta get some of those! (But . . . if the plane were inverted, it would be even better!)
These $2 reissues are still around in smaller post offices: https://about.usps.com/news/national-releases/2013/pr13_079.htm

Jon Szanto
May 19th, 2018, 06:34 PM
Semi-related: if you mail a letter with a 1st-class stamp in an envelope marked "Air Mail", does it matter? Is there even an Air Mail postage anymore?

FredRydr
May 19th, 2018, 06:48 PM
Semi-related: if you mail a letter with a 1st-class stamp in an envelope marked "Air Mail", does it matter? Is there even an Air Mail postage anymore?
No and no. The post office decides how a 50-cent domestic first-class letter gets from A to B, and it's usually pretty quick.

On the other hand, if some Geek had a pile of vintage airmail envelopes to use, he'd use them.

VertOlive
May 19th, 2018, 08:31 PM
Why do you (or somebody else, like me) know that this is a 50 Cent stamp?
I can’t see a number on it.... :noidea:

When you go to a post office or online to buy the stamp, you'll see the price there.

Pterodactylus
May 20th, 2018, 01:36 AM
Thanks for the explanation, this concept was new to me, neither Austria nor Germany have it.

Seems to be really good for the customer and not so good for the postal service company.

FredRydr
May 20th, 2018, 05:18 AM
...Seems to be really good for the customer and not so good for the postal service company.
The postal service company is relieved of destroying old stamps and printing new stamps for each rate increase.

Morgaine
May 24th, 2018, 09:11 AM
Scratch 'n' sniff anyone?

FredRydr
May 24th, 2018, 01:17 PM
Scratch 'n' sniff anyone?
HM wouldn't like that.

jbb
June 1st, 2018, 05:07 PM
Scratch 'n' sniff anyone?

I've pre-ordered the Scratch and Sniff stamps. I had to have them.