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heath
September 25th, 2013, 12:08 PM
Because this seems to be where any info on letter writing is I decided to post this here. If there is a better place please let me know.

Just announced, these are the proposed price increases for 2014 for the U.S.P.S. From their press release: (http://about.usps.com/news/national-releases/2013/pr13_077.htm)

“The United States Postal Service today announced proposed price changes, including an increase in the price of a First-Class Mail single-piece letter from 46 cents to 49 cents. The proposed changes, which would go into effect in January 2014, are intended to generate $2 billion in incremental annual revenue for the Postal Service.

Highlights of the new single-piece First-Class Mail pricing, effective Jan. 26, 2014 include:

Letters (1 oz.) — 3-cent increase to 49 cents
Letters additional ounces — 1-cent increase to 21 cents
Letters to all international destinations (1 oz.) — $1.15
Postcards — 1-cent increase to 34 cents
Stamp prices have stayed consistent with the average annual rate of inflation of 4.2 percent since the Postal Service was formed in 1971.”

caribbean_skye
September 25th, 2013, 02:55 PM
I guess it's time to stock up on those forever stamps, domestic and international ones.

spotted and speckled
September 25th, 2013, 02:56 PM
Oy!

heath
September 25th, 2013, 03:08 PM
I wish they had a better design for the international forever stamp. The current 20 stamp page is $22.00 and will go up to $23 so I may hold off on those. The domestic forever stamps that I mostly use and get in 100 packs most of the time will go from $46 to $49 so I may get one or two extra but I'm not stocking up.

Postcards actually affect me the most. I currently use a .20 a .10 and a .3 cent stamp on them because I have three stamps I quite like but adding a whole nother .1 cent stamp will crowd more than it already is.

heath
September 25th, 2013, 03:09 PM
Is 'nother' a word? I doubt it. I guess I'm showing my heritage.

cwent2
September 25th, 2013, 04:34 PM
Is 'nother' a word? I doubt it. I guess I'm showing my heritage.

It is now, you used it, it's your's

fncll
September 25th, 2013, 06:14 PM
I may be in the minority in thinking that, overall, USPS is a good deal. And I have had (almost all) great dealings with post offices. That said, I do wish there were more variety in the lines of stamps other than first-class letter stamps...

WirsPlm
September 25th, 2013, 08:08 PM
I may be in the minority in thinking that, overall, USPS is a good deal. And I have had (almost all) great dealings with post offices. That said, I do wish there were more variety in the lines of stamps other than first-class letter stamps...

USPS is a good deal. I'm honestly OK with regular inflation-aligned price increases. Of all the steps that can be taken to stop the US Government from bleeding red ink this is a no-brainer, and also about the only one we can get the big-spenders to agree to sadly. Other adjustments need to get made, but I'll take whatever fiscal sanity we can get.

Chemyst
September 25th, 2013, 11:12 PM
Of all the steps that can be taken to stop the US Government from bleeding red ink this is a no-brainer, and also about the only one we can get the big-spenders to agree to sadly. Other adjustments need to get made, but I'll take whatever fiscal sanity we can get.

The USPS is not part of the government, so they are one step removed from the pure unadulterated madness in DC.

writingrav
September 26th, 2013, 06:06 AM
I agree that for the most part the USPS is a very good deal. That said, at just about half a buck a letter and at the rate I send them, it will begin to be a consideration and the international even more so. I may have to just spread out and slow down a little bit.

caribbean_skye
September 26th, 2013, 10:17 AM
I agree that for the most part the USPS is a good deal. However the majority of the people I send mail to (apart from the people I write to from here) are international and every increase just makes me really stop and think whether I can keep affording to send out mail as I have been (Christmas time is rather expensive). Guess that just means I need to convert all of my letters to onionskin or Tomoe River paper.

Bogon07
September 26th, 2013, 06:59 PM
I'll try and feel sorry for you all when I buy another sheet ten Australian International stamps for $26.00 today. :)

Still have the Queen on them - not like the new dinosaur domestic stamps

heath
September 26th, 2013, 07:38 PM
I'll try and feel sorry for you all when I buy another sheet ten Australian International stamps for $26.00 tomorrow. :)

You are $2.43 per stamp American and we are going to $1.15 so you have a valid point but I imagine our output of international mail is much higher which gives us a lower rate. What are your domestic stamp rates?

Bogon07
September 26th, 2013, 10:01 PM
I'll try and feel sorry for you all when I buy another sheet ten Australian International stamps for $26.00 tomorrow. :)

You are $2.43 per stamp American and we are going to $1.15 so you have a valid point but I imagine our output of international mail is much higher which gives us a lower rate. What are your domestic stamp rates?

The International stamps are $2.60AUD to US & Europe These new prices came in when the $AUD > $USD. - Postcards $1.70
Actually there are two tiers of international: letters to Asia-Pacific are $1.85 Postcards also $1.70

Domestic $0.60AUD



Your PostOffice is a bit like ours, saying they are only keeping increases inline with inflation yet those very increases are contributing to the inflation they are basing the increases on.

KrazyIvan
September 27th, 2013, 09:01 AM
Need to get some forever stamps and maybe some 5 cent stamps. When I purchased my last batch of international postage, they did not have the forever stamps. I purchased $1 + 10 cent stamps.

Oh, wait, this goes into effect in January. I'll be out of international postage by then.

Bogon07
September 27th, 2013, 05:46 PM
Need to get some forever stamps and maybe some 5 cent stamps. When I purchased my last batch of international postage, they did not have the forever stamps. I purchased $1 + 10 cent stamps.

Oh, wait, this goes into effect in January. I'll be out of international postage by then.

KI, what are forever stamps ?

I'm impressed by the amount of advance notice your Post Office gives you of increases.

Tracy Lee
September 27th, 2013, 05:51 PM
Need to get some forever stamps and maybe some 5 cent stamps. When I purchased my last batch of international postage, they did not have the forever stamps. I purchased $1 + 10 cent stamps.

Oh, wait, this goes into effect in January. I'll be out of international postage by then.

KI, what are forever stamps ?

I'm impressed by the amount of advance notice your Post Office gives you of increases.

Buy at the rate of today, they are good forever regardless of increases. The only thing I buy and I stock up often just in case. You'll see on my letters to you the round stamp? It says forever on it. :-)

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