smotherearth.com

Entries Tagged as 'Stamps'

Wednesday, May 7th, 2008

Postal Rates Change Monday

With less than a week before the 1-cent price hike in stamps starting on May 12, 2008, the U.S. Postal Service is reporting brisk sales of the Forever Stamp, with sales topping 60 million stamps a day. A First-Class Mail stamp will cost 42-cents starting Monday, but customers can continue to use the Forever […]

Monday, April 28th, 2008

Buy Now or Forever Hold Your Stamps

WASHINGTON (AP) — With a postal rate increase just two weeks away, Americans are buying 30 million Forever stamps a day.
The cost of sending a first-class letter will rise a penny to 42 cents on May 12, but the Forever stamps — currently selling for 41 cents — will remain valid for full postage after […]

Monday, February 11th, 2008

Stamp Price Increases Announced

The cost of a first-class stamp will rise to 42 cents starting May 12, the U.S. Postal Service said Monday.
The price of the Forever stamp will go up at the same time, meaning those stamps can still be purchased for 41 cents but will remain good for first-class postage after the rate increase takes effect.
The […]

Wednesday, December 19th, 2007

Holiday Stamps

For this year’s holiday season, the U.S. Postal Service has issued a series called Holiday Knits, featuring four stamps of what they are calling “classic Christmas-time imagery designed and machine knitted by nationally known illustrator Nancy Stahl: There is a dignified stag; a snow-dappled evergreen tree; a perky snowman sporting a top hat; and a […]

Saturday, November 17th, 2007

FAQ: When Will the Next Forever Stamp Rate Increase be Announced?

Under the new guidelines signed into law by President Bush last December, we may see the next round of postal increases by June 30, 2008. Under the new law, annual increases annual increases are allowed and will be tied to the Consumer Price Index, with rules to be determined by the Postal Regulatory Commission. […]

Saturday, September 1st, 2007

Stamp Machine Stamp-Out

The Postal Service is phasing out 22,933 stamp vending machines nationwide. Notices are appearing in post offices all over the country: “THIS VENDING MACHINE WILL BE REMOVED FROM SERVICE.”
Image by Crow River Trading Company, All Rights Reserved
In a program already underway and slated to end in 2010, the USPS will be removing thousands of automated […]

Saturday, August 18th, 2007

Purple Heart Stamp on Sale

All rights reserved 2007 Darci Marchese/WTOP Photo
“The United States Postal Service marked the 75th anniversary of the Purple Heart medal with the dedication of the new Purple Heart stamp at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center on Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2007. It is the third time the stamp has been issued.
During the ceremony two wounded […]

Sunday, August 12th, 2007

Art of Disney Magic Stamps Now Available

© 2007 USPS. All Rights Reserved.
On August 16, 2007, the U.S. Postal Service unveiled four new Art of Disney Magic stamps at an official dedication ceremony […]

Saturday, July 21st, 2007

Forever Stamps Sales at 1.2 Billion

In an Associated Press interview Friday, Postmaster-General John Potter said he expects sales of the forever stamp to jump in the months before any new rate increase, but he added: “We have other stamps that are of keen interest.”
Read the complete article from the Washington Post.

Share!

Wednesday, July 18th, 2007

First Day Covers

First day covers, also known as philatelic covers, cachets and FDC’s for short, are collectible envelopes featuring postage stamps cancelled on the same day the stamps were issued. The envelopes are usually decorative and can even be adorned with hand-painted artwork. The USPS usually extends the date to request first day covers, sometimes even by […]

Thursday, June 7th, 2007

Freaks, Oddities and Errors

In the stamp collecting (philatelic) world, freaks, oddities and errors are desirable. Production mistakes on USPS stamps, such as color shifts and misaligned perforations are rare. Stamp errors, such as the famed inverted “Jenny” airplane airmail stamp, are even rarer.
ForeverStamps.com has obtained a unique sheet of Forever Stamp freak color shifts. With […]

Friday, June 1st, 2007

Forever Remembered: Purple Heart Forever Stamp

With the recent postal increases and the introduction of the Forever Stamp, there has been a political movement to reissue the Purple Heart Stamp as a Forever Stamp.
Press Release from Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton’s website on May 15, 2007.
Washington, DC - As a new postal rate increase goes into effect, Senators Hillary […]

Tuesday, May 22nd, 2007

Forever Stamp Impostors

Be aware that the USPS has only issued one Forever Stamp, and it is the current version displaying the Liberty Bell. In the past few weeks I have noticed some online auctions touting nondenominated (no price) first-class stamps as being the “other Forever Stamp.” This may not be entirely true.

For example, the […]

Monday, May 14th, 2007

Reminder: Postal Rates Changed May 14, 2007

The price for a first-class stamp is now 41 cents. Be forewarned when using an old 39 cent stamp, there is a good chance this letter will be returned or delayed for insufficient postage. Did you try and sneak one of these in the mailbox last Sunday? Your letter will probably be […]