Any Stamp Dealers Who Use Recent Issue Stamps For Postage?

Paul Varty

Are there any stamp dealers who use recently issued stamps for postage as opposed to out-of-date discount postage?
If not, isn't it hypocritical to complain about the lack of interest in collecting and the lack of used modern material in particular?
If stamp dealers don't use recently issued stamps for postage, why should anyone else?

Dan Shilcrat

My time IS Valuable !!!.. However, my Customers ARE Priceless. Reflecting on this day of Reflection & Thanksgiving I remind my self how very fortunate I have been. I remind myself, to treat all those who purchase from my small store or even just ask me a question, like a King or Queen. When something sells, I send a 'Thank-You' & shipping advisement. If I see the purchase is of a Topical nature I try to use likewise postage. I do often ask. Like (I think) most of us. we have a lot of 'discount postage' It is not a chore, but a labor of good will. Many many times I have received notes from Buyers saying Thanks for the stamps used. I do not save them myself, but donate them to children in my local club, or to the local Boys & Girls Club, or (as I do) to a Veterans Organization.. this I value much more than a few minutes of my time. .

Michael Generali

"I'm tired of buying $50-100 worth of material with $2-3 shipping charge and receive package smattered with out of date postage or, worse still, reglued postage."

You paid for the items inside the envelope, not the stamps, meter or postage labels that are used to ship the items to you. As Carol stated, you can ask the sellers to use recent stamps. If asked, I, too, will try to accommodate the buyer, but it is not always easy to get newer issues. Sellers who live in small towns may have even a harder time to get them. Older sellers may not even have the means to get to a post office.

On StampWants, I once had a buyer who complained to me that I used the same "recent" stamps that he already had, and that he had expected me to use the newest stamps available at the post office. Of course I had no way of knowing what "recent" stamps he already had. My reply was simple. "Send me the stamps you want me to use, and I'll be happy to apply them to the envelope. If you want me to specially obtain stamps for you to use for postage, I'll be happy to do that, but there will be a handling charge for the service, and a delay shipping the order until the stamps are obtained." So, even the term "recent" is relative.

When I make a purchase, I'm happy to get what I bought. If there are stamps on the outside, that's nice, but I don't expect or demand it from the seller, or whine over what postage was used. I only expect that they ship what I bought from them.

Henry Brooks

Why not ask the seller to use recent issues. Many of my buyers over the years have asked for older commemoratives on the envelope, if possible. Absent knowing what the buyer prefers I use whatever falls to hand most readily and will fit the type of mailer. Small envelopes generally get recent issues, larger envelopes a mixture..
I always try to accommodate any reasonable buyer request.

andrew Hellenschmidt

I use a mixture of modern and older issues to keep it interesting. I try to avoid using meter postage. As long as my order arrives safe and quickly I am a happy camper.

https://www.hipstamp.com/store/johnhstamps

Michael Generali

I use stamps from the 19th century through the 21st century.

Jeri Stathas

Thank you, Michael #'s. Wow, you used the words "happy & nice" all in one sentence. I was beginning to wonder if these words/emotions were obsolete on this forum.

Mark Schwing

When sending I use a mixture, usually hinged and I try to keep it at 3 or less. When receiving all are welcome. My grandaughter took an interest when i was soaking, so i bought her a Harris album. Now once a month we get together and soak and mount her stamps.

Gina Brewer

I go out of my way to always use modern commemorative postage stamps on all of my mail, especially on my customer's orders. I believe a person chooses to make a purchase based on much more than just what is inside the package. Especially repeat customers. I do have to make a 20 mile drive to the post office in the next town over for a variety because my own postmaster carries very limited commemorative stamps. I keep extra on hand and can always order from the U.S.P.S store if need be. I used to use older postage because I could get it at a large discount but have since changed due to the smaller supply and greater demand for recent postage. I won't ask others to purchase product from me and support my business and the hobby itself if I am unwilling to do so. I have had a couple of suppliers I have dealt with for over 10 years start that have started using labels. After talking with them about the lost customer base vs. money saved by using discount labels, I have chosen to replace one supplier completely and purchase only one product a year from the other. I believe a lot of my customers would do the same to me. A side note to JF, we have seen a steady increase of young adults and children at our local stamp shows. I hope to see this trend continue. Thanks to you all for using this forum, I have been inspired by some of the great ideas you have been willing to share.
https://www.hipstamp.com/store/wasatch-stamps

Ron Carmichael

I also use stamps on all packages, generally new stuff like a current souvenir sheet and I fill in the blanks with old stuff, with the exception of "dangerous" countries where I too use nondescript stamps for safety sake.

I know for certain that I have some repeat customers because I put nice stamps on the package.

Using modern postage also helps my wee post office here (I live in a small village) continue to justify it's existence, I am normally one of the top sources of revenue for it!

Francois Lafrance

What I do whenever possible is to use Hannukah, Eid or Asian Lunar New Year stamps when mailed to the appropriate countries. Also, joint issue - same design from two different countries. (Marine Life, Canada-Sweden). (Jacques Cartier, Canada-France.)... (St-Lawrence Seaway, Canada-USA), etc....

Ron Lenke

When someone orders a common 3c stamp, is it bad form to use 16 of them on the delivery envelop? I underpay postage by one cent so they incur a "postage due" souvenir mailing....no extra charge for that. :-)

Michael Generali

I once bought a couple of auction lots from a well-known (and to be un-named here) dealer. While I have a personal rule that I will not buy from auctions where there is a buyer's premium (why should I pay for the privilege of buying?), these were a couple of nice, higher-dollar lots of stamps that I had been looking for.

Anyway, I went ahead and bid and won the two lots. I got charged the 15% buyer premium, plus a 10% shipping and handling fee that included the buyer premium in the calculation (ripped off all around). That came out to almost $30.00 for shipping and handling. The package arrived postage due. I was furious, and contacted the auction house. They refunded me the postage due (about $5.00). I have never bought from them again, not even from their retail outlet.

John John H. Talman

Many of my customers have limited their collection to ending at the beginning of 1900 or thereabouts; 1940, 1960 or 1980.
I like to think they appreciate stamps on their mail and some have told me they like to see stamps on their mail but most don't seem to worry what stamps are used as long as they don't pay postage due on the parcel. Some of my customers only seem to collect 19th Century cancels which of course is an interesting study. If I happen to have a current issue I might use it but I don't spend a lot of time obtaining them for use on my mail.

Tania Radley

If dealers don't use (recent) discounted postage then there won't be any bargain priced stamps for you to buy and add to your collection. I sometimes use recent stamps for postage but usually they come from a recent estate sale. There's nothing Hypocritical about it at all - it's business.

Ron Carmichael

True however others also appreciate when they buy something perhaps less bargainish and large enough for a box receiving a full used set of the Canadian hockey souvenir sheets and/or the interesting Toronto maple leafs souvenir sheet postally used or something else.....on the assumption the posties treat them kindly en route.....

https://www.hipstamp.com/store/roncarmichaelstamps

Robert Parkin

I always use recent stamps, preferably from setenant issues of 5 or more.

Richard Pauls

For buyers, the option is there when making payment through PayPal to place a request in the notice that will be received by the seller. I would assume that a simple request could be made to use recent commemorative stamps when the seller is sending the purchased items. I check this request space when I look at all PayPal receipts just to make sure if some type of special packaging or postage stamp use has been made.

For sellers, the US Postal Service operates a website that lists many of their recent stamp issues for sale. The service charge is very nominal (I believe it is $1). The selection is usually much better than what is available at your local post office. You order will be mailed to you and usually arrives within a week. I use this service rather than relying upon my local post office for the postage stamp issues that I wish to receive. From my own personal experience, a seller in the United States does not have an excuse for not having a few recent stamp issues available for postage use. If one doesn't wish to stock a few recent issues for postage use, then that is a personal choice that is being made that is not related to availability of recent stamp issues.

I can understand if a seller wishes to use "scrap postage" as stamps used to send their letters and packages. This "scrap postage" is available at steep discounts to face value and can help reduce a required expense when mailing items. I have seen such "scrap postage" listed at discounts of up to 50% of face value if one is willing to make a large enough purchase. The stamps contained in these lots is generally of the most common stamps issued years ago; it will not tend to make buyers who want to receive recently issued stamps very happy.

Both buyers and sellers have to make choices when deciding what is important to them. I have just gotten back into selling mode within the last month after having decided to stop collecting. It will be my way to dispose of my very large accumulation of stamps. When I was purchasing stamps, I would tend to be a repeat buyer from sellers that did use recent commemoratives or that used some type of other unusual postage stamps. Now that I am starting to sell once again, I am using imperforate stamps that are cut from the non-die-cut press sheets that were issued by the Postal Service a few years ago. I had always intended to use most of the stamps in these press sheets for postage when I purchased them, assuming that their novelty and relative scarcity might encourage buyers to make multiple purchases from among the stamps that I am offering for sale. The only problem that I have encountered when using them for postage is difficulty in separating the stamp from the backing paper; those die cuts sure make an otherwise very difficult process very simple.

Tania Radley

MG is absolutely correct. The buyer is paying for the stamps inside the envelope NOT what is used on the outside for postage which could even be a label? It the buyer requests latest issue stamps at the point of purchase than I will do it - but that means a special trip to the post office to purchase them. On a similar note - I recently had a crazy Frenchman who clearly had given himself a Royalty or Heraldic title and address (It was a cheap cover and he obviously liked to receive mail from overseas with his "title" and address on it). So I plastered the envelope with lots of GB Royalty related stamps.

Jacques Famery

I always use recent stamps, and normally not the common kind if at all possible. But sometimes the Post office is out of stock on commemoratives and I have to use "regular" stamps. This happens often for International and US shipments. In this case I use a nice regular fare commemorative stamp and supplement it with low value regular stamps.
https://www.hipstamp.com/store/directmaildiscount

John P Fields

I collect nice older stamps. I could care less what stamp is pasted on for postage.

Doug Briscoe

I almost always use recent stamps on the envelopes I send out.

https://www.hipstamp.com/store/beemoz

Luree Hughes

I use new stamps and sometimes they are Imperforated! Not too many of us actually use the imperf's. Hope my customers like them.

https://www.hipstamp.com/store/dianealthea

Elizabeth Hennoste

Here in Australia, any mail for overseas (Mine are of course always stamps and usually overseas) we HAVE to have stamps maked "International Post" - something to do with a tax I believe!
Therefore as they keep raising the cost of postage - I am always having to buy recent issue stamps!
Locally anything can be used as long as the amount is okay - but again the price keeps going up so newer stamps are easier than trying to buy a 5 or 10c stamp to make up the amount!

I LOVE getting overseas mail......and am happy to have old and especially new!

Tania Radley

Here's that French address

Harry Patsalos

Food for thought: If I use regular postage stamps there is no evidence I mailed the envelope, If I use the Meter from the PO, The receipt shows the name of town and zip code on the receipt. The added incentives are the mail moves faster because of the barcode on the letter and it is inconspicuous. If a customer wants stamps on the envelope ask me and I will do so.
HAPPY NEW YEAR 2018 to all.
Harry

Harry Patsalos Philatelics

Brian Holmes

Elizabeth wrote
Here in Australia, any mail for overseas (Mine are of course always stamps and usually overseas) we HAVE to have stamps maked "International Post" - something to do with a tax I believe!
Therefore as they keep raising the cost of postage - I am always having to buy recent issue stamps!
Locally anything can be used as long as the amount is okay - but again the price keeps going up so newer stamps are easier than trying to buy a 5 or 10c stamp to make up the amount!

I LOVE getting overseas mail......and am happy to have old and especially new!
That's not correct Elizabeth
You can use any stamps on your oversea mail but if you don't use international stamps you just add 10% more in stamp value it gives you a chance to use higher value local stamps ,especially if you bought them at a discount. I even mix mine love to see the postal clerk adding it up .I did catch one out ,she wasn't going to accept one because it didn't have international stamps on it I had to get her boss to explain the rules to her.

Elizabeth Hennoste

Interesting that Brian! I did NOT know that! Thanks! I will certainly try and use some oldies up and see how the Post Office deal with that! Probably worth the 10% to get rid of some oldier!

Ron Lenke

Hi Bob -If misery loves company, then you may take an iota of comfort learning that I am also sitting on a multi-thousand dollar pile of postage wondering the same thing. Not wishing to add to your vexation, I confess I my holdings, though significant, don't approach your unwelcome stash. Seems there is a quiet desperation at dealer's tables each privately hoping to dump similar accumulations for some concessional amount. Offers to purchase holdings are few and scarily weak....as low as 20% for low value stamps (down from 80% 10 years ago). It can't really be that bad, can it?

John John H. Talman

Have once again read this thread from start to finish. Participants speak of discounted postage as being different from recent issues. However, at recent auction sales I have seen up to date mint Canadian stamps suitable for mailing at large discounts from face. From such lots I am more likely to save the Lunar New Year stamps for stock as the market seems strong on a continuing basis for these. I also like to keep a wide variety of booklets from all eras. You have the option of selling these as a pane. an imprint block, a single or even in the complete booklet. Time is at a premium in this business and I doubt that many dealers would like to drive 20 miles to buy a variety of modern issues when if they looked could probably find a lot at auction that has a multitude of recent issues for mailing and might also offer them something of value for their retail. Using them on your mail is a great way to use up older hinged stamps from the past 60 years. Low value stamps in quantity are hard to use on a parcel these days with the high postal rates. Some of my customers for postage like to use older stamps to dress up their mailings especially at Holiday time. John Talman

Ron Lenke

Bob- I tried sending more Christmas cards to use up stock ....but I don't have that many friends ;-(