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.
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.
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!
I really do not care care if old or new stamps are used, but I do not like it when people in the business of selling stamps to collectors decide to used electronic franking. These days I generally use newly purchased stamps from Australia Post. In the past however I made a few real bad mistakes purchasing stamps by the sheet or half sheet. Once I realized they would probably never be worth even face value I started using them on outgoing orders very colorful but outrageously expensive for mailing. My worst mistake as I recall was paying what amounted to 65c in store cost for stamps with 24c face value. Go Figure!!!
The use of older unsellable stock for postage should be encouraged.To diminish the undersold stock can only be good for the collector in general , to wit the fewer uhm left should maintain some real value in stock left...Lets face it , overstocking on stamps by dealers are the reason the stamps are sold at a discount after they have soaked the collector , much to the post office's delight. Cynical attitudes to collectors are practiced by dealers and the post office's. Be carefull you do not destroy the market in your quest for wealth.
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
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?
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
My wife just got the latest quarterly Journal of the Eire Philatelic Associations for Winter 2017-18. This may be the first time we have noticed the stamps they used to mail this or perhaps this is the first time they have used stamps. Postage paid was 7 diff. 37c stamps plus one 32c commem. stamp. Total Total US$2.91 and none of them cancelled by the way. It certainly made for a nice cover and I noted Cary Grant staring out at us. Say they got this for 30% to 50% off face it would certainly save the Eire Philatelic Association a bit of money. It looked very attractive to me. John Talman
If you want certain stamps used, then send them to the seller!
Are you willing to pay for the sellers time/expense to dig out certain issues? IF so then offer to pay $5 for the dealer to use whatever issue you'd like on the package. But....... I suspect not.
Stamp dealers are going to use postage they have bought at much less than face. That's just a simple fact of life.
I just try to make things interesting. Here in Canada, we have ongoing new issues for US and International rates. For international I usethe US rate stamp and then add enough other current or older issues to get to the international rate. So far no one has complained. I choose not to use a printed labled at any time. I am fortunate to live close to a postal outlet that will handstamp my envelopes.. As a collector, I love getting stuff with various stamps and at the same time accept that postal services vary so much place to place. What is in the package is more important. I can live with a printed labeled stamp. I would rather Réal stamps, but not end of world if I do not get that.
Hi I purchase collections I advertise for in a local newspaper. These collections are always heavy in late 1930's to early 1960's mint U.S. Many of these cannot be sold retail because of slight damages or hinged. A three, four, or five cent mint stamp cannot be retailed if hinged. So they are then used to supplement later issues to make up the current postal rate. And if the MNH are less then very fine they also are used for postage. Also I make it a point to have most of my orders hand stamped at the post office. Other wise all these stamps would be sitting around and doing nothing but taking up space. There are never going to worth anything in at lease 2-3 lifetimes.
When this was first posted, I added a paragraph to all of my listings to give the buyers the option to request certain recent United States commemorative issues. The paragraph in the Description section of each of my stamp listings is as follows:
"Stamps Used as Postage when Mailing Your Purchase(s): Recent commemorative stamps, imperforate stamps cut from non-die-cut press sheets or coil plate number singles or strips can be used for postage on the envelope or package used to send your purchase(s). If you wish to have such stamps used as postage, please let me know on the PayPal payment notice in the space where you can send the seller instructions. If I do not see such a request when receiving a PayPal notice of payment, other stamps such as old commemoratives, definitive stamps (the small very common ones) or even service inscribed stamps (bulk rate, presort, etc.) may be used for postage."
On my store home-page under the "Shipping Information" link under the "Store Info" box on the left-side column, I have listed the recent commemorative stamps that I presently have available for use. This list is as follows:
Save Vanishing Species Semi-Postal (2011) Breast Cancer Research Semi-Postal (2014) Janis Joplin (2014) Jimi Hendrix (2014) Classic Era Stamps (2016) Star Trek (2016) Lunar New Year - Rooster (2017) Dorothy Height (2017) Oscar de la Renta (2017) John F. Kennedy (2017) WPA Posters (2017) Nebraska Statehood (2017) Mississippi Statehood (2017) Robert Panara (two ounce) (2017) Henry David Thoreau (2017) Sports Balls (2017) Total Solar Eclipse (2017) Disney Villains (2017) Andrew Wyeth (2017) Sharks (2017) Protect Pollinators (2017) Flowers from the Garden (both booklet pane and coil) (2017) Father Ted Hesburgh (both sheet and coil) (2017) History of Hockey (both sheet and souvenir sheet) (2017) Alzheimers Semi-Postal (2017) Lunar New Year - Dog (2018) Lena Horne (2018) Bioluminescent Life (2018) Illinois Statehood (2018) Sally Ride (2018) Flag Act of 1818 (2018) Peace Rose (2018) Frozen Treats (2018) Mister Rogers (2018) Stem Education (2018) World War I - Turning the Tide (2018) US Airmail - Blue (2018) US Airmail - Reddish-Brown (2018) O Beautiful - USA Scenes (2018) Scooby-Doo (2018) Dragons (2018) The Art of Magic - Sheet of 20 (2018) The Art of Magic - Souvenir Sheet of 3 (2018)
To date since adding this information to my listings and home-page, I have not received one request from any buyer for a specific stamp issue, or any request what-so-ever in regards to using new issue commemoratives, imperforate or coil-plate-number issues. I did this as a bit of an experiment just to see what the response would be. I thought I would get at least a few requests for specific issues. I am a bit surprised that there is apparently no interest among those who purchase from me to receive specific recent stamp issues.
So no new purchases of stamps from the US Postal Service for me. I have sufficient mint postage in stock to use on mailings to last past my lifetime.
I have very few mint USA stamps for sale, with most of those from several years to several decades ago. Never got much interested in United States stamps because when I started collecting in the mid-1970's; I thought that both the design and production of most United States stamps at that time was absolutely atrocious. Instead I gravitated to western Europe and eventually the European colonial issues as my primary interest; that is where most of the material that I have and will have for sale will originate.
The new issues that are contained on my list above are what I have available to use as postage when sending out orders. My shipping charge to Australia ($14.00 per order) will probably also scare you away, but if you do happen to place an order, just think of all the recent USA commemorates that I can use when mailing the order to you! And you would get to pick which ones I would use!
However, if you wish to check my store to see what I have available, it can be found at the following site:
I frequently use modern stamps - however, commemoratives are rarely stocked In local post office here in the UK anymore So it's either a machin or a horrible sticky label. Unless you are a machin specialist this can be boring - especially to young collectors who normally want colour and variety. We are also missing a trick here - much of my education was greatly improved by studying the subject matter of a stamp when I was younger - I would spend hours researching the subject (in a library - not computers back them) and then writing up a short background story on the subject matter.
I could tell you what currency was used in most countries, what the capital city was, sometimes even a rough idea of the population. I could pin point the country in an globe and know the surrounding countries. I could tell you about Joseph Lister, Sir Winston Churchill, The Battle Of Hastings, Wild Flowers, the Forth Road Bridge, Shakespear, The Battle of Britain, Wild Birds, Robbie Burns, Famous Painters such as Lowry, & Stubbs, Gandhi & Charles Dickens. I had an understanding (albeit basic) of CEPT, EUROPA and the Red Cross . Great days and enjoyable research I did freely and happily - mind you if you has asked me to do it as homework I would have bitched something awful.
I bet most of today's kids do not know that stamps even exist.
I think many clubs miss a trick here too. Why not ask you local schools to give a spokesman a few minutes at assembly to talk to the kids and introduce the hobby. Then open your meeting up say an hour earlier for the kids to meet up with experienced collectors and learn from them - perhaps even get a few freebies to keep them interested.
Ok many will fall by the way side as I am sure many of us have when it got to collecting a specimen or two of a prospective spouse - and them the little bundles of &*%*&^& ! - sorry I mean "bundles of joy" that follows. But I bet many here returned to the hobby in later life.
It is afterall today's kids that are going to buy your collection when you have ascended to the great Stamp shop in the sky ~ or sooner please, I could do with the cash for my funeral.
The only time I MIGHT not is if a customer requests that I use stamps on the package, and then I will do so only if I happen to have some scrap postage from a collection on a shelf in my office, and if I feel like accommodating the request. If I use postage from that scrap, I do not make any effort to use intact stamps, for damaged ones will pay postage just as well as intact ones will. If the recipient complains about the poor condition of the stamps, that's tough dung, for he's paying for the stamps inside the package, not for the use of stamps on the outside of it.
I have decided to charge 10% of the cost of mailing a package to accommodate a customer's request for using postage. That premium will cover my labor expended in ferreting scrap postage out of nooks and crannies in my office and my time in selecting sound stamps and affixing them to the package.
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. .
We have always used wonderful stamps (I ask our Post Master for "Pretty Stamps") to use on our orders (Domestic & International). Case in point, with our British collectors, I love to include (from time to time) our Titanic Issue (Quite a large stamp indeed, and highly collectable).
US customers are pleased to receive Sitting Bull & Wild Bill (Yes, this famous photograph was taken by a Canadian!). Domestically, since I'm from Hamilton, I have a large collection of Ti-Cat stamps, so I always like to stick one of them on for our Golden Horseshoe Customers!
Only in areas of the planet that have shady Postal Employees (Italy, Russia, and a few lesser welcomed African Countries), we use the Generic Stamps available, in order for your order to make it to your hands.
When we run out of our International stamps, we revert to Mix and Matching our stamps, which generally end up with wonderful feedback too!
I like to thank ALL of our past customers (and future ones too) who have left their feedback on the stamps that they have received from us. Many times the postage on their envelope is worth much more than their stamp received/ordered.
We strive for the finest of Service. This is a direct reflection to my Service to my Air Force background!
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!
I would not say I'm a dealer but do sell abit to pay for my hobbies.I try to always use current stamps on postage I think these stamps will be the sort after stamps of the future as there are very few stamped letters these days.
Comments
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.
These days I generally use newly purchased stamps from Australia Post. In the past however I made a few real bad mistakes purchasing stamps by the sheet or half sheet. Once I realized they would probably never be worth even face value I started using them on outgoing orders very colorful but outrageously expensive for mailing.
My worst mistake as I recall was paying what amounted to 65c in store cost for stamps with 24c face value. Go Figure!!!
Cynical attitudes to collectors are practiced by dealers and the post office's.
Be carefull you do not destroy the market in your quest for wealth.
https://www.hipstamp.com/store/wasatch-stamps
It certainly made for a nice cover and I noted Cary Grant staring out at us. Say they got this for 30% to 50% off face it would certainly save the Eire Philatelic Association a bit of money. It looked very attractive to me. John Talman
Are you willing to pay for the sellers time/expense to dig out certain issues? IF so then offer to pay $5 for the dealer to use whatever issue you'd like on the package. But....... I suspect not.
Stamp dealers are going to use postage they have bought at much less than face. That's just a simple fact of life.
I purchase collections I advertise for in a local newspaper. These collections are always heavy in late 1930's to early 1960's mint U.S. Many of these cannot be sold retail because of slight damages or hinged. A three, four, or five cent mint stamp cannot be retailed if hinged. So they are then used to supplement later issues to make up the current postal rate. And if the MNH are less then very fine they also are used for postage. Also I make it a point to have most of my orders hand stamped at the post office. Other wise all these stamps would be sitting around and doing nothing but taking up space. There are never going to worth anything in at lease 2-3 lifetimes.
"Stamps Used as Postage when Mailing Your Purchase(s): Recent commemorative stamps, imperforate stamps cut from non-die-cut press sheets or coil plate number singles or strips can be used for postage on the envelope or package used to send your purchase(s). If you wish to have such stamps used as postage, please let me know on the PayPal payment notice in the space where you can send the seller instructions. If I do not see such a request when receiving a PayPal notice of payment, other stamps such as old commemoratives, definitive stamps (the small very common ones) or even service inscribed stamps (bulk rate, presort, etc.) may be used for postage."
On my store home-page under the "Shipping Information" link under the "Store Info" box on the left-side column, I have listed the recent commemorative stamps that I presently have available for use. This list is as follows:
Save Vanishing Species Semi-Postal (2011)
Breast Cancer Research Semi-Postal (2014)
Janis Joplin (2014)
Jimi Hendrix (2014)
Classic Era Stamps (2016)
Star Trek (2016)
Lunar New Year - Rooster (2017)
Dorothy Height (2017)
Oscar de la Renta (2017)
John F. Kennedy (2017)
WPA Posters (2017)
Nebraska Statehood (2017)
Mississippi Statehood (2017)
Robert Panara (two ounce) (2017)
Henry David Thoreau (2017)
Sports Balls (2017)
Total Solar Eclipse (2017)
Disney Villains (2017)
Andrew Wyeth (2017)
Sharks (2017)
Protect Pollinators (2017)
Flowers from the Garden (both booklet pane and coil) (2017)
Father Ted Hesburgh (both sheet and coil) (2017)
History of Hockey (both sheet and souvenir sheet) (2017)
Alzheimers Semi-Postal (2017)
Lunar New Year - Dog (2018)
Lena Horne (2018)
Bioluminescent Life (2018)
Illinois Statehood (2018)
Sally Ride (2018)
Flag Act of 1818 (2018)
Peace Rose (2018)
Frozen Treats (2018)
Mister Rogers (2018)
Stem Education (2018)
World War I - Turning the Tide (2018)
US Airmail - Blue (2018)
US Airmail - Reddish-Brown (2018)
O Beautiful - USA Scenes (2018)
Scooby-Doo (2018)
Dragons (2018)
The Art of Magic - Sheet of 20 (2018)
The Art of Magic - Souvenir Sheet of 3 (2018)
To date since adding this information to my listings and home-page, I have not received one request from any buyer for a specific stamp issue, or any request what-so-ever in regards to using new issue commemoratives, imperforate or coil-plate-number issues. I did this as a bit of an experiment just to see what the response would be. I thought I would get at least a few requests for specific issues. I am a bit surprised that there is apparently no interest among those who purchase from me to receive specific recent stamp issues.
So no new purchases of stamps from the US Postal Service for me. I have sufficient mint postage in stock to use on mailings to last past my lifetime.
I would like to know your store name so I can look at your list!
The new issues that are contained on my list above are what I have available to use as postage when sending out orders. My shipping charge to Australia ($14.00 per order) will probably also scare you away, but if you do happen to place an order, just think of all the recent USA commemorates that I can use when mailing the order to you! And you would get to pick which ones I would use!
However, if you wish to check my store to see what I have available, it can be found at the following site:
https://www.hipstamp.com/store/okstamps
Richard Pauls (okstamps)
So it's either a machin or a horrible sticky label. Unless you are a machin specialist this can be boring - especially to young collectors who normally want colour and variety. We are also missing a trick here - much of my education was greatly improved by studying the subject matter of a stamp when I was younger - I would spend hours researching the subject (in a library - not computers back them) and then writing up a short background story on the subject matter.
I could tell you what currency was used in most countries, what the capital city was, sometimes even a rough idea of the population. I could pin point the country in an globe and know the surrounding countries. I could tell you about Joseph Lister, Sir Winston Churchill, The Battle Of Hastings, Wild Flowers, the Forth Road Bridge, Shakespear, The Battle of Britain, Wild Birds, Robbie Burns, Famous Painters such as Lowry, & Stubbs, Gandhi & Charles Dickens. I had an understanding (albeit basic) of CEPT, EUROPA and the Red Cross . Great days and enjoyable research I did freely and happily - mind you if you has asked me to do it as homework I would have bitched something awful.
I bet most of today's kids do not know that stamps even exist.
I think many clubs miss a trick here too. Why not ask you local schools to give a spokesman a few minutes at assembly to talk to the kids and introduce the hobby. Then open your meeting up say an hour earlier for the kids to meet up with experienced collectors and learn from them - perhaps even get a few freebies to keep them interested.
Ok many will fall by the way side as I am sure many of us have when it got to collecting a specimen or two of a prospective spouse - and them the little bundles of &*%*&^& ! - sorry I mean "bundles of joy" that follows. But I bet many here returned to the hobby in later life.
It is afterall today's kids that are going to buy your collection when you have ascended to the great Stamp shop in the sky ~ or sooner please, I could do with the cash for my funeral.
David
https://www.hipstamp.com/store/the-stamp-cave
The only time I MIGHT not is if a customer requests that I use stamps on the package, and then I will do so only if I happen to have some scrap postage from a collection on a shelf in my office, and if I feel like accommodating the request. If I use postage from that scrap, I do not make any effort to use intact stamps, for damaged ones will pay postage just as well as intact ones will. If the recipient complains about the poor condition of the stamps, that's tough dung, for he's paying for the stamps inside the package, not for the use of stamps on the outside of it.
I have decided to charge 10% of the cost of mailing a package to accommodate a customer's request for using postage. That premium will cover my labor expended in ferreting scrap postage out of nooks and crannies in my office and my time in selecting sound stamps and affixing them to the package.
US customers are pleased to receive Sitting Bull & Wild Bill (Yes, this famous photograph was taken by a Canadian!). Domestically, since I'm from Hamilton, I have a large collection of Ti-Cat stamps, so I always like to stick one of them on for our Golden Horseshoe Customers!
Only in areas of the planet that have shady Postal Employees (Italy, Russia, and a few lesser welcomed African Countries), we use the Generic Stamps available, in order for your order to make it to your hands.
When we run out of our International stamps, we revert to Mix and Matching our stamps, which generally end up with wonderful feedback too!
I like to thank ALL of our past customers (and future ones too) who have left their feedback on the stamps that they have received from us. Many times the postage on their envelope is worth much more than their stamp received/ordered.
We strive for the finest of Service. This is a direct reflection to my Service to my Air Force background!
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!