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Post by katie333 on Jul 11, 2015 18:49:43 GMT
This one is a bit of a pet peeve for me .... here we are collecting stamps, and knowing that less and less mail is being sent, and that most people use definitives or meters on their mail, I grind my teeth when I get mail from another stamp collector that doesn't have commemoratives on it. Newer stamps are especially nice to get because I cannot seem to find a reasonably priced source of recent kiloware, even from my own country (I've seen recent Canada sell for $70+ per pound!). It got me wondering why this might happen ... I do get that most local post offices simply do not carry stamps any longer (the mind boggles) or that folks may not live near one. I've got 2 solutions for that! 1) Most country's PO have websites where they sell their recent issues (and sometimes older) and mail them to you. Speaking to Canada Post, no postage charges are paid so one can simply pick out whatever you like and have it sent directly to your mailbox. They will even let you advance order which turned out to a nice surprise for me, when I ordered the recent tourism issue that has now been recalled (see give-aways for a generous fellow collector who got one as well). 2) Many stamp auctions sell common mint stamps for postage purposes. Quite often you can actually pay less than face, and pick up some interesting variety, albeit generally older. Don't know what it will cost to mail? Buy your stamps, check prices online, and if in doubt, bring it to the local office with your own stamps and don't be forced into that label! Now I do get that in some countries, sending a nicely stamped envelope is sadly a magnate for thieves, so I realize there are exceptions. Other than that scenario, I don't really a reason why we can't all use stamps, and get them into circulation.  |
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Post by irishjack on Jul 11, 2015 19:42:52 GMT
I always use stamps, but on some mailings I will use a label depending on where it is going.
A lot of it is the clerk at the post office its so easy to throw the package on the scale and hit a button telling then the postage rate then hit print label and the procedure is over. Quick and simple.
Now when I walk into our local postal outlet which is Shoppers Drug Mart the clerks know me very well. I had a run in with one of them and put her in her place. I am quite friendly with the owner of the store, the time she told me she does not have to use stamps and told me I have to use a label. Well I text the owner on the spot and he was in the back office he came over to the postal outlet. The clerk tried to state her case, my case was the customer is always right. She was told if the customer want to use stamps then he will use stamps.
So now when I walk in its the Oh no not him again and they bend backwards for me.
Our actual post office the clerks are great the manager is really nice and understands stamp collectors, one time I went in and bought a couple of panes of the $5 moose and $10 whale stamps he came out with a stack of the $5 and told me to take my pick, he knew that some had errors that collectors are after. No luck in finding any but a nice thing to do.
I a great fan of the discount postage and often buy lots just for the postage, great to be able to save 40% on postage costs.
Katie many post offices no longer carry stamps in some parts of the world, rod222 mention that his local office just has labels. |
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Post by katie333 on Jul 11, 2015 19:51:18 GMT
Agreed that many post offices don't carry stamps, which is why I suggested ordering stamps online for mailing purposes. Every postal service I searched - not by any means exhaustive - will allow you to purchase 'stamps for collectors' and usually mail them out at no charge. Australia, New Zealand, Japan, US, Canada are just some of the ones I verified. Yes, it takes extra work for the stamp collector to order stamps but if we don't do it, who will? Now I realize for parcels, it's difficult to predict the cost unless you happen to have a scale etc. That is getting a bit more complicated of course. Even so, buy stamps online and bring them with you. Most postal websites allow you to estimate charges quite well in advance. At the end of the day I think at minimum, for a standard letter rate, we should all be buying commemorative stamps (by some means) and using them. |
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khj
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Post by khj on Jul 11, 2015 20:04:49 GMT
Mail I get from Canada almost always has postage stamps on it. The problem I have -- almost none of them were canceled. I have a stack of really nice used stamps and souvenir sheets (still on piece) from Canada, except that none of them have a postmark. I guess it's like here in the US -- if it's non-machinable, they don't bother to hand-cancel it. I already have the mint Canada. It would be nice if I could get canceled modern Canadian stamps.
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Post by jimjung on Jul 11, 2015 20:05:26 GMT
Do I have ESP or did you read my mind. I was just sitting here wondering how to get rid of these packets of Modern Sweden and Germany. Any offers ... I guess I have to take them out and scan them properly. I think that some collectors don`t want to buy a large lot of $500 Face Value in stamps and that`s what you get from a Stamp Auction House. Now, on eBay there are some smaller lots. I can`t get them as cheap as you but I`d be willing to sell anyone Modern Canada for 85% of Face Value.   |
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khj
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Post by khj on Jul 11, 2015 20:19:45 GMT
Many clerks at the busier post offices here don't like to mess around with stamps because it takes up too much of their time and because they can't do the math (addition).
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Post by irishjack on Jul 11, 2015 20:54:41 GMT
Mail I get from Canada almost always has postage stamps on it. The problem I have -- almost none of them were canceled. I have a stack of really nice used stamps and souvenir sheets (still on piece) from Canada, except that none of them have a postmark. I guess it's like here in the US -- if it's non-machinable, they don't bother to hand-cancel it. I already have the mint Canada. It would be nice if I could get canceled modern Canadian stamps. You could always trim the stamps and put them on eBay as un-cancelled kiloware. They would sell no problems, even on this forum you would have bidders.
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rod222
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What I collect: Worldwide Stamps, Ephemera and Catalogues
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Post by rod222 on Jul 11, 2015 22:53:14 GMT
Yes,
guilty as charged.
I'll try and do better in future.
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Post by ChickasawStampMan on Jul 12, 2015 5:24:27 GMT
I just bought discount postage stamps to use on my mail at my stamp club meeting today!
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Post by katie333 on Jul 12, 2015 12:15:48 GMT
Mail I get from Canada almost always has postage stamps on it. The problem I have -- almost none of them were canceled. I have a stack of really nice used stamps and souvenir sheets (still on piece) from Canada, except that none of them have a postmark. I guess it's like here in the US -- if it's non-machinable, they don't bother to hand-cancel it. I already have the mint Canada. It would be nice if I could get canceled modern Canadian stamps. That's another good point ... this one is a bit harder to control. I used to live near a lovely post office where they hand-cancelled my packages and letters for me. I have since moved but even so, sometimes my fellow collectors would share that their letters got run through the machines a second time. Obviously the clerks would often throw the letter rate stuff into the wrong bins. I agree that modern cancelled Canada is rare considering we are a large and decently populated country. |
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Post by katie333 on Jul 12, 2015 12:17:17 GMT
Yes, guilty as charged. I'll try and do better in future. Poor rod, I wasn't trying to call anyone out.  Just venting ... I love trading stamps via mail because it affords me the chance to get a nice surprise packet and also to get stamps on the cover. I have done 10 trades recently and 3 of those were sent with labels - these were standard letter rate, and one of them was a fellow Canuck, so I know they have options! |
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rod222
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What I collect: Worldwide Stamps, Ephemera and Catalogues
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Post by rod222 on Jul 12, 2015 21:08:01 GMT
Understood Katie, TSF has absence of malice, as their Motto No, you were quite correct, Admin sent me some stamps for postage, and I mounted them! so yes, I am a naughty lad. I aim to buy some commems, when I visit a larger town for shopping, my local PO uses labels mostly (although Alan had a $2.75 stamp on his auction lot, surprise surprise)
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Just venting ... I love trading stamps via mail because it affords me the chance to get a nice surprise packet and also to get stamps on the cover. I have done 10 trades recently and 3 of those were sent with labels - these were standard letter rate, and one of them was a fellow Canuck, so I know they have options!