New 39-Cent Stamp on Sale Thursday

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051207/ap_on_go_ot/new_stamps;_ylt=Ar6NqQlNeI.vt0ZclsuO0m.s0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTA3ODdxdHBhBHNlYwM5NjQ-
New 39-Cent Stamp on Sale Thursday

Wed Dec 7, 1:22 PM ET

WASHINGTON - The Postal Service will begin selling a new 39-cent stamp portraying the Statue of Liberty and the American flag on Thursday to be used when the postal rate hike goes into effect Jan. 8.

The Postal Service also announced that it is reprinting large quantities of a two-cent stamp, first issued in 2004, to make it easier for customers to use up any remaining 37-cent stamps after next month's rate increase.

The colorful new first class stamp, called Lady Liberty and U.S. Flag, shows the head, arm and torch of the famous statue in New York harbor superimposed over a portion of a waving flag. The statue was a gift from France in 1886.

As with past rate increases in which Postal Service had to begin work on the new stamp before the size of the increase received final approval, the new stamp will not carry any monetary denomination but will be valued at 39 cents.

in that interim time. I hate the rate increase though.

n/t

I remember about 15 years ago when they increased the price to 29 cents, you would have to buy two stamps for 30 cents at the vending machine, one for 29 and one for 1 cent. The question is: what the hell do you do with a one-cent stamp? Use it to protest.

I saw some people save them up and send letters with 29 one-cent stamps, which I'm almost certain would have had to be counted by hand, at least back then, anyway. But the best protest I saw took a more immediate form. People buying the unwanted stamps simply licked them, then stuck them to the machine. The Post Office had to send someone day after day to scrape off the large collection of stamps, likely costing more than the value of the stamps themselves.

Postal rate increases are, unfortunately, inevitable, and people are going to bitch about them in any case. But if the Postal Service would simply raise the price a nickel at a time, the increases might be less frequent, and we wouldn't always be stuck (no pun intended) with all those useless one-cent stamps.

They have to present their costs to congress and justify every cost and exactly how much of an increase they need. Seems they are under the strictest rules of being a non-profit orginazation. They wouldn't be allowed to just increase the postage to the next "even number".

I kow it sounds crazy, but if that were to change, I'm afraid they'd loose total control and we'd end up paying $1.75 to mail a letter!

process a letter. They present the rate case nonetheless, and since no one can make heads or tails of it, it goes thru.

I can't remember where I saw it, but I did see the stats a few years ago. There are some things they make lots of $$ on, and some they don't, but net, they can't make a profit.

I'm getting catalogues from the same companies every damn week or two; often two of the same catalogues on the same day - because I've used different credit cards to order - one with my middle initial, one without; or some years ago one of my now moved out kids ordered something delivered to my address. I mean I am throwing out at least 20 catalogues per week! Each one of them weighs as much as my total "legitimate" mail for about a six month period! I think it would be reasonable to limit companies to mailing 4 catalogues a year to any one address.

I do remember that the real money makers are Express Mail, and Priority Mail, and to a lesser degree, Parcel Post. Those are really the rates that support all the others.

I think the looser was the regular letter rate.

Save some trees too.

I get voluminous unwanted catalogs too.

is filled out with my dogs name and submitted. She has more credit offers than I do, never accepted though.

It cost the companies $$$ to process the aplication.

my sister is a postmaster and she was telling me that this increase is to pay the pensions of government employees, not just postal workers. She also says that there will be another rate hike to address the increased fuel costs. She points to confidential, internal memos as her proof.

Non profit org or not. I do not see why increasing at 5 cent intervals would send this nation on a path to financial ruin. Is part of the overhead getting machines that can
be filled with pennies and make odd ball change? When I'm king it's going to be 5 cent intervals in stamp increases and libraries will be open on sundays. It will be a new world I tell you. :)

I've got almost 2 dozen $0.37 stamps, I've been paying my bills for more than a year via my computer, so I don't go to the post office much.

still do that?

i did it recently.

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

:bounce:

to the usa and alot of overseas countries. the usa postal service is the best in the world. the barcode-zip code system is the best. i have no idea how in the hell mail gets delivered in other countries-no zip codes or barcodes just a few numbers and street names. if you don`t get your magazine one month don`t blame the post office your postal label maybe on the floor.
39 cent stamp is a bargain

They don't seem to be aware they're in the customer service business.

The letter carriers are all pretty nice, though. But go into one of the post offices and get in line and you often get treated like crap.

:+

.

"The colorful new first class stamp, called Lady Liberty and U.S. Flag, shows the head, arm and torch of the famous statue in New York harbor superimposed over a portion of a waving flag. The statue was a gift from France in 1886( in admiration for America abolishing slavery at the end of the Civil War.)"

(addition and bold-faced type emphasis by TaleWgnDg)



http://www.usps.com/communications/news/stamps/2005/sr05_055.htm

.

putting the flag on a stamp violates the flag code

that's why you're getting more junk mail.

Like rural newspapers. ;)