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First Class Postage Stamp to Increase In Price
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Jan 10, 2019 20:24:21   #
mas24 Loc: Southern CA
 
The Price Of A Postage First Class Forever Stamp, will increase from 50 cents to 55 cents effective January 27, 2019. It is the largest percentage increase in 20 years. The U.S. Post Office is said to be a semi-private institution. And comes under the jurisdiction of Congress. The Post Office submits a price increase to Congress, and they can either approve it or disapprove it. Not long ago, Congress told the Post Office to reduce the price of a postage stamp by 2 cents. At the disapproval of the Post Office Department. They made up for that deduction this time around. I'm not complaining about this increase. Just informing of the increase in price, so that you can purchase stamps before the increase. I've had a couple of complaints with the US Postal Department in past years. But, they do a pretty good job. UPS and FedEx have problems too. They are Private, not semi-private. They profit. The Post Office is now operating on a deficit. But, they have worked an agreement with Amazon, to deliver packages for them. At discounted prices, because of volume.

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Jan 10, 2019 20:53:28   #
Vietnam Vet
 
Time to buy a few books of the forever stamps

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Jan 10, 2019 20:53:31   #
SteveR Loc: Michigan
 
Yesterday they delivered our mail next door, which is vacant. I guess we'll pay extra for that. Subs.

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Jan 11, 2019 06:01:30   #
daldds Loc: NYC
 
I use snail mail as much as 10 to 12 times per year. Most of that is for birthday cards. Therein lies the problem. The post office volume of first class mail is a small percentage of what it was.
Everything that we used to send by mail (including bd cards) can be sent electronically.
12x.05=60 cents, well within my budget.
Not to worry.
🤑

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Jan 11, 2019 06:15:23   #
mas24 Loc: Southern CA
 
daldds wrote:
I use snail mail as much as 10 to 12 times per year. Most of that is for birthday cards. Therein lies the problem. The post office volume of first class mail is a small percentage of what it was.
Everything that we used to send by mail (including bd cards) can be sent electronically.
12x.05=60 cents, well within my budget.
Not to worry.
🤑


Email was one of the killers of the Post Office. Along with competition from private companies, such as UPS and FedEx, that are larger and quite efficient. The Post Office is streamlined in size, as compared to 20 years ago.

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Jan 11, 2019 07:03:16   #
Manglesphoto Loc: 70 miles south of St.Louis
 
mas24 wrote:
The Price Of A Postage First Class Forever Stamp, will increase from 50 cents to 55 cents effective January 27, 2019. It is the largest percentage increase in 20 years. The U.S. Post Office is said to be a semi-private institution. And comes under the jurisdiction of Congress. The Post Office submits a price increase to Congress, and they can either approve it or disapprove it. Not long ago, Congress told the Post Office to reduce the price of a postage stamp by 2 cents. At the disapproval of the Post Office Department. They made up for that deduction this time around. I'm not complaining about this increase. Just informing of the increase in price, so that you can purchase stamps before the increase. I've had a couple of complaints with the US Postal Department in past years. But, they do a pretty good job. UPS and FedEx have problems too. They are Private, not semi-private. They profit. The Post Office is now operating on a deficit. But, they have worked an agreement with Amazon, to deliver packages for them. At discounted prices, because of volume.
The Price Of A Postage First Class Forever Stamp, ... (show quote)


I now have at least a five year supply of forever stamps.

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Jan 11, 2019 07:31:38   #
mas24 Loc: Southern CA
 
Manglesphoto wrote:
I now have at least a five year supply of forever stamps.


Wow! I have 4 each of the 20 package. 80 total. I bought them when they were around 47 cents each. I'm debating if I should buy 100 each for $50, or 200 each for $100. Forever stamps are forever. As claimed.

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Jan 11, 2019 07:46:32   #
Tom DePuy Loc: Waxhaw, N.C.
 
The U.S. Postal Service will leave 50-cent forever stamps behind Jan. 27, increasing their price by 5 cents.
Though 2019 post office price changes vary by mailing service, the fees rolling out the last Sunday of the month will increase by 2.5 percent.
The most notable changes:
First-class mail letter (1 ounce) will go up to 55 cents: The nickel increase is the largest percentage rise since 1991, when postage increased from 25 to 29 cents.
Additional letter ounce costs will decrease: Each additional ounce will drop from 21 cents to 15 cents. Mailing a 2-ounce letter, a wedding invitation's typical weight, will cost 70 cents instead of 71 cents.
Postcard rates will remain the same: Mailing a postcard will run travelers 35 cents.
Priority Mail prices will jump: A small box that previously cost $7.20 will rise to $7.90, while a medium box will jump from $13.65 to $14.35.
Priority Mail Express fees will increase: Those looking to ship an envelope ASAP can expect to pay $25.50 instead of $24.70.

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Jan 11, 2019 08:08:22   #
foathog Loc: Greensboro, NC
 
Here's one reason why it's so messed up

https://www.cnbc.com/id/45018432

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Jan 11, 2019 09:21:30   #
dpfoto Loc: Cape Coral, FL
 
I remember people being furious when the price of a postage stamp increased from 3 cents to 4 cents. The "Penny Postcard" doubled in price in 1951 (after several earlier temporary increases) to TWO cents... a 100% increase.

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Jan 11, 2019 11:30:29   #
jaycoffman Loc: San Diego
 
foathog wrote:
Here's one reason why it's so messed up

https://www.cnbc.com/id/45018432


This is actually a pretty good article although Representative Issa is not a friend of the federal government and does not show a complete understanding of the issues. He is coming from a partisan view of the government which colors his statements. And the union which is not perfect is not really the villain he complains of--frankly all sides of the USPS debate are pretty disingenuous. I predict is will be a mess until we--as a people--ultimately decide that either the USPS is a government program as the constitution states or that it is outdated and needs to be privatized. In any event it still carries way more product than all the private delivery services do combined. The one thing I agree on is that it would help if congress, the USPS and the union would get together and work toward solutions together--at this point that is not happening from any of them.

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Jan 11, 2019 11:32:22   #
bobsboat37
 
I found a letter dated 1955 in the bottom of my desk drawer.....it had a 3 cent stamp on it..!!
Inflation..??

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Jan 11, 2019 12:18:12   #
ecblackiii Loc: Maryland
 
mas24 wrote:
The Price Of A Postage First Class Forever Stamp, will increase from 50 cents to 55 cents effective January 27, 2019. It is the largest percentage increase in 20 years. The U.S. Post Office is said to be a semi-private institution. And comes under the jurisdiction of Congress. The Post Office submits a price increase to Congress, and they can either approve it or disapprove it. Not long ago, Congress told the Post Office to reduce the price of a postage stamp by 2 cents. At the disapproval of the Post Office Department. They made up for that deduction this time around. I'm not complaining about this increase. Just informing of the increase in price, so that you can purchase stamps before the increase. I've had a couple of complaints with the US Postal Department in past years. But, they do a pretty good job. UPS and FedEx have problems too. They are Private, not semi-private. They profit. The Post Office is now operating on a deficit. But, they have worked an agreement with Amazon, to deliver packages for them. At discounted prices, because of volume.
The Price Of A Postage First Class Forever Stamp, ... (show quote)


My complaint is that all the junk mail senders get cut-rate deals that pay USPS less than the cost of handling that volume. So they raise the first class prices that you and I have to pay in order to subsidize the cost of sending us unwanted junk mail! Not fair. If junk mail senders had to pay the actual cost of sending us their unwanted mail, there would be no junk mail!

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Jan 11, 2019 12:36:42   #
Kmgw9v Loc: Miami, Florida
 
ecblackiii wrote:
My complaint is that all the junk mail senders get cut-rate deals that pay USPS less than the cost of handling that volume. So they raise the first class prices that you and I have to pay in order to subsidize the cost of sending us unwanted junk mail! Not fair. If junk mail senders had to pay the actual cost of sending us their unwanted mail, there would be no junk mail!


There is no “junk mail”. There is Bulk Businnes Mail or Standard Mail that provides substantial revenue for the USPS. Every mail piece, whether first class or standard mail that is a part of the mail stream at a reduced rate because it meets pre-sorting regulations; is determined to be delivered as efficiently and timely as possible. The content of Standard mail is often advertising important to businesses; but not always wanted by the customer.
Just as commercials interrupt our TV programs, and are a nuisance; the advertising is important and provide necessary revenue to provide the programming that the customer enjoys.
Deal with it!

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Jan 11, 2019 13:10:25   #
mas24 Loc: Southern CA
 
Kmgw9v wrote:
There is no “junk mail”. There is Bulk Businnes Mail or Standard Mail that provides substantial revenue for the USPS. Every mail piece, whether first class or standard mail that is a part of the mail stream at a reduced rate because it meets pre-sorting regulations; is determined to be delivered as efficiently and timely as possible. The content of Standard mail is often advertising important to businesses; but not always wanted by the customer.
Just as commercials interrupt our TV programs, and are a nuisance; the advertising is important and provide necessary revenue to provide the programming that the customer enjoys.
Deal with it!
There is no “junk mail”. There is Bulk Businnes M... (show quote)


Actually, I appreciate some so called junk mail. I don't subscribe to a daily local newspaper anymore, to see advertising, so the bulk business mail, as you say it is, will include Sales of furniture, restaurant coupons, including Pizzas, burgers, etc. The unwanted goes to the Recycling Bin, by all my neighbors. Waste not.

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