Who Listens To Who?

I was just wondering how or who decides what the next stamp will be? With the general dislike of the U.S. adhesive stamps, does the APS (or other organization) let the USPS know what the stamp collectors are thinking or suggesting?

Donna

I would be interested to know what percentage of stamps are bought by collectors before forming an opinion on this.

Unfortunately, the USPS has made it clear time and again that the interests of collectors (a minority) do not affect business decisions.

Stamp designs are influenced by the Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee
http://www.usps.com/communications/...ion/csac.htm

But those suggestions are balanced against the economics of printing costs. I doubt we'll ever see the elimination of self-adhesives.

Also, I know it's heresy to say so here, but despite being a collector, don't you think self-adhesives are a heck of a lot easier than gummed stamps? The majority of people who USE stamps (not collect them) prefer self-adhesive and the post office is trying to deliver a product to them, not us.

Just my .02 ...
KirkS

Kirk, I'm not a dyed in the wool collector. I am the text book definition of hobbyist. I can see the benefits of both sides of the issue, but we as collector's are having a hard enough time trying to keep the hobby in the forefront with all the gaming technology and the things that are pushing stamp collecting further into the closet.

Realistically (and this is said with tongue in cheek) it just seems to me that the USPS put out the adhesive stamp not because their consumers were running out of spit, but because the Post Office was running out of gum. We'd need Freud to figure this one out...lol

Donna

Here are my comments for today:

First: As KirkS said, I'm sure we'll never go back to gummed stamps anymore, but I'd be curious to know what the cost differences would be between producing a self adhesive versus gummed stamp. I can almost guarantee that the cost of the self-adhesives are much higher.

Second: Posted separately on this forum is the 2011 USPS stamp program. In looking it over, I've always wondered how the USPS could justify making some of their souvenir sheets with 5 or 10 stamps on them when it would be much more cost effective to print a similar pane with 20 or more stamps on them.

Third: With all of the suggestions that must come into the Citizens Stamp Advisory Committee, why is the USPS issuing multiple stamps for the same person that already had stamps issued in their honor just a few years earlier (i.e. Ronald Reagan)?

Fourth: Not to get too far off-topic, but with the recent announcement that all 2011 stamps will be "Forever" stamps, I wonder if some of the low value stamps that are out there now will see an increase in value from a philatelic point of view, since quantities will obviously be significantly curtailed in future printings since they will no longer be needed for make-up postage (at least not for modern issues).

Finally, I've always wondered why we issue self-adhesive stamps with so-called "perforations". Maybe it's intended to be an anti-counterfeiting measure, but it seems to me there is no particular reason why self adhesive stamps couldn't simply be imperforate.

I regularly purchase current US stamps and them being self adhesive does not bother me. Now having said that I do like the look of engraved stamps over computer printed. There are always exceptions to each years series on what appeals to one collector over another. I do think that by issuing commemoratives as FOREVER stamps more consumers and businesses will buy more varieties of stamps instead of just the previous Liberty Bell or Flag forever stamps. I think that this will be a catalyst for more people to notice stamps on their mail.

The young people whom we as collectors try to get involved in stamp collecting are going to be attracted to glossy, colorful, and current events/people depicted on stamps. At first if ever they are not going to care about the different printing methods available: they are looking at the stamp itself. By having commemoratives being used on mailings more often it will help promote US history, places, and persons.

I think I am done rambling for now.

Don't mean to be pessimistic here, but I think we're a group of folks who can generate a good thought process and dialog and maybe this is the opportunity.

Doesn't all this beg the question of how long the US postal service can continue to function without serious considerations of the larger perspective? (I know nothing of the international issues but can only imagine there are similarities)

We have ... Email; and virtual communication networks; electronic billing and bill pay; free shipping and handling on individual purchases during the holidays sent volumes of packages to other commercial shippers. There are issues of both speed and expense, and I don't see any extraordinary efforts to make the US postal service either competitive or viable for the long term.

What do you see in the crystal ball for 25 years from now.

Here in Aussie, I expect an extension of the current
trends, that is, Post Offices becoming "service centres"
where you can carry out most transactions on behalf of major
billing entities, shop, and do a host of things barring
roasting a Sunday dinner.

The next big move for Australia Post, especially in the light
of current hatred of our 4 big blood sucking banks,
is for AustPost to venture into banking.
I'd like to see that.

Makes perfect sense to me, Rod. All my money winds up in stamps anyway

KirkS

Is there a "philatelic" issue with leaving self adhesive stamps on paper. Personally, I would rather neatly trim a self adhesive than soak stamps. Maybe collectors need to think outside the box instead of fighting about self adhesive. I'm sure someone will soon tell me the errors of my ways but I'll go out on the limb with this thought.

Interesting thought, scouter, though I am guilty of a great deal of mumbling and muttering when faced with kiloware containing a high percentage of self adhesives. It was ever so much more pleasant to use the Canadian version when faced with over 50 Christmas Cards to mail out and it's great to know that the leftover stamps can still be used when this year's price hike comes into effect. And when all is said and done, parcels and small packets do actually seem to receive faster, cheaper (marginally, and equally reliable treatment when sent through P.O. channels rather than the various courier services. Designs? Too many, too gimmicky, and too exspensive to keep up. How many older collectors do you know that have limited their collections to issues before 2010? 2000? 1975? 1941?

I find it easier to get the self adhesive stamps off the backing if they have perforations.



Well, here in Britain, we also have POs doing all sorts of things. Except that the philatelic counters have been drastically downrated, just a matter of luck if they have recent commems on sale. So certainly less useful for stamp collectors, and less likely to attract newbies . . .

The U.S. tried this about a century ago. Interestingly, I came upon the following article about the program and its dissolution in the 1960's. I find the last two paragraphs quite interesting, in that all unclaimed money had a statute of limitations that ended in 1985 but that postal savings bonds and postal savings stamps can still be redeemed (although the philatelic value of them probably exceeds their face value; but if they happen to be in poor, uncollectible condition, I guess there is still a value to them from the government):

Anyway, here it is:

Great article and overview wt1
thanks for posting.
I would hope AustPost be in direct competition,
rather than be a defacto income collector for the
main banks, allowing AustPost borrow their money
on the free market and reloan it out for housing mortgages etc.