So, I Just Placed A Stamp Order From Kansas City

I placed an order for anything issued so far in 2012.

I learned that you can order individual stamps if you pay a $2.00 "custom cutting fee." I happily paid the fee, because it saved me more than $2.00 in the stamps I was ordering. The $2.00 fee is for the whole order, and for each block of 4.

I was going to sign up for the subscription program, but they have modified it to the point of it being unusable. When I subscribed before, I subscribed to the "commemorative", which meant every commemorative that came out, I would get one of. Every se-tenant that came out, I would get a complete set of even if it was a se-tenant sheet. This was simple awesome for collectors, and was exactly what I, and I would think ever other collector, would want.

Now when you subscribe to "commemorative," you have to at least get a block of 4, which I could deal with. But when there is a se-tenant of 10, you still only get a block of 4 from the 10. Any se-tenant sheets you would only get 4 stamps from, unless you subscribed to sheets, then you get every sheet for the year, whether it's a se-tenant sheet or not.

So, I told the nice woman that I would simply phone in a few times a year and order what I needed to, when enough stamps were issued to justify paying the $2.00 cutting fee (which will be more than worth it, if you have to buy a block of 4 express mail stamps.)

I opted not to buy the coil stamps (spectrum eagle and weather vanes) because 25 of each was simply too many stamps.

Just note that you don't have to pay a $2 "cutting fee" for the high value stamps. I believe the cutoff is something like stamps that are over $2 in face value at which point you can buy them as single stamps and not blocks, if desired. If you go to the USPS's website, the Express Mail and Priority Mail Stamps have options to buy single stamps. You will, of course, be subject to the $1.25 shipping charge (for orders under $50) or $1.75 shipping charge (for orders over $50).

(Note, the $2 "cutting fee", if applicable, is in addition to the $1.25 or $1.75 shipping charge [according to USA Philatelic's ordering instructions].)

Well, if you look at what I bought:

New Mexico - 0.45x4 = $1.80
Glacier National Part - 0.85x4= $3.40
Wedding Cake - 0.65x4 = $2.60
Baltimore Checkerspot - 0.65x4= $2.60
Lancaster County - 1.05x4 = $4.20
John Johnson - 0.45x4 = $1.80
Love Ribbons - 0.45x4 = $1.80
Heart Health - 0.45x4 = $1.80

I would have paid: $20

With the cutting fee, I paid:$ 5.00+$2.00 fee = $7.00

So I saved $13.00 overall. Well worth the $2.00. Heck, I made the $2.00 back alone on the Lancaster stamps.

The woman on the phone did not offer singles until I pressed a little and then she told me about the cutting fee. So , I thought I should share with others that wouldn't think to ask.

I agree you "saved" a bit of money by buying the single stamps, but I suspect when the final bill comes in you'll see that the $7.00 cost is actually $8.25 ($5.00 for the stamps + $2.00 cutting fee + $1.25 shipping = $8.25). According to USA Philatelic, both fees apply. If you get them for $7.00 in total, I'd be interested to hear of it, as it seems it would be in conflict with what the USA Philatelic catalog suggests in their ordering information.

Well, it's gone up. Back when I used to buy from the Cave, the special format charge (I guess what they now call the "cutting fee") was only $1. I see the shipping charge is now $1.25, which actually is still a very good deal, especially if you make a large batch purchase. They used to mail things to me priority mail. Do they still do that for the $1.25 flat rate?

Oh, yes, I know there will be a shipping fee along with the $2.00 cutting fee. I'm ok with that. The overall savings is still pretty good compared to buying blocks of 4.

I have a whole lot of forever stamps lying around, and I don't see myself using the 85 cent and 1.05 stamps any time soon, so this was the way to go for me.

Yes and no. I bought some of the new rate stamps on Friday, January 20, 2012, INTENTIONALLY because I knew the $1 shipping fee was going to $1.25 in line with the postal rate increases. Because I bought some of the stamps and stationery that were not slated to be issued until January 23, 2012, the shipment came in two separate packages. One package was shipped Priority Mail; the second via First Class Mail, although both were in cardboard flat envelopes and both had Delivery Confirmation barcodes affixed, so they could easily track the package.

Frankly, I can't understand why they didn't just group the order altogether as some of the January 23rd issued stamps (i.e. Weathervane Coils) were in the first shipment rather than the second. I suspect it had something to do with the availability of some of the new rate stamps that were not shipped as promptly as they had originally anticipated.

By the way, the $1.25 shipping charge is for orders under $50; the fee increases to $1.75 for orders over $50. (Though it's still a bargain as compared to what Priority Mail costs the consumer.)

I learned from talking to the postal clerk that almost all packages get a barcode for tracking. By paying the delivery confirmation fee, you are given access to that barcode.

How long does it take Kansas City to get the order to you? Ordered on the 9th and the stamps still aren't here.

Typically within 10 days. As we are into an extended holiday weekend, you're likely to see the package on Tuesday or Wednesday of next week. That is, of course, assuming that you have ordered items that are already issued. If you have pre-ordered items that have not yet been issued, they will ship a partial order now and the remainder after the date of issue.

I just placed an order with them the other day, too. I did not know that you could order individual stamps from them. What I do to get my individual stamps is that I order a sheet, save one for me and use the rest for my mail. It is probably more expensive that way, but I need stamps anyways for bills and especially to send to collectors.