US Post Offices Getting Rid Of Stamps ??

I have been spending my winters in Florida for the last few years and when sending stuff back home I always try to use commemorative stamps... The last 3 years it has been impossible. They never have any at both Post offices I go to.. NO higher valued stamps either ( 2-3-4-5-10$).... Always give me the small definitives... say they dont have any !! duh... whats going on in the USA ?
Is this common or is it just in the area a happened to be in.

Oh.... if you dont ask specifically for stamp, you get stickers..
The world is comming to a end I guess :-)

Assuming you are going to a post office (as opposed to just a post office window in a convenience store) ALL post offices get an initial supply of virtually every commemorative stamp that comes out that should be available on the first day they are issued.

For example, today, April 24, 2012, the Civil War stamps should be available at all post offices; on Thursday, April 26, 2012, the Jose Ferrer stamps should be available; and next Monday, April 30, 2012, the Louisiana Statehood stamps should be available.

I say "should" as all US post offices nationwide receive them in automatic shipments. However, the local postmaster may not always get them into clerks hands on the day of issue. Locally, I find that the smaller post offices have them more readily available on the first day of issue than the larger post offices do, as it takes time to get all the clerks supplied with the newest inventory.

Also, many post offices may require you to buy a sheet of stamps (i.e. usually twenty stamps) and since they are Forever stamps they are valid for 45c first class domestic mail only.

If you are sending to Canada, the rate is $0.85, in which case I would opt for one commemorative stamp and two 20c George Washington stamps to make up the difference. Or get the 85c Birds of Prey stamps, or even the 85c Glacier National Parks stamp, if you prefer to use only one stamp per envelope.

Like wt1 said, try the smaller post offices. My local post office is so small that they don't even have a meter machine so it's all stamps of all types.

The two post offices are fairly small. Go in 20-30 times during January-March and they NEVER have the stamps.. Destin FL and Miramar Beach Fl.

Forgot, I am verry aware that .45$ stamp is not for Canada...

Hi

I use a small Post Office. If I have non-philatelic mail to send I do not care what they put on the envelope. However, if philatelic, I ask for stamps. I have been told repeatedly by the clerk that they are not supposed to use stamps only meters. They say a meter is needed so that the mail can be traced. When does one trace first class mail

When I complain, sometimes loudly, they give in a little. They put a stamp on the envelope and in addition a meter label with a value $0.0.

These are the same YoYos that say rolling up a manila envelope to put in my P.O. box is not "folding it", even if stamped all over the envelope in red "Fragile, Photos, Do Not Fold ".

Jerry B

Nor surprising, I suppose.

Actually, I recall someone having a rubber stamp made that read something like this:




Maybe it won't solve the problem entirely but it may help.

Not sure it would help. Dont think many of them know what it means!
Then it may... They may be scared of it and not fold it.. :-)

I'm not sure if it would help, but this is what I do. I know ahead of time the weights and necessary amounts of stamps I need for postage. Most of the time I have a stock of stamps I bought ahead of time. If stamps are needed the day of mailing, I never hand a postal clerk unstamped mail - that's asking for a meter if they have a machine. Instead, I pay for the necessary stamps, place them myself on the envelope and then hand the mail over to the clerk for hand postmarks. If they don't have the stamps, they don't get any mail. I'll another post office - I had this problem when I use to live in the Maryland area. Luckily, my post office in New York is very philatelic friendly and only one worker in the place.

To clarify the above, Forever stamps may be used on international mail but additional postage will be required.

http://about.usps.com/news/fact-she...mp-facts.pdf