Best Way To Get New (Current) Issues?

Hi all,

This is my first post here. I've recently dusted off my old stamp collection from about 25 years ago, and started back into the hobby. I've purchased a new album and bought a smattering of stamps through ebay. My goal is to have fun and be able to share this hobby with young people (neighbors, nieces, someday grandchildren, etc.)

I went to the post office to try a "give me one of everything" but the guy just shook his head and said he doesn't sell stamps that way. I went online to USPS and bought a few souvenir sheets, but what is the best way to get individual new issue stamps? Is there some sort of a face value trade community for this or what?

Thanks for your time!

Best regards,

Rob

Welcome to the Forum Rob. What do you collect? United States stamps or worldwide? Specific countries or topical themes?

Welcome Rob

Hope you enjoy your time here, There are new issue services available, these are great especially for foreign countries but also the US some post offices have a window just for collectors, hopefully there is one near you.
Please post some pictures of your collection

Hi Rob I get most of my new US and Canadian Issues from fellow collectors who send me Stamps. You have to be a little more patient in doing it way. It also depends if you want to collect used or mint stamps I guess.

Dianne

Thanks for the warm welcome, all. The context of the question was around Mint U.S. stamps that are currently sold by the post office... I used to collect as a teen and took down my old box of stamp stuff from the attic last month... Since then I've been reinvigorated with the fun of collecting, along with the exciting prospect of being able to share this educational and fun hobby with other young people.

So I've seen and experienced the "premium" added to the face value of mint stamps, and would like to avoid that on new issues going forward, by purchasing those directly from USPS. I just don't need and can't afford a sheet of every new issue that comes along. I'm assuming the folks that are "plugged in" to a stamping community work this out with several people or meet every once in a while to swap new issues at face value. Just trying to see how others do this...

Cheers!

Rob

Welcome Rob:

Since you will be collecting mint US stamps, you will soon realize the nightmare the USPO has put you and your fellow mint collectors
thru.

Welcome to the world of self-adhesive stamps..

There is always a way to collect these newer issues, and I am sure some of the good folks, on this forum, will be more than happy to help you out.

The US mint collectors, who belong to my stamp-club, pick up a few of the newer issues, when they are at the Post Office.

When we have our bi-monthly meetings, they take their extras and offer them at face value.

What they have left, can always be used for postage.

If there is a stamp-club in your area,I highly recommend you join it.

This is a subject that I know very well. The first thing I do want to tell you that any post office has to sell you any stamps they have on hand. That means even if you want one of each that they had at that location. I did have one clerk tell me that she wasn't going to do that. I took out my cell phone and asked for the main post office number so she could confirm that she could not sell me the stamps. I got my stamps from a very unhappy clerk.

The only down side to doing it this way is that most post offices will not have every stamp in stock or be able to get every stamp issued in the current year.

On line is one possibility however as you might of discovered this is not the easiest way.

So I use a combination of ways to buy all my stamps at face value. I start with my local post office which is very friendly and helpful. This clerk knows the days I stop and she will have stamps ready for me.

I stop at the special stamp post offices there is a link on one of these threads. I forget the name that they called them. If I miss one I try to find a stamp dealer who has a very low mark up or I try to find another person and trade.

This has worked very well for the past 5 years and to date I have only had to buy a few over face value.

You can use the Stamp Release Archive on the USPS site to help keep track of what came out on any given year. This link is for 2008.http://shop.usps.com/webapp/wcs/sto...ory_rn=13370

You are able to buy every 2008 year stamp and most of the 2007, though if you want just one Mt Rushmore Stamp for $4.80 your forced to buy 4 of them at a price of $19.20.

In addition I like the year books they offer, while you will pay a little more I like the books they print with the set. Just remember these will only have the Commemorative Stamps though.

For the other stamps you have to switch to the link on their site. http://shop.usps.com/webapp/wcs/sto...op_category=

I will admit it is time consuming but if your looking for face value plus shipping then it isn't a bad deal.

I find the problem is that the USPS just puts out too many stamps in a given year to keep track of. Then is is compounded by the simple fact if you can't pick up a single stamp at the Post office your forced to buy many stamps just to get one. That works out OK if you send a lot of things through the mail.

So that is a long story why I use many sources. I'm sure if I had a stamp club near by that would be another source but the simple truth is we have none, heck my whole township only has one stop light. However go figure we have 4 post offices.

Oh the advantages of a small rural post office with a friendly post person (don't know what they are calling themselves these days) She and I spend an inordinate amount of time gossiping and I can buy anything available. She even calls me when I get an insured package and I go down and get it immediately.

Yeah small rural... not mine for sure... I'm in L.A., nothing is small...

Anybody know what those "special post offices" are called or a link to the thread that discusses them? I'm not sure what to search for...

Rob

You need to find a philatelic window in your area or befriend a postmaster. You can order directly with my philatelic window clerk, Jan, here in Springfield IL. Here is the address at this link from one of my postings.
https://goscf.com/t/2131&SearchTerm...atelic,clerk

Welcome to the stamp community, Rob!



Stamperdude is right - find a philatelic window in your area.
I'm lucky that my post office in Massachsetts does get most of the new issues.
Any others I can pick up at the Spellman Postal Museum in Weston, Mass.

I used to live in LA, and actually just got back from a trip there.
(Chatsworth HS '78)

Again, many thanks for all the warm welcomes... I can't recall any other forum welcome as nice as the one I've received here... Not just about the hobby, but the people... Very nice...

I work in Woodland Hills and live in Simi Valley... Any way to find a Philatelic window other than trying every post office to see if they have one... Anyone else in LA/Ventura County area have some ideas on this? The greeting I received at the Woodland Hills post office was an "all or nothing" type of thing... I can try the Sim iValley one on Saturday and see if they have one or can direct me to a PO that does...

Gratefully yours,

Rob

Keephowlin this is a kind of unspoiled chatboard...a good mix of people just getting started and experienced collectors...i remember when you could walk into a rural post office and the post mistress would go in the drawer and pull plate blocks or even singles for a stamp collector..the little post office in my town will sell you a single overseas stamp to put on an envelope or a half sheet of current commemoratives...so welcome....everyone has something to add here...i am a "worldwide collector" but take U.S. for my Liberty album as it comes along !!

Rob! You got some great answers already. I'll just add that you might want to take a subscription to Linn's Stamp News (weekly) or Scott Stamp Monthly. You can read them online (cheaper), take them the old fashioned way, or both.

There are a lot of good ads in there and they compliment the Internet nicely.

You should be able to find the post offices in your area listed together in your phone book. You can then just go down the list and give them all a call.

Keephowlin, I know what you mean about the "give me one of everything"--those dayz are long gone! All I want is 4 of the US Flags 24/7--okay, okay, let's say several for me and my friends (a set for Londonbus, Dianne, and David G.,Triggersmob, and myself, etc, etc)--no way, no how--have to buy the whole coil of 100. That just ain't right! Especially with my being a great customer--so I have switched post offices--the Air Base clerk where my hubby works will even hand stamp stuff for me, and his mom is a stamp collector!

Gussyboy1