New HI Value Waves Of Color Stamps - 12/1/2012 - Orlando, FL

I went to the post office last week to mail half a baseball all-stars uncut press sheet, and I specifically told the postal clerk that I brought stamps and was going to use my own postage. She printed up a label anyway and tried to convince to me to buy it since it was "already printed."

What it came down to at the end was that she didn't want to have to deal with hand cancelling $10.00 worth of stamps on a large tube.

Going forward, I think I am always going to ask for stamps to mail something and protest that metered machine that prints bar codes.

I just write "Stamps ONLY!!" on the package... My local postmistress knows me well enough to know that I will not let her put one of the horrible meter labels with an amount above $0.00 even near my packages. I even try to make other people in line (if there are any) use stamps...

apastuszak and new12collector, believe me I understand where you're coming from on this. And furthermore, it's your right to ask for stamps on a package if that's what you want. It's what I prefer to do, too. However, you must admit we, stamp collectors, are in a super minority of all the customers sending out parcels through USPS. Most people don't give a flip whether it's a stamp or metered postage on their package - just so it gets where they want it to go. Just today I was sending out a parcel with two panes of the MLB All-Star imperfs. There were eight customers lined up behind me. After the lady clerk determined the mailing cost, guess what the first thing she did was. Yeah, she went immediately for the metered postage, rather than to figure out the bits and pieces of stamp denominations that she'd have to stick on the package and have those other customers wait that much longer. Frankly, it just makes sense from her perspective.

It makes perfect sense. But we stamp collectors have an insane amount of extras lying around right now. I brought the stamps to save me a few bucks and use up all that extra postage and she just ignored me and printed the label any way. I wasn't making her put on the stamps. I put them on myself.

So, were there enough stamps on that tube I send you? I surprised myself by bringing just enough postage.

Oh, yeah, Andy, you had plenty of postage on there. A very good use of those Christmas stamps. It was kind of like Christmas to get those imperfs! And now I better understand your comments. By all means, those of us with large groupings of loose mint stamps should put them to good use for parcels. My only complaint is with the USPS wasting time and good money creating stamps that really aren't needed. Outside of us collectors, I'm just not sure anyone will purchase them. As I've indicated already, I'm not that keen on purchasing four mint stamps for $18 when I can be quite satisfied with used ones for substantially less.

I don't find them appealing at all. I do not care much for any of the newer stamps anyways.

Every time I visit the US Modern section of the forum I grow more appreciative of the wisdom of my decision to stop collecting new issues in the mid-1980s!

Oh dear, forgetable stamps. I don't think they should issue stamps just for the collectors, but these are a wasted opportunity to have something functional and interesting.

2012 will be my cut off.

These high value stamps might be worth something if they stick around for 5 years or so. But if we get new stamps in these denominations every single year, then the USPS is definitely taking advantage of collectors.

For anyone interested, the USPS Facebook link has a post today announcing these high value stamps, along with a question asking what people think of them. The results (at last check) was about 2:1 suggesting that they are "ugly" versus those who think they're "nice". Almost 20% of respondents referred to them as British or European looking.

Check it out here:

http://www.facebook.com/USPSStamps?sk=wall

Beyond the Perf has just posted today (09/11/2012) the annoucement about these Waves of Color High Value stamps with indication that the first day city is to be Ocala, Florida. All we know for sure is that the date of issue will be sometime in December 2012 (no exact date of issue has been released as of yet):

http://beyondtheperf.com/stamp-rele.../waves-color

They reminded me of Swiss stamps.

If the USPS really wanted to boost postage sales, they would go back to engraving them I got sucked into collecting French Colonial stamps just because of the way they look, It's like fine art. It's the one area in my collection I couldn't even tell you a catalog number or value because I purely enjoy them from the craftsmanship.

The 11/01/2012 Postal Bulletin has announced the High Value Waves of Color Stamps will be issued December 1, 2012 in Orlando, Florida.

As part of the technical specifications, the $1 and $2 varieties (both printed by Ashton Potter) will have what is described as "prephosphored stardust adhesive taggant" on the stamps. I've never heard this term used before on a tagging variety of a US Stamp (and it is not being used on the $5 and $10 denominations (being printed by Sennett).

Does anyone know what that tagging variety is all about and if it has ever been used before on a US Stamp?

Those thinking the used $10 will be less expensive may be in for a shock. Canadas $10 stamp sells for more used than mint. Oh yeah its a really cool BIG whale not jut wavy lines- sorry just had to throw that. Unless there is something that will render them useless or different by soaking it doesn't make much sense . All they need is a bunch of uncanceled $10 stamps hitting ebay to feed the secondary Glue stick market.