2015 USPS Issues... News? Thoughts? Opinions?

Latest USPS Postal Bulletin 5/28/2015 has anoucement & specs of many
stamps being issued in next couple days with nice large imiages. Also
stamp release dates, etc. for 2015 have resumed in this issue.
http://about.usps.com/postal-bullet.../pb22416.pdf

I just ordered the new Penguin add on stamp along with the missing children issue. Any ideas for stamps that I can tie in on my FDC's?

Due to the price change at end-May, 3 global forever stamps will be issued on June 1, but they are not listed in the latest post bulletin. Will these new global forever stamps bear the 2015 date or retain their old dates (2013 and 2014)?

One would expect that the new date would be used (otherwise the purpose of reissuing them is defeated), but the USPS website is showing them with their old dates. Is this just a careless mistake?

Rideontherain: It's probably a mistake in labeling the stamps as "NEW". There is no logistical reason to issue new International Rate stamps since the previous stamps had no specific denomination unlike the other stamps being issued on June 1.
"

Mmmm, are you saying the "new" stamps are indistinguishable from the old ones?

Riderontherain: The 3 "NEW" global forever issues are not really new. The dates on the stamps have not been changed. Only the price ($1.20 in lieu of $1.15) has changed. Whenever a rate change takes effect, existing non-denominated issues are assigned new item numbers. The old item number,while no longer available for sale, remains in the system for some time at the old rate ... the new item number, now available for sale, is listed at the new rate.

Thanks, JLLebbert, for the info. However, I found this write-up on the USPS website regarding the Global Silver Bells Wreath stamp:

"In 2015, the U.S. Postal Service® celebrates the winter holidays internationally with a new Forever® stamp, Global Holiday: Silver Bells Wreath. This is the second issuance in the Global Holiday series.

An elegant wreath of silver bells graces this round holiday stamp. The circle of densely packed bells is arranged against a deep green background, with a rich red bow anchored at the top of the wreath. The words "Forever" and "USA" and the date "2015" surround the wreath in gray type. The word "Global" is highlighted in red at the bottom of the stamp."

Although the above text indicates the stamp would bear the 2015 date, the accompanying picture of the stamp shows a 2014 date.

This is really confusing.

The bulletin I read 22416 with pictures of new stamps does show the date as 2015. I brought a package to be mailed for a first day cover and the weighing scale said $1.20 instead of $1.19. They didn't have any of the new stamps yet, perhaps later in the day.

I'm looking for ideas on the penguin stamp as an add on stamp for a first day cover.

As it relates to the issue of the Global Forever Stamp in the Silver Bells Wreath Design, the USPS Store apparently made an error in the second paragraph of the text accompanying the illustration suggesting that the stamps contain a "2015" date. (They have been known to make such errors in the past.)



Frankly, I would be surprised to learn that the USPS would re-issue more Holiday-oriented Global Forever stamps this early in the year, however, stranger things have happened behind the walls of the USPS.

The first stamp in the series was the 2013 Christmas Wreath. The second was the 2014 Silver Bells wreath. I agree with wt1 that it is highly unlikely that a new Silver Bells stamp has been issued. I did not see it in the most recent postal bulletin along with all of the rate change stamps.

The whole thing is amazing! Wt1 posted a USPS announcement about the "2015" Global Forever stamp. It also states: "The word "Global" is highlighted in red at the bottom of the stamp". Seems to me that this is an example of where the head does not know what the tail is doing!

Peter

Note that this was true for the 2013 Christmas wreath. Not so for the Silver Bells stamp.

The USPS Store's website is notorious for cut/paste operations in descriptive text about "new" stamps. You'll find mistakes like this quite often. I take it with a grain of salt, as nothing new, just the status quo. I would like to think an entity as large and vast as the USPS would be more careful about what they publish on their website, but that's not always the case.

The main purpose of Global forever stamp is to avoid reissuing the stamp again when the rate is changed. I do not believe USPS will reprint the Silver Wreath. The person who managed / updated the web site has no clue about what is going on.

Exactly!

I understand from another website that the parties involved in the updating the USPS Store's website is the same firm that issues USA Philatelic and the lead person of that organization is one of the stamp designers. So it all fits together. The USPS is apparently under contract with a firm to do these jobs that don't always get done exactly to the letter.