Collecting Single Stamps

Hello all,
Let's say I would like to have just one copy of each stamp released by the USPS but as we all know they usually come in sheets containing 16-20 stamps so we end up having doubles, triples and even quadruples of the same stamp.
Does anyone else besides USPS sell modern US issue stamps for collectors? Buying singles would really reduce the cost of collecting these stamps.

Anyone else has this issue besides me?

Thanks in advance!

Buying one stamp is better than buying twenty, but ...

... whatever New Issues Service sells those stamps to you is going to have to cover the costs of acquisition, spoilage, advertising, inventorying, packing, shipping, and make a profit.

You can find New Issues Service advertisements on Linn's, etc.

Cheers,

/s/ ikeyPikey

vovan,

There are two ways to approach this:

1. Go to the post office and buy them.
2. Wait until the end of the year and buy sets on ebay.

I've found the most effective way is to buy the souvenir sheets at the post office or USPS Online during the year and the singles at year end.

Jack Kelley

The USPS will release a yearbook of stamps next year for all of the issues for this year.

Thanks all!
About the yearbook... I thought yearbooks don't contain any stamps - just the placeholders???

You can buy them both ways ... you can also buy what's referred to as a "Mail Use Stamp Packet" (without the yearbook, but with mounts) and for 2014 the USPS also offers a "High Value Stamp Packet" for the more expensive face value issues.

Be careful buying stamps this way, though, as there are occasions when certain stamps are omitted.

As for myself, I stay away from the yearbook. It is an inefficient way of buying single stamps.

Jack Kelley

Whenever I need single stamps, I can find them on ebay. There are enough sellers to keep the markup over face value from getting too far out of line, but it pays to peruse the listings looking for the best deal (especially with some who like to price low, and then charge an excessive amount for shipping and handling).

For new issues, I'm happy to buy a full sheet (even at the postal counter.) I still mail letters. (Call me old-fashioned...)

stamps 2go is a good place to get single stamps

vovan - is there a stamp club near you? If so you should be able to find someone or several somones you could split a sheet with.

Thanks for all of your advice!
Yes, there is a local stamp club which I haven't been to yet but planning on visiting in the near future. Not sure how people there go about collecting US issue.
So let me ask you all here: how do you all collect US stamps? Do you buy them in sheets at USPS and if yes, do you only collect selected issues? I have a hard time imagining there are a lot of people outthere who can afford to buy ALL US issued stamps every year in large sheets... I would certainly like to collect all of them but I am afraid I have to find a solution where I buy 1 or 2 of each stamp rather than in sheets.
As for the Mail Use Stamp Packets - do they include ALL stamps issued during that year?

Two thoughts. First, you need not buy entire panes of stamps for some issues. Stamps produced in panes of less than 20 or in booklet format are usually sold only in full panes. But all others are usually available in blocks of 4 and/or 10 from Stamp Fulfillment Services in KC. And the truly "high-dollar" denominations are available as singles. So my first choice would be to occasionally purchase the minimum of each issue to support my needs as a collector. Whatever is left over could be used for postage or sold as discount postage.
Second, you could try to locate a small group of like-minded collectors. Once organized, you could then divide the year's issues (except for any high-dollar denominations) amongst the group, with each member purchasing sufficient stamps of their issues to satisfy the demands of the group as a whole. At the end of the year you could effectively trade some of your extra stamps for those purchased by other members of your group. Whatever is left over could presumably be used for postage. The logistics of this approach though might prove untenable, having to depend on all members to purchase stamps throughout the year. There's also the problem of needing to meet the needs of others ... if you collect singles while others collect plate blocks, you could end up with quite a bit in your postage pile.

vovan,

"As for the Mail Use Stamp Packets - do they include ALL stamps issued during that year?"

ANSWER: NO


Jack Kelley

Just go to the USPS stamp store occasionally and buy the items you want ..

https://store.usps.com/store/browse...s=buy-stamps

or

https://store.usps.com/store/browse...p-collectors

You could find a local dealer or I use Minnesota stamps, catalogue is free.