Buying Stamps At The Post Office...

Well, I visited the Post Office here in Charleston SC the other day and you can forget about getting anything other than Forever, and Christmas Holiday stamps. They don't have and don't want to sell anything else.

What makes it ever more appalling is that, in my opinion, the USPS website for stamps is also a disaster. Difficult to navigate and awkward to say the least.

Young kids just starting to get interested in collecting stamps- t has to be problem seeing anything interesting coming through the letterbox.

I have been able to buy many of the current stamps (commemorative sheets) of interest at my local PO. I've probably missed some of the popular issues but it hasn't really been a focus for me. The counter clerks recognize me and are friendly often asking if I wanted some of the latest flashy issue (not knowing I even collect stamps). I don't like standing in line so I often print postage on-line. For my US album, I hinge stamps I've soaked off paper keeping the Mint stamps in another binder w/sheets.

When I get boxes from stamp sellers they are often covered with plate blocks and low denomination stamps...unfortunately they are often pen cancelled.

I work a few blocks from one on the Main post Offices on L.I., New York. They normally have most of the new issues. However the smaller ones around here have ALL of the new issues. I used to wonder why. So, I just asked. I was told the larger ones order in much larger quantities and don't reorder until they get low. It's up to the Postmaster what and how much they order. They also closed the ONLY Philatelic counter in the county a year and a half ago. That makes no sense to me. Every stamp sold that goes in a Stamp Collection is almost pure profit, as it will never be used! Collectors generate more dollars for the P.O. than the person who occasionally mails a letter instead of using Email. A sheet of 25 stamps costs a few pennies and sells for $11.00 I wish my Company had that kind of profit margin(assuming they aren't used). If they want to stop loosing money maybe they should re-open the Philatelic Counters!

rev,
Our philatelic window closed a month or 2 after we hosted the Lincoln Bicentennial FDOI ceremony. You'd think that would have shown the interest to our postmaster & PMG whom was there the hoards of stamp collectors in our area. However, I can usually find most if not all issues at our postoffices here and the surrounding communities. I really enjoy going to a sub station tucked away in the back of a hardware store where the clerk just hands me the cancelling device for my covers.

I'll add myself to the 'lucky' list on this one. Where I work in the summer, I am half the postal system myself and have a lovely box of stamps from the past eight years to use on any given envelope. So anything delivered to the office without a stamp already on it is sent with an eclectic assortment of 1c, 2c, 5c, 7c, 23c, 37c and 42c stamps, as we have them/need to get rid of them.
The real post office, 15 miles up the road, usually has good stamps for sale too. It's a town of about 10 people but the postmistress takes pride in her work.

My wife works at a local college, and the post office substation
there, is run by a good friend. She is also a philatelist. She and
I are pretty much the only ones that "get" the reference. She keeps
me filled up with the mundane business boxes/ envelopes/ tape/ etc..
She also keeps me in the latest sheets issued. We've both pretty
well agreed she'd give the wife a heads up on anything special that
she can acquire. Great to have a friend on the inside !
Now if she can get my delivery person not to bend my comic books
and jam them in the box.