I'm Depressed...

I went to the post office today to mail a package. My favorite clerk has taken the early buy out and retired. For those that have received packages from me you will note that he was careful to cancel every stamp as neatly as possible and includ all applicable hand stamps. Now I have to break in someone new....

Richard

I commiserate with you Richard!

All those great clerks in the past at the Philatelic Windows that I visited, they all had requested a transfer after many years of service. They saw the writing on the wall and opted for another position before things became a waste of time for everybody.

I occasionally still run into nice clerks in my travels. And not all of them are old-timers. Some of the nice clerks are young.

Good luck "breaking in" the new clerk!

k

I also feel your depression. The philatelic clerk we had was wonderful. She transferred to a regular window position and the philatelic window closed. Now she has retired as of last month. She will be greatly missed. She also made sure she was available for our clubs annual bourse to apply the show's postmark. This year was the first time in at least 10 years that we did not have a postal employee available at our bourse. I hear this is becoming more and more common among the smaller stamp shows ie. Springfield & Bloomington. The large shows seem to have good USPS support ie. Chicago & St Louis.

I am glad that the clerks I work with are gentle with the cancells and always put stamps on the packages I send. they are special.

Good Luck!

I hope you don't get some union hack who thinks its not in their job description and beneath their dignity to use a hand cancel.