It's not just cost that would affect how stamps come and go (heaven forbid).
It is ease of use or the perception of how easy it is to use that would affect people's opinions and what they prefer to buy and use, and so change the decisions of the postal administrations on what to print.
Just like the self-adhesive stamp became more and more popular because it's less disturbing to just keep the darn thing at arm's reach and peel it off and stick it on than to actually have to lick the ucky thing and get all gooey and slap it on the package or envelope. And the taste, argh.
People that actually use stamps now to mail things (at least where I live) seem to ask (I have heard this more than a few times) what is pretty or nice? People want something to dress up their mail. It's turning into a personallized type of thing more and more.
I think if you have a machine that you could pick your picture from a selection shown and it would print it out right then and there that people would tend to use that, once they got around the idea that it was a real stamp and OK to legally use on the mail so their letter would 'get there'. I suppose that is something like the FRAMA labels.
But, just like personal computers which moved away from the nicer and easier to use Amiga (years ago) to a PC clone world, it will be what the majority of businesses want to use that will make the most difference. Whatever businesses (multiple stamp users) find easier and more efficient (cost effective) to use will be used, or they will ask for it, and it had better be cheaper than the other way too or forget it.
Coil stamps now come as self-adheshives and in rolls of 5000 stamps (I can't imagine) here. Or 50-100 for smaller concerns.
Most businesses use the meter machine mail cancels or presort or prepaid type. It gets the job done but it's not as nice to collect for me.
I wish the government would pay for personal use stamps and we could choose our own or make our own (nice) designs. Hint hint nudge nudge.
What's easier for most non-multiple-stamp-users? Having it all ready and made and done up for you and, from the Post Office's point of view, done right so there are no unintentional mistakes made by the silly public. Hmmm, what could that be? Postage stamps! OK, we'll go with that.
Posted 01/09/2010 8:16 pm
