Found Older Stamps For Sale At Local Post Office

Hey Folks,
I just made a pleasant discovery at my local post office in Hoosick, New York. The postmaster there doesn't have a meter machine so he always uses stamps which is really nice, but he also has some of the older 37 and 39 cent commemorative stamps for sale at face. I was able to pick up sheets from the Florida Wetland, Motorcycles, Children's Book Animals, Baseball Sluggers, Disney (one with Bambi) and Wonders of America.
I didn't pick up, but they were there: Robert Pen Warren, Edgar Yip Harburg, Ronald Reagan, older Christmas and Hannukah, Moss Hart, Buckminster Fuller, 2004 Summer Olympics -Runner, Child Heath and a few others I cannot recall right now.

I don't plan on buying them to sell, but I'm going to use them as postage on Delcamp/Ebay orders to make things fun and interesting. Some are hard to get used to begin with so I'm going to make some used ones.

Anyone else have a local post office like this?
Will

Will,

Do you think that this was just a one time thing or would all post offices have older issue stamps as well?

Donna

It can't hurt to ask when you visit the post offices. I've found older items at various post offices in my travels as well. It's a lot harder now, thought, because earlier this decade USPS made a major push to clear out older inventories. Technically, all those older stamps were supposed to be sent back, but not every postmaster follows (or has time to follow) the guidelines.

Good luck!

k

Donna, Like khj said, it's hit or miss. In the case of my local post office, the postmaster (only employee) said he use to have a guy come and buy 10-20 of each sheet that was issued, but stopped coming around thus the leftover stock. Because he doesn't have a meter machine he keeps all the stamps around for postage. He even has the $2 Bobcat and $5 diamond shaped lick and stick stamps. I would check with very small post offices and hope you have a nice and friendly clerk. I need to check out the post office in North Hoosick - smallest in New York. It looks like a garden shed.
Will

i can vouch for that. i've been to a few small town post offices. they usually do have some of the older stamps. I have yet to visit one that doesnt have them. my local PO still has stamps from the late 80's and early 90's. but I had to ask to see them. she brought out one book with stamps I didnt need or want. then she said she had others, walked to her safe, and those were the older ones. tell the PM you're a collector and ask to see the stamps they dont have a demand for. they usually keep them tucked away in the safe, not the clerks drawer...and yes, some PO's do send them back for destruction.

Hmmm. My cousin has been a postmaster in a small Minnesota town (pop. 800) for almost 30 years.

I'll email her. You know I don't even think shen knows I collect stamps.

Funny world.

You guys are lucky... the staff at my local post office barely understand what a stamp is, unless of course I just want a plain old Queen's head - which of course I never do!

Will,
That is a great find. I wouldn't mind picking up another sheet of the Wonders of America at face value to use for my personal cover projects.