New 2013 USPS Brochure Of Postal Facts

A newly published edition of a US Postal Service brochure highlighting postal facts has just been posted and available for download (in pdf format) at this link:

http://about.usps.com/who-we-are/po...acts2013.pdf

While the entire document contains a number of interesting facts, I find page 9 particularly interesting to stamp collectors where it states (in part) that in 2012, $21.9 million of philatelic products were sold, up 20.5% from the previous year:

Correct my math if I am wrong; it is impossible to see all the zeros on windows calculator

$7,938,000,000 in stamps were sold in 2012 that were forever stamps
and only 526million in all products, not just stamps were done through the central area, meaning most stamps are still bought in person?

I'm guessing this is supermarket ATM or the other types of sales. Which explains why it's so rare for me to find a decent modern commemorative on my received mail. :(

To sum up my complaint, I wish it were easy for people to get a choice in purchase, or I wish people would just order them online instead of at the ATM. Sorry, I don't know how I got off topic while trying to be on topic with the numbers.

When it comes to statistics and dollar amount information, there's a lot of room for any organization to show what they want. For example:

a. The number of stamps sold doesn't mention whether or not it includes postal stationery or just stamps.

b. The number of Forever stamps doesn't mention if they include "Forever" stamped cards and stamped envelopes, both of which were available in 2012 in a "Forever" format -- and at different rates -- and with a surcharge for the the cost of the envelope and/or stamped card.

c. I read the $526 million stamps and stamp products ordered through phone, etc., to be those stamps that were ordered using the Stamps by Mail service, which may or may not be different from philatelic orders through Stamp Fulfillment Services. Unless things have changed, remember that those ordering Stamps by Mail do not have to pay the S&H charges that SFS customers do.

d. I have an unofficial list of 2012 stamps on my computer and according to USPS Postal Bulletin statistics, the total number of stamps issued in 2012 was just under 11.5 billion as compared to the USPS quoting above a number of 20.8 billion stamps printed. Where did the extra 9.3 billion stamps come from? Most likely from reprints or additional printings of stamps above and beyond what is quoted in the USPS Postal Bulletin, and is information that is not available to the average citizen.

e. Are the numbers quoted by the USPS including APC stamps (labels)? Remember, they were originally offered in denominational formats and as time went on, they, too, were offered in a "Forever" format, so how does that number fit into these statements?

The bottom line is that you can tear the financial information apart anyway you choose, but without having the source information available to refer to, we consumers and collectors can't really accurately analyze the data.