Will Forever Stamps Affect The Future Of Collecting?

I just got my 2013 Scott Specialized Catalog. In 1847 thru 1988 (141 years), the USPS printed about 2400 stamps (postage only) not counting varieties. Continuing their efforts to take advantage of stamp collecting and make it an income juggernaut, between 1988 and 2013 (only 24 years), the USPS printed about 2300 (postage) stamps.

But now, with the Forever Stamp, and the changing USPS efforts to control it's financial situation, will the USPS strategy shift from making money off of us, to only preferring to control their inventory and waste? If they can balance their books better this way, what will that mean for future of stamp collecting? Fewer different stamps means less inventory and less waste. With the Forever Stamp, will the USPS want to print very many stamps annually years from now? If not, will the potential new collector have enough choices in stamps to interest them in beginning to collect them?


-IBFS

Same situation in Canada.

Perhaps people will buy them in bulk and continue to send envelopes and save both countries' postal systems.

I don't know if this indirectly answers your question but in my opinion the "Forever" stamp has had virtually no impact on stamp collecting. If anything, it probably enhances the hobby only because the "Forever" stamps can be used in the future for first class postage without having to find small denomination stamps of a penny or two to account for rate increases.

Although the USPS is in the business of selling stamps to collectors (i.e. press sheet, first day covers, etc.) that's not their primary function. It is, however, a way to gather preferred revenue, since stamps sold to collectors don't get used to pay for postal services, it's virtually clear profit for the USPS to encourage those sales.

The reason the Scott Catalog is so overblown with new issues is because of the relatively recent change (within the past 20 years or so) of having independent contractors print stamps. Since this results in as many as three different printers handling any one issue, and most new issues have multiple designs these days, the varieties all get counted as different stamps even though they are commemorating a single event or subject.

Given that most US stamps post-1940 are worth nothing more than face value, and on the secondary market often only a fraction of face value, the likelihood of finding any modern issues that will appreciate in value in our lifetime is rather remote, unless of course, errors or previously unidentified varieties are uncovered.

The one thing I would suggest as a matter of thought is that the current financial condition of the USPS has prompted the them to issue stamps in more reasonable quantities than they used to. Although there are still more than enough stamps to satisfy collector demand, the reduced quantity of stamps brought to market and the reduced use of stamps on mail (both in reduced mail pieces and the use of meters, APC labels, etc., as alternatives to traditional stamps) makes the number of stamps one can find used on a modern piece of US mail much more scarce than they used to be. It may be that used stamps on cover will be the collectible of the future, as anyone can buy a pane of stamps at the post office; those who actually use them on mail pieces are becoming less and less common.

"The reason the Scott Catalog is so overblown with new issues is because of the relatively recent change (within the past 20 years or so) of having independent contractors print stamps. Since this results in as many as three different printers handling any one issue, and most new issues have multiple designs these days, the varieties all get counted as different stamps even though they are commemorating a single event or subject."

Actually this only happens with definitives, not commems.

I wonder how Forever stamps will affect "discount postage". Usually, discount postage is a grouping of mint stamps of previous first class rates that can be had for less than face to be used for philatelic mailings, bulk mailings, etc. Granted there's a lot of mint U.S. postage from the 44 cent rate and back in current supply, but in the long run that will run out. There's no incentive to offer Forever stamps as discount postage as it just goes up in value with the next rate change. Discount dealers like Gitner will eventually run out.

eyeonwall - the last icon across from the "Posted" date on your first and second replies should be a garbage can. Click it to delete the second message.

I agree Battlestamps. I think it will eventually spell the end of discount postage as we know it.

Matt

Here is something to think about. FOREVER stamps are supposed to be valid 'forever'. What if down the road the currency is changed? What if the USD and the Candadian Dollar and the Mexican Pesos are merged in to a new currency called the Amero? Want to bet those FOREVER stamps in the old currency won't be valid then?

Technically, the Forever stamps can be in any form of currency. There's nothing on them that says it's in a U.S.currency so I doubt that would be an issue.

Why use meters at all when stamps now act as a hedge against price increases? Savvy consumers who get this may help a resurgence in stamp use. Plus the designs are so pretty why not dress up your mail and make a personal statement at the same time?

Give your relatives nice Forever stamps at holidays. If we all did this it couldn't hurt the hobby.