USPS Policy On Stamp Selling

I have searched and cannot find USPS Policy on local PO stamp selling policy. My local PO will not sell me a PB/6 of regular Commemorative stamps (West Virginia). The Postmaster says it is USPS Policy that they cannot break up sheets. One must purchase the whole sheet or nothing. I told her I was pretty sure (I read in Linns and elsewhere) that Souvenir sheets (Lynn Mendoza/Johnny Cash) are no longer broke because of the selvedge but I do not think that policy applies to regular commemoratives. Anybody help me here or am I wrong? Thanks.

Doug

You are correct. I routinely purchase single stamps out of a sheet. In fact, I just bought a single West Virginia this last Monday. However, just as you've said, they won't bust up the souvenir sheets like Lydia Mendoza or Johnny Cash. Sounds like a lack of awareness at your post office.

If it were me, I would just go to a different post office.

If I were to argue with him I would put the ball in his court at ask him to show me where in the postal bulletin it says he cannot sell a block of stamps. While I cannot quote you rules, I can tell you that I have purchased blocks in the past without any problems. I would not be surprised if the Postmaster General encourages the sale of entire sheets, but I cannot believe this would be a requirement.

There is no rule preventing the PO employee selling you a plate block. However, I suspect there is a rule about not breaking up a new sheet when stamps are available from a partial sheet. Think about the inventory problems if several thousand plate blocks were removed from full sheets.
Yours in philately,
George

You're not going to convince any postal clerk that their local policies are incorrect, so as suggested earlier, if you encounter a problem, go to another post office.

Having said that, these are the official regulations in place regarding stamp sales at retail locations, taken right from the Postal Operations Manual:

Thanks All. I had been going to one local PO that would break them up for me but since I retired I just went here to mine. Will have to make the trip to the other next time. Am seriously considering stopping the PB collecting anyway. May just have talked myself into it.

Doug