2007/2008 Christmas P-Rate Stamps

My fellow Canadians:

Check your local post offices.

I was at the local postal outlet this morning. It is just down the street from me, in a 7-Eleven. It's a full service postal outlet.

Behind the counter, they have a pegboard with all the current booklet stamps they are selling. Throughout the year, usually there is a stack of the P-Rate Lighthouses and P-Rate Queen Elizabeth II, along with the U.S.-Rate and International-Rate smaller booklets, and whatever the commemorative booklets are available. This makes it easy for the folks who work there because they have readily, at hand, the stamps when customers ask for a book of stamps. As well, people like me can readily see which booklets they have available, and ask for the one that I wish.

Since the beginning of December, they have had the usual stack of regular definitive booklets, and the three rate classes of the 2008 Christmas stamp booklets, as well as the "traditional" P-Rate Christmas booklet.

I noticed last week, that they were down to the P-Rate Lighthouse definitives, and the International-Rate 2008 Christmas stamp booklet. AS WELL, they had a big stack of the 2007 P-Rate Christmas stamp booklet (the one with the Reindeer on it). I purchased a booklet, this morning, and sure enough, it's a booklet of last year's P-Rate Christmas stamps.

Now I know that Canada Post does not destroy definitive stamps and P-Rate stamps, when they are withdrawn from sale (they just use them up, and replace with the new issues, as needed). I asked the lady at the counter where they came from. She said that she ran out of P-Rate Christmas stamps, and ordered more, and that's what they sent her.

I'm glad to see Canada Post keeping the P-Rate Christmas stamps from the previous year, as this saves money, but I wonder if this is just in Ottawa, or across the country?

What are they selling at your local Postal outlet for Christmas stamps?

David