2021 USPS Issues... News? Thoughts? Opinions?

HI all

I actually don't see a 2020 thread... I thought someone DID start one instead of me! Perhaps I am blind...

ANYHOO, here is the new, fresh, shiny 2021 version!

I may have started this topic too early... all I am finding so far are links about potential new rates for 2021

https://blog.stamps.com/2020/10/19/...ng-services/

I am looking into my crystal ball and see more hearts, flags and cartoons. Oh, and flowers.

WOW, you must have a GREAT crystal ball!

I wish they would have a 9-11 stamp marking 20 years since the day... I don't agree with the USPS policy of not "commemorating" tragedies. Americans died on the Titanic but we didn't get a Titanic stamp, and I bet we still won't get a new 9-11 one, either.

"Commemorating" doesn't apply in such cases, "remembering" does.

Agree!

A new 2021 LOVE stamp is almost a certainty.

According to the proposed new rates, we should see new stamps for postcards and the extra ounce.

I fully expect Priority Mail and PM Express rates to rise as well, but those have not yet been proposed/announced. New stamps will be needed for those rates. I wouldn't be surprised to see the Global Forever rate to go up either.

I'm not sure I understand why new stamps would be needed for the rate increases. To my knowledge, almost nothing has been denominated of late, so they can simply sell existing stock at higher prices.

Priority and Express mail are denominated so these would change. As for new issues, why would we need new Love, Christmas and other holidays, flowers, and any number of topical subjects when they have stock of prior issues.

They continue to issue some of the dullest work horse stamps (presort).

Agreed - new non-denominated stamps are not needed when postal rates change; only their selling price at the counter needs to be adjusted. That's why they are called "Forever" stamps. Only the denominated stamps require a new stamp be issued.

To take that logic a bit further, why do we need more than one stamp for any rate?

I agree with you, Al. Its just not the same anymore.

Jack

angore,

I forgot that Priority Mail stamps were sold denominated. (That brings up an interesting question -- is it possible to pay with stamps but still get a tracking number/label without visiting a post office?)

uboatnut, we certainly don't need more than one design for any given rate, but it makes things more interesting! I like to have at least two, and often three, different designs available for my mailings. I also just bought a batch of discount postage which will make it even more fun (although that will be a bunch of lower-value stamp combos)!

I particularly don't see the need for new wedding designs every year. Are people really getting married, divorced and remarried so fast they are saying geez, I want something different than I used last year?

I toyed with the idea of collecting what's left after ignoring annual repetitive issues (ex New Year, Love), presorts, high value stamps I'd probably never use (Priority), generic (flowers, birds, fruits), multi-stamp designs that do not commemorate anything ("enjoy the great outdoors"), commercial connections (Bugs Bunny), and mostly-text (Innovation, Thank You). That left so little in a year that it hardly seemed worth the bother. So instead I get a pane of one or two of what's left to use on mail (Mayflower).

Lunar New Year – eh, so so, not as nice a design style as in the past

Love stamp - ick

Chien-Shiung Wu stamp – nice design but dull subject

Garden Beauty stamps – oooooh, I like!

Mystery Message stamp – huh???

Colorado Hairstreak stamp – not as nice as past issues but ok

Barns stamps – sorta nice

Backyard Games stamps - cute

Day of the Dead stamps – interesting but unnecessary

Brush Rabbit stamp - cute

Heritage Breeds stamps – sorta like these

Raven Story stamp – not sure

Go for Broke: Japanese American Soldiers of WWII stamp – can't quite tell from the image if these will be Intaglio, will like a lot better if that is the case

Western Wear stamps – useless but cute

Mid-Atlantic Lighthouses stamps - like

Missouri Statehood stamp – nice image

Message Monsters stamps - UGLY

Espresso Drinks stamps – I like and hopefully the average "standard flag stamp buyer" will as well

Happy Birthday stamp – nice design

https://www.linns.com/news/us-stamp...cted-march-9

The design this year looked strange, so I had to look at the real butterfly............

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colorado_hairstreak

Yet, because of the immense need for Western Wear and Expresso drink stamps, USPS couldn't honor the centennial of the birth of Jean Shepherd, American Humorist, author, radio storyteller, multi year winner of the Playboy Humor prize, and author of the stories that the holiday favorite movie "A Christmas Story" is based on.