Theft of Collectible Stamps While Still in the Mailstream.

We've been hearing more and reports of collectible stamps being removed from their covers before the mail has even been delivered.

We've also had this happen to us personally - expensive, collectible US Express Mail and Priority Mail stamps, as well as commemorative stamps from other countries that were used on mail that we've received, have been carefully removed from their covers before the mail was delivered. Most of the time the envelope is cut right around the stamp that's being removed, without damaging the contents of the envelope. Other times the stamp is peeled off the cover.

Our Canadian and British correspondents report that this happens to them as well.

This practice of removing valuable and collectible stamps before the mail is delivered is theft. We don't know who is doing it, only that the mail is still delivered even though the stamp is now gone. Are postal employees doing this? We don't know, but who else has access to undelivered mail?