Friday, February 29, 2008

How to Build Your Stamp Collection Inexpensively

Buying stamp mixtures or assortments can be a very inexpensive way to get your stamp collection started, or to fill in holes in an existing collection. Instead of paying 15 or 20 cents each for an inexpensive stamp, you'll end up paying a penny or two - or even less. And there's always the chance that you'll find some more expensive stamps too.

You can buy inexpensive stamp mixtures from The Stamp People for just a single country, or from all around the world. On paper kiloware or off paper stamps - it's your choice!
New Charity Mix just in!

We just received a number of pounds of on paper US stamps from one of our charity sources. This mission mix is full of recent 41 cent stamps on paper, but it also has some older stamps too. We see commemoratives, definitives, coils (with some plate number coils), Christmas stamps, Love stamps and a few airmail stamps in the mix.

It just arrived today, and it won't last long.

Visit The Stamp People to buy some before it's sold out. Just click the US Kiloware Mixes page!

Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Now You Can Buy Collectible Classic Stamps, Vintage Stamps and Modern Stamps at Affordable Prices!

Whether you're looking for fine classic vintage stamps, US or worldwide kiloware assortments, US or worldwide off-paper stamp mixes, inexpensive US or worldwide stamp sets and singles, or postal stationery or postal history from around the world, try The Stamp People.


Great Selection, Low Prices, and an easy, safe, secure Shopping Cart.

Stamps for Collectors, by Collectors - The Stamp People.

Tuesday, February 12, 2008

More Stamp News Regarding the USPS Rate Increase Coming in May, 2008

The following information is quoted from the official USPS website found at www.usps.com:


"On May 12 we will adjust prices for mailing services — First-Class Mail, Standard Mail, Periodicals, Package Services, and Special Services.

A First-Class Mail stamp will be 42¢. Customers can continue to use the Forever Stamps they purchased for 41¢, even after the price change. We will have 5 billion Forever Stamps in stock to meet increased demand before the price change. We also will have a 62¢ stamp available shortly after May 12 for 1-ounce nonmachinable First-Class Mail letters, such as square greeting cards.

Pricing highlights:

No change in the First-Class Mail single-piece additional-ounce price.
Lower additional-ounce price for presorted First-Class Mail letters.
Lower pound price for Standard Mail saturation and high-density flats.
Shape-based pricing for First-Class Mail International letters, flats, and parcels.
First-Class Mail International price groups expand from five to nine groups.

Select prices:



First-Class Mail letter (1 oz.) $0.42
First-Class Mail letter (2 oz.) $0.59
Postcard $0.27
First-Class Mail large envelope (2 oz.) $1.00
Certified Mail $2.70
First-Class Mail International to Canada and Mexico (1 oz.) $0.72
First-Class Mail International to all other countries (1 oz.) $0.94


We will announce new prices for shipping services — Express Mail, Priority Mail, Parcel Select, and International Mail — in March."

As you can see, the 1 oz first class international rate to Canada & Mexico will jump by 3 cents, and the same rate to anywhere else in the world will jump by a whopping 4 cents.

No one except the USPS knows how high the charges for domestic Express Mail, Priority Mail and other services will be after May 12, but the Post Office will need to issue many new stamps.

The only good thing about this rate increase is the number of new postage stamps that it will require, meaning stamp collectors will have a large number of new stamps to find and put into their collections.

Monday, February 11, 2008

The United States Postal Service announced today that the first class domestic 1 ounce letter rate will go from 41 cents to 42 cents in May of this year. We haven't yet heard whether there will be any other rate increases, such as increased charges for domestic parcel post or priority mail, or for international mail.

A couple of things (in addition to costing more to mail an item) make this rate increase important to stamp collectors.

First, the new rate will necessitate the printing of new 42 cent stamps - and possibly other stamps too, if other rates are also increased. That means that there will be a whole raft of new, collectible stamps to be added to existing stamp collections. Additional one cent stamps will also need to be printed in order to meet the demand - people will want them in order to use their "leftover" 41 cent stamps after the rate hike goes into effect.

Second, just how "forever" will the Forever Stamps be good for, and how long will they continue to be printed, now that the USPS has announced a rate increase so quickly on the heels of the last one? Maybe there will not be as many printing varieties of the Forever Stamps as we originally thought - because it's possible that once the existing stock is gone, no more will be made and sold to the public.

Alternatively, new printings - and hence additional varieties - ARE possible, although after the beginning of May, they'll cost 42 cents instead of 41 cents. We'll just have to wait and see what happens.