Stocking up on stamps

Forever Stamp helps transition with price increase

Published Thursday, May 8, 2008

By Brandon Evans

Although it's not a good idea for a get-rich-quick scheme, buying some Forever Stamps this week can save mailers a few cents before postal stamps increase.

On Monday, May 12, the price of a First Class Mail stamp increases from 41 cents to 42 cents.

"We will have a regular price increase every year at this time," said Arlene Sanchez, a spokesperson with the U.S. Postal Service in Dallas. "Our mailers prefer this predictable increase."

The regular increase is a product of the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act passed by Congress in 2006. The act was passed to make the U.S. Postal Service operate more like a free market business. The U.S. Post Office receives no tax dollars for its operations.

The rising cost of gas and other expenses prompt the need for an increase in the price of a stamp. The yearly increase can never be more than the yearly rise of inflation.

But in order to ease the price transition, Sarah Wolfe, the postmaster in Boyd, recommends people purchase some Forever Stamps. First offered in April 2007, the Forever Stamp, which features the Liberty Bell as a graphic, cost the same as the current price of first class stamp. However, it is good "forever."

Wolfe said the stamp has been extremely popular at her branch.

"We have some people come in and buy 100 books at a time," Wolfe said. "That's like $820."

The Boyd Post Office sells between 800 and 1,000 books of Forever Stamps per week.

Although the rise of e-mail and online billing has had an effect on the overall amount of mail sent each year, people continue to use the U.S. Post Office.

"We have seen a decline in First Class Mail," Wolfe said. "But people still trust in the post office."

Since first offered in April 2007, the U.S. Post Office reports sales of 30 million Forever Stamps per day and more than 6 billion sold in the past year.

"We want to keep the Forever Stamp around," Sanchez said. "It helps ease the price transition. This Monday will be the first time to see it work."