[DX] Forever Stamps

[Ron Notarius W3WN]

Larry, with all due respect...  don't make excuses.

When I send out an SASE with a Liberty Bell stamp that says "Forever" on it,
not "$.41", and it comes back with an extra 1 cent stamp on it... it is not
I who have made the error.

Yes, I know managers are hard working and do it for the love of the hobby.
Which is why I for one don't wish to cost them any additional time or money
when they are doing me the favor of returning a card to me.

And with only a few managers did I have this concern.  The vast majority of
Forever-stamped SASE's I sent out, that have come back to date, have NOT had
the additional postage applied.

I'm sure that in the "heat of the moment" the managers in question simply
failed to notice that Forever stamps were used.  It is unfortunate.  But the
real cause of the error is the Post Office's use of the same exact stamp
design for both the 'regular' 1st Class stamp and the Forever 1st class
stamp.

And I doubt that the stamp design duplication is an oversight or error.
Considering the USPS is hemorrhaging money, every extra penny helps...

>From what I understand from the news, we can look forward to annual postage
rate adjustments annually, almost certainly upwards, for years to come.  So
let's just hope that when the next increase is implemented next Spring, the
Forever stamp is better recognized, and that the "regular" 1st class stamp
has a different enough design that the two aren't mistaken for each other.

73

-----Original Message-----
Date: Wed, 20 Aug 2008 10:15:45 -0500 (CDT)
From: lwloen at myclearwave.net
Subject: [DX] Forever Stamps
To: dx at mailman.qth.net

>The problem with Forever Stamps is that
>the DX Manager or Buro handler will
>often take the attitude of "why take a chance?"
>and attach additional First Class postage anyway.

Well, my response to that is, we surely can't run the system indefinitely
on ignorance on either side of the mailing.

These "Forever" stamps have been there for two postage rate cycles now.  I
have been able to buy them not just at "changeover" time, but all the
time.  My favorite postage machine dispenses no other first class stamps.

One must be careful to get the right ones, though.  There apparently were
"liberty bell" types that were not the "forever" variety.  Perhaps it is
we, not the "buro" managers that are sometimes at fault ??

There is surely no bigger hassle to running a bureau (DX or domestic) than
postage increases and the problem of un-mailable envelopes they create.
Hard to believe they aren't paying attention to this.

The various "buros" I work with seem to recognize them just fine.

When I provide the real thing.

At any rate, it costs nothing for me to try.



Larry  Wo0Z