So I Needed A Few Stamps......try to explain this one...

numbersman

In need of some forever stamps(at 49 cents each) I was going to the post office anyway(to get to my P O box) so I figured I would grab some there...but,as usual(lately)the lines were long and since it wasn't urgent,I just went back home.So,I'm trolling eBay and see a note that had just sold....decided to take a look at the other items that seller had for sale and found these stamps......for $3.50 buy it now and free shipping! It's $12.50 in face and a convenient denom as well.Just got them today and they are the real deal.Sold as commems they do bring better money (on average) than face but for me to effectively fully profit from these,I will use them.I think I'm on to something with as much as I mail out.

Tookybandit

Hehe, genius!

HalfCollector

Rob, lets hope that other fields off collecting don't end up like stamps, supply far exceeds demand. No new blood entering the field, so most stamps printed after about 1940 bring 40-60 cents on the dollar when you go to sell them. It is a great way to save on postage. Just make sure the envelope is large enough to hold lots of 3-5 cent stamps.
Hope you pass the savings on to your collector friends.

gnat

Used to buy old postage from stamp people at coin shows for below face to use at work. But not at that steep of a discount. Wow. Good deal and perfect denomination.

tomtomtomtom

Many people sell their unused stamps for about 66% face on eBay....most sellers want a particular plate block or whatever (leaving partial sheets)....Buying stamps this way will give you savings but you have to deal with finding stamps to make up the difference.....but this sale is ridiculous.

DepressionscripGuy

I get stuff in the mail all the time with multiple old stamps on it. It's a pretty common practice.

techwriter

Originally posted by: gnat

Used to buy old postage from stamp people at coin shows for below face to use at work. But not at that steep of a discount. Wow. Good deal and perfect denomination.

Did it for years with 3 cent stamps and covered entire top of envelope and then down the sides. Yep, the discount was great too, $100 face for $70.

delistamps

I buy all my postage at 75 cents or less on the dollar. Many on the forum who have received mail from me realize that!

golden

Nice.

gsalex

You did well on that deal! I typically buy postage at 70-80 percent of face at my local stamp club shows. There is a tremendous amount of mint postage out there, sold to collectors who squirreled it away and forgot about it. Now their heirs are just trying to get rid of it for whatever they can get.

This phenomenon is known as the "float" -- the unused postage that the USPS knows is out there but has not been used. I did a rough calculation once and I came up with something over a billion dollars in mint postage, sold but not used since the 1930s. The post office would very much like to NOT have people apply this old postage, but at the rate it's being used I don't think they have much to worry about. I love putting old stamps on letters, but I always use printed postage online for packages -- for the simple reason that it is trackable and buyers can't claim that their order never arrived (which has happened before when I've used stamps).

talkingwalnut2

My business partner was a stamp guy. And when he died he left me everything. So I got dozens of pounds of worthless old, world, and recent FDC stamps which I tossed or gave away to the Boy Scouts. And $3000 face in unused modern commems.





So I spent them. Took me and another friend over 5 years to use them all and they were sure some funny looking packages, used truck fenders that I sold on ebay with hundreds of 29 cent stamps glued to the big dirty cardboard box. But it saved us $3000 and now all the post office clerks know me!

delistamps

The other phenomenon I've noticed on eBay is large lots of modern "forever" stamps...full books and coils. I wonder if these are lifted from corporate mail rooms, or even sold by those claiming postage expenses for their small businesses and then selling the stamps online. I never bid on these lots.

Montyhall

I had never gotten a package with old stamps on it till today. I bought a National off of ebay, and it came with 31 different denomination stamps on it. I love it!

notehunter494

If you are diligent you can get stamps at 50 cents on the dollar for usable, 32cents and up postage, on eBay anytime.

dtreter

I just found out at the post office that the forever stamp is going down by 2 cents to .47 in a couple of weeks. They were ordered to do this by the postal commission.