Managing Your Mail, Part 1

Having trouble figuring out what's a letter and what's a package? Or why a fat letter that doesn't weight that much came back to you? I'm going to try to help!

Lately, I've been hearing a lot about people having mail returned to them, and struggling with the rules surrounding sending mail. I offered a couple of suggestions in an earlier blog post, Why I Collect Postage Stamps and How I Organize Them, but discovered yesterday that one of the links was broken. So I thought I'd do a series specifically about navigating the confusing and choppy waters of US Postal Service rules. Sometimes my mail takes its sweet time getting to its destination (most recently, it took 3 weeks for a letter to go ~50 miles), but as far as I know, they haven't arrived with postage due or come back to me..

Part 1 is just about the tools, because I don't want my focus to get buried (I have a tendency to ramble on). Part 2 will follow soon after, and will cover whatever else I can think of that might help.

This is going to be of more interest to individuals like me who would like to just drop their mail into a box whenever possible, and not stand in line for every little thing.

Recommended tools

• Digital scale. In my opinion, this is an absolute necessity. You don't need a big scale to handle regular mail - a kitchen scale will do, as long as it displays partial ounces. (Fractions only matter after you cross the three-ounce mark. There is a 3.5 ounce rate, but otherwise, 1.1 ounce is the same as 2 ounces, and 2.1 ounces is the same as 3 ounces.) 
• Bookmark the USPS price list (or print out the PDF (many pages)). The first section is a little grid that covers the basics of pricing letters and parcels. 
• Bookmark the calculator. This will walk you through almost everything you need for domestic & international letters. The one thing you have to watch for is, just like at the counter, they start with the ridiculous options first and you have to dig for the regular first class costs.
• If you can get your hands on one, the Letter-size Mail Dimensional Standards Template (pictured above), aka Notice-3A (NOT3A) can be your best friend. I can't link to it, because all of the places I found for a printable one (legit & to scale) have been taken down. I'm not sure where mine came from, but I've had it for a couple of years and it's my buddy. It tells you at a glance if your envelope is too large to be considered a "letter." There's a slot in it: your envelope has to slide EASILY through the slot in order to go as a letter. If it sticks or doesn't fit, it jumps to package rates (a $2 difference for a 1 ounce envelope).
• How to get one: 
1. They are, I'm told, available at District Business Mail Entry offices. I don't know how that works, because mine is in Detroit, and even though I work in Detroit, I don't like driving around there (I get lost too easily). You might get lucky and find one nearby. 
2. You can order them from USPS customer service, but be prepared. The person I spoke to wasn't aware that civilians could order them and it took a while to get it worked out. They don't take credit cards, so you have to get your order set up, then get the details for sending a check and all the info. to include with it. 
• The item number is: 7610-03-000-9053 (NOT3A)
• I recommend getting together with a group of local friends and ordering a bunch at once to save on shipping. 
3. You can get one from me, temporarily. I was so aggravated by how difficult the USPS has made it for people to access basic tools, that I am ordering ten. I'm keeping a couple for myself - because I like redundancy with this kind of thing - and I'll make available the rest for whatever I paid ($1.60 each) plus actual shipping. I will not make a dime off of this, guaranteed. To get one of the eight, email me at mel.writes.letters at gmail dot com or DM me on Instagram. 
• Tape measure, for large envelopes or parcels.

I hope this helps! Happy mailing!

Part 2 is already in progress, and covers what basic stamps you need, measurements, etc.

US Postal Rate Decrease Plus Reminder About Buying Stamps Online

In case you missed it, the US Postal Service has lowered the rate for mailing just about everything. Obviously, this means that it will cost less to buy certain stamps, which is a good thing, but it also means that stamps you paid more for are worth less now than they were on April 9th.

What it meant to me, however, was that all of the "forever-type" stamps - those without a denomination printed on them - had to be relabeled in my album so I didn't accidentally put too little postage on a letter and cause it to be returned or its recipient to pay postage due. This is going to be more relevant to people who combine postage to make up rates, like I enjoy doing. One envelope that I prepared over the weekend - with three Forever stamps on it - needed an extra 6¢ to make up for the change. (I had the new rate correct, but neglected to account for the change in the stamps' value.)

Anything with a denomination or face value (FV) printed on it will not be affected. A 10¢ stamp is still a 10¢ stamp. But anything that has "Forever" or a purpose on it has changed: Here is what was in my album that needed to be re-labeled, with the image I had in parenthesis. Check the USPS site for additional information.

• Forever stamps were 49¢ and are now 47¢. 
• The stamp for an additional ounce (or special handling fee (like for a square envelope)) was 22¢ & is now 21¢ (penguin).
• Postcard stamps were 35¢ and are now 34¢ (coastal birds).
• The stamp for square/non-machinable envelopes was 71¢ and is now 68¢ (yellow butterfly).
• The 3-oz. letter stamp was 93¢ and is now 89¢ (Flannery O'Conner).
• Global/International stamps were $1.20 and are now $1.15 (moon).

Buying Stamps Online?

I also wanted to throw out a caution to anyone who buys, or is thinking about buying, stamps on sites like eBay: Check the USPS site before you buy anywhere else! I am constantly seeing stamps that are still available in the USPS online shop being sold on eBay for 2 or more times their FV. A sheet of 1¢ stamps, for example, is a whopping 20¢ through the post office, but people are selling them for a couple of bucks. Why pay $2.50 for a $1 stamp or $4 for a $2 one? (The USPS also sells stamps on eBay, but for their actual face value, plus shipping.)

Reclaiming Stamps Tutorial 2 - Self-adhesive

Some weeks ago, in my first Free Stamps Tutorial, I shared how I went about reclaiming unused gummed (vintage) postage stamps if you mess up addressing an envelope. I promised to write up something for modern, self-adhesive stamps at some point in the future. Well, the future is here!!

Disclaimer: as always, I'm not an expert. I'm also not a "real" stamp collector, in that I'm generally interested in reclaiming unused stamps to put back in my collection, although I'm starting to use canceled stamps as part of collages. To separate stamps in order to store them in albums probably requires special steps and gloves or something like that, so if that's your goal, I advise seeking out advice from professionals. 

First, let me show you why you can't just use the soak-in-warm-water method for newer stamps. This was a stamp that I cut off one of my turquoise envelopes that I messed up.

Not only did some of the dye from the paper leach onto the stamp, if you look closely, you can see that it's wrinkled and messy. It is probably still usable, but certainly not pretty.

I tried a couple different methods with the stamps I had saved. None worked, so I had to wait until I had more stamps. I received an envelope with a stamp that I really wanted to keep and display (it was sent for that purpose), so I decided to try something besides the non-effective water methods and hit the search tools.

I landed on the American Philatelic Society's Tips and Links page, and followed the link in the "Soaking Self-Adhesives" section to a PDF about the magic of  removing self-adhesive stamps from envelopes. I recommend that you read the article, but here is my experience.

Materials: The article recommends one of two products: an adhesive remover called "Bestine," which I could not find locally, or a 100% natural citrus oil product. I was able to find "Pure Citrus," the exact product recommended, in the air freshener section at Home Depot for $4.97, so I'm basing this entry on using that. You want one labeled 100% natural, containing just orange oil. (OdoBan makes an air freshener/adhesive remover (right on the label) that's 99.5% natural and costs $1 or so less. It may be perfectly fine, but I went with the 100%.)

In addition to the Pure Citrus, you need some paper towels and cotton swabs. I suggest having a piece of parchment paper handy as well.

Instructions

1. For plain paper envelopes*, cut out the stamp, leaving a little border of paper. 
2. Spray a little of the oil into a small dish (disposable plastic cup, etc., is great, but regular dishes will wash up fine with soap & hot water). 
3. Put the stamp face down on a couple of layers of folded paper toweling.
4. Dip one of the swabs into the oil and rub it over the paper until it's lightly saturated. Wait a few seconds. The stamp should easily peel away from the paper. If it doesn't, just add a little more, wait, then try again. You can also spray directly onto the back of the piece, but when I did it in a dish, the next stamp was saturated (it's fine, but I wanted to avoid that). 
5. There will be some adhesive remaining on the stamp. The article suggests rubbing a little talc on it, but we didn't have any, so I took another swab with a little oil on it, and gently rubbed the back of the stamp. Most or all of the adhesive came away.
6. Let it air dry for a few minutes, then store in a folded piece of parchment, keeping the stamps separate. After a while, you'll know if any adhesive remains and you can store those stamps in a glassine envelope or folded parchment paper until ready to glue onto envelopes and use.**

*If the envelope is thick, you can work on the stamp where it is, face-up, but slowly. Don't soak the whole thing, just wet an edge with the oil, get the edge up, then gently rub the swab between the stamp and paper, pushing towards where they meet, peeling slowly until it comes away. Then, follow steps 5 & 6, above.

**If the stamps are from another country, you can always keep them just to look at if they're awesome - like this one - or share with a collector.

Seriously, isn't this stamp awesome?! I couldn't tell until I saw it close up that they were indoors, in a blanket fort, which is even cooler than outdoors in a tent, which is what I originally thought. Because I've decided that this older child is reading a ghost story to the younger one, it's going to look wonderful next to my Haunted Canada stamps...as soon as I figure out how and where to display them! They're really about storytelling and pretend, but hey, I used my imagination to create a back story!

The little flecks are from the envelope, which was very heavy-duty, with a gold foil pattern. 

Vintage Postage Stamps Series: Halloween + a Giveaway!

February is the perfect time to write about Halloween-y postage stamps. At least it is for someone who loves all things creepy and eerie. I recently started reaching out to my pen pals to see who might want to get Halloween-themed envelopes (or letters) year 'round and immediately started in on decorating envelopes. My one (small) fear is that I'm going to run out of ideas and have to send plain envelopes come October. (I'll share some of those images in a follow-up post; this one is going to be long enough.)

As per usual with my vintage postage series, there's a giveaway (my best yet)! I hope you stay long enough to at least scan the post, but definitely check out the end for contest details.

As mentioned earlier, vintage Edgar Allan Poe stamps were the philately equivalent of a gateway drug and led me to start gathering/collecting postage stamps. I don't believe I've exhausted the theme, but I'm pretty ecstatic with what I've managed to gather. I have started spreading them out a bit, so I'll mix a couple of my spooky postage stamps with some modern ones, so I can make my "supplies" last longer. If you're interested in growing your own collection, check out my tips at the end of the first vintage postage post.

There are actually two Poe stamps: a 3¢ from 1949 and a 42¢ from 2009. The latter is pressure-sensitive (sticker-style), so it may not truly count as "vintage," but in my book, anything I can't buy at the PO right now qualifies. I like to use these together, with a modern, lower denomination stamp to round out the current rate.

If I was excited about the Poe stamps, I was over the moon when I discovered the brightly-colored 10¢ The Legend of Sleepy Hollow stamp (1974). I have a love/hate relationship with the original story by Washington Irving, but I love the imagery! It also has a sentimental significance, not to mention all of the works it has inspired. In addition to the stamp featuring Ichabod on the run from a headless horseman, there is a 1¢ stamp from 1940 featuring the author. This stamp has a little-known dual purpose: Mr. Irving sort of invented Christmas as we know it (in the US anyway), so you could use them on holiday cards in December.

The 32¢ pocket in my stamp notebook is the fattest because it has both Alfred Hitchcock (1998) & Classic Movie Monsters (1997), among others.

In addition to being a fan of such classics as The Birds, Psycho, The Lady Vanishes, etc., I introduced my goddaughter to Hitchcock movies when she was nine (Rear Window was her favorite for a long time). I put one of these stamps on almost every letter I send her (along with a Sleepy Hollow one), so I tend to hoard them. Note the sweet laser-cut profile in the upper left corner of the stamp.

The Movie Monster stamps are just so...well, they're the perfect Halloween stamp. I have done a Frankenstein's monster-themed envelope and am contemplating what I might do for the other three monsters in the set. I have a candelabra rubber stamp that might do for the Phantom; the Mummy & Dracula would probably be easier.

The Night Friends sheet (37¢, 2002) features four different American bats. These are just fun.

Honorable Mentions

• Harry Potter series
• Circus stamps (current Circus Posters (forever) or vintage (29¢,1993)): at least the damn clowns (I am actually not afraid of clowns*, but I recognize their potential as scary creatures and have totally used at least one clown stamp as part of a postage collage.) 
• Carnivorous Plants (34¢, 2004).
• Coming sometime in 2016, the USPS is releasing a Jack-o-lantern stamp, so there will be one more to add to the collection. 
• You can always make your own! 

Outside the US? Canada still wins for its Haunted Canada series. I'm not sure what else is available - some countries have more fun than others with their stamps, but you might have to get creative when it comes to stretching the theme. 

Giveaway Time

One lucky commenter will win the 18 stamps pictured in the "giveaway" image, left. Anyone is eligible - even if you've won before - and I'll ship anywhere. There is at least one of each stamp mentioned in the main part of the story (plus one from the honorable mentions category (Carnivorous Plants)). Bonus: one of my custom (ghost) postage stamps that you cannot get anywhere else. All of the stamps are unused and unhinged (cannot guarantee mint condition), and can therefore be applied and included as part of any US postal rate.

To enter, simply comment here and tell me which of the above is your favorite OR suggest a themed stamp not included in the post. That is it!! I'll pick a winner on March 5th or 6th. Shares are not required, but will be rewarded if I'm aware that a winner shared the link. Important: make sure I have a way to reach you if you win!!

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*Clown dolls are a whole 'nother story.

Why I Collect Postage Stamps & How I Organize Them

Or, the benefits of having postage stamps on hand

I struggled with how to title this. I want to explain what got me started gathering (not sure "collecting" is the right word) postage stamps and/or why I continue to do it. 

Marshmallows Feb. 2016

Basically, it's so I can do this (right, and below) without going to the post office or standing in any line. As long as I keep my packages from crossing the 13 oz. mark (I keep them close to 12 oz. to avoid any scale discrepancies), I can apply postage and drop the packages in any mail box. I order current stamps from the USPS site & get vintage stamps mainly from eBay. While the USPS charges for shipping, the fee is pretty reasonable and it's worth it to avoid the line or dealing with *that* clerk. You know the one.

What got me started? It began about 6 years ago. Like most people, I may have had half a book of stamps somewhere around the house, but needed to mail several small packages. I took my little stack of 4 or 5 envelopes, and got in line. Not one of those packages reached its destination. Not a single one. What was my crime? "Sassing" a crabby counter clerk. 

When it was my turn, the clerk proceeded to grill me about the contents of my packages (5½x8½" booklets in catalog-size envelopes). She went above and beyond the call of duty when it came to the Hazmat questions (fragile, liquid, perishable, etc.). I would usually say something like, "no, none of them," and that would be good enough, but not for her: she wanted me to tell her exactly what was in each envelope. I swear, I felt like I was crossing the border. 

They were identical, yet each time, she asked me what it contained. I finally said "it contains nothing fragile, liquid, perishable or anything else you've asked me. It's paper. It's all paper. They're all the same." (Something like that - it has been a few years!) She stopped asking, I paid, and went on my merry way. And the rest is history. Like I said above: none of those packages ever reached their intended recipients. That's quite a petty little tantrum, and I vowed to never let her touch my mail again. 

At first, I just would let whoever was behind me in line go ahead if her window was the next one open. Then, I discovered cool, old stamps like Edgar Allen Poe, movie monsters, etc. and went from there to finding that you could order larger denomination stamps* and have a variety of basic, modern stamps. I may have gotten a little carried away with my collection (see video, below), but now I can put any price together with what I have on hand and send packages to my heart's content (you can easily do this with just current stamps). I just go to the PO to check my box and only stand in line a few times a year to hand over boxes with a pre-paid label. And so far, none of my packages have gone astray. 

Important note for organization: The face value is not printed on the stamp for many denominations  over 20¢ . This is no big deal if you are using it the way they intend, using a stamp for a service (which is printed on the stamp), but if you're going to use them to make up a larger rate, a way to identify the actual face value is essential. I use a 3-ring binder and a LOT of labeled sheet protectors. If there is a rate change, these unmarked/forever stamps will need to be relabeled, but right now, I know that this stamp is worth 71¢ and this one is worth 93¢, etc. 

Here's a peek at my collection and how it's organized:

Last week, I stood in line for 10 minutes because I was out of the $1.20 Global stamps and needed to mail something sooner than a shipment could arrive. Ten minutes later, I learned that they were out of them, too (as is everyone else). Total waste of time! I also find that even the friendliest clerks get agitated when you go there with a list of denominations you need, especially if there is anyone waiting behind me. The website is easier to navigate, although it's still arranged pretty strangely (the $2 Inverted Jenny stamps are not listed with the over-49¢ stamps; they are only on the "sheets" page & don't come up in their search (I can't even link to them easily)). I sat down the other night and ordered the stamps I was out of and paid via PayPal without standing in line behind three people doing complex transactions (attempting to rent a PO box without ID, sending a package without tape, applying for a passport...), without leaving my desk, or anyone rolling their eyes at me or making huffing, impatient noises behind me. 

Want to do this yourself? (My recommendations.)

• You need a scale that does partial ounces (in the US (I got mine at Harbor Freight); a digital kitchen scale might work)
• Get a copy of the measurement card** with the thickness slot cut out (print it on cardstock & laminate if you can) Note: I can not find a valid link for these right now. Check the postage label for an upcoming post.
• Use the "calculate price" function of the USPS site religiously. 
• Use the print & ship function when your domestic package exceeds 13 oz. and take advantage of the discount. These packages come with free tracking and insurance up to $25 or $50.
• Have a few padded envelopes (dollar store unless you can buy in bulk) and some clear tape at least. (Get good tape. Can't go wrong with Scotch or Ducktape.)
• A calculator comes in handy, so you don't add more postage than you need (or put on too little), but my computer has one, as does my phone, and my tablet, so I'm covered there. 
• Educate yourself about the rules. Some post office associates don't even know their own rules really well. You know there is a 22¢ surcharge (non-machinable) if your envelope is square, rigid or you addressed it sideways? Do you know that you don't have to pay that 22¢ for each condition, just once per envelope? So, a square, rigid envelope isn't 44¢ extra like I've been charged in the past. It's 22¢ extra (and there's a stamp in that amount just for that purpose). By knowing this and applying the postage myself, then dropping it into a box, I don't have to have that argument anymore.
• Then buy a sheet each of the small denomination stamps, and whatever you can swing for the higher denominations. $9 will get you 20 each (1 sheet) of the: 1¢, 2¢, 3¢, 4¢, 5¢, 10¢ & 20¢ stamps. There are also 22¢ stamps (great for that extra handling) & 35¢ (domestic post cards, add-on for heavier letter), and so on. If you want to get into vintage stamps, read my "guide" at the end of this post. You can benefit from some of my early mistakes!

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*I don't buy anything more expensive than the $2 denomination stamps. Anything that crosses the 13-oz mark qualifies for a discount if you print your own labels, so I do that, even if it's less fun. I stock up on anything I can get that is between 49¢ and $1 - they come in handy when you're putting together the $3.15 or $2.74 rates. 

**AKA Notice 3A.  I have a plastic version and it is very handy. I'm not sure where it came from, though. I don't know how much they cost, but this page says that they are available at Business Mail Entry Offices.

Reclaimed Postage Stamps Tutorial

This tutorial will show you how to reclaim non-canceled vintage (gummed) stamps from messed up envelopes (or for collage purposes).

Far too often, I mess up envelopes I'm planning to mail, or decide not to send something, so I definitely want to get those stamps back before the envelope goes in the trash! Because I order stamps via eBay a lot, I sometimes get cool stamps on packages that I might be able to use in a collage. Older, gummed stamps are far easier to reclaim than modern, pressure-sensitive (sticker) style stamps*; I have not had wonderful luck getting the sticker-style stamps off of paper, but have had amazing luck reclaiming vintage/gummed stamps.

This how-to is not for stamp collectors who put stamps into albums. You really want to find an expert (there are probably several on YouTube) who will demonstrate what tools, etc. to use. 

First, cut off the section containing the stamps (top pic). 

Cut out each stamp close to the edge without cutting the actual stamp. (If the stamps are still connected, you can leave them that way.)

Next, get a large, shallow bowl or dish and fill it with hot tap water. 

One by one, add your cut-apart stamps and tap them gently to submerge. Just do a few at a time - a little gumming may remain and you don't want them to stick together!

Wait a few seconds. It may take longer, but in the batch I did this morning, one stamp was floating free from its backing before I had added them all to the bowl.

Remove the stamps from the water with your fingers or tweezers and lay them on a paper towel. I usually set them out face up, flip them after about a minute (shown, right), then cover them with something lightweight & water-resistant to keep them flat (and safe from the cats' antics). 

When they're completely dry, put unused ones back (wherever you keep your stamps (I keep mine in a 3-ring binder, with one labeled sheet-protector for each denomination)) and toss the used ones into your ephemera collection.

When you're ready to use your reclaimed stamps, you'll need a good adhesive (I use Elmer's extra-strength office glue sticks; some craft glue sticks don't hold as well).

*Bonus pic, and a promise: I'll put together a tutorial showing how to retrieve modern, self-adhesive stamps from messed-up envelopes (or SASEs included in begging envelopes).

Update: done! See tutorial, here. 

Vintage Stamps Series: Space part 1, & another Giveaway!

Happy New Year! The closest I'm coming to making a resolution is a desire to post here more regularly and continue to learn new stuff. Maybe get off my ass some. But resolutions seem designed to make people feel bad about themselves and go buy gym memberships, so I avoid them.

I'm continuing the vintage stamp show-off series, and, to celebrate making it to 2016, giving away some stamps, too. Before we dig in, make sure you read to the end for giveaway details, and check out my first vintage stamps post for some tips for getting started.

Update: The Giveaway is over - the winner has been notified. 

I love myself some themes when it comes to stamps (wait until I share my Halloween-theme collection), and lately have been getting all the space-themed ones I could find (and justify the cost of). I've been wanting to show off my collection as it stands but have optimistically called this part 1 of the Space miniseries, because I hope there will be a part 2 (I'm missing several!).

I can never travel in space (claustrophobic, so the idea of being trapped in a small enclosure for any length of time...shudder), but I have been fascinated with it since my early days of watching Star Trek re-runs. One of my favorite books is The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, and I love old sci-fi movies, so fantastical/fictional imagery is fun, too. Here are the space-themed stamps I currently have, in no real order. I just re-read that and realized it sounds like I only care about fictional space. Not true. Not at all.

The 1981 Space Achievements (18¢) stamps were the first I acquired, starting with a pane of 8 tucked into a lot of loose stamps ordered from an eBay seller. They led me to start looking for other space-themed stamps.

I didn't think that these 1997 Space Discovery (32¢) stamps were real when I first saw them. I haven't done any reading on them, but the location is obviously Mars, so this fits in with my love of the fantastical and fictional, do you grok?

These 2000 Hubble (33¢) stamps are breathtaking. There are 5, with each row having a different order.

Here are a few random, loose examples:

• 1948 3¢ Palomar Mountain Observatory
• 1962 4¢ Project Mercury, honoring the John Glenn-piloted Mercury-Atlas 6 flight)
• 1971 8¢ Space Achievement Decade (pictured here in reverse order)
  
  Below:
• 1975 10¢ Mariner 10 (launched Nov. 1973 for a 2-yr mission to explore Venus & Mercury)
• 1975 10¢ Pioneer (10 was launched in March 1972; 11 in April 1973)

Giveaway

Thanks for reading! I can't promise to always give away stamps when I do a vintage post, but I am this time! Winner will get the stamps in the image at top of this post (or to the right). All stamps are unused and unhinged, but not necessarily mint.

How to Enter: It's easy! Just comment here and share your favorite scientific or sci-fi work (any medium). Sharing is appreciated, but not required. I'd like to grow my readership, but I don't think that forcing people to repost and tag friends is a way to do it for real. The contest will end on January 15th. Make sure I can find you!!

Last time, only one person commented :-( , so this time, I'm hoping to DOUBLE that :-)

2016 Stamps Sneak-peek

Space. The Final Frontier. 

USPS 2016 Star Trek Forever stamps

Anyone that's been here before has probably figured out that I collect postage stamps to use on letters and small packages. Even though I have some fun vintage stamps, I've been pretty vocal on how jealous I am of other countries' less restrictive rules about what they can put on stamps (e.g. New Zealand's hobbits and Canada's Haunted Canada series). I haven't entirely changed my mind about that, but at least we're getting Star Trek stamps next year*! Plus several other space-related stamps.

A blog I read regularly, Letter Writer's Alliance (I'm a member, too), tipped me off about the announcement and sent me looking. You can see all of the planned releases on the USPS's blog post announcing the 2016 line-up.

In addition to the Star Trek stamps, I'm also excited about these space-themed stamps:

Views of Our Planets
Now that Pluto is out, they have a nice, even eight to work with.

Pluto - Explored!
 Neener, neener, planets. This not-a-planet got it's own series and you have to share.

Today, I learned that, in 1991, the USPS released a stamp declaring Pluto - Not Yet Explored (part of a series). It even had a Spock/Star Trek connection!

The Moon (Global)
Currently, the rate for the round global stamps is $1.20. They're great for sending postcards internationally, and letters (of a certain weight) as well (check rates). They're also great to have on hand for when you want to mail a small package and don't have room to put a ton of small-denomination stamps on it.

Honorable Mention

There are several other fun stamps I'm interested in for next year, but the only other one I'll post about is the Halloween stamp. 'bout time, USPS. I'd use these year 'round!

Excuses, excuses & an upcoming giveaway

I've been a little absent lately, but I haven't forgotten the blog!! I got my first migraine in 5 years a couple of weeks ago, which totally knocked me on my ass (weekends are usually when I put my entries together), then I got a scratched cornea during a procedure and had to wear a patch on my eye. Bummer, too, because not having regular posts is a good way to lose readers, and I haven't attracted that many yet. So, if you're still here, thank you!! My next post will be a show-off of some of my vintage space stamps, and there will be another giveaway, so stay tuned!

Right: Proof of eye patch. Also proof that I totally suck at taking selfies.



*Again. There was at least one previous Star Trek USPS stamp (33¢), but I wasn't aware of that until today. Envision me sitting on my hands (figuratively, since I'm typing), to keep from checking eBay for some.

Immortalized: Or, Photo Stamps on a Budget

I recently found an eBay seller that helped make my desire to have custom postage stamps a reality, and for a reasonable price! (After it was all totaled up, I actually paid less than face value (FV) for my first order!) This is in no way an ad or sponsored post - I'm simply a happy customer who wants to share her source! Disclaimer: this is my own experience. Your mileage may vary, buyer beware, etc., etc.

Custom postage stamps have been available for several years, but I never felt like I could justify the cost. A few weeks ago, however, I saw the Haunted Canada* stamps, and started wishing in earnest for postage stamps that were more fun. The USPS has some good stamps, but they are really behind when it comes to some other countries. I checked the prices online for ordering customized stamps and realized that even with my little obsession and growing collection, I still couldn't bring myself to pay over twice the FV for stamps ($1.10 plus shipping).

As you've probably guessed by now, I spend a bit of time on eBay, looking for good deals on vintage postage. I had seen this listing come up repeatedly, but paid little attention until I found myself really wanting custom stamps. I read the listing very carefully. The seller, pnmsales, had (has) a 100% rating and tons of glowing reviews indicating that this was the real deal, so I took the risk and ordered some.

How it works: some time ago, a photo stamp company sold a stamp creation kit, with software and a gift code that allowed purchasers to design and order a sheet of first class postage stamps. Those gift certificates are still valid, and good for one sheet of whatever the first class value is on the date of order, minus about 1.5¢. The seller I've ordered from (account linked above) sells the kit for $9.75, with free shipping, and (at this time) offers $1 off for every two kits you purchase. So, if you order two, they are $9.25 each. When you order the actual stamps and  redeem the gift certificates, you pay shipping plus a couple of cents per sheet.

While you wait for your eBay order to arrive, plan your stamps. The Photo Stamps site does not offer guidelines for sizing images, just on subject (important) and actual file size. You need to read the guidelines, re: what you can put on a stamp. You can use your own art, logos, etc. as long as they don't violate any decency rules. The fewer subjects the better. To make ordering easier, use editing software to crop your images into squares, and make them as high resolution and size as you can, while keeping the file size under 5mb. (Stamps.com could learn a lot from Moo.com and their excellent image sizing guidelines.) I do not know at which point in the process "improper" stamps are halted - the company may print your stamps and the USPS may refuse to deliver, or the order could be rejected. So make sure you read carefully and follow the guidelines!

For my stamps, I ended up using some digital art images done by myself or my husband, a great picture of one of our cats, and a creative commons-licensed image of Herman, the sloth at the Detroit Zoo. (I "met" Herman several years ago, and have several videos of him, hanging out just over my head, but none of the angles lent themselves to a stamp, so I had to make due. I made sure to get one that was licensed for re-use.)

Once you receive your eBay order, and you're ready to create your stamps, open the boxes and tear off the little strip that seals the CD envelope (you don't need the CD; do not install the software).

Side note: while the site is functional, I cannot access it with my login any longer (successful log in, but site "cannot be displayed").  I placed a second order as guest and will do the same in the future. I hope it's just a glitch and not them trying to prevent me from using the gift certificates!

Visit  Photo.Stamps.com and create your stamps, following the directions on the site (the current first class postage rate should be selected by default). When it's time to check out, there will be a space to redeem gift certificates or coupon codes. That's where you will enter the code from the CD envelope(s). Just keep entering and applying the codes until you've entered one per sheet. You should see a small balance - a few cents per sheet, plus shipping. Pay that, and wait for your stamps to arrive.

For my first order, I created several sheets, for myself and gifts, and paid $3.11 at checkout, bringing my cost per stamp to just under 49¢ each. Ordering two sheets today cost me $3.03 at checkout (see screenshot), bringing the cost per stamp to a tad under 54¢ each!

[Beware: The stamps are shipped in fairly flimsy envelopes with no support, so unless you have a huge mail box, the envelope will be bent slightly (or possibly folded in half), and so will the stamp sheets. All of my sheets were bent and there is a bubble down one row on each, but they weren't seriously damaged and are usable. I'd be pretty annoyed if I'd paid full price for them.]

*Regular stamps available from Canada Post. They did a set in 2014 and a set in 2015, I have one sheet of each, even though they're useless to me as postage. They are that cool.


(Sorry about the delay. I've had a rough couple of weeks.)