Why not?? I think it is a FANTASTIC idea!! I hate hate hate it when I have to buy just the right number of 2 cent stamps to make my old ones still good. What at PAIN!! This will be so wonderful!!!

Makes sense to me--when you have a choice of either forever or 'regular', they have to print 2 (actually many more) styles of stamps. And then, when postage goes up, the numbered ones are no longer viable, so new ones need to be designed and printed. This way? If postage goes up, they can still sell the existing stock, at higher prices--it's a HUGE savings to the PO, I would imagine.

I guess you're right. I wasn't objecting to it; I just didn't get it. I hope they continue issuing commemorative stamps, though. I'm a stamp freak, I guess. I don't collect them, but I love to use big, colorful, unusual stamps. I bought almost none of the regular Forever stamps because they didn't appeal to me. (Normally, I'm a serious bargain hunter.) :-)

We have had them in Canada for a couple of years now and they still do make some different fancy ones that are forever too. Love the idea since I no longer have to add a bunch of one and two cent stamps if the postage goes up.

We have had them in Canada for years now. I like them. Our postage seems to go up every January. Just buy extra in December and you don't have to pay the difference with penny stamps when postage increases.

Makes complete sense to me... glad they finally got around to doing it!

I heard about it last week from my postmistress. She said it will make her job a lot easier!

But what if you have a number of forever stamps and the price goes up? Won't you still have to pay more? Guess I don't get it, either!

If you already own them, you bought them at the lower price and can use them no matter how far the price goes up. That's the advantage of the Forever stamps--to the consumer, anyway.

I heard about it last week from my postmistress. She said it will make her job a lot easier!

I guess I'm still not getting this. How will it make her job a lot easier?

Because when there is a postage increase they sell thousands of 1 or 2 cent stamps, or whatever the increase is. And I would imagine that they have to regularly inventory them and report stamps on hand.

I saw this announced somewhere, or perhaps they sent it out to their business customers.

"Because when there is a postage increase they sell thousands of 1 or 2 cent stamps, or whatever the increase is. And I would imagine that they have to regularly inventory them and report stamps on hand. "

Exactly!

"But what if you have a number of forever stamps and the price goes up? Won't you still have to pay more? Guess I don't get it, either!"

No, you don't pay more.
The first class forever stamps you buy are adequate postage, no matter the rate increase.

I guess.....and the Postmaster did look pretty happy when she told me about it. But when the rates go up, it's not usually limited to first-class stamps. Since I ship stuff from home, I buy stamps in every denomination from $1 to 1 penny. I count 11 different kinds, although there may be more. Of course, I don't buy thousands at a time. I'll have to talk to my friend the postal worker and get her take on this.

The "Forever" stamps are calculated for 1 oz. first class letter mailing. If I'm mailing a package or an oversized envelope, etc., requiring more than 44 cents, I just let the postal person use their postage meter labels.

I've futzed around with 1 and 2 cent stamps to make up for postage increases long enough - these Forevers are brilliant as far as I'm concerned. I bought $100 worth when they were first introduced at 42 cents way back in April of 2007. Still using them with a handful of cards left to go.

I'm glad there will be commemoratives though, the regular postal issues can be a bit bland.

Seems to be true!

Here is a link that might be useful: Forever stamps 2011

Does anybody know, can you use a Forever stamp on International mail? I often write to a friend in Canada, and it cists 75 cents . I thought about putting 2 "forevers' on the enmvelope to save a wait in line.

I often mail internationally, here's the quote from USPS:

"Customers can use Forever Stamps for international mail, but since all international prices are higher than domestic prices, customers will need to attach additional postage. The value of the Forever Stamp is the domestic First-Class Mail letter price in effect on the day of use."

Yes, it's worth 44 cents no matter what you do with it. But you should get yourself some 75-cent stamps if you mail to Canada often.

It makes a lot of sense. The post office does not have to bother with printing a 2 to 3 cent stamp, does not have to stock it, and the clerks do not have to bother with the extra stamps, and they save time checking for proper postage on incoming mail. It would be a different story if the makeup stamp were 10 cents, but most increases have been in the 1 to 3 cent range in the past.

I suspect that "Forever" means more ...

... to folks under 40 than to folks double that age (who figure that "Forever" doesn't apply to them: not in this dimension of life, anyway).

ole joyful

Just bought some Forever stamps today. They are a different design (not the bell). In fact, there are 4 different evergreen/pine designs in the book. Am I the first or last to know this/get them? Was this design suppose to be for Christmas?

carla I got those in November!
Those were the secular holiday stamps.

The ones I bought have kumquats on them, celebrating the Asian lunar new year. They're pretty.