So the arrival of the forever stamp has me asking some interesting questions. For example, does it make sense for me to drop $500 or so on stamps, hoping they’d last the rest of mine and Lea’s lives? I started down that road, and then I thought “hmmm. I wonder how long that self-adhesive lasts? I better ask before I make the Big Buy.”
Here is exactly what I sent to the U.S. Postal Service at their Contact Us link early last week:
What is the lifespan of the adhesive on unused self-adhesive stamps? If they are kept in a cool, dry, dark place, how long will the adhesive last?
Here is the exact answer I received today:
Thank you for contacting us about how long the adhesive on the stamps.Unfortunately, any information available on this issue must be obtained from your local Post Office. Based on your ZIP Code, the contact information for your Post Office is…
Uhh. So I’m to believe that my local postal workers will know about this, and the USPS itself doesn’t? I wonder whether a human being even read my question?
Other forever stamp questions:
- What kind of a moron is going to buy anything but these anymore? They don’t cost any more. But 41-cent stamps remain available. Go figure.
- Has anyone looked at the forever stamp as a disproportionate hit to the poor? Though I’m hardly a rich guy, I can find $500 for a one-time stamp purchase. Not everyone can. Doesn’t that mean that lower income postal service customers will be subsidizing my stamp grab ten years from now?
- Alabama reneged on its “forever” antique vehicle license plates several years back, saying, essentially, “we changed our minds.” What’s to keep the USPS from doing the same thing with the forever stamp? Fear of consequences? Ha!
- Are any presidential candidates calling for a comprehensive overhaul of the Postal Service? Contrary to popular opinion, the U.S. Constitution does not authorize the monopoly held on several products and services by the USPS.
I’ve got some coming this week. I didn’t spend $500, but I did spend $82.
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