Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
So, isn't it nice when a stamp collector goes up to the counter and asks to see the binder of stamps that are available for sale and the clerk gives the collector the binder to go through. Then the collector takes a look at some of the coil rolls. What does he do? He starts to break open the rolls. He wants just single stamps from the coils. Of course the post office doesn't sell broken coil rolls.
He was told to not break open the rolls. He said that he didn't want to buy an entire roll. He was told that to get individual coil stamps he would have to order through Kansas City. The customer became indignant saying that he is an "official stamp collector" and has the right to buy what he wants from the post office. He did not get to break open the rolls.
I want to thank this "official stamp collector" (whatever that term means - me thinks is translates into one word where the word starts with the letter "a" and ends with the letter "e") for giving all the people who were standing in line and the clerks the wrong impression of what a "true stamp collector" is. At least the clerks have known me for many years.
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The people at my post office are very friendly too, but they can no longer order any stamps for anyone - even for their own office to sell to whoever walks up to the window. We just have to take whatever is sent by the somewhat larger post office in the neighboring town. So I now have to get stamps from an even larger post office in the city where I work or order them from the Stamp Fulfillment services.
Of course, stamp fulfillment services won't sell small strips of coils anymore so our club bought the coils of 500 of the grapes and pears. We broke them up and people were happy to get them.
Not excusing the ignorant behavior of the person in Michael#'s post, but the USPS is really making it difficult for anyone to purchase stamps, unless all you want is the latest flag stamp.
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I did a mass mailing in January for my model car show. We got coils of the 35 cent postcard stamp, "forever stamps". We needed a few thousand of these for USA and figured we'd use them with other stamps to make the $1.20 International post card rate.
At the show this past weekend a couple of Canadians said with a chuckle that there were a lot of stamps on their cards... Some of them went out with 3 x 35 cents, a 10 cent and a 5 cent stamp. Five stamps in total. Others went out with the same 3 x 35 cent but a 5 cent, a 4 cent and two 3 cent stamps for a total of seven stamps on the card!
And an interesting aside... all cards mailed from the Exton, PA post office... most of them postmarked Wilmington, De and some of them postmarked South Jersey, NJ. Shows how they route the mail. And of course nothing postmarked with the correct town cancel.
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"... The only solution is for a dealer or amateur to buy the coil segment of 500 and then resell 495 of them on the open market, in combination with other stamps or with a handling charge that makes it worthwhile. Dealers do not seem interested in serving this market, so it's up to an amateur to step up to the plate. To date, no one I know has been willing to take the risk, even when it's a $49.95 risk ..."
There are dealers that buy'n'break coils, and they get regularly cursed-out for pricing the coil strips & singles so as to recover their costs and, G-d Forbid, turn a profit.
These 'unreasonable' prices are what collectors go to the post office to avoid, only to find that for each collector to buy'n'break a coil creates its own mess, including gobs of FVP (Face Value Postage).
The only way I see to avoid both the dealers & the DIY is to work thru a club.
When the USPS issues new Priority Mail Flat Rate Stamped Envelopes, they do so in packs of 5 & 25 and, as the most recent new issue was at U$D 6.45 each, this creates quite a burden for the individual collector.
So the UPSS (United Postal Stationery Society) has stepped forward to do the dirty work, selling (by way of example) the latest new Priority Mail Flat Rate Stamped Envelope for U$D 9.50, postpaid, to its members.
We could do something similar here at SOR for coil stamps:
- someone appoints themself the lead, and
- subscribers sign on to split one whole coil.
The price per coil segment (including, say, one plate number strip and a fair share of the FVP) should be set to allow the lead (hereinafter The Official Collector) to keep one segment gratis.
I can see a few other terms that will need to be specified, and I can see no point in my taking a shot at them, here.
Cheers,
/s/ ikeyPikey
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Why not finish the rules, and take the lead in this, your suggestion, yourself?
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"... Why not ... take the lead ..."
I don't collect MNHOG, and would leave it to those who do.
Point taken, task rejected
Cheers,
/s/ ikeyPikey
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Michael, when you were wearing a different hat, on this board, you opined, "offer what the customer wants to buy, not what you want to sell" or something to that effect.
When we had clerks who had specialty stock and the time to show it to me, I spent a lot of time and a lot of money at the PO. They don't; and now I don't either. There are other things at play, too, like formatting and printing changes, but the loss of customer service has gone a long way towards diminishing what remained of my interest in USPS MNH stamp issues.
That said, I still think our USPS is the best in the business in delivering mail, their primary duty, and my hat's off to them for that. But let's not comingle incredible success in one arena with utter indifference (at best) to collectors' needs in another.
David
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I do agree, and I have seen many postal employees who have a disdain for stamp collectors. I have also seen postal employees who could care less if the mail gets processed or delivered.
However, since I first got my driver license, I have been able to find plenty of postal employees who were willing to help a stamp collector obtain stamps. Of course, employees come and go. When there's a change one never knows is the same willingness to help a collector will still exist. If it does, then one can count their lucky stars.
Engaging the employees and showing them your passion with the hobby I think helps. They have asked me about the foreign mail that I receive, and the stamps on those envelopes. Even waiting in line, some customers have seen the older stamps that I use on my outgoing mail, and have asked me about it.
With the obstacles that many in the post office throw at collectors, why enforce the attitude that stamp collectors are nothing but a bunch of grumpy old men?
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05:15:58pm
The "vigorish" (I think that term is appropriate.) between the cost to produce a sheet of stamps and the amount paid over the counter would bring a tear to Don Corleone's eyes.
Yet, in general, USPS seems to do everything possible to prevent collectors from getting their "fix".
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Kudos to my post office. I walked in yesterday, and one clerk gave me a "shout out" that the Shirley Temple stamps had come in. I promptly bought a sheet.
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While on holiday in Koh Samui Thailand ,we had a great couple who drove us round.I wanted to buy some stamps so the drivers wife came into the post office with me and explained to the clerk what I wanted.He went out the back and came back with three folders full and ushered me to a table so I could go through them.
That's what I call great service. Thank you Mrs Samui
Brian
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"Kudos to my post office. I walked in yesterday, and one clerk gave me a "shout out" that the Shirley Temple stamps had come in. I promptly bought a sheet."
And kudos to the clerk at mine, who is diligently keeping excessive expenses in check.
Seeing a tape gun of regular (not pre-printed Priority Mail) packing tape at an unused window, I asked the clerk if I might use it. He rushed over to it, replying, "No, that's not supposed to be out here," and stuck it back out of sight. He went on to explain, "That's why we have this stuff for sale."
He then offered me a roll of scotch tape a previous customer had left behind.
Ted
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01:45:40pm
My post office is VERY friendly to stamp collectors. They'll even order stamps for you if you request.
So, isn't it nice when a stamp collector goes up to the counter and asks to see the binder of stamps that are available for sale and the clerk gives the collector the binder to go through. Then the collector takes a look at some of the coil rolls. What does he do? He starts to break open the rolls. He wants just single stamps from the coils. Of course the post office doesn't sell broken coil rolls.
He was told to not break open the rolls. He said that he didn't want to buy an entire roll. He was told that to get individual coil stamps he would have to order through Kansas City. The customer became indignant saying that he is an "official stamp collector" and has the right to buy what he wants from the post office. He did not get to break open the rolls.
I want to thank this "official stamp collector" (whatever that term means - me thinks is translates into one word where the word starts with the letter "a" and ends with the letter "e") for giving all the people who were standing in line and the clerks the wrong impression of what a "true stamp collector" is. At least the clerks have known me for many years.
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re: "Official" Stamp Collector
The people at my post office are very friendly too, but they can no longer order any stamps for anyone - even for their own office to sell to whoever walks up to the window. We just have to take whatever is sent by the somewhat larger post office in the neighboring town. So I now have to get stamps from an even larger post office in the city where I work or order them from the Stamp Fulfillment services.
Of course, stamp fulfillment services won't sell small strips of coils anymore so our club bought the coils of 500 of the grapes and pears. We broke them up and people were happy to get them.
Not excusing the ignorant behavior of the person in Michael#'s post, but the USPS is really making it difficult for anyone to purchase stamps, unless all you want is the latest flag stamp.
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re: "Official" Stamp Collector
I did a mass mailing in January for my model car show. We got coils of the 35 cent postcard stamp, "forever stamps". We needed a few thousand of these for USA and figured we'd use them with other stamps to make the $1.20 International post card rate.
At the show this past weekend a couple of Canadians said with a chuckle that there were a lot of stamps on their cards... Some of them went out with 3 x 35 cents, a 10 cent and a 5 cent stamp. Five stamps in total. Others went out with the same 3 x 35 cent but a 5 cent, a 4 cent and two 3 cent stamps for a total of seven stamps on the card!
And an interesting aside... all cards mailed from the Exton, PA post office... most of them postmarked Wilmington, De and some of them postmarked South Jersey, NJ. Shows how they route the mail. And of course nothing postmarked with the correct town cancel.
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re: "Official" Stamp Collector
"... The only solution is for a dealer or amateur to buy the coil segment of 500 and then resell 495 of them on the open market, in combination with other stamps or with a handling charge that makes it worthwhile. Dealers do not seem interested in serving this market, so it's up to an amateur to step up to the plate. To date, no one I know has been willing to take the risk, even when it's a $49.95 risk ..."
There are dealers that buy'n'break coils, and they get regularly cursed-out for pricing the coil strips & singles so as to recover their costs and, G-d Forbid, turn a profit.
These 'unreasonable' prices are what collectors go to the post office to avoid, only to find that for each collector to buy'n'break a coil creates its own mess, including gobs of FVP (Face Value Postage).
The only way I see to avoid both the dealers & the DIY is to work thru a club.
When the USPS issues new Priority Mail Flat Rate Stamped Envelopes, they do so in packs of 5 & 25 and, as the most recent new issue was at U$D 6.45 each, this creates quite a burden for the individual collector.
So the UPSS (United Postal Stationery Society) has stepped forward to do the dirty work, selling (by way of example) the latest new Priority Mail Flat Rate Stamped Envelope for U$D 9.50, postpaid, to its members.
We could do something similar here at SOR for coil stamps:
- someone appoints themself the lead, and
- subscribers sign on to split one whole coil.
The price per coil segment (including, say, one plate number strip and a fair share of the FVP) should be set to allow the lead (hereinafter The Official Collector) to keep one segment gratis.
I can see a few other terms that will need to be specified, and I can see no point in my taking a shot at them, here.
Cheers,
/s/ ikeyPikey
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12:55:43am
re: "Official" Stamp Collector
Why not finish the rules, and take the lead in this, your suggestion, yourself?
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re: "Official" Stamp Collector
"... Why not ... take the lead ..."
I don't collect MNHOG, and would leave it to those who do.
Point taken, task rejected
Cheers,
/s/ ikeyPikey
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re: "Official" Stamp Collector
Michael, when you were wearing a different hat, on this board, you opined, "offer what the customer wants to buy, not what you want to sell" or something to that effect.
When we had clerks who had specialty stock and the time to show it to me, I spent a lot of time and a lot of money at the PO. They don't; and now I don't either. There are other things at play, too, like formatting and printing changes, but the loss of customer service has gone a long way towards diminishing what remained of my interest in USPS MNH stamp issues.
That said, I still think our USPS is the best in the business in delivering mail, their primary duty, and my hat's off to them for that. But let's not comingle incredible success in one arena with utter indifference (at best) to collectors' needs in another.
David
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11:36:08am
re: "Official" Stamp Collector
I do agree, and I have seen many postal employees who have a disdain for stamp collectors. I have also seen postal employees who could care less if the mail gets processed or delivered.
However, since I first got my driver license, I have been able to find plenty of postal employees who were willing to help a stamp collector obtain stamps. Of course, employees come and go. When there's a change one never knows is the same willingness to help a collector will still exist. If it does, then one can count their lucky stars.
Engaging the employees and showing them your passion with the hobby I think helps. They have asked me about the foreign mail that I receive, and the stamps on those envelopes. Even waiting in line, some customers have seen the older stamps that I use on my outgoing mail, and have asked me about it.
With the obstacles that many in the post office throw at collectors, why enforce the attitude that stamp collectors are nothing but a bunch of grumpy old men?
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Silence in the face of adversity is the father of complicity and collusion, the first cousins of conspiracy..
22 Apr 2016
05:15:58pm
re: "Official" Stamp Collector
The "vigorish" (I think that term is appropriate.) between the cost to produce a sheet of stamps and the amount paid over the counter would bring a tear to Don Corleone's eyes.
Yet, in general, USPS seems to do everything possible to prevent collectors from getting their "fix".
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05:43:32pm
re: "Official" Stamp Collector
Kudos to my post office. I walked in yesterday, and one clerk gave me a "shout out" that the Shirley Temple stamps had come in. I promptly bought a sheet.
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re: "Official" Stamp Collector
While on holiday in Koh Samui Thailand ,we had a great couple who drove us round.I wanted to buy some stamps so the drivers wife came into the post office with me and explained to the clerk what I wanted.He went out the back and came back with three folders full and ushered me to a table so I could go through them.
That's what I call great service. Thank you Mrs Samui
Brian
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re: "Official" Stamp Collector
"Kudos to my post office. I walked in yesterday, and one clerk gave me a "shout out" that the Shirley Temple stamps had come in. I promptly bought a sheet."
And kudos to the clerk at mine, who is diligently keeping excessive expenses in check.
Seeing a tape gun of regular (not pre-printed Priority Mail) packing tape at an unused window, I asked the clerk if I might use it. He rushed over to it, replying, "No, that's not supposed to be out here," and stuck it back out of sight. He went on to explain, "That's why we have this stuff for sale."
He then offered me a roll of scotch tape a previous customer had left behind.
Ted
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