Ouch!
The US Post Office has done little to promote the hobby since the 1970s. The introduction of numerous 50-stamp sheets and other types with multiple plate numbers was the first turn-off for me. As a teenager working part time, how could I keep up?
Then came the self-adhesives.
And now we are in the era of "Consistent Parcel Manglement" (CPM).
A few years ago I considered starting a "Hall of Shame" in which we could share our most grievous cases of CPM. But it would quickly fill, and to what end? It would just lead to increased and shared levels of frustration. I know misery loves company, but do we really want that much misery...
As a small concession to the US Post Office, they are in competition with FedEx, UPS, and other services that don't use stamps. I suppose they could just up and decide tomorrow that stamps are archaic and expensive and eliminate them completely. That, in my humble opinion, would be worse.
-Steve
PS I don't think "manglement" is a real word... yet.
Can't really blame the post office for the creases on the stamps on the back, or the belt marks. On the front, if the stamps lifted from the envelope, they may not have been adequately moistened to stay down.
As for the "bruises" on the stamps. Media Mail should have gone through a package sorter. They may have gone through a large envelope sorter instead, and the equipment grabbed and scuffed the stamps.
"The US Post Office has done little to promote the hobby since the 1970s."
I think the biggest things are not providing all new stamps to all post offices, sending limited quantities to some, and closure of most (if not all) of the philatelic outlets/windows in post offices.
"What is it that the post office used to do to promote the hobby that they are no longer doing?"
"What is it that the post office used to do to promote the hobby that they are no longer doing?"
"I think the biggest things are not providing all new stamps to all post offices, sending limited quantities to some, and closure of most (if not all) of the philatelic outlets/windows in post offices."
At least your mailing arrived intact. I had one yesterday from a 'stampstogo' seller that arrived sliced in half. Every stamp was damaged or missing. Never had anything similar before, not in forty years of collecting.
Here's a mailer that delivered a new book to me yesterday. I was very happy to receive "New Jersey Postal History", but this mailer made me wanna cry!
The sender tried to give me some nice stamps. He even had them all hand cancelled. Then the package hit the mail stream. Through various bumps and conveyor belt rides, nearly ALL the stamps got damaged. Either black rubs or bent and half pulled off the package!
The entire bottom row of the UPU se-tenants got bent up, as did the Love stamp. The smaller 45 cent fish is okay as is the 1929 George Rodgers Clark commemorative (yea!)
On the back, that full sheet of Roosters would have been cool, but the whole thing has black conveyor belt smudges on it as well as a crease from being put on the mailer over the flap seam. The two blocks of four suffer the same fate.
It's like teasing me! Here's nice stamps... no you can't have 'em!
re: Makes ya wanna cry!
Ouch!
The US Post Office has done little to promote the hobby since the 1970s. The introduction of numerous 50-stamp sheets and other types with multiple plate numbers was the first turn-off for me. As a teenager working part time, how could I keep up?
Then came the self-adhesives.
And now we are in the era of "Consistent Parcel Manglement" (CPM).
A few years ago I considered starting a "Hall of Shame" in which we could share our most grievous cases of CPM. But it would quickly fill, and to what end? It would just lead to increased and shared levels of frustration. I know misery loves company, but do we really want that much misery...
As a small concession to the US Post Office, they are in competition with FedEx, UPS, and other services that don't use stamps. I suppose they could just up and decide tomorrow that stamps are archaic and expensive and eliminate them completely. That, in my humble opinion, would be worse.
-Steve
PS I don't think "manglement" is a real word... yet.
re: Makes ya wanna cry!
Can't really blame the post office for the creases on the stamps on the back, or the belt marks. On the front, if the stamps lifted from the envelope, they may not have been adequately moistened to stay down.
As for the "bruises" on the stamps. Media Mail should have gone through a package sorter. They may have gone through a large envelope sorter instead, and the equipment grabbed and scuffed the stamps.
re: Makes ya wanna cry!
"The US Post Office has done little to promote the hobby since the 1970s."
re: Makes ya wanna cry!
I think the biggest things are not providing all new stamps to all post offices, sending limited quantities to some, and closure of most (if not all) of the philatelic outlets/windows in post offices.
re: Makes ya wanna cry!
"What is it that the post office used to do to promote the hobby that they are no longer doing?"
re: Makes ya wanna cry!
"What is it that the post office used to do to promote the hobby that they are no longer doing?"
"I think the biggest things are not providing all new stamps to all post offices, sending limited quantities to some, and closure of most (if not all) of the philatelic outlets/windows in post offices."
re: Makes ya wanna cry!
At least your mailing arrived intact. I had one yesterday from a 'stampstogo' seller that arrived sliced in half. Every stamp was damaged or missing. Never had anything similar before, not in forty years of collecting.