Has the USPS lost their mind with this "Forever Stamp"? Who is going to buy tons of stamps waiting for their next increase to take place? Who knows how long they will even be in business? What are you thoughts?
by 
Sheriff Raff -Answerhag
ANSWERS: 5
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They lost their minds years ago! and they say they will honor it , but will they really? it wouldn't hurt to get a few, they keep raising the rates without raising their service.
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In theory, something like the "Forever Stamp" makes sense. This sort of price hedging is done all of the time in other markets. For example, part of the reason Southwest Airlines is doing well is that they locked in jet fuel supplies at a low price several years ago, whereas other airlines didn't. The problem with the idea here is that, to my knowledge, postal service prices NEVER go down. So, if the Postal Service issues a stamp today that will be good forever, people will buy as many as they reasonably can. This will give the USPS a huge revenue surge in the short term, followed by an immense revenue drought. A better idea might be time-bounded stamps. For example, one stamp might be good for first-class postage for 5 years. After that, it reverts to face value. That would allow people some control on their postage costs without causing a huge run on immediate stamp sales.
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Because it is funded by the government anyway they will probably not go out of business. I wouldnt expect the stamps they sell now to cover the cost of operating that sort of business. They have some of the best paid employees as far as jobs you can get without going to college. To be honest i think they should do away with the USPS and let private enterprise take over daily mail. take out one s and you got the most likely candidate for that. at least then you have room for some competition between business and the prices will regulate themselves
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No, they haven't lost their minds. No one is going to buy tons of the stamps as an investment. When this stamp will come in handy is right before the next rate increase. You will be able to buy stamps that will increase in value soon, you won't have to buy 2 cent stamps to go with them and you won't have to wait in lines to buy stamps. Individuals won't gain much with this, but it should be very handy for businesses. The Postal Service is a viable business and will be in business for a long time to come. Postal Reform signed by the President last December will make sure that the Postal Service is able to run more like a business than a government agency. You may be paying all your bills online, but when you order that item on eBay, USPS is the easiest way for the average person to mail you that package.
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The USPS has agreed not to increase postage at a rate significantly higher than inflation. This means that if they collect more money now from the Forever Stamps than they can invest it and collect interest from now until they are actually used. This is a great long-term moneymaker for the USPS. I also suspect that people will be buying more stamps than usual, thus increasing the Postal Service revenue.
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