What is the price of a postage stamp? Not necessarily the price the consumer, Mr. or Mrs. Joe American, pays, but the price the United States Postal Department pays.

Every time I go into the Post Office I see the walls plastered with ‘collectible’ stamps for sale. Why do we need so many special edition stamps and who pays the artist to create these?

Today, I was at the Post Office. So were Audrey Hepburn, Bob Hope, Golden Age Cowboys, Frank Sinatra and The Simpsons. Among the décor were Abstract Art, Flowers, Ducks, Birds, and Cartoons.

In the past, I’ve seen rock stars, movie stars, former presidents, special causes, wildlife, Olympics, etc.

I doubt there are many people who relate the price of postage to be compensation to artists for their government contracts to create stamp art.

So, this is my beef:

I’m tired of postal rates going up each year! Or, every other year. I realize there are people who collect stamps, but aren’t we overdoing it? After all, the majority of people who receive snail mail throw the canceled stamp in the garbage can.

Priority mail is now $5.05 to send a 2-ounce padded envelope. What will it be next year?

It makes no sense to continually raise the price of postage so the United States Postal Department can pay for artwork that is constantly changing.

There’s nothing wrong with the US Flag or a soaring eagle stamp, both of which represent our fine country. But why commemorative stamps that keep increasing our postage rates, behind the scene?

Postage rates consistently go up. In 2004, when I started selling vintage jewelry from an E-Bay store, postage was around $3.85 for priority mail. I would charge my customer a flat rate of $3.85 because I didn’t believe in inflating the postage rate for my own profit as many other E-Bay sellers were doing.

As the years have gone by, I’ve built an inventory of vintage jewelry in my E-Bay store. When postage rates increased during this time, I’ve had to do one of the following:

1. Go in and increase the postage for each individual item to keep up with the current postal rate.
2. Leave the listing as is, and lose money when my customer would pay for shipping that was below my cost.

More often than not, I would opt for number two, only because it is so time consuming to change a 2-cent difference for hundreds of different items.

However, 2-cents plus 2-cents, plus 2-cents over the years have really made me wonder why in the world I continue this business.

So, I walk into the Post Office to mail some International orders and find the Postal Department has yet even more commemorative stamps on the wall as opposed to the last time I visited.

Why do we have to have this added expense when our government is so far in debt?

Balance the government budget? Cut back on government spending? Start with the frivolous obvious, Mr. President Obama.

And, “Yes”, I do believe paying for artwork on a postage stamp is frivolous! I am sure the artists don’t do this for free, nor does the printing press where the die has to be constantly changed.

Having two or three standard stamp designs for the public to choose from is sufficient.

Or am I wrong?

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