Stock up on stamps!

[callmemadam]

Here's the latest issue of 'Special Stamps' from Royal Mail, out now. I'm always complaining about these issues because they're aimed at making money out of collectors and are not much used. People working in post offices find them a nuisance and get rid of them as soon as possible. If you're sending a birthday card, though, it is nice to use a pretty stamp if you can. I'm advising stocking up because next month comes the traditional annual hike in postage rates. From the Royal Mail site:
‘Royal Mail today announced that the price of First and Second Class stamps for standard letters weighing up to 100g would rise by 2p, to 41p and 32p respectively, from 6 April 2010. The prices for ordinary meter and account mail, largely sent by small businesses, will not increase and will remain at 36p and 25p respectively for standard letters weighing up to 100g.’

They claim these rates are still good value compared with the rest of Europe. What bothers consumers, though, is forking out for 'next day' delivery and not getting it. Post early!

Comments

[glitterboy1.livejournal.com]

Boo, thanks for the warning about the increases...

[callmemadam.livejournal.com]

How far off is the 50p stamp, I wonder?

[lethe1]

They claim these rates are still good value compared with the rest of Europe.

Well, they are right as far as The Netherlands is concerned. Since January 2007 the stamp price for standard letters weighing up to 20g has been 44 eurocents, and 88 cents for letters between 20 and 50g. Between 50 and 100g: 1.32 euros! And no choice between First Class and Second Class. I guess the upside is that most standard letters are indeed delivered the next day.

[callmemadam.livejournal.com]

If certain people had had their way, a Dutch company would already have taken over Royal Mail!

[lethe1]

A Dutch company? That must have been one of the relatively small competitors, because our Royal Mail was taken over by TNT years ago.


ETA: Oops, I just read it was the other way around: our KPN took over TNT in 1997.

Stamps

[(Anonymous)]

I shall buy some of these stamps as they are so attractive, and I shall keep them. The price of stamps (I am buying them as miniauture works of art!) makes using email all the more sensible!
Margaret P