[DeaconBenjamin]

The US government can also default on its obligation by repudiating its promise.

[org.whodat]

Just sell the damn post office to ups and fedex and forget about it.

[Skepolitic]

Given these stamps will always be completely liquid, the only way an investor can lose money on forever stamps is if the price of postage goes down.

Not really. The USPS could simply refuse to honor the Forever stamp in the future.

[reg45]

Costs (wages, fuel, etc.) go up while volume of business goes down.

[edcoil]

Isn’t this the second set of forever stamps? I recall they did this two years ago as well.

[Zman516]

Clever way to jack up postal rates regularly without the usual public outrage.

[sbMKE]

Guys, forget the diamond, stamps are forever.

[gunnyg]

put it to sleep,,,

[Sunshine Sister]

Who, in their wildest dreams, would have thought this possible? Absolutely amazing!

[Fido969]

You only “save “ money if you use the thing. As long as you hold onto it, the post office is making out.

[Clint Williams]

Given these stamps will always be completely liquid

Guaranteed? What if Congress makes resale illegal?

[sodpoodle]

Cogent speculation - but businesses use machines, not individual stamps. The general public only purchases stamps in volume for special mailings (Easter, Christmas & Valentines) and probably many are misplaced before the next occasion.

E-mail is taking over communications and the remaining letter writers are a dying breed. The only niche left are the philatelists.

Don’t see mass hoarding of ‘forever’ stamps - but it does make sense for the Post Office to curtail printing costs.

[RnMomof7]

I am sad at the demise of postal services.. Almost no one sends letters or cards anymore..

My little grandchildren get so excited when something comes in their name.. it is so much more significant than an e card..

But the postal service is quickly making itself irrelevant because of cost

[keats5]

Another result of this change is that people will no longer know how much it costs to mail a letter.

[KJC1]

Leave the one cent stamp alone!

[blam]

"By offering forever stamps, the Post Office moves forward future revenues to pay current expenses. But every forever stamp sold today represents a stamp not sold in the future. The revenues booked now will not be put in escrow to deal with revenue shortfalls that are guaranteed to plague the Post Office in the years ahead. "

This is a massive unauthorized LOAN.

[Spartan79]

How many forever stamps will the Post Office be able to sell at full price if customers can buy them at a discount on Ebay?

You can already buy forever stamps at a discount on Ebay. Shop now (enter "forever stamps") and among other offers you'll find a "Buy it now" price of $2 for 5 stamps with free shipping.

[The Great RJ]

Don’t these stamps represent a future service obligation to the USPS? The stamp you buy today for 44 cents will be valid for postage even if the rate for a first class stamp goes to over a dollar or more. If presumably the rate for a first class stamp is related to the cost of delivery, the USPS would be delivering letters using the forever stamp at a significant loss. Granted the revenue from these stamps could be held in escrow at interest, but the cost of delivery has gone up at rates far above current interest rates.

[mewykwistmas]

“During that time the stamp prices have gone up more than 1,100%”

Still sending a letter under $0.50 anywhere in USA is pretty cheap. USPS has been hit hard by the internet (online billing, emails etc), and the e-commerce hasn’t picked up the slack. They have to use their infrastructure to compete with Fedex and USPS.

[oh8eleven]

For almost 100 years the price of a stamp remained stable.
And then in the last 50 years ... bang-zoom! Can't wait for gov't h/c ...

[Graybeard58]

44¢ to send a letter across country is a bargain to me.

(Your opinions most likely will vary)