April 12, 2024 Who says nothing is forever anymore? The Postal Service’s first Forever stamp — the Liberty Bell — was issued on April 12, 2007, and dedicated that day at Philadelphia’s Independence Hall. By July of that year, 1.2 billion had been sold. The subject of the stamp was fitting, as the stamp liberated USPS and…
In part due to the scale and scope of the U.S. Mail market as well as differences in regulatory frameworks — such as universal service obligations and price caps — the 2023 price of a standard domestic letter in the U.S. was nearly half the average price in our 31 sampled countries. Stamp prices in…
February 15, 2024 Washington’s Birthday, also known as Presidents Day, will be observed Monday, Feb. 19. The annual observance began in the early 19th century. After George Washington’s death in 1799, his birthday — Feb. 22 — was celebrated informally across the young nation. In 1879, Congress declared Feb. 22 a federal holiday. A 1968…
January 17, 2024 The Postal Service price changes announced last fall will take effect Sunday, Jan. 21. Under the changes, prices will rise approximately 2 percent for mailing services, 5.7 percent for Priority Mail, 5.9 percent for Priority Mail Express and 5.4 percent for USPS Ground Advantage. The price adjustments are needed to provide the…
January 12, 2023 Perhaps it’s fitting that the Postal Service, an organization that has touched every corner of American life, can trace its roots to the most quintessential American. Benjamin Franklin, the nation’s first postmaster general, was born 318 years ago on Jan. 17, 1706. He was a signer of the Declaration of Independence and…
December 5, 2023 USPS offers two catalogs for employees and customers looking for holiday gifts for philatelists and postal aficionados. The Delivering Cheer catalog can be downloaded from the online Postal Store. The 52-page publication offers notecards, stationery, stamps and stamp-inspired products commemorating significant moments in U.S. history. Collectible items — such as official White House Christmas ornaments,…
October 6, 2023 USPS has notified the Postal Regulatory Commission of mailing services price changes to take effect Jan. 21, 2024. The proposed adjustments, approved by the governors of the Postal Service, would raise mailing services product prices approximately 2 percent. The proposed changes include: • Letters (1 ounce): 66 cents (current), 68 cents (planned) • Letters (metered…
NALC Postal Record – February 2023 It’s not Batman’s lair or an underground city in a dystopian zombie movie—it’s where the Postal Service stores stamps. SubTropolis is an enormous underground office and warehouse complex in Kansas City, MO, that houses the USPS Stamp Fulfillment Services (SFS) office. From its cavernous office, SFS ships hundreds of…
