US Postage Stamps

[Catrin]

I just mailed my remaining few Christmas cards this afternoon, and found the post office was out of Christmas stamps! I was told that far more stamps have been sold this year than in the last couple of years. Interesting. The person I was speaking with considered this to be a good economic indicator - though I am not sure of that - it was an interesting observation.

So purple heart stamps are attached to my few remaining cards

[emily_in_nc]

I just mailed my remaining few Christmas cards this afternoon, and found the post office was out of Christmas stamps! I was told that far more stamps have been sold this year than in the last couple of years. Interesting. The person I was speaking with considered this to be a good economic indicator - though I am not sure of that - it was an interesting observation.

I find that really interesting because nearly everyone I know is sending many fewer cards than in the past, if at all. I'm still sending to older relatives, a few special folks who always send me one, and a couple whom I don't have email addresses for, but that only adds up to about 8 cards. I remember when I used to send 50, in the days before email was widely used. Now, I'll be sending mostly e-cards. I know it's not as personal, but it is good for the planet, plus my handwriting has gone to the dogs since I'm on the computer so much. It's very hard for me to hand write anything anymore, and hard for the recipient to read it!

[Catrin]

I wondered at the time if that was more of a way to explain why they were out of Christmas stamps, frankly. It certainly sounds good though.

[Koronin]

That doesn't sound right to me either. I also have cut way back on the number of cards I send. I really only send to people who send cards to us. Although this year I may end up sending to a couple extra people since we moved and that way they'll have our new address.

[Mr. Bloom]

Traditionally, Christmas cards would say something about what had happened in the prior year and include a picture or two.

Now, I call that FaceBook...

At the peak, I would send out 200 cards...I have 400+ friends and acquaintances in FaceBook.

[shootingstar]

I've sending out Christmas cards only to my immediate family members and close friends.

The value of a real card especially if a loved one lives far away and won't be able to join the whole family for the holidays, is a real card allows them to display it for a few wks. on shelf, etc.

An e-card disappears from the computer once it's opened and viewed. Who wants to display a digital card all the time? You have to use the computer for something else every day anyway.

I didn't bring along my Christmas tree this year when I moved. So real Noel cards mean something physically in my place this year.

[Aggie_Ama]

I sent about 25 in 2008, haven't since. It is pricey and hard to write anything personal and mail in time. We have only received one card this year, last year several of the relatives stopped for financial reasons. I expect no more than 5 of our family/friends are still doing it. My college roommate just prints pictures of her child and prints labels. It is nice to see her kid but not particularly personal.

[MomOnBike]

We're either doing something very right or very wrong around here. DH & I put out a yearly spoof newsletter (think a cross between the Onion and a supermarket tabloid, here) that carefully paints us as clueless and puts us and our exploits for the year in the worst possible light. For instance, my breast cancer treatments turned into a series of expensive spa visits for me, and my daughter's microbiology studies are now Incomprehensibility studies. We have a lot of fun and giggles writing the thing.

We get calls from friends asking when our "newspaper" will be coming out. I'm always rather surprised when people do that.

DH is off right now running off 50 of them. We're doing our part to keep the PO in business, at any rate.

[bmccasland]

I think I sent the same number of Christmas cards, including the TE exchange. I wonder if the PO produced the same number of holiday stamps? There's supply and demand - they may have produced less because they expected less. Also your local PO supply is based on previous demand, and some pre-designated allocation system. You can always order stamps at the PO store - www.usps.com - and it is a (dot) com address and not a (dot) gov address. I've gotten stamp by mail when they weren't available locally - only cost $1 more. Drawback is you have to wait for them to be delivered, by mail.

I love spoof annual newletters, and wish I could actually write them. Sure beats the "we're successful and went on a wonderful vacation without you" type annual letters.

Merry Whatever to Everyone!
I need to get off my hind-end, extract Herald off my lap, and go bake a cake for my lovely neighbors.

[soprano]

To date, we've received about half as many cards in the mail this year as we had at this time last year. Our post office is also out of holiday stamps.

I don't open e-cards. I'm too leery of the virus/Trojan horse potential. Does anyone else remember elf-bowling and the nasty computer virus that followed?

[BikeDutchess]

We bought our stamps at Costco. Now if I could actually sit down and address my cards...

[marni]

well thanks to the te card exchange, I have more cards this year than I have ever gotten before. I avoid all of the pressure by doing a general family letter but don't mail until January 12 th which in my mind is twelth night, Know I Know it's not really but it is close to Roc day which is when traditionally, spinners went back to work after the Christmas holiday and since I am also a hand spinner...... At any rate, it's one less thing to do for Christmas. I usually send out about 25 but they are only sent to fajily and very close friends.

[Koronin]

I have 7 cards so far this year and one of those is from my manager to handed them out. Of the others 2 are from family, 2 are from real friends, and 2 are from internet friends.

[jessmarimba]

Almost all of my cards are TE cards. Thanks, everyone!

The people who used to live here have gotten several, which I just keep sending back. They're my age but pretty "punk rock," if you will, so I'm surprised to see such a traditional card exchange!

[jelee1311]

I sent out a ton of cards this year because I traditionally do and I like getting them. The thing with the stamps is interesting. I work for a grocery store and we sell stamps. We still have christmas stamps but this year they are the forever stamps like the bells so maybe more people got them instead of the bells. In years past the christmas stamps were an amount and more religious???maybe that's why???