Harken back to the big family vacations of years ago, many traveling across the country. Prior to leaving, dad would dutifully take the car (a.k.a. Griswold Family Truckster) to a gas station. Nearby or not didn’t matter. He drove to where fuel was a penny or two less per gallon. That determined quest for the lowest gas prices would continue from state to state as the miles ticked off in the car.
I thought of that this week when word of record inflation again led the news. Ironically, gasoline is (for now) fairly stable. Everything else, from food and furniture to hotels or housing is skyrocketing – some over 50 percent. People may not count pennies any longer but are now watching dollars fly by....
In the last three years, postal rates too have climbed by 16 percent with more to come. In fairness, even with service and hours from the USPS reduced, to pay just 58-cents to have a letter carried from Maine to Hawaii is still nothing short of amazing.
Other throwbacks to yesteryear are the stamps that carry that mail. While some may ignore those little tags in the corner, millions of others actively still collect them hoping for future profits. In the past, that has been particularly true of higher denomination stamps.
In the early 1900s, stamps with denominations of one-, two- or five-dollars were printed in very low numbers for several reasons. First, that was a lot of money. It was rare to spend that much mailing something. Second, postal rates were comparatively low so high-value stamps were rarely needed. Some of those early, high-denomination stamps are now worth hundreds or thousands of dollars.
Spending many dollars on mailing something is almost normal now. To meet that need, the US Postal Service has created a variety of collectible stamps for 2022 – some with exceptionally high denominations.
First out of the new year chute is a colorful stamp showing the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco. The stamp features the rotunda and colonnades of the palace with a small pond in the foreground. It was originally built for the 1925 Panama Pacific Exposition. At that event, five commemorative stamps were issued. A set of those are worth hundreds of dollars today.
The face value of the stamp is $26.95, the new rate for Priority Mail. It used to be just a bit under $22. Hello, inflation. In fairness, that’s a deal considering the weight of the package can be up to 70 pounds shipped from coast to coast. For smaller, lighter packages, another new stamp features the dramatic landscape of Monument Valley in Utah. It shows a towering butte against a bright, blue sky in the forbidding desert region. That one has a face-value of $8.95.
To buck the geometric trend of rectangular stamps, a new round one featuring an image of an African Daisy offers an oversized option. Its overt difference might be attributed to its intended use. The stamp covers the rate for international letters being mailed overseas. Currently at $1.20 (inflation will soon change that) the colorful stamp with the bright yellow flower and the word “GLOBAL” printed on it can be used to mail a one-ounce letter to any country where First-Class Mail International service is available. Amazingly, that even includes North Korea (though the letter is sure to be opened and scrutinized).
There are many more stamps slated for release in the coming year. Some, such as one showing flags waving in the breeze are fine but a little tired. Others, including four showing flags painted on the side of barns as folk art, is a clever way to skew the flag concept.
The stamp features the book’s cover illustration of the young boy catching an apple from the tree. That “Forever” stamp is one of the most affordable, costing the current First Class letter rate of just 58-cents.
Many more colorful and collectible stamps are in the cue for 2022. I’ll be sure to feature as many as possible. As rates are sure to rise, it’s important to remember that any “Forever” stamp purchased now for 58-cents, will be valid for First Class postage years in the future, even if rates climb above one dollar. On the road in the long run, that may be one of the best ways to beat future inflation.
For more collecting advice, visit www.peterexford.blogspot.com