How to save money on postage
Did you know that it’s possible to buy stamps below their face value? I just found out about this via SavingAdvice.com and their excellent forum. Jeffrey explains that stamp dealers often do bulk purchases (from estate sales and the like), but some of the individual stamps in the lot are not interesting to collectors. Some of these stamps are unused, and therefore fair game to use for mailing (regardless of their age), but the stamp dealers don’t want to spend the time getting rid of these one at a time. So what do they do with them? Some of the dealers sell these stamps in quantity at a discount. For instance, at the time of this writing, Henry Gitner Philatelists, Inc. is selling $100 of stamps for $89.50 + $3.50 for shipping. I’m also seeing some good deals on eBay in the Stamps category.
It is worth noting that many of these stamps may be older stamps with a smaller face value than currently issued stamps. From a legal perspective, this is irrelevant, as any unused stamps can be used. Practically speaking, though, it can be a hassle to find the right combinations to make the total postage you need (if you’re putting more postage on than is required, you’re definitely not saving money by buying discounted stamps). If this sounds like a pain to you, take another look on eBay. I found several sellers providing current stamps, and still at a discount. For instance, eBay user serg4play not only auctions lots of 500 $0.37 stamps, but he also mentioned that he can be contacted directly and will sell you the same thing for $160 (that’s $25 off the face value for 500 stamps).
Is it worth it? Just like any other savings method, you’re only saving money if you would ordinarily buy the product at full price. If you are never going to use 500 stamps, don’t buy 500 stamps. A business might find that number appealing, but that doesn’t necessarily make it a good idea for your household. You can try for smaller lots, or just file this idea away in your brain to recommend to those who need stamps in bulk (they’ll appreciate it, and that’s always fun).
Action step: take a minute and think about whether or not this is a strategy that would work for you. If it is, take five minute and look around to see what’s available. Order if you find a good deal, or schedule a time to do so later.
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For me it’s not a savings, but having a meter and printing stamps at home is better. And doing dropoff at the post office or having a postman come and pickup, saves me a bundle of time and money for gas.