‘Forever’ stamp debuts here; jetmaker buys 24,000
Now, it's no surprise to find the likes of Harry Kaplan, 84, buying a bunch of "forever" stamps.
Now, it's no surprise to find the likes of Harry Kaplan, 84, buying a bunch of "forever" stamps.
An avid collector, the retired Army sergeant bought seven sheets and 40 commemorative envelopes this morning when the historic inflation-proof postage went on sale at Ninth and Market Streets.
Earlier at the Liberty Bell, officials speechified about the latest first-class stamp, which bears a likeness of the bell.
The novelty is that this stamp will be good "forever" for mailing a first-class letter - no matter how many future price hikes.
Whether people buy lots to stash, hoping to save pennies later, remains to be seen.
"I'm no dealer," Kaplan said, explaining, "Most of the time, I trade with different friends and people."
He also gets autographs on stamped envelopes, he said. His best one? "I got a Connie Mack autograph on a letter that was sent to his funeral director thanking him for burying his wife," he said.
Stamp-purchasing rose to far more dizzying heights when a North Jersey company picked up with its advance order:
24,000 stamps and 2,000 commemorative envelopes.
(Bet some fulfillment workers thank their lucky stars stamps don't need a licking anymore.)
"It's for a direct-mail program for a company I work for," said Andrew Ponzoni, spokesman for Dassault Falcon Jet, a Teeterboro Airport-based builder of business jets.
Tonight, a first mailing will go to out 1,000 customers and prospects, Ponzoni said.
Inside will be a commemorative envelope and a letter explaining that the company's jets are also built to last.
"When the 'forever' stamp was launched, we saw a natural tie with the long-term value of our Falcon business jets," he said.
Custom planes can cost $25 million to $40 million, suggesting longevity might be a valued feature.
A later mailing will include a book of stamps.
Whether the Postal Service would have had all those stamps on hand, we'll never know, since the jetmaker called and placed an order in advance.
A coworker and a fulfillment house representative came along, hotelling overnight, to see the three bulky boxes get loaded on a truck.
Ponzoni, 33, who hails from Nutley, N.J., and who has often rowed the Schuylkill, he said, bought five envelopes for himself as well.
The new "forever" stamp costs 41 cents, sign of a price hike that's coming May 14.
Until then, 39-cent stamps will still be available - and usable without adding any penny stamps.
Although the USPS has already printed 5 billion "forever" stamps, new commemorative first-class stamps will also be issued.
In a way, they'll also be "forever" stamps - worth 41 cents forever.
All stamps, including the "forever" stamp, can be ordered online at http://www.usps.com, or by calling 1-800-782-6724.
