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Christmas trees forever!

The Stamp Collecting Report, I'm Lloyd de Vries.

With the U-S Postal Service's recent announcement that it will seek an early rate increase
not tied to the rate of inflation came the news that this year's non-religious Christmas
stamps -- Holiday Evergreens -- will be Forever stamps.

Forever stamps are sold at the going letter rate, but are good for mailing a letter even
after the rates go up - without any additional postage.

Earlier this year, the Postal Service received permission to produce additional Forever
stamp designs, and these "Forever-greens" are the first.

The Liberty Bell Forever stamp will stay on sale.

Will there be more Forever stamp designs soon? I was told "stay tuned." I'll bet there will
be. After all, while there's nothing that really ties the Forever-greens to Christmas, who
wants to use a ponderosa pine stamp in April?

Stamp collectors would like to see ALL first-class stamps, including commemoratives, issued
as Forever stamps. And I'd bet more than a few stamp sponsors would, too. You work years to
get Uncle Brian honored on a stamp....and then a few months later, that stamp is obsolete.

Of course, the U-S already HAS what amounts to a Forever commemorative ? the Breast Cancer
Research stamp, first issued in 1998 and continuously on sale and paying the letter rate
ever since.

I'm Lloyd de Vries of The Virtual Stamp Club. For more on stamps and stamps collecting,
visit virtual-stamp-club-dot-com.

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