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Now and Forever.

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

Starting in January, ALL commemorative stamps in the U-S will be Forever stamps. That is, 
you'll buy them at the current letter rate, but they'll be good for mailing a letter no 
matter where rates go.

It's exciting news for new-issue collectors AND the interest groups that request subjects 
on stamps.

Once a postal rate hike is announced, mailers don't want stamps for the old rates....even 
though they'll still be valid for postage. 

Since they don't sell, postal clerks don't want them at their windows. There's a lot of 
paperwork in returning unsold stamps. It's easier to STICK just to the basic designs, like 
flags or Liberty Bells.

And that makes it harder for collectors to buy them. 

So if someone works years to get Uncle Marty honored on a stamp, and it comes out right 
before a rate hike, it'll be a dud. No one will see or use Uncle Marty's stamp.

There are other reasons why collectors have been pushing for this, though: Most of us 
started collecting the stamps we saw on our mail. Today, about all you see are flags and 
the Liberty Bell, over and over again.

Hopefully, making ALL commemoratives Forever stamps will mean we'll see a greater variety 
of subjects on our mail. That'll be good for everybody.

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

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