MSE News: Royal Mail caps stamps supply after stampede

pendulum

We bought over £3k worth today. Cleared out a couple of Post Offices of their 100 books as well as WH Smith and Makro!

Didn't know about the RM online shop, but at least we've got them all now and that will do us for the next year or two!

rapido

3010 wrote: »

Self adhesive is where you just pick them off and stick them onto stuff.

Gummed is the good old fashioned lick and stock ones. :drool: :drool: :drool:

hth

Cheers, but I knew that already!

S'pose my question wasn't very clear, but we already ordered over £1,000 of stamps a couple of hours ago.

Onyourcase

I've a great way of beating the system. I'm going to try and not send any snail mail for a year.

Pincher

I think Costco sells ten books of stamps as one item, and the last time I bought was three years ago (probably). Still have about six books left. After all the moving around (within the same house), I'm surprised I can still find them.

A lot of transactions accept scanned images now, which saves a lot of trees and (more expensively) ink. What I find really annoying is, some businesses tell you they are really green, because your letter is scanned and SHREDDED on arrival, but they won't take scanned images by e-mail!

KxMx

poppy10 wrote: »

Indefinite, Royal Mail have never stopped accepting any of their old first class stamps no matter how old.

I would advise caution though, there are plans afoot to sell Royal Mail, and we've no way of knowing when that will happen or if the new provider will honour the current stamps.Stock up by all means but I wouldn't buy 1000s unless you're going to use them ie a business!

thelawnet

downs523 wrote: »

Is it worth buying bulk to resell on eBay?

Example:
1000x 1st class = £460.

Say you list them for £580 (£20 cheaper than the new price)
After Ebay and paypal fees (10% upto £40 and 3.4%) = £510.28

Profit of £50.28 excluding posting them.

Oh dear, if you're going to do this, at least notice that 2nd class is more profitable.

anniecave

You can certainly buy from Royal Mail online shop as an individual.I used to buy them from the Royal Mail shop for the company I used to work for. I bought them on my personal credit/debit card and claimed the money back in expenses. I was never asked to prove I was buying for a business, or even asked!

I bought some stamps today from my local post office. There were certainly lots available. And Superdrug was offering to sell me stamps when I was in there buying other items, although they did say that their stocks were running low!

Oh and rolls of stamps from the royal mail shop are the ones you have to lick, whereas the sheets are the sticky type.

chattychappy

I do wonder if the "1st" / "2nd" stamps will indeed remain valid forever, as everyone assumes. Whilst a private company might have to stick to such a deal for an advance purchase, I can well imagine RM (supported by legislation if necessary) could restrict/limit their use.

Also, I wonder about the "Large letter" stamps. They could decide to discontinue the large letter rates.

Personally I've bought about a couple of years' supply, but I wouldn't go further than that.

oldvicar

KxMx wrote: »

I would advise caution though, there are plans afoot to sell Royal Mail, and we've no way of knowing when that will happen or if the new provider will honour the current stamps.Stock up by all means but I wouldn't buy 1000s unless you're going to use them ie a business!

poppy10 wrote: »

Indefinite, Royal Mail have never stopped accepting any of their old first class stamps no matter how old.

I have a few stamps left from when I was a wee bairn, will they still be valid?

They are marked 3d (I think that was the 1st class rate) and 2 1/2 d (think that was 2nd class)

In fact is there a general ruling about pre-decimalisation stamps of any denomination - including one I have for £1 which I think is pre-1971 but I can't be sure.

custardy

oldvicar wrote: »

I have a few stamps left from when I was a wee bairn, will they still be valid?

They are marked 3d (I think that was the 1st class rate) and 2 1/2 d (think that was 2nd class)

In fact is there a general ruling about pre-decimalisation stamps of any denomination - including one I have for £1 which I think is pre-1971 but I can't be sure.

well is pre decimal currency valid?
there might be a clue in that