Can I use old 26p postage stamps?

spiritus

I have a schoolboy collection of mint (unused) stamps dating back to to the 1980's.
All of them have a monetary value on them e.g. 14p, 16p, 26p etc. Can I still use them for postage if I combie the right amounts to get me to current 2nd class or 1st class totals?
I was going to sell them on Ebay but they're not worth much at all!

kalsha

Yes you can.  I am doing the same - using my old collection as it is not worth selling.  Recently I have sent all my parcels using these combinations and they have been delivered with no problems.

soolin

Yes you can, they are still legal postage. My dad collected stamps, including mint 'sets' bought on the first day from the PO , I am still occasionally using mint stamps from those lots on letters and packages.I did look into selling them but would end up with a lot less than face value so might as well use them.

emmbrook

All decimal UK stamps remain valid for postage including half penny values when combined with other halo pennies. Plenty of dealers sell excess stock on eBay for postage below face value - I’ve been using stamps that are often 40 plus years old for ages, never had an issue.

hermante

emmbrook said:

All decimal UK stamps remain valid for postage including half penny values when combined with other halo pennies. Plenty of dealers sell excess stock on eBay for postage below face value - I’ve been using stamps that are often 40 plus years old for ages, never had an issue.

This is correct, but I usually avoid "awkward" stamps like half pennies and Europe NVIs (currently worth £1.42 I believe) at the post office and only use them for stuff that gets chucked into a postbox, after I wasted a lot of time trying to explain what the E stamps were to a new staff member and their manager... Not had any problems yet, I assume that even non-feedbackers will open INRs or complain if they get a surcharge.

Some people believe that half penny values are ignored, but this is not the case. For example if you have a five 12½p + one 2½p, this adds up to 65p so is valid for 2nd class letter. Some people think that the half pennies are ignored so they would say it is only 62p, but they are not correct.
However obviously a single ½ would be ignored.

kalsha

hermante said:

Some people believe that half penny values are ignored, but this is not the case. For example if you have a five 12½p + one 2½p, this adds up to 65p so is valid for 2nd class letter. Some people think that the half pennies are ignored so they would say it is only 62p, but they are not correct.
However obviously a single ½ would be ignored.

Thank you for that info.   I haven't been using any 1/2 p ones simply because I didn't know they could be used.  Now I know.

spiritus

Thanks guys!
A little disappointing that the mint collection of stamps I purchased 40 years ago are worth the same now but perhaps not that surprising. At least I can still use them!

soolin

spiritus said:

Thanks guys!
A little disappointing that the mint collection of stamps I purchased 40 years ago are worth the same now but perhaps not that surprising. At least I can still use them!

Actually the value is less, your £3 (or whatever) mint presentation pack was a higher percentage of your salary in the. 1970s than it is now. My dad would save up to buy presentation packs, now the value of the stamps very often barely covers a single large letter package. 

It’s even worse for 1st day covers, they cost the same as the mint sets but can no longer be used and sell for far less than face value.