Post office sees increase in 'forever' stamp sales

    Come Monday, the cost of first-class stamps will go up 1 cent from 41 to 42 cents.
    And with the deadline rapidly approaching, Dodge City's post office has seen a sizable influx of customers stocking up on Liberty Bell "forever" stamps,  a first-class stamp that covers the first ounce of shipping, no matter how much postage increases.
    Linda Sanchez, business mail entry clerk for the U.S. Post Office, said those who work the window have seen a large increase in people stockpiling the stamp.
    "They're really buying them up," Sanchez said. "They're a good deal though. Say you buy a book, use two and forget about them for 10 years. You can still use them without adding any extra postage."
    Sanchez said she wouldn't be able to put a number on how many books they've sold in recent weeks as compared to the past months, but it was easy to see an increase.
    Postmaster Mario Saucedo said there was a very noticeable difference in the purchase of Liberty Bell stamps in the past months as opposed to the past year.
    "In the past three months, we've seen a 135 percent increase in the sale of the 'forever' stamp," Saucedo said.
    Not coincidentally, he said, the sudden jump in purchases coincided with the announcement in February that the price would be rising.
    Saucedo said he felt a large part of the stamps' popularity dealt with the fact that people would be able to hang on to the stamps forever and not have to worry about purchasing stamps with new prices on them.
    According to the United States Postal Service Web site, the 1-cent increase comes due to the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act, which says postage prices will be adjusted each May.
    Prices for postcard, large envelopes, money orders, certified mail and international letters all increased as well.

Reach Mark Vierthaler at (620) 408-9932 or e-mail him at mark.vierthaler@dodgeglobe.com.