Author: Pat Morgan
Prexie Award Winner: 2022

USPS Rate Increase: July 9th 2023

Posted on by Pat Morgan

On April 10th 2023, the United States Postal Service filed notice with the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) of mailing services price changes to take effect July 9th, 2023. The new rates include a three-cent increase in the price of a First-Class Mail® Forever stamp from 63 cents to 66 cents.

If favorably reviewed by the Commission, the proposed increases will raise First-Class Mail prices approximately 5.4 percent to offset the rise in inflation. The price changes have been approved by the Governors of the U.S. Postal Service.

The price for 1-ounce metered mail will increase to 63 cents, and the price to send a domestic postcard will increase to 51 cents. A 1-ounce letter mailed to another country would increase to $1.50. There will be no change to the single-piece letter and flat additional-ounce price, which remains at 24 cents. The Postal Service is also seeking price adjustments for Special Services products including Certified Mail®, Post Office Box rental fees, money order fees and the cost to purchase insurance when mailing an item.

The proposed Mailing Services price changes include:

ProductCurrent PricesProposed Prices
First-Class Mail Letters (1 oz.)$0.63$0.66
First-Class Mail Letters (metered 1 oz.)$0.60$0.63
Domestic Postcards$0.48$0.51
First-Class Mail International Letter (1 oz.)$1.45$1.50
First-Class Mail International® Postcards$1.45$1.50

As operating expenses fueled by inflation continue to rise and the effects of a previously defective pricing model are still being felt, these price adjustments are needed to provide the Postal Service with much needed revenue to achieve the financial stability sought by its Delivering for America 10-year plan. The prices of the U.S. Postal Service remain among the most affordable in the world.

The PRC will review the changes before they are scheduled to take effect. The complete Postal Service price filing, with prices for all products, can be found on the PRC website under the Daily Listings section at prc.gov/dockets/daily. The Mailing Services filing is Docket No. R2023-2. The price tables are also available on the Postal Service’s Postal Explorer website at pe.usps.com/PriceChange/Index.

ATA: 2023 My One-Page Exhibit

Posted on by Pat Morgan

If you weren’t aware the ATA has for the past 2 years held a One-Page online exhibit event.

I submitted my article previously published in the Perf-Dispatch into the event.

The ATA had 215 exhibits this year celebrating history, culture, nature, science, technology and more.

Please be sure to explore the exhibits by going to https://www.ataexhibits.com/2023-exhibit-list/ and sharing this site with others.

Maybe next year more of the GMCSC Members will participate!

one-Page-Exhibit-Oil-Painted-CoversDownload
Roles/Responsibilities: Stamp Club Custodian

Roles/Responsibilities: Stamp Club Custodian

Posted on by Pat Morgan

There are no specific instructions as to how the stamps are organized or maintained.   The Stamp Club Custodian (Custodian) is free to organize and maintain the stamps as they desire.

  1. General Duties:
    • Organize as you see fit.
    • Incorporate any newly donated stamps.
    • Store the stamps and covers so that they are not damaged.
    • Collect funds from sales and maintain the balance in Club Stamp Cash Box.
    • Ensure proceeds are provided to the Club Treasurer each month, if any.

  2. StampFest:
    • Friday night during Setup:
      • Bring all the stamps, covers, and signage and set up the Club Stamp Sale booth.
      • Set out the Beginner collector’s stamps and activities.
    • Saturday morning: Provide the cash box to the Registration desk for them to collect sale funds during the show.
    • Saturday and Sunday: Clean up the areas when they get disorganized to make the area useable for the collectors.
    • Sunday after the show closes: Collect the cash box from the registration desk.  Pack up all the items and haul them back home.
    • After the show and no later than the next club meeting balance the cash box to $10, count the proceeds, and provide the funds to the club treasurer.

  3. Optional Tasks:
    • Bring in a “small” amount of the stamps each month for the members to look at and purchase.  Note: most of our members are not all that interested in these, but someone might still want to look on occasion.
    • Let other members know that if they have excess stock, they would like to donate to let you know.