Postage stamps are the proof that the proper fee has been paid to send a piece of correspondence. If a postage stamp is not present on a piece of mail being sent, the recipient becomes responsible for paying the postage due. If the recipient does not wish to pay the postage due, then the item is returned to the original sender. Postage stamps can be purchased in a variety of ways. They can be purchased individually, in a book (usually 20) or in a larger roll, if a significant amount is needed. Stamps can be found at the local postal office, in a machine, or at certain locations that provide the service of selling stamps. Keep in mind that most of these remote locations, which are not affiliated with the postal service, tend to charge more per stamp. For example, an establishment that cashes checks and provides other similar services charges 50 cents for a stamp that costs only 39 cents if purchased elsewhere. Postage stamps have come along way since their initial introduction. No advancement is more appreciated than the birth of the self-sticking stamp. Along with this clever, and much appreciated, advancement, there has also been the change in the look of postage stamps. Postage stamps come in a variety of sizes and shapes now, and they have all sorts of pictures and themes to them. Depending on the season or current holiday, stamps will have themes that match the current time. Postage stamps have also been made in honor of certain people and places. Additionally, a neat feature of stamps is that they can be purchased for a particular cause and the difference in the proceeds (which is very slight) will go to the cause the stamps were promoting. The current price of postage stamps is 39 cents a piece, which is a 2 cents increase over the 37 cents amount. Postage prices continue to rise as the general public uses hard-copy mail less and less, due to advancements in technology that allow most common correspondence to be sent electronically. As the use of the electronic submission grows, the price of individual postage stamps will most likely increase. If the total volume of mail decreases, the difference must be made up by charging more money to send each piece of mail. The likelihood, at this point, is that postage stamps will continue to increase in price, as time goes on. |
