From time to time DBSGiles sends me some uncancelled U.S. Postage ..Mer. Zips, Plate numbers etc: and asks if i would get them cancelled for him. For a couple of years the post office clerks obliged me..Today they did not know if they could do that. Duh ! Two of them had a discussion whether it was legal or not...whats illegal about cancelling a stamp ? At one time i might have walked away in disgust...but i am a old guy now and stand my ground. When the line gets long enough behind me..i get taken care of ! Does anyone know of a P.O. regulation where they can not favor cancel a stamp ?
As long as you have correct postage affixed, and your request it, they have to hand cancel the stamps. If they say that they're too busy, postal regulations permit you to hand cancel the stamps using the post office cancelling device as long as you remain within sight of the postal clerk.
Your situation seems to be that you want the stamps themselves basically, canceled to order. To my knowledge, the regulations do not permit this. The stamps have to be affixed to an envelope, and have to pay proper first class postage. The clerks were probably right in this situation.
Phil,
I feel your pain. Us old guys are finally getting tired of the same old BC they try to pass off to us. So what if you wanted those stamps cancelled, how would that hurt the PO since they do it themselves all the time. That's just less postage they have to worry about someone actually applying to an envelope and expecting it to be delivered to someone. Oh wait, I forgot this is run by the government, my apologies.
Mike
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"It's been three years now, since I joined a support group for procrastinators. We haven't met yet..."
"Two of them had a discussion whether it was legal or not...whats illegal about cancelling a stamp?
"
"That's just less postage they have to worry about someone actually applying to an envelope and expecting it to be delivered to someone."
When you put those two comments from two different people into one thought you would think the clerks would just cancel the stamps and be done with it for that very reason. Maybe they didn't do it, because you didn't provide them with a Sharpie?
There is a rule in the manual - I can't remember the number, but there was a long discussion about it in my old club up north. One of the fellows worked for the postal service and told us that clerks were instructed to not cancel stamps that were not attached to outgoing mail.
The clerks aren't being stubborn for no reason, they risk being penalized if caught violated regulations. If I were them, I wouldn't risk my job either. Can you blame them?
Simple solution, attach the stamps to envelopes and mail them to your friend. Wouldn't they be more collectible on cover anyways? I don't know of any demand for USA with courtesy cancels, do you?
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"Just one more small collection, hun, really! LoL "
Those stamps I send to Phil to get cancelled are from letters I received from the US that the USPS did not cancel; and I want them for my used US collection.
David
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"President, The Society for Costa Rica Collectors"
I've gotten a lot of collectible stamps without cancels in the last few years. I didn't want to take them to the PO for courtesy cancels since they'd get the red dot jobbie. Maybe just go to Michaels to the rubber stamp art aisle and find a suitable round cancel to to the CTO quarter circle in the corner? Or is that counterfeiting?
And thus begins a life of crime. Starting with the "harmless" inappropriate cancellation of stamps to what? Not sorting out your recyclables on garbage day? Pulling the tags off of mattresses? It gets easier after that first cancellation, doesn't it.
"Oh wait, I forgot this is run by the government, my apologies."
apologies if I wander too far afield here, but I actually think this government agency does OK.
anybody care to pick up my letter to Phil and deliver it for me, for 47c? and I got another one going to California, so you're up to 94c.
as to other government agencies, some are worse than worthless while others are either well run, essential, or both. Kinda like businesses and people: some good, some evil.
David, the soap box derby driver
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"Save the USPS, buy stamps; save the hobby, use commemoratives"