Aussie 90cent price rise per item sent.

[vizma bruns]

UGH! This week the price of postage has risen by almost a dollar to send International post. Until now we've had a $1.70 price for postcards and 'card only' post. That no longer exists. Any mail being sent from AUS internationally will now cost $2.60.

sheesh%$#@!

If anyone has any unfranked Aussie stamps that they'd like to send me, it would be most appreciated. (For my stamp collection, of course. )

Thanks.

[Eraser Heed]

Take care!

[vizma bruns]

That's a beautiful solution, Nik!! Who wouldn't love an envie like that!!?

Does any other country have special international stamps or is it just an Oz thing? We supposedly can't use domestic (within Oz) stamps for OS sending. Something to do with taxes... so all of our mail going OS must have a stupid printed blue International Post section on the stamp. And if we use the local stamps, the cost is higher to cover tax!

[Valentine Mark Herman]

In France, you can use any combinations of stamps to make up the rate for international post -- currently €0.95;

There are 4 basic mail prices:

i) cheap internal -- €0.60 (I think)

ii) regular internal (and nominally faster) -- €0.67 (I think)

iii) Europe -- €0.80

iv) rest of the woorld (including post to Vizma) -- €0.95

Stamps are also sold at different values; eg 1, 5, 10, 20 cents, and can be combined to make up any of the 4 rates.

I don't think that tax is involved in any visibile way in this. Val

[Pamela Gerard]

USA has special international stamps -- the round Global Stamp (which I hate). It is a "forever" stamp which means there is no value printed on it. The good news is, if you buy a lot of them (all USA first class & Global stamps are now "forever" ) and hoard them and the postage goes up you save the increase. But who can hold on to stamps for so long? And I have been told I am not supposed to use the regular first class stamps on international mail but i always do and they always get delivered....

[vizma bruns]

Gotta say, I hate those global stamps too, Pamela! It's great to get some different vintage ones occasionally, I absolutely LOVE the 60s(?) design series, like the typewriter, if you have any for my next mailing??!!! They are so droolish!!

[Pamela Gerard]

I have ONE of the black & write stamps with a woman typing. I will save it for you, Viz. And did you get my last mailing? You hadn't mentioned it arrived and now I am wondering. the little postal booklet with some stamps inside?

[vizma bruns]

[Eraser Heed]

Beautiful stamps though!

[Valentine Mark Herman]

There are FOREVER type stamps in the UK, marked 1st and 2nd class, and as long as trhere is a two-tier postal service, I guess they can be used forecer

[Valentine Mark Herman]

Next message (and sorry Mr Eraser Head, but this is getting us far away from your original theme):

If you want to see some Silly Stamps, go to my website www.val-herman-art.eu, then to 'Stamp Art', and then to 'Silly Stamps'.

(If these don't tickle your fancy, or any other part of your anatomy, then look at the 'Erotic ArtiStamps' part of my 'Stamp Art'.)

End of commercial

[Eraser Heed]

And Sweden got 2!!! silly stamps, yes, design is tricky. Very funny collection!

[jude worters]

sending regular mail will become more expensive as technology becomes more intrusive into every sphere of life..the post office in australia is now thinking of only delivering the post 3 days a week….sending mail via snail mail will become a luxury and therefore more expensive …its happening in all spheres of life…this year i have been told i will need to deliver at least 10 per cent of my teaching online and that this will increase incrementally over the next few years…this is a cost cutting measure and the importance of face to face and classroom interaction is being sidelined in favour of the virtual classroom…..the dark side of technology !!!!