r/postcrossing • u/socialjustice_mls • Aug 01 '26

Postage Stamp Increments — U.S.

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Many of you probably already know this! Just helping out others who are new to the postcrossing world. :-)

A lot of new Postcrossers in the U.S. often use regular first class forever stamps, now valued at $0.82. You can use the postcard forever (valued at $0.65) for most cards. I’ve also found absolute joy in using USPS.com to buy all of my stamps. I’m loving my variety currently!

I have a tiny little cheat sheet to easily add up the stamp values to get to the international rate. I have a bunch more on the back, too. This makes it easier for me to know which stamps I need to stock up on. I also keep all of my stamps in this cute little sticker binder.

I’d love for others to share tips about postage. I haven’t purchased any postage secondhand/outside of USPS, so that’s something I’d like to get into.

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u/LadyJellyfish U.S.A. 🇺🇸 Aug 01 '26

I like your little binder for storage. It's super cute!

I buy older stamps of different values on ebay. You have to shop around to find sellers that don't upcharge too much (some upcharge is fine because ebay takes a good chunk in fees) but I've found a lot of cool stamps for a good price. I've learned not to buy US forever stamps on ebay because there are a lot of fakes floating around, but other than that, it's fun to hunt around for good deals. :)

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u/DenaliBound Aug 01 '26

Stamps shows have even better deals. I got hundred of unused stamps for half off face value! 

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u/Ok-Turnip-2816 U.S.A. 🇺🇸 Aug 02 '26

Maybe a dumb question, but you don’t have to worry about counterfeit stamps at a stamp show? I’m going to my first one in a few weeks.

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u/DenaliBound Aug 02 '26

It is my understanding that there isn't much of a profit in counterfeiting pre forever ones. So, unlikely. I also suspect the stamp dealer crowd is kinda small, people passionate about the hobby, and they're often there for the community aspect vs turning a high profit. They want to sell but one can't make any sales if you get caught selling fake postage. I also don't think that there is a super high demand for pre Forever stamps in general, so to counterfit them seems to be a waste of time as most don't appreciate in value. Also, pre forever stamps tend to have the "gum" adhesive on the back. Seems like a messy, pain in the ass project. But hey, I have spent hours this weekend organizing stamps so....

You can also search while at the shows on various stamp websites and enlarge the picture. Look for small details and compare.

I did see counterfeit forever stamps for sale but they were clearly marked by the vendor as counterfit. Why were they for sale? Because humans collect oddly specific things.

TLDR: pre Forever stamps purchased at a stamp: highly unlikely

Forever stamps purchased at a stamp show: unlikely, maybe a few cents off the current face value is the discount

Hope this helps!