US Stamp Prices to Increase Sunday

On Sunday, Jan. 26, 2014, the price to mail first class letters and postcards in the United States will increase slightly.

The cost of a first class letter (up to one ounce) will be 49 cents. The cost to mail a postcard will be 34 cents. Additionally, the cost of additional ounces for domestic first class letters will increase by 1-cent to 21 cents.

The cost of letters (up to 1 ounce) and postcards to all international addresses will increase to $1.15.

If you have "Forever" stamps, they will be good for the cost of first class postage (up to 1 ounce), no matter how much you paid for them. If you have any questions about how much postage a particular letter will need, take it to your local post office and ask them to double-check it for you.

Happy letterwriting!

No US Mail today

This is just a reminder that today is Martin Luther King Jr. Day in the U.S., and it's a federal holiday and is observed by the US Postal Service. There will be no mail delivery, but Express Mail may be delivered. Official US Post Offices will be closed; however, you can still buy stamps at other places that sell postage.

Great video by Snail Mail My Email

The video is by the project Snail Mail My Email, which gets volunteers to handwrite other people's emails and mail them to the intended recipient.

But, the video is about much more than that project....it illustrates how important "real" letters are to people!

Take a few minutes and watch...

Snail Mail vs. Email from ivancash on Vimeo.

1897 "Yes, Virginia" Santa Claus Letter | Roadshow Archive | PBS

On this Christmas Eve, it's interesting to see a 1997 Antiques Roadshow appraisal of the original letter that Virginia O'Hanlon wrote to the editor of the New York Sun in 1897. The letter spurred a response that has become beloved by Santa Claus fans everywhere. The link below has a video of the appraisal, as well as photos of the original letter.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/roadshow/archive/199704A43.html?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=pbsofficial&utm_campaign=antiquesroadshow

"Forever" Stamps Mean More Holiday Postage Choices

In the "old days," those who send holiday cards were limited to a couple of new stamp designs each year. Often, because postage prices changed or supplies ran out, stamps from previous years were not available. If you didn't like the current year's stamps, you were out of luck.

But, the Forever stamp has changed that, it seems! This year's selection of holiday postage includes so many designs, it's difficult to choose one!

Those sending Christmas cards can choose from this year's Gingerbread Houses, Poinsettias or Virgin and Child stamps. But, also available are last year's Santa and Sleigh or the Holy Family stamps. Additionally, you can still get the 2011 Holiday Baubles and the Madonna of the Candelabra stamps.

This year there are two Kwanzaa stamps, two Hannaukah stamps and two Eid stamps, as well.

Wishing you a happy holiday and a safe and warm winter!

US Holiday Today...No Mail

The U.S. Postal Service has been operating faithfully during the government shutdown. This is one important reason to be happy the USPS is an independent government agency.

However, today is Columbus Day in the U.S., and there will be no mail delivery.

There are only three more postal holidays left in 2013: Veteran's Day on Nov. 11, Thanksgiving on Nov. 28, and Christmas on Dec. 25.

Letter bridges seven decades

 The news last week brought a story about a Nevada woman who received a letter from her father almost 70 years after he wrote it.

It wasn't the postal service that caused the delay. In fact, no one is exactly sure what circumstances led to the letter being stored in a box in a house in St. Louis, but Donna Gregory found the letter and spent the past 14 years trying to find its rightful owner. Finally, she located Peggy Eddington-Smith who had been a tiny baby when her father wrote the letter to her.

It was World War II, and Pfc. John Eddington was stationed in Texas when he wrote the letter to the daughter he would never get a chance to see. Shortly after he sent the letter, he was sent overseas and died in Italy. His Bronze Star and Purple Heart medals were found with the letter and also returned to his daughter.

Peggy had once lived in St. Louis, and her mother, who died in 1997, had never remarried.

According to an Associated Press story, Eddington-Smith said getting her father's medals was nice, but the letter meant more because it made her feel closer to her him.

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