[Stephanie Ruble Posts: 1,996 Status: Offline author/illustrator WWW]

FYI illustrators - postcard stamps went up on Sunday to 35 cents (which they didn't tell me when I bought 150 postcard stamps on Saturday). 

[Kell Posts: 1,401 Status: Offline On the other hand WWW]

Drat! But now I don't have to feel as bad that I've been using up my postcard stamps for regular letters by doubling them up (really need to get to the post office!)

[Stephanie Ruble Posts: 1,996 Status: Offline author/illustrator WWW]

Totally understandable. Sometimes a little extra postage is easier than going to the post office! (Like when a bill is due and or a birthday card needs to be mailed that day.)

[Marcia Posts: 531 Status: Offline Never Too Late To Be What You Were Meant to Be WWW]

Unbelievable they didn't let you know the day before! Thanks for the heads-up.

[Stephanie Ruble Posts: 1,996 Status: Offline author/illustrator WWW]

They said they didn't know. Which is weird. The post office workers should know there's going to be an increase the day before it happens!

I only found out because I needed 3 more stamps (and then one lady tried to tell me postcard stamps were 22 cents, which I knew wasn't true, and the second lady told me they went up to 35 cents). If I had mailed 150 postcards and they all came back, that would have been a huge amount of money and time lost. Or what if they went to the publisher postage due?

The post office didn't have enough 1 cent stamps, so I ended up going to two different post offices, but happily, the postcards are gone and I don't have to worry about them any more!

[Cynthia Kremsner Posts: 734 Status: Offline Author / Illustrator WWW]

Good information. Thank you for sharing it. Possibly the date stamp on your postcards will validate the charge and no postage is due? That's what it should be anyway. I mailed some square postcards once that weren't any bigger than the standard dimensions. But, I still had to pay more for the odd size, which sounded odd to me. 

[Stephanie Ruble Posts: 1,996 Status: Offline author/illustrator WWW]

Square cards and postcards use more postage because of the shape. If I remember right, it's because they can't be fed into the machines they use to sort the mail. I could be misremembering though.

If I had mailed my postcards on Saturday when I bought the stamps, it would have been fine. I didn't mail them until Thursday (was waiting for them to come back from the printer). Haven't seen any news on the rate change and it was only by chance that I found out. Never thought the rate would go up the day after I bought them, or if it did, that I wouldn't hear about it on the news or see it online. And the people working at the post office said they didn't know until they came back to work on Monday.

I wish the post office would be better about informing the public and their staff about rate increases.

The funny thing is that I'm usually not that prepared. I usually buy stamps after the cards are printed.

[Cynthia Kremsner Posts: 734 Status: Offline Author / Illustrator WWW]

Same thing I experience in my day job. The ones who decisions impact the most are the last to know.

[Stephanie Ruble Posts: 1,996 Status: Offline author/illustrator WWW]

Sorry lack of info has infected your day job too! It seems to be going around lately.

[EricJ Posts: 55 Status: Offline I love kids' books!]

So, they still don't have Forever-stamp postcards yet?  I keep asking, and the post office doesn't really seem to know whether they exist or not.

[Cynthia Kremsner Posts: 734 Status: Offline Author / Illustrator WWW]

I guess they weren't forever.  I do remember those though . . . such a good deal.

Illustrators couldn't use those ones though, so we sort of got left out of the forever deal. I guess it's a little less disconcerting, because no one ever promised us forever then forgot about it.

I do like the flat rate envelopes and boxes. When I have to send prints, they are great for packaging, give priority delivery and insurance is included.

[charlene-chua Posts: 28 Status: Offline Drawing for people and cats. WWW]

Oh crap. I have 2 unused rolls of 34cent stamps and one partially used roll. I wonder if I can exchange them at the postoffice and pay the difference for new 35 cent stamps?

[Mindy Alyse Weiss Posts: 3,602 Status: Offline A long journey - but I'm determined to get there!]

I'm sorry that happened to you, Stephanie. Yay that you didn't send out all those postcards with the wrong postage. It's so strange that they made a change without notifying people (including their employees).

Thanks so much for helping everyone here avoid sending postcards out with the wrong postage.