What's it worth?

You can probably find it on the post office site but if it's one of the new variety, I forget just exactly when they started doing this, they may be 'forever' stamps that are supposed to be good regardless of the current rate.

You do need to check, though, because they did, from time to time, issue 'unlabeled' stamps when they didn't know when or what the rate change was going to be.

Yep. I think it was one of those "I don't know" stamps :-(

...Jim Thompson

Do you send all your invoices electronically? About half of my clients prefer mail.

No idea, the forever stamps would look like this:

Likely you'll need additional postage. If urgent you'd probably be fairly safe if you put two of those on. Unless they are really, really old ...

I send ALL my invoices via E-mail in PDF format.

I just did away with receiving faxes via my own phone line, I now use "pfax".

No urgency, I just noticed that I need to mail a payment soon, because the dorks don't have web pay :-(

How backward can you get ?:-)

...Jim Thompson

Well? It _is_ a stable media ;-)

...Jim Thompson

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I just did some checking. The Dow has done better than first class stamp prices. So, my idea of buying loads of "forever" stamps as an investment isn't sound. Damn.

Bob

Does it say "First Class Rate"?

Does it say "Forever"?

Modern-times "First Class" stamps lacking denomination tend to be good for mailing a 1st class letter that can be mailed with a single regular stamp with a denomination for the usual rate for a 1-ounce-or-less "First Class" letter. This definitely true if the stamp says "Forever", "First Class Rate" or anything else indicating that it alone is good and sufficient through postal rate increases.

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There are also stamps denominated by a letter. Those stamps had their printing set-up started on approach to a postal rate increase, but before it was decided how much the rate increase would be. Once the new rate for a "regular" first class letter was decided, the denomination for that letter was defined.

===============================================

Only stamps with numerical denominations are any good for international mail. Stamps with "First Class Rate" and "Forever" are only good for domestic mail. The same may be true of those stamps with letters for denomination.

- Don Klipstein ( snipped-for-privacy@misty.com)

Same here but not all clients want it that way.

Web pay?

You should come to our neck of the woods, then you'd know ;-)

We just transferred two IRAs. My wife's made it, mine must have fallen out of the saddle bags and tumbled down a ravine.

Yep. I pay almost every one of my accounts via the web... log in, execute an ACH or a direct debit, print a receipt, and log out.

Mortgage, car payment, electricity, water, telephone (land and cell), off-site storage facility rent, American Express, etc.

...Jim Thompson

But that works only with registered accounts, doesn't it? I remember that from Europe and after moving to the US I first thought I'd been transferred to the stone age WRT banking. Over there you can ask anyone's account number, it's safe, even printed right there on the invoice. Can't remember anyone using checks much.

Ah, packrat syndrome?

American Express, ...

The one from Costco? I was thinking about that but wondering whether Amex is widely accepted. I used to have an Amex card a long time ago but it was refused several times (they took only Master and Visa).

Jim's clients prefer cuneiform on clay tablets (Ducking and running).

Not here either. You just haven't tried it.

Rows of file cabinets... every design I ever did ;-)

No. Business Platinum.

I have several minimally-used MC and Visa credit cards, generally using MC and Visa _debit_ cards if Amex isn't accepted. I like the Amex for the rebates and discounts at many businesses... like FedEx for example.

...Jim Thompson

I thought there had been a flag 'forever' stamp but looks like I was mistaken.

Judging from your 'tan' background description it sounds like a 41 cent stamp.

That's it. Thanks!

...Jim Thompson

Well, I had asked a few suppliers, propane and stuff, and the answer was usually "nope".

Scan it all into PDF and then let them turn the sheets into grocery bags?

That would be the benefit with the Costco Amex card as well. 1.5% for big ticket stuff I believe.

I've had a number of clients that did direct deposit of invoice payments... in fact, Motorola insists on it.

Do you want to drop by and scan the contents of SIX 4-drawer HON cabinets, 47 years worth of drawings ?:-)

...Jim Thompson

So do I, some wire the funds. But it doesn't work the other way, paying vendors and stuff. Some yes but not all. In Europe all can be paid by electronic transfer, even back in the 90's.

Depends on what you pay me :-)

The Brother machine here that you keep picking on has a most wonderful tool for such jobs: A large sheet feeder.

What's the point of the HON cabinets anyhow? What's going to happen when you pass away? Grandkids framing the circuitry of your MC-whatever and marveling at it? "Oh, look, gramps did that, look at those fine artistic Rubylith lines over there ..." ;-)

Reminds me of several friends who have furniture in storage. "Oh, this is valuable and some day I am going to get the right price for it, it's worth at least $3k" (or so they think). By the time I asked the cumulative storage rental costs were around $4k ...

Oh, yes, that's a whole lot. However, my clients typically want me to use their account numbers for charge purposes so 95% of Fedex costs don't even show up in my books.

They will establish a shrine, somewhat like a Presidential library ;-)

...Jim Thompson

Lettered stamps were the worst because they issued the same stamp with multiple denominations.