michael78651

30 Aug 2019
04:23:05pm

re: ISLAND : no new issues ...

I agree that this is probably the beginning of the end. There are much more costs with producing and selling stamps than simply printing them, taking the sheet off the press and handing them to a post office to sell. There is the entire retail logistics to contend with, including the costs associated with brick and mortar, distribution, advertising, personnel and more.

It is much more cost effective to have clerks print out a meter/label then do that and in addition maintain an inventory (requiring daily reconciliation) of stamps which few are buying. People don't go to the post office that much anymore. Go into a post office and watch people, especially on weekends, look dazed as they enter the post office. They don't have a clue where they are, or what the post office does. It's like the people who think that trains run around in circles to look nice, because they only see model trains running around in circles under Christmas trees.

Philatelic agencies are shutting down. Some consolidate with other agency. An example is the Pitcairn Islands. Lack of sales moved the sale of Pitcairn Stamps from the Island to the New Zealand Post Philatelic Agency.

That's the reality, with more cold water to follow.

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