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Simpsons Commemorative Stamps Cost USPS $1.2 Million Loss

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  • Simpsons Commemorative Stamps Cost USPS $1.2 Million Loss

    Commemorative Simpson’s Stamps Prove Bust for U.S. Postal Service

    I never liked the way the stamps looked. If they made them look nicer, maybe more collectors/fans would have bought them.

    Remember how popular the Simpsons were? They were arguably one of the most recognizable pop-culture icons of the '90s, and easily considered the cartoon first family of America. But have they lost their luster? In celebration of the 20th anniversary of "The Simpsons," TV show the United States Postal Service decided to produce 1 billion commemorative stamps featuring Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie. However, the stamp is underperforming--way under.

    So far, supply has far outweighed demand for the stamps with only 318 million stamps being sold. As a result, the USPS is losing serious dough---$1.2 million dollars according to a report by the USPS Office of the Inspector General. The report criticizes the process of commemorative stamp making, comparing it to guesswork. The report also states that the USPS could save $2 million dollars annually by ending overproduction of commemorative stamps, which are destroyed when sales numbers do not meet expectations.

    The USPS revealed that it is projected to lose as much as $15 billion in the year ending September 30, 2012. This is a loss that the USPS can simply not afford. It has asked Congress to help it cut costs by eliminating Saturday mail delivery and getting rid of a requirement to prepay for future retirees' health care.

    Critics of the USPS, such as Tom Schatz, president of the nonprofit organization Citizens Against Government Waste said, "If the Postal Service can't address a simple matter such as determining how many commemorative stamps to produce, it shows they can't address the larger problems."

    The sales of "The Simpsons" stamps in 2009 and 2012 were underwhelming compared to past instances of pop-culture icons being honored. Elvis Presley stamps sold more than 517 million units according to Cleveland.com and those remain the most widely saved stamps with over 124 million unused to this day.

    The best-selling stamp is the Breast Cancer Research stamp, which is priced 11 cents above the first-class letter rate. The difference is given the National Institute of Health and the Department of Defense for research purposes.

    As the sales numbers for commemorative stamps continue to decline, and the USPS's budget woes linger, maybe they should consider shifting more of their business to electronic transactions as the rest of the public and business world seem to be inclined to do.

  • #2
    The USPS baffles me with all of this debt. Make the stamps limited edition, so people will be inclined to buy before they are sold out. All this is going to do is up the price of DC the next time I mail something off. They should know that nobody wants Simpsons stamps anyway, Family Guy is where its at.

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    • #3
      These are the only stamps I ever bought to collect. These look nice and can appeal to collectors.

      Marvel


      DC

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      • #4
        Those are pretty cool. I have never collected or read comics, but I have always respected them and their characters because my older brother has always been into them. We go to the comic book shop every now and again.

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        • #5
          I would like to see the numbers as far as the yearly loss on commemorative stamps goes.

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          • #6
            T.J.,
            I just noticed that you have 13 unique positive feedbacks so I just upgraded you to CCW member.

            Congrats!

            And on the stamps,I used to love comics when I was younger and still have some,mostly FF but a little bit of everything.

            Kerwin,
            nice pickup on the stamps they do look nice.
            Still collecting Frank Thomas in any uni and HoFer G/U & Auto's.

            I do not trade nor buy at "eBay values", unless a card is so rare that it is unlisted.

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            • #7
              Awesome. I appreciate it.

              Originally posted by thebighurt035 View Post
              T.J.,
              I just noticed that you have 13 unique positive feedbacks so I just upgraded you to CCW member.

              Congrats!

              And on the stamps,I used to love comics when I was younger and still have some,mostly FF but a little bit of everything.

              Kerwin,
              nice pickup on the stamps they do look nice.

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              • #8
                The Post Office Faults were all multiplied when having to prepay 75 years of retiree's health benifits, money that is given to OPM and is stolen for use by Congress. If we did'nt have to prefund (The ONLY company in the U.S. That has too!) we would have been in the Black for the last couple of years. When the Postal Service is taken apart by the Morons in Congress and you have to drive 30 or 40 miles to get your mail at a Post Office because it is unprofitable to deliver your Gma's Birthday card to your Rural residence I don't want to hear the crying. People need to realize that the Postal Service was never created as a money making machine for the U.S. Government. It was created as a service for the American People. People need to let thier Congressmen know how vital the Postal Service is. We deliver to every household in the U.S.A. From the Lighthouse on the tip of Maine to the Far reaches of Alaska for 45 cents a first class letter. How incredible is that? So, there is some waste in the Post Office but there is waste in every buisness and the one thing everyone should remember, the American Taxpayer has never, NEVER given any money to the Postal Service.

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                • #9
                  USPS should have never supported Lance Armstrong! Thats when they started losing large amounts of money.
                  http://photobucket.com/tndcollectables

                  * US Army 1985-93 DAV *

                  My name is Tom, I use dc, padded envelope please do the same. I trade by bk value, not ebay sell value.

                  I COLLECT TOPPS BASEBALL, SOME VIKINGS AND ANYTHING NEEDED FOR MY STORE.

                  If I have never traded with you I will ask if you ship first.

                  I ship on Friday and Saturday.

                  Stained glass on the left we make.

                  www.tndcollectables.com

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Man I bought tons of those too!
                    http://cardraven.blogspot.com

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