Received in email:

As a member of the Collectors Club Board of Governors, I am coordinating an in-person event to be held sometime in November (exact date to be determined). Receipt of this message means that you are listed as the contact person for one or more philatelic clubs or organizations in the Tri-State area.

The event will be held on a Saturday. Its purpose is to gather collectors who are interested in selling, trading, or gifting excess material from their collections. We will set up tables for people to examine material, and the Club will provide refreshments.

Many of us enjoyed such engagements at traditional stamp clubs when we were young, and I suspect that some of you are involved in local clubs that do the same today. This is an opportunity to meet new people and make friends, enjoy an afternoon at the Club (and possibly a dinner afterwards), and potentially dispose of and acquire some nice material.

If all goes well, we’ll plan to have periodic “garage sales.”

Please pass this message along to members of your club/group and have them send me an email if they are interested. I’ll build a database of potential attendees and, once the details are determined, the Club will send a blast email to all members as well as non-members who express interest.

I’m available for questions and hope to receive lots of interest. Thank you,

Daniel Ryterband, danryterband@gmail.com

[press release]

The planning and preparation are nearly done, but we need people to help out during the show, which is being held August 7-9 at the BWI Airport Marriott in Maryland. Specific “volunteer opportunities” are:

• AFDCS Promotion/FDC Information (2-hour shifts at the table in the bourse area)
• AFDCS Sales (2-hour shifts at the table in the bourse)
• Affixing Stamps to Covers (one person for each of the 3 days)
• Hospitality Suite (one person to open, one to close each night, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, with some overlap)
• Silent Auction Closeout (2 needed, Saturday night only, 10 pm to midnight)

The Hospitality Suite opens each evening at 8 pm and closes at midnight. Besides keeping an eye on things, the volunteer will put out additional snacks and supplies as needed. The AFDCS table will be in the foyer outside the bourse and exhibit area. The Hospitality Suite is just across the hall: No long hikes as at GASS! No need to use GPS as at some other shows!

If you are available to help — just two hours! — please email coordinator Ralph Nafziger now at nafzigerralphh@gmail.com and tell him when and for what you are available.

With a design similar to the center stamp in the American Icons pane being issued on the same day, this stamp will be offered in panes and booklets of 20, and coils of 100, 3,000 and 10,000. A tip of the hat to VSC member “Marshall,”

“The Flag Mail Use stamp is a separate Flag issue, in sheet, booklet, and coil formats, without the “American Icons” words.”

And for comparison, here are the two designs:And for those who collect coil stamps…Photo courtesy the U.S. Postal Service.

Additional information will appear below the line, with the most recent at the top.

Updated July 15^th:
Technical Specifications:

Issue: U.S. Flag Stamp
Item Number: 130100
Denomination & Type of Issue: First-Class Mail Forever®
Format: Pane of 20 (1 design)
Series: N/A
Issue Date & City: June 9, 2026, New York, NY 10199
Art Director: Greg Breeding, Charlottesville, VA
Designer: Greg Breeding, Charlottesville, VA
Existing Photo: Ralph Lauren Corporation
Modeler: Sandra Lane / Michelle Finn
Manufacturing Process: Offset, Flexographic, Microprint
Printer: Banknote Corporation of America
Press Type: Alprinta 74
Stamps per Pane: 20
Print Quantity: 40,000,000
Paper Type: Phosphor Tagged, Block
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Stamp Orientation: Vertical
Image Area (w x h): 0.7300 x 0.8400 in. / 18.5420 x 21.3360 mm.
Stamp Size (w x h): 0.8700 x 0.9800 in. / 22.0980 x 24.8920 mm.
Pane Size (w x h): 5.3000 x 4.8800 in. / 135.3820 x 123.9520 mm.
Colors: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black
Plate Size: 320 stamps per revolution
Plate Number: “B” followed by four (4) single digits
Marginal Markings:
Front: Plate number in four corners
Back: © 2026 USPS • USPS logo • 2 barcodes (130100) • Plate position diagram (8) • Promotional text

Issue: U.S. Flag Stamp
Item Number: 741100
Denomination & Type of Issue: First-Class Mail Forever®
Format: Coil of 100 (1 design)
Series: N/A
Issue Date & City: June 9, 2026, New York, NY 10199
Art Director: Greg Breeding, Charlottesville, VA
Designer: Greg Breeding, Charlottesville, VA
Existing Photo: Ralph Lauren Corporation
Modeler: Daryl DeMont
Manufacturing Process: Offset, Microprint
Printer: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd. (APU)
Press Type: Muller A76
Stamps per Coil: 100
Print Quantity: 650,000,000 stamps
Paper Type: Nonphosphored Type III, Block Tagged
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Colors: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black
Stamp Orientation: Vertical
Image Area (w x h): 0.7300 x 0.8400 in. / 18.5420 x21.3360 mm.
Stamp Size (w x h): 0.8710 x 0.9800 in. / 22.1230 x24.8920 mm.
Plate Size: 744 stamps per revolution
Plate Number: “P” followed by four (4) single digits
Coil Number Frequency: Plate number every 31st stamp below stamp image

Issue: U.S. Flag Stamp
Item Number: 763200
Denomination & Type of Issue: First-Class Mail Forever®
Format: Coil of 10,000 (1 design)
Series: N/A
Issue Date & City: June 9, 2026, New York, NY 10199
Art Director: Greg Breeding, Charlottesville, VA
Designer: Greg Breeding, Charlottesville, VA
Existing Photo: Ralph Lauren Corporation
Modeler: Sandra Lane / Michelle Finn
Manufacturing Process: Offset, Flexographic, Microprint
Printer: Banknote Corporation of America
Press Type: Alprinta 74
Stamps per Coil: 10,000
Print Quantity: 90,000,000 stamps
Paper Type: Phosphor Tagged, Block
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Colors: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black
Stamp Orientation: Vertical
Image Area (w x h): 0.7300 x 0.8400 in. / 18.5420 x 21.3360 mm.
Stamp Size (w x h): 0.8700 x 0.9800 in. / 22.0980 x 24.8920 mm.
Plate Size: 540 stamps per revolution
Plate Number: “B” followed by four (4) single digits
Coil Number Frequency: Plate number every 27th stamp below stamp image

Item Number: 752400
Denomination & Type of Issue: First-Class Mail Forever®
Format: Coil of 3,000 (1 design)
Series: N/A
Issue Date & City: June 9, 2026, New York, NY 10199
Art Director: Greg Breeding, Charlottesville, VA
Designer: Greg Breeding, Charlottesville, VA
Existing Photo: Ralph Lauren Corporation
Modeler: Sandra Lane / Michelle Finn
Manufacturing Process: Offset, Flexographic, Microprint
Printer: Banknote Corporation of America
Press Type: Alprinta 74
Stamps per Coil: 3,000
Print Quantity: 12,000,000 stamps
Paper Type: Phosphor Tagged, Block
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Colors: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black
Stamp Orientation: Vertical
Image Area (w x h): 0.7300 x 0.8400 in. / 18.5420 x
21.3360 mm.
Stamp Size (w x h): 0.8700 x 0.9800 in. / 22.0980 x
24.8920 mm.
Plate Size: 540 stamps per revolution
Plate Number: “B” followed by four (4) single digits
Coil Number Frequency: Plate number every 27th stamp below stamp image

Item Number: 741100
Denomination &
Type of Issue: First-Class Mail Forever®
Format: Coil of 100 (1 design)
Series: N/A
Issue Date & City: June 9, 2026, New York, NY 10199
Art Director: Greg Breeding, Charlottesville, VA
Designer: Greg Breeding, Charlottesville, VA
Existing Photo: Ralph Lauren Corporation
Modeler: Sandra Lane / Michelle Finn
Manufacturing Process: Offset, Flexographic, Microprint
Printer: Banknote Corporation of America
Press Type: Alprinta 74
Stamps per Coil: 100
Print Quantity: 650,000,000 stamps
Paper Type: Phosphor Tagged, Overall
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Colors: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black
Stamp Orientation: Vertical
Image Area (w x h): 0.7300 x 0.8400 in. / 18.5420 x21.3360 mm.
Stamp Size (w x h): 0.8700 x 0.9800 in. / 22.0980 x24.8920 mm.
Plate Size: 744 stamps per revolution
Plate Number: “B” followed by four (4) single digits
Coil Number Frequency:: Plate number every 31st stamp below stamp image

Issue: U.S. Flag Stamp
Item Number: 686000
Denomination & Type of Issue: First-Class Mail Forever®
Format: Double-Sided Booklet of 20 (1 design)
Series: N/A
Issue Date & City: June 9, 2026, New York, NY 10199
Art Director: Greg Breeding, Charlottesville, VA
Designer: Greg Breeding, Charlottesville, VA
Existing Photo: Ralph Lauren Corporation
Modeler: Sandra Lane / Michelle Finn
Manufacturing Process: Offset, Flexographic, Microprint
Printer: Banknote Corporation of America
Press Type: Alprinta 74
Stamps per Booklet: 20
Print Quantity: 300,000,000 stamps
Paper Type: Phosphor Tagged, Block
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Stamp Orientation: Vertical
Image Area (w x h): 0.7300 x 0.8400 in. / 18.5420 x21.3360 mm.
Stamp Size (w x h): 0.8700 x 0.9800 in. / 22.0980 x24.8920 mm.
Full Booklet Size (w x h): 5.5200 x 1.9600 in. / 140.2080 x49.7840 mm.
Colors: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black
Plate Size: 960 stamps per revolution
Plate Number: “B” followed by four (4) single digits
Marginal Markings: Header: “U.S. FLAG”, Twenty First-Class™ Forever® Stamps • © 2026 USPS in peel strip area • Barcode • USPS logo • Promotional text • Plate number in peel strip area

Issue: U.S. Flag Stamp
Item Number: 686000
Denomination & Type of Issue: First-Class Mail Forever®
Format: Double-Sided Booklet of 20 (1 design)
Series: N/A
Issue Date & City: June 9, 2026, New York, NY 10199
Art Director: Greg Breeding, Charlottesville, VA
Designer: Greg Breeding, Charlottesville, VA
Existing Photo: Ralph Lauren Corporation
Modeler: Daryl DeMont
Manufacturing Process: Offset, Microprint
Printer: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd. (APU)
Press Type: Muller A76
Stamps per Booklet: 20
Print Quantity: 300,000,000 stamps
Paper Type: Nonphosphored Type III, Block Tagged
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Stamp Orientation: Vertical
Image Area (w x h): 0.7300 x 0.8400 in. / 18.5420 x 21.3360 mm.
Stamp Size (w x h): 0.8700 x 0.9800 in. / 22.0980 x 24.8920 mm.
Full Booklet Size (w x h): 5.5200 x 1.9600 in. / 140.2080 x49.7840 mm.
Colors: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black
Plate Size: 1040 stamps per revolution
Plate Number: “P” followed by four (4) single digits
Marginal Markings: Header: “U.S. FLAG”, Twenty First-Class™ Forever® Stamps • © 2026 USPS in peel strip area • Barcode • USPS logo • Promotional text • Plate number in peel strip area

Updated June 10^th:
Here are the first-day postmarks for this issue:The Digital Color Postmark measures 2.96″ x 1.44″There is no pictorial postmark for this issue, just the FDOI “Killer Bars.”

Updated May 28^th from the Postal Bulletin:
On June 9, 2026, in New York. NY, the United States Postal Service® will issue the U.S. Flag stamp (Forever® priced at the First-Class Mail® rate) in one design, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) pane of 20 stamps (Item 130100), a PSA double-sided booklet of 20 stamps (Item 686000), a PSA coil of 100 stamps (Item 741100), a PSA coil of 3,000 stamps (Item 752400), and a PSA coil of 10,000 stamps (Item 763200). This stamp will go on sale nationwide June 9, 2026, and must not be sold or canceled before the first-day-of-issue.

The Postal Service™ continues its long tradition of honoring the U.S. flag as the nation celebrates its 250th anniversary. The photograph on this 2026 stamp, a knit interpretation of a 13-star flag, is from an iconic sweater introduced by Polo Ralph Lauren in 1989. The knit flag is also featured on the 2026 American Icons pane, an issuance curated for the Postal Service by Ralph Lauren. Beneath the flag on this mail use stamp are America’s anniversary dates: 1776 and 2026, both in red, with a golden, five-pointed star between them. USPS art director Greg Breeding designed the stamp using a photograph from the Ralph Lauren Corporation.

No automatic distribution.

• 130100 Pane of 20 Stamps
• 686000 Booklet of 20 Stamps
• 741100 Coil of 100 Stamps
• 752400 Coil of 3,000 Stamps
• 763200 Coil of 10,000 Stamps

How to Order the First-Day-of-Issue Postmark:
The first-day-of-issue postmark is a postmark notating the day a stamp is first authorized for use by the Postal Service. Customers have 120 days to obtain the first-day-of-issue postmark by mail. All requests for first-day-of-issue postmarks (Traditional or Digital Color Postmark) must be sent to the following address with the choice of Traditional or Digital Color Postmark identified. All orders must be postmarked by October 9, 2026.

FDOI – U.S. Flag Stamp
USPS Stamp Fulfillment Services
8300 NE Underground Drive, Suite 300
Kansas City, MO 64144-9900

The Technical Specifications are not yet available.

The Commission of Fine Arts, which consists entirely of Trump appointees, has approved a proposal for a 24k gold coin depicting President Trump. The bipartisan Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee last month refused to consider this coin. Members said in interviews that they opposed putting any sitting president or living past president on a U.S. coin, even a collector item like this one. The last time that happened was during the Coolidge administration.

The portrait of Trump is based on a photo taken by the chief White House photographer and is now hanging in the National Portrait Gallery. It shows him leaning over his desk, with his knuckles on the desktop. The other side of the coin would show an eagle.

Members of the coinage panel said in interviews that they opposed putting any sitting president or living past president on a U.S. coin, even a collector item like this one. The last time that happened was during the Coolidge administration.

“Only those nations ruled by kings or dictators display the image of their sitting ruler on the coins of the realm,” the coinage committee’s acting chairman Donald Scarinci, said in announcing that the coin would not be on the panel’s February meeting. The New Jersey Democrat has served on the committee for 20 years.

Gold coins like these are not intended for circulation. They generally are sold by the U.S. Mint for several thousand dollars.

Even without the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee’s approval, the Treasury Department has the independent power, without congressional authority, to mint coins like this.

How big would this coin be? “I think the larger the better, and the largest of that circulation, I think, would be his preference,” said the president’s executive assistant. He also said that it was “fitting” to have Mr. Trump on a coin commemorating the country’s 250th anniversary. No date has been announced for sale of this coin.

The question for stamp collectors is whether stamps featuring Trump will be next. No living person has been honored on a U.S. stamp, although living people have sometimes been used as models.

[press release] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]
Boston 2026 Theme Days Decided

Boston 2026 World Expo USPS liaison Chris Lazaroff has received confirmation of the daily themes U.S. postal officials have approved.

• Day 1 – Saturday, May 23: 250th Anniversary of the U.S. Day
• Day 2 – Sunday, May 24: Favorite Stamp Day
• Day 3 – Monday, May 25 (Memorial Day): Stamp Collectors Day
• Day 4 – Tuesday, May 26: Letter Writing Day
• Day 5 – Wednesday, May 27: International Peace Day
• Day 6 – Thursday, May 28: Sports Day
• Day 7 – Friday, May 29: Honoring Heroes Day
• Day 8 – Saturday, May 30: Youth and Family Day

A related commemorative cancel will be designed by USPS and available each day of the show.

Separate daily first day cancels are expected for the Postal Service’s philatelic releases that are yet to be announced, expected by the end of March.

Boston 2026 World Expo takes place May 23-30, 2026, at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center. Full show details may be found at Boston2026.org and on Facebook, X and Instagram. Sign up to be added to the Boston 2026 email list and receive updates when available.

Announced by the USPS on February 17, 2026:

Summer Sunset is a new nondenominated, nonprofit-price stamp intended for bulk mailings by authorized nonprofit organizations. The stamp features an oil painting of a sunset in Menemsha, a small fishing village in the town of Chilmark, MA, on Martha’s Vineyard by local artist Rachael Cassiani. “Sunsets are universally appealing,” said Derry Noyes, an art director for USPS who designed the stamp. “A postage stamp that celebrates looking out over a body of water at the end of a summer day seems to fit well for a nonprofit organization.” Summer Sunset will be sold in self-adhesive coils of 3,000 and 10,000.

This stamp will be issued June 25 in Edgartown, MA. Additional information will appear below the line, with the most recent at the top.

Updated June 10^th:
Here is the only first-day postmark for this issue:

Updated May 20^th:
On June 25, 2026, in Edgartown, MA, the United States Postal Service® will issue the Summer Sunset stamp (Non-denominated, priced at the Nonprofit Organization Rate of 5 cents) in one design, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) coil of 3,000 stamps (Item 752300) and a PSA coil of 10,000 stamps (Item 763100).This stamp will go on sale nationwide June 25, 2026, and must not be sold or canceled before the first-day-of-issue.

Summer Sunset is a nondenominated, nonprofit-price stamp intended for bulk mailings by authorized nonprofit organizations. The stamp art features an oil painting of a brilliant sunset in Menemsha, a fishing village in the town of Chilmark on Martha’s Vineyard, MA. The art creates an eye-catching image of a sunset over water. Summer Sunset will be issued in coils of 3,000 and 10,000. Art director Derry Noyes designed the stamp with an existing painting by artist Rachael Cassiani.

No automatic distribution; coils of 3,000 and 10,000

How to Order the First-Day-of-Issue Postmark:
The first-day-of-issue postmark is a postmark notating the day a stamp is first authorized for use by the Postal Service™. Customers have 120 days to obtain the first-day-of-issue postmark by mail. All requests for first-day-of-issue postmarks (Traditional or Digital Color Postmark) must be sent to the following address with the choice of Traditional or Digital Color Postmark identified. All orders must be postmarked by October 25, 2026.

FDOI – Summer Sunset Stamp
USPS Stamp Fulfillment Services
8300 NE Underground Drive, Suite 300
Kansas City, MO 64144-9900

Technical Specifications (coil of 3,000):

Issue: Summer Sunset Stamp
Item Number: 752300
Denomination & Type of Issue: Nondenominated Nonprofit (5-cent value)
Format: Coil of 3,000 (1 design)
Series: N/A
Issue Date & City: June 25, 2026, Edgartown, MA 02539
Art Director: Derry Noyes, Washington, DC
Designer: Derry Noyes, Washington, DC
Modeler: Daryl DeMont
Manufacturing Process: Offset, Microprint
Printer: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd. (APU)
Press Type: Muller A76
Stamps per Coil: 3,000
Print Quantity: 12,000,000 stamps
Paper Type: Nonphosphored Type III
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Colors: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black
Stamp Orientation: Vertical
Image Area (w x h): 0.7300 x 0.8400 in / 18.5420 x 21.3360 mm
Stamp Size (w x h): 0.8700 x 0.9800 in / 22.0980 x 24.8920 mm
Plate Size: 594 stamps per revolution
Plate Number: “P” followed by four (4) single digits
Coil Number Frequency: Plate number every 27th stamp below stamp image

Technical Specifications (coil of 10,000):

Issue: Summer Sunset Stamp
Item Number: 763100
Denomination & Type of Issue: Nondenominated Nonprofit (5-cent value)
Format: Coil of 10,000 (1 design)
Series: N/A
Issue Date & City: June 25, 2026, Edgartown, MA 02539
Art Director: Derry Noyes, Washington, DC
Designer: Derry Noyes, Washington, DC
Modeler: Joseph Sheeran
Manufacturing Process: Offset, Microprint
Printer: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd. (APU)
Press Type: Muller A76
Stamps per Coil: 10,000
Print Quantity: 2,000,000,000 stamps
Paper Type: Nonphosphored Type III
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Colors: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black
Stamp Orientation: Vertical
Image Area (w x h): 0.7300 x 0.8400 in / 18.5420 x21.3360 mm
Stamp Size (w x h): 0.8700 x 0.9800 in / 22.0980 x 24.8920 mm
Plate Size: 594 stamps per revolution
Plate Number: “P” followed by four (4) single digits
Coil Number Frequency: Plate number every 27th stamp below stamp image

6032 (78¢) William F. Buckley

6033 (78¢) Amaryllis Flowers
6034 (78¢) Holly Wreath
6035 (78¢) Evergreen Branch
6036 (78¢) Cardinals on Mistletoe
6036a Block of 4
6036b Booklet pane of 20

6037 ($1.07) Elie Wiesel

6038 (78¢) House and Snow-Covered Trees
6039 (78¢) Snow-Covered Trees and Fence
6040 (78¢) Snow-Covered Trees and Barn
6041 (78¢) Ice-Covered Structure
6042 (78¢) Snow-Covered Trees
6042a Vertical strip of 5
6042b Booklet pane of 20

6043 Jimmy Carter

Press Release
McFarlane Exhibiting Book Wins AFDCS Ward Award

First Day Cover Philatelic Exhibiting: A Master Class by Andrew McFarlane is the 2024 winner of the American First Day Cover Society’s annual Philip H. Ward, Jr., Memorial Award for Excellence in First Day Cover Literature. It also won the Grand Award in the 2025 Great American Stamp Show literature competition as well as a large gold. The more than 500-page book was published by Exhibitors Press and is available on Amazon in both hardcover and paperback editions. Autographed copies may be ordered from his website.

The first four volumes of Kenneth M. Stern’s ongoing series of catalogues of Walter G. Crosby First Day Covers, covering 1928 through 1943, was the runner-up. The fifth and final volume, 1944 through 1949, was published earlier this year. All are also available on Amazon and Stern publishes updates on his website.

“It’s an honor even to be considered,” said McFarlane. “Receiving the award goes beyond anything I’d ever dreamed.”

As an exhibitor, he has won more than seven national exhibition Grand Awards, including that of the American First Day Cover’s Americover in 2005, 2011 and 2013. McFarlane, an IT consultant, also is the recipient of the American Association of Philatelic Exhibitors’ Diamond Award for multi-frame exhibiting. He lives in Pennsylvania’s Pocono Mountains with his wife Caroline.

Philip Henry Ward, Jr., began servicing first day covers in 1909. An electrical engineer by trade, he wrote on new issues for The American Philatelist, Mekeel’s Weekly Stamp News and The Weekly Philatelic Gazette in the early 20th century.

The American First Day Cover Society is a not-for-profit educational organization. In addition to publishing its journal First Days, the AFDCS also publishes handbooks and catalogues, and promotes the collecting of both modern and “classic” issues and cachets, as well as exhibiting FDCs. It offers awards for outstanding first day cover exhibits and an annual contest for cachetmakers, and is a co-host of the annual Great American Stamp Show.

For more information about the AFDCS, visit www.afdcs.org, e-mail afdcs@afdcs.org or write the AFDCS at Post Office Box 57, Somerset, WI 54025-0057.

[press release] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]
Price of a domestic stamp increases by 25 cents
New postage rates better align stamp prices with rising cost of providing letter mail service

OTTAWA, ON, Jan. 13, 2025 /CNW/ – As was announced in September, Canada Post is increasing postage rates effective today. For stamps purchased in a booklet, coil or pane, which represent most stamp sales, the rate increases by 25 cents, to $1.24 per stamp. The price of a single domestic stamp increases to $1.44, up from $1.15.

For the last decade, Canada Post has kept regulated letter mail rate increases to a minimum. Today’s rate change represents a one-time increase of roughly 25 per cent, which is required to better align stamp prices with the rising cost of providing letter mail service to all Canadians. Every year, there are fewer letters to deliver to more addresses, which adds significant cost pressures to the Corporation on top of continued inflationary pressures.

While rate increases are necessary, Canada Post understands that they mean additional costs for customers, and the Corporation works to minimize the impact. For the average Canadian household, the estimated impact of the rate increase is $2.26 per year. For the average Canadian small business, the estimated impact is $42.17 per year. (Estimate based on average annual spending of businesses and households.)

Regulatory approval of new rates
Changes to Canada Post’s regulated letter mail rates follow the regulatory process outlined in the Canada Post Corporation Act. The proposed rate changes were published in the Canada Gazette in September 2024 and received final regulatory approval in late November. As an organization funded by revenue from the sale of its products and services – not taxpayer dollars – rate changes are a reality.

Canadians can continue to use their Permanent™ stamps, which will always be accepted at the current domestic postage price. The rate changes also affect other products, including U.S., international letter-post and domestic Registered Mail™ items. Commercial letter mail price changes, also effective today, correspond to the regulated letter mail rate increase.

The Washington Post reports that President-elect Trump has been talking to advisors about privatizing the U.S. Postal Service. The newspaper says people with knowledge of the subject have said that Trump feels the government should not subsidize the mail carrier, especially in light of its financial losses.

“There’s a lot of [other] carrier services that became legal in the ’70s that are doing things so much better with increased volumes and reduced costs,” Casey Mulligan, who served as a top economist in the first Trump administration, told the Post.

The paper points out that Trump “feuded with the nation’s mail carrier as president in 2019, trying to force it to hand over key functions — including rate-setting, personnel decisions, labor relations and managing relationships with its largest clients — to the Treasury Department.” He also opposed voting by mail.

The USPS says it processed more than 99 million ballots last month, “In 2024, the Postal Service once again admirably performed our role of efficiently and effectively delivering the nation’s ballots,” said Postmaster General Louis DeJoy in a press release.

The Post warns that changes to the USPS could have a major impact on the e-commerce industry. Cuts in its service could also have a backlash from voters (and members of Congress) in rural areas that are only served by the USPS, which pledges six-day-a-week delivery to every address in the U.S.

How would privatization affect stamp collectors? Would we see more issues for toys like Hot Wheels (2018) and movie releases like “Lightyear” (2022)?

Note: You may need a subscription to read the entire Washington Post article.