From Cancellation Services, Stamp Fulfillment Services, U.S. Postal Service:

“In an effort to assist our Santa Clarita Post Office, Cancellation Services will be receiving and processing all requests for the 2/18/2021 Perseverance on Mars Station pictorial postmark as show in last week’s PB & seen below.”“All requests already sent to Santa Clarita will be forwarded to SFS for processing.”

However, you can now send postmark requests directly to:

USPS SFS Cancellation Services
8300 NE Underground Drive, Pillar 210
Kansas City, MO 64144-9998

[press release]
Canada Post sends every household a free, prepaid postcard
Recipients can mail it for free to anyone they choose, anywhere in the country

OTTAWA, ON, Feb. 25, 2021 /CNW/ – While we keep our distance to fight the spread of COVID-19, staying connected with friends and loved ones is harder than ever. To help Canadians stay in touch now, when it matters so much, Canada Post will deliver approximately 13.5 million postcards, one to every residential address in the country.

There are six versions of the postcard, each one offering a simple message of love, appreciation or thanks. Every household will receive one randomly selected postcard. Recipients can send their postcard to anyone they want, anywhere in Canada, for free. No stamps are needed. Postcards can be mailed through any street letter box or community mailbox, or taken to a post office.

“Meaningful connection is vital for our emotional health, sense of community and overall well-being,” says Doug Ettinger, President and CEO of Canada Post. “Canada Post wants everyone to stay safe, but also stay in touch with the people who matter to them.” To watch a video explaining the importance of this initiative, please click here.

The postcards are part of the “Write Here Write Now” program, launched in September 2020 to encourage Canadians to use letter writing to connect in a heartfelt way. For more on the program, visit canadapost.ca/writenow.

Canadians are encouraged to share photos and videos of sending and receiving their postcards using #WriteHereWriteNow.

Please feel free to share our related posts on your social network platforms:

• • FACEBOOK – https://www.facebook.com/canadapost/posts/3917901311599600
  • TWITTER – https://twitter.com/canadapostcorp/status/1364207445405532162
  • LINKEDIN – https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6769974790087438337/
  • INSTAGRAM – https://www.instagram.com/p/CLow15OMjn9/

  [en Francais]
  Postes Canada envoie une carte postale prépayée gratuite à tous les ménages
  La carte peut être postée sans frais à n’importe quelle adresse au pays

  OTTAWA, ON, le 25 févr. 2021 /CNW/ – Alors que nous gardons nos distances pour lutter contre la propagation de la COVID-19, il est plus difficile que jamais de rester en contact avec nos proches. Pour aider les Canadiens à rester près des membres de leur famille et de leurs amis durant une période où ils en ont besoin, Postes Canada distribuera environ 13,5 millions de cartes postales, soit une à chaque adresse résidentielle au pays.

  La carte postale se décline en six versions, chacune offrant un court message d’amour, de reconnaissance ou de remerciement. Tous les ménages en recevront une sélectionnée au hasard. Les Canadiens pourront l’envoyer sans frais à n’importe quelle adresse au pays et aucun timbre ne sera nécessaire. Ils n’auront qu’à déposer la carte postale dans une boîte aux lettres publique, dans une boîte postale communautaire ou à un bureau de poste.

  « Les liens significatifs que nous entretenons jouent un rôle essentiel dans notre santé émotionnelle, notre sentiment d’appartenance et notre bien-être en général, affirme Doug Ettinger, président-directeur général de Postes Canada. Postes Canada a à cœur la sécurité de tous les Canadiens, mais aussi qu’ils gardent contact avec leurs êtres chers. » Pour regarder une vidéo expliquant l’importance de cette initiative, cliquez ici.

  Les cartes postales font partie de la campagne « Écrivez un mot. Créez un moment », qui a été lancée en septembre 2020 afin d’encourager les gens au pays à semer la joie en envoyant une lettre. Pour en savoir plus sur l’initiative, rendez-vous à postescanada.ca/creezunmoment.

  Les Canadiens sont invités à partager des photos et des vidéos de l’envoi et de la réception de leurs cartes postales à l’aide du mot-clic #UnmotUnmoment.
  N’hésitez pas à partager nos publications connexes sur vos plateformes de réseaux sociaux :

  • FACEBOOK – https://www.facebook.com/postescanada/posts/3763265607089125
  • TWITTER – https://twitter.com/postescanada/status/1364207858456420353
  • LINKEDIN – https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6769975146733293569/
  • INSTAGRAM – https://www.instagram.com/p/CLoxJb0M8EZ/

Effective as of January 9th.

Priority Mail:

Express Mail:

“The Postal Service has some of the lowest letter-mail postage rates in the industrialized world and continues to offer a great value in shipping. Unlike some other shippers, the Postal Service does not add surcharges for fuel, residential delivery or regular Saturday delivery.

“The Postal Service generally receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.”

[press release]
New Members Appointed to Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Postal Service announced the appointment of three members to the Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee (CSAC).

Created in 1957, the CSAC selects subjects for recommendation as future stamp issues, made with all postal customers in mind, including stamp collectors. Committee members, appointed by the Postmaster General, provide expertise on history, science and technology, art, education, sports and other subjects of public interest.

The new members are:

Kevin Butterfield
Dr. Kevin Butterfield is the executive director of the Fred W. Smith National Library for the Study of George Washington at Mount Vernon, the premier center for the study of our first president. In his role, Butterfield oversees Mount Vernon’s efforts to safeguard original Washington books and manuscripts, while fostering new scholarly research about George Washington and the Founding Era. He is the author of “The Making of Tocqueville’s America: Law and Association in the Early United States” and a historian of the post-Revolutionary United States.

Prior to joining the Fred W. Smith National Library, Butterfield was a tenured Associate Professor of Classics and Letters at the University of Oklahoma, where he taught early American history for eight years and directed a program for the study of the U.S. Constitution.

Dr. Butterfield received a Bachelor of Arts in History from the University of Missouri, a Master of Arts in History from the College of William and Mary, and a doctoral degree in History from Washington University in St. Louis.

Joseph Kelley
Dr. Joseph L. Kelley is a gynecologic oncologist and Professor Emeritus in Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh. He is recognized as an accomplished clinician, surgeon, educator, researcher and administrator. Under his tenure as director, the gynecologic oncology division at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) became a top-ranked program. He is board-certified in Obstetrics and Gynecology and Gynecologic Oncology. Kelley has additional expertise in the management of breast cancer and allied diseases.

Dr. Kelley has authored or co-authored over 150 articles, abstracts, and book chapters and has been recognized annually as one of Pittsburgh’s Top Doctors since 1996.

Dr. Kelley earned a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from Colgate University, a Master of Science in Physiology from Rutgers University, and a Medical Degree from St. Louis University. His post-graduate training included a residency at the Magee-Womens Hospital and a fellowship at the MD Anderson Cancer Center at the University of Texas. He was a faculty member of the department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine from 1991 until his recent retirement. Kelley now serves on the board of directors of Magee-Womens Hospital of UPMC.

Roger Ream
Roger R. Ream is president and CEO of the Fund for American Studies (TFAS), an educational organization founded in 1967 to prepare young people for leadership. During his tenure, TFAS has expanded its educational programs to four continents.

Prior to joining TFAS, Mr. Ream was a founding staff member and vice president at Citizens for a Sound Economy, served as special assistant to two members of Congress and was a senior staff member at the Foundation for Economic Education.

Mr. Ream also serves on the boards of Donor’s Capital Fund, the U.S. Air Force Academy Foundation, and the International Freedom Educational Foundation.

Mr. Ream received a Bachelor of Arts from Vanderbilt University.

Submitting Stamp Suggestions
Due to the time required for research and approval in the stamp selection process, ideas for stamp subjects should be received at least three years prior to the proposed issuance. Each submission should include pertinent historical information and important dates associated with the subject. Proposals must be in writing and submitted by U.S. Mail. No in-person appeals, phone calls or e-mails are accepted. Mail your suggestion (one topic per letter) to the address below:

Stamp Development
Attn: Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee
475 L’Enfant Plaza SW, Room 3300
Washington, DC 20260-3501

The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.

Here are the two postmarks available: The pictorial measures 2.68″x1.25″. Also available: The dimensions were not given, but the standard “killerbar” postmark is approximately 3.25″x1.00.

The address to send cancellation requests for these is:

USPS SFS Cancellation Services – Presidential Inauguration
8300 NE Underground Drive, Ste 300
Kansas City, MO 64144-9900

From the USPS: “Please be sure to include cancellation instructions for your request so we are sure of which postmark you would prefer. As always, the first 50 cancellations are free, if you have more than 50 cancellations there will be a fee of 5¢ per cancel assessed.”

From the December 17th Postal Bulletin:

All Houston, TX Post Offices receive hundreds of requests each month for the four postmarks popularly known as the “Space” postmarks, These Post Offices are now consolidating the canceling process to one Post Office so they can better serve their customers.

The new mailing address for all Houston, TX Space postmark requests has been changed to:

Space Postmark Request
c/o Postmaster
Sam Houston Station
Attn: Mr. Kenneth Cooper
1500 Hadley Street
Houston, TX 77002-9998

The U.S. Postal Service has much more leeway to adjust its prices for shipping services in which it is in competition with independent companies than it does for regular mail.

[press release]
U.S. Postal Service Announces New Domestic Competitive Prices for 2021

The United States Postal Service filed notice with the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) today of price changes to take effect Jan. 24, 2021.

The proposed prices, approved by the Postal Service Governors, would raise Shipping Services product prices approximately 3.5 percent for Priority Mail service, and 1.2 percent for Priority Mail Express service. Shipping Services price increases vary by product. Although Mailing Services price increases are based on the consumer price index, Shipping Services prices are primarily adjusted according to market conditions. The Governors believe these new rates will keep the Postal Service competitive while providing the agency with needed revenue.

If favorably reviewed by the PRC, the new prices will include an increase in the price of a Small Flat-Rate Box to $8.45. The Medium Flat-Rate Box would increase to $15.50, the Large Flat-Rate Box would increase to $21.90 and the price of the APO/FPO Large Flat-Rate Box would increase to $20.40. Regular Flat-Rate Envelopes, Legal Flat-Rate Envelopes, and Padded Flat-Rate Envelopes would increase to $7.95, $8.25, and $8.55 respectively.

The Priority Express Mail flat-rates will remain the same.

The proposed domestic Priority Mail Flat Rate Retail price changes are:

The Postal Service has some of the lowest letter-mail postage rates in the industrialized world and continues to offer a great value in shipping. Unlike some other shippers, the Postal Service does not add surcharges for fuel, residential delivery or regular Saturday delivery.

The PRC will review the prices before they are scheduled to take effect. The complete Postal Service price filings with prices for all products can be found on the PRC site under the Daily Listings section at prc.gov/dockets/daily. For the Shipping Services filing, see Docket No. CP2021-28. The price change tables are also available on the Postal Service’s Postal Explorer website at pe.usps.com/PriceChange/Index.

The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.

[press release]
U.S. Postal Service Announces New Prices for 2021
No Increase in Forever Stamp

WASHINGTON, DC — The United States Postal Service filed notice with the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) today of price changes to take effect Jan. 24, 2021.

The proposed prices, approved by the Postal Service Board of Governors, would raise Mailing Services product prices approximately 1.8 percent for First-Class Mail and 1.5 percent for other categories. Although Mailing Services price increases are based on the consumer price index, competitive International Shipping Services prices are primarily adjusted according to market conditions. The governors believe these new rates will keep the Postal Service competitive while providing the agency with needed revenue.

If favorably reviewed by the PRC, the new prices will include no increase in the price of a First-Class Mail Forever stamp, which would remain at 55 cents. The single-piece letter additional ounce price would increase to 20 cents, the metered mail 1-ounce price would increase to 51 cents and the prices of postcard stamps would increase to 36 cents. Single-piece 1-ounce flat prices will remain unchanged at $1.

The proposed Mailing Services price changes include:

The Postal Service has some of the lowest letter-mail postage rates in the industrialized world and continues to offer a great value in shipping. Unlike some other shippers, the Postal Service does not add surcharges for fuel, residential delivery or regular Saturday delivery.

The PRC will review the prices before they are scheduled to take effect. The complete Postal Service price filings with prices for all products can be found on the PRC site under the Daily Listings section at prc.gov/dockets/daily. For the Mailing Services filing, see Docket No. R2021-1. For the International Shipping Services filing, see Docket No. CP2021-15. The price change tables are also available on the Postal Service’s Postal Explorer website at pe.usps.com/PriceChange/Index.

The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.

The Washington Post reports the U.S. Postal Service had a really bad spring, even before the arguments over voting by mail reached their height. “The documents, which mostly span March and April, depict an agency in distress,” according to documents obtained by the newspaper. The problems include its finances, its business relationship with Amazon and of course the coronavirus pandemic.

The paper also reports that at one point, the USPS, working with HHS, planned to deliver 5 face masks to every American household. “The White House nixed the plan,” says the Post.

You can read the WaPo story here. A subscription may be required if you have used up your quota of free articles.

The Virtual Stamp Club reports on postal agency issues, because what happens to these agencies is likely to affect stamp collectors.

Postal agencies are rarely attention-getting issues in political races, but 2020 is a year like no other: The U.S. Postal Service is a lead item in the presidential election coverage.

President Trump charged the Democrats with holding up the coronavirus stimulus bill by demanding aid for the U.S. Postal Service.

“The items are the post office and the $3.5 billion for mail-in voting,” Trump told Fox Business News’ Maria Bartiromo. “If we don’t make the deal, that means can’t have the money, that means they can’t have universal mail-in voting. It just can’t happen.”

He opposes widespread voting-by-mail, saying it would lead to widespread corruption and fraud in this election. However, he plans to vote by mail in Florida, now his official residence.

There are charges that new Postmaster General Louis DeJoy [left], President Trump’s pick, is hobbling the USPS’ capability to deliver mail-in ballots.

This is a fast-developing story, so we’re going to do something they tell you never to do as a website host: Go to your favorite news website and read the latest there. We can’t keep up. We shouldn’t keep up: This is a stamp collecting news site, not a mainstream news or opinion site.

Commenting has been turned off for this post.