1-cent postage increase takes effect Monday

MARY ESTHER — Local post offices are doing a brisk business in “Forever” stamps in the last days before the postal increase hits Monday.

      The stamps, which sell for 41 cents each, can be used forever, regardless of how much postage goes up in the future.

      The stamps will continue to be sold after the 1-cent increase, but will cost $8.40 a book rather than the current $8.20.

      Ron Horton, a South Carolina man visiting family in Mary Esther, stood in a short line late Thursday morning to buy “those forever things.”

      “They make it sound like you’re going to save a little more in the future,” he said.

      Mary Esther Postmaster Debra Horne said her branch is selling about 300 books a day.

      “It’s been very busy this week because of Mother’s Day as well as the rate increase,” she said. “Our customers have been buying the Forever stamps for a long time in anticipation of this increase.”

      Jerry Maynard, postmaster of the Valparaiso Post Office, said the stamps have been particularly popular with small business owners who don’t have postage meters.

      “They’re stocking up,” he said. “I ended up ordering another 4,000 so we won’t run out.”

      While the price of a First Class stamp is going up 1 cent, other services are going down. It will cost less to send some lighter packages than it has in the past, depending on the destination. Customers can save even more by going to USPS.com and preparing their packages online.

      Not all customers were buying the Forever stamps Thursday.

      Don Heapy of Shalimar spent 76 cents on 1-cent stamps so that he could use his old stamps after the rate increase goes into effect.

      “Seems like a waste of time to raise it one penny,” he said. “But hey, what are you going to do about it?

      “It’s a necessary evil. That’s all I can say.”