Dear Stamp Makers for the USPS,
I’ve just finished up my save the dates, and I went in to one of your offices this past week to learn the ONLY postcard stamps you have? Are POLAR BEARS. And, while that’s all fine and dandy for some people, I’m sure, that is NOT OKAY for my save the dates. That I am sending out in JUNE. In the South.
I’m sure there is a reason for this, but I just went onto your Web site to possibly troubleshoot and see if there were ANY other postcard stamps available. There aren’t. (Though I can purchase numerous 10 cent stamps and piece them together on my postcards…)
Why isn’t there a variety for the postcard postage? God knows y’all have hundreds of other, regularly priced stamps to choose from.
Why polar bears? They’re beautiful creatures, yes, and I like them in a given circumstance, but they don’t really remind me of a wedding. In the South. In October. (Or any other time… unless you’re at the zoo. And that’s a major sad face altogether.)
What’s a girl to do?
Sincerely,
A confused, slightly annoyed bride
…
It’s looking like I will purchase a ridiculous amount of the 10 cent stamps since I don’t want to spend $120 on postcard postage from Zazzle (even though it’s freaking CUTE.) Because I have a budget. And that budget doesn’t include $120 for my save the date postage alone — it’s more like the total cost for printing, design and postage.
For the record, I know this isn’t a big deal. I know it isn’t the end of the world. But damnit, it’s really annoying to think you’re going to save some bucks on purchasing postcards for your save the dates and then to realize that — AFTER the postcards are in hand — that you’re either going to have to purchase polar bear stamps for something you are sending out NOW in the summer heat, piece random stamps together to send out the postcards or sign over an arm and a leg for customized postage.
Thoughts, friends?
I'm E.P. I have stylish handwriting. I enjoy a nice cappuccino in the morning. And I am fascinated with capturing life as it is.
{ 46 comments }
Seriously? That's really ridiculous. I can't believe there aren't more postage options!
Can't you get electronic stamps from the postal machines that a lot of post offices have now? The bar codes aren't gorgeous, but they're not polar bears either.
oh great, just one more thing I now have to worry about. I thank you in advance for alerting me to this issue, because quite frankly, stamps were not something I even thought I would have to deal with. Fantastic.
Good luck
And I second Elizabeth, the electronic stamps might be a little more practical.
I can only say that polar bears in the Summer obviously makes no sense. There should at least be an Elvis option or Santa or something!
Why not just use first-class stamps? I don't know how many you have to send, but that's one way to solve it.
really? polar bears? lol good luck hun
In my opinion? They are only stamps. I used the polar bears on my RSVP postcards last year. On pink and chocolate colored postcards. The thing is, in the long run…while I was annoyed, no one cared. If they did, they never mentioned it. Save your budget for the extras that are so much more important. Like super cute shoes!
Yuck. At the very least, this is totally seasonally inappropriate. I feel your annoyance– all that postcard prep, and the dumb USPS has to go and ruin it with their lame stamps!
Thats pretty insane that they only offer polar bears… Go with the excuse that you love the show Lost? There was a polar bear in that show… Hope you have better luck love!
Best,
Hannah Katy
I hate it when the stamps don't match your mailing. Can't they have flowers or something? But I have to say, if I got a save the date from you with a polar bear on it for a Southern wedding, I would find it cute and funny. But that's me.
I really hope you didn't have to wait in a long line for polar bear stamps. Whenever I need stamps, I swear I feel myself age, I'm there so long.
Polar bears?? In June?? Say WHAT???
All the RSVPs I've sent back this summer have been polar bears, you're not alone. My STDs had cute fruit stamps… but my RSVPs had the polar bears. I know. WTF.
Ew, bummer. Our postcard stamps were fruit. Pears, oranges, etc. I'm sorry they didn't keep those around for you
And here I was going to suggest you customize your own stamps. Little did I know it'd cost a pretty penny for the design. Boo. Here's a mantra I told myself when putting together our wedding STDs and Invites … people usually throw them away after they're used … no matter how much work you put into them and how much thought you put into a theme (i.e., no polar bears in the south!), they will be recycled. So, don't beat yourself up too much about it. =)
Okay, I am quite sure I am far from a bridezilla. Yet, when I saw the polar bear stamps, I refused to use them for our August wedding RSVPs. It just didn't make sense. We got the first class stamps with the Gulf Coast Light Towers theme instead. Yes, okay, a bit more money on postage than absolutely necessary, but a small price to pay to feel better.
Also, how about these?
http://tinyurl.com/3x33w9z
or these?
http://tinyurl.com/yfyte8y
Good luck, and congratulations on your upcoming nuptials
No one will notice the polar bear stamps. And if they do, who cares? That's my two cents.
I would be annoyed, especially if you based your decision on having postcards on that. There's so many details that pop up that you never new existed!
I have a feeling that I'll be so intrigued by the save the date card itself that I won't notice the stamp on them. But also knowing the story behind them? Will make me smile a little bit too, in some sort of weird inside circle bloggers-know-first kind of thing! =)
I feel ya on this! I went through the same thing when I sent mine out. I bought the regular postage stamps with US flag on it from Costco. Try the grocery store by asking the cashier…they usually have them.
Maybe you could get wee sombrero stickers and put them ON the polar bear.
No?
Things that make it blatantly obvious I have never even thought about planning a wedding:
It took me a solid 5 seconds to figure out what else “STD” might stand for.
Ohhhhhh.
Umm, that would be INCREDIBLE.
Good to know! I ended up getting the clock 10 cent stamps and put three on each post card. And it was OK. It's just annoying that they only have polar bears, you know?
Haha, I'm glad it will make you smile! And I'm also glad that the stamps wouldn't bother you… because I know some people who would be nit picky about that.
That's the truth about those random details that just pop up! But I guess that's pretty much the way it goes with wedding planning, huh?
Thanks, lady! I ended up getting the clock stamps, but would have gone with the polar bears if I couldn't find anything else. If nothing else, people could have laughed about it, right?
That's awesome! Thanks for those links. And congrats on your upcoming nuptials, too!
Thanks, lady! I got over it… and got the clock stamps. If nothing else, there's a good story to tell about the STDs, right? And isn't it ridiculous how much customized stamps cost?!
You and me both, but c'est la vie. It all worked out in the end. (:
So random. I wonder how the USPS came up with the polar bear, you know? And oh well. It worked itself out.
Hahaha, love it! My mom and I have spoken about them as STDs in public, and I'm fairly positive some strangers thought we were talking about the OTHER kind of STDs… Yeah…
Yep. Polar bears year round, lady!
Haha, I actually didn't have to wait in a line, but I would have totally been miffed if I had. And I completely agree. Whenever I have to send a package, I feel like I wait for years…
I'm glad you would think it was cute and funny! And I completely agree — when stamps don't match the mailing material, it makes me a little crazy. But that's the perfectionist in me…
Thanks, girl! I appreciate it! I ended up going with the ten cent clock stamps and put three on each post card. It was interesting getting them all out, but it worked out and nobody mentioned anything about the stamps.
Seasonally inappropriate… love it! And it all worked itself out, but I hate stressing over little things like this when there are WAY more important things (like my shoes, etc.) that I should spend my days fretting about…
Thank you, lady! I didn't end up going with the polar bears, but what I did didn't match the postcards, either. And nobody has mentioned a thing about it. So it all worked out for both of us. And I completely agree about saving my budget for extras like cute shoe!
Haha, thanks, girl!
And Elvis would have been PERFECT since we are getting married in Memphis!
You've got a point there, sir. If we run into problems like this for the invites, we're going that route. End of discussion. (:
It's nothing too crazy, but definitely something to think about before mailing stuff. The good thing is the post office has SO many different options for the invites themselves. So that kind of makes up for it…
I didn't even think about this. Huh. I've never done the electronic stamp thing before, but I like the way you're thinking…
Agreed. It really is ridiculous, but that's the way it went. And it all worked itself out.
Holy delayed response, Batman!
–
via iPhone.
Yeah, I know. Seriously. Trying to work on that…
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