Fun with Stamps

I don’t remember being a big sticker lover when I was a kid. I mean, the scratch-n-sniff and googly eyed ones were cool, but I was never a collector. Stamps, on the other hand, were always fascinating. When I was a pre-teen with international pen pals I clipped and saved the stamps and discarded the letters (after reading and responding, of course). And, still, when going through my Great-Grandma Weber’s box of letters, I often pause to study the century-old stamps people sent to her.

Now, all grown up and (kinda) writing for a living, I find my love for stamps has only strengthened. Of course, I love mail. I send cards to family and friends for holidays, birthdays or for no reason at all. I send thank you notes whenever an occasion presents itself. And, after an article is published, I always send a copy of the publication to everyone who was gracious enough to endure an interview with me, the noobie journalist.

When I first started this freelance writing gig, just over a year ago, I felt bogged down by constant trips to the post office; the amount of time spent driving back and forth and the gasoline expense were too much. Plus, the computer generated stamps the postal clerks print– after you wait in line for(what seems like)ever–are ugly, face it. So, I decided to try something new.

Since Mr. Wonderful and I already have an electronic scale in the kitchen for foodstuff, and the U.S. Post Office is glad to estimate postage rates on their Web site, I figured I’d become my own postal clerk. The postmaster makes it easy enough to buy stamps online*and the shipping and handling charge is usually $1, no matter how much you buy, so, I figured, why not?

It’s not like this hobby costs anything, not really. I’m not paying any more for postage than I would otherwise, besides that $ for s/h. I buy stamps in a range of prices– 1 cent to $1. A usual order runs about $20-$40. The great news is the post office is glad to mail anyone free supplies, like forms, boxes and envelopes for their Priority, Express and International services– at no charge! You can even buy pre-paid envelopes, if you’re so inclined.

I avoid those, though, because I like adding a personalized touch to my outgoing mail. Kids get cartoon stickers– er, stamps, my grandparents’ generation receive vintage cars or 50s-era celebrities, sports fans get sporting themes and bigger envelopes are plastered with a wide variety of who-knows-what. Sometimes I even write, “Fun with Stamps,” with colored ink in a creative script below the row of mismatched postage. And, to my surprise, not long after becoming my own postal clerk, something cool started to happen: people began calling or emailing to say, “cool stamp,” or, “how creative,” which allows us to connect once more.

The bonus: I’ve gotten to know my mailman– and the sound of his car. We’ve become buddies and our curbside meetings often include fun and games. I’ll let him know when I’m looking for something in particular and when whatever-it-is arrives he might drive up waving it out of the window of his car. Some days he’ll take a minute to pretend to add up the numbers on the stamps, in case I’ve miscalculated, while I roll my eyes and tap my foot. I’m sure this seems silly, but the writing life is a solitary one so having a friend stop by six days a week, even for a minute, is a treat.

I’m happy about the time savings my stamping habit creates, though I would be even happier if my method were a little more environmentally friendly. Unfortunately, however, each sheet of stamps comes complete with cardboard backing and is wrapped in cellophane. On the upside, both of those extras are recyclable and the cardboard is actually quite useful for a variety of other things, like cutting them into quarters to use as disposable drink coasters or for craft projects.

All-in-all, having fun with stamps is one of those tiny daily rituals that makes life a little sweeter. Plus, it’s totally acceptable play time for grown ups on the job– and it’s a business expense that won’t make your bookkeeper frown, especially since it’s a money and mileage saver.

*You can also get customized stamps from a third party if you want to get real fancy, though I don’t because I think they’re overpriced.