Postage stamps are used to mail packages, letters, postcards and more. Postage is required for anything that is mailed through the U.S. Postal Service.
Postage stamps have been in use since the middle 1800s. The United Kingdom was the first country to begin using postage stamps. In the beginning, the person receiving the mail had to pay for the postage instead of the sender.
Postage stamps come in certified mail, airmail and carrier's stamp. A carrier's stamp is used to deliver mail directly from the post office. Airmail is for mail that is delivered by air transport. A package that is marked certified requires proof that the mail was sent and needs a signature. There are also military stamps that are used by the U.S. military, which has its own postal system. Websites such as PhotoStamps.com allow you to create personalized stamps with your picture on them. It is real postage that is printed through Stamps.com.
Stamps can be purchased at any post office. With today's technology, postage stamps can be purchased online. You can print postage via the U.S. Postal Service (see Resources). Stamps.com also allows you to print postage straight from your printer. Many large retailers, such as Wal-Mart, allow you to buy stamps from vending machines. Vending machines are also usually at post offices to after-hours purchases.
The price of postage stamps for First-Class Mail has increased as the years have passed. Stamps used to be as low as 3 cents per 1/2 oz., starting in 1863. In 1958, the rate was 14 cents. Stamps were purchased for a quarter in 1988. As fuel prices increased, as well as the financial need of the postal system, the price of stamps continued to rise. In 2006, people were paying 39 cents for stamps. Currently the price of a stamp is 42 cents but is expected to rise to 44 cents in May 2009.
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