Where Can I Buy Stamps In The United States?
The simple answer would be at the post office, but today there are many more options available when it comes to purchasing stamps. This hub will give you a few options about where to buy stamps and will consider the pros and cons of each purchasing method. Do you value personal one-on-one interaction over a vending machine? Do you prefer to buy stamps online and perhaps make a customized stamp? If you are getting married you might want to have your engagement picture on the stamps for the invitations you send to family and friends. Large extended families might want to use stamps with the picture of their last family reunion when mailing out invitations. Do you even have a need for stamps in this age of the computer with online banking and email? All these things must be taken into consideration when deciding the best place to buy your next book of stamps.
Buy Stamps At The Local Post Office
When I was a young girl in a small rural town the only place you could buy stamps was at the local post office. Things have changed and now you can buy stamps at grocery stores and online, but many still prefer to buy stamps from their friendly postal man or woman as opposed to using an automated device. So here are some of the pros and cons of buying stamps at the local post office.
Cons
- Time spent waiting in line.
- Service may not be as friendly at every post office, which is something I have experienced.
- Often it takes longer to drive to the local post office than it would to order stamps online.
- Not as many choices as online stamp services provide.
Pros
- Familiar environment.
- The ability to go to a post office and expect friendly and superior customer service.
- Can buy stamps when mailing off bills/letters.
- A wide variety of stamps to choose from.
- One-one-one interaction with a live human being.
Buy Stamps From A Vending Machine
Stamp vending machines can be found in the post office lobby, at grocery stores, hotels, and many other locations. These machines have their pros and cons just like any other type of stamp provider.
Cons
- Money can be stuck in the machine, which has happened to me several times.
- The machine can dispense the wrong change, which I found out when it gave me Chinese coins shaped exactly like Sacajawea dollars.
- The majority of these only accept cash, which is a drawback for people who primarily use their debit cards.
Pros
- Buy stamps when the post office is closed.
- Do not have to wait in line.
- Do not have to deal with people (sometimes us introverts just prefer machines for this reason, not all the time, but sometimes).
Buy Stamps From The Official USPS Website
If you love to shop online then buying stamps from the official website of the United States Postal Service may be the deal for you. Once again there are a few pros and cons to this method.
Cons
- No one-on-one personal interaction with a human being.
- Have to wait for stamps to arrive in the mail.
- Customized stamps must be approved by the USPS, so they may not accept pictures from your last wild trip to Cancun.
- USPS does not allow you to buy stamps other people create, which is a feature a few other websites offer.
Pros
- Buy stamps at your leisure.
- Pick from a large variety of stamps.
- Create your own customized postage.
- USPS is the official source, so you can buy with confidence.
Buy Stamps From Zazzle
Zazzle is an interactive website that allows the user to create their own stamps and sell these in their very own "Zazzle Store". There are a few pros and cons to using the Zazzle website for purchasing stamps.
Cons
- Stamps must still be approved by the USPS, so no wild pictures of your indiscretions in Las Vegas if you know what I mean.
- Customized stamps cost up to 15% more than buying traditional stamps.
- I have not had this problem, but there are a few forums where people complain about Zazzle not shipping out products on time and other customer service issues.
- Do not expect to make a living by selling stamps on Zazzle, and the people I have heard of doing well on this site do not make enough money to brag about.
Pros
- Create your own collection of stamps for the world to see.
- Receive a minimum fifteen-percent royalty payment each time someone buys one of your stamps.
- Brag to family and friends about your photos and art work by creating stamps and other fun products on Zazzle.
- It is easy to create a beautiful gallery of stamps to sell at Zazzle.
These are a few tips I have about buying stamps in the United States and anyone is welcome to share any tips they feel that would be helpful for others.