Adam H. Kerman wrote:
At 6:10pm -0400, 07/25/05, Eric Bustad wrote:
Adam H. Kerman wrote:
At 8:11am -0700, 07/25/05, wrote:

Cheapest postage is to buy stamps below face value.

You have a company that does that legally, for stamps that have not fallen
off the back of the truck?

Old stamps with obsolete values (i.e. 32 cents) can be bought quite
legally at large discounts. The original purchasers either bought them
originally as "investments", or had them left over when the rates
changed.

Yes, I am well aware that stamps may be resold. I am also aware that
stamps have been stolen and more than a few con artists have washed
postmarks off used postage, trying to sell the stamps for a subsequent
use.

I've re-used uncancelled stamps I've noticed on letters I receive. I
just cut them off the old mail and glue them onto my new envelopes.

Neither of you has named any legitimate company selling disccounted
stamps. I was curious if someone had a legal operation in mind.

There's a link elsewhere in this thread. I clicked through to that and
they offer a $100 (face value) mixed lot of old, unused US stamps for
$89.50, plus $3.50 shipping. So for $93, you get $100 of stamps.

Might be worthwhile in some cases, but mostly I mail letters and I
suspect using that lot to come up with exactly 37 cents of postage for
each of my letters might be a hassle for me. I suspect I'd often have
to use more than 37 cents (face value) of old stamps, thus eating into
the $7 I'd save.

BTW, it's possible to buy stamps by mail from the USPS. Just ask for
the form at any post office. You fill out the form and mail the form
in, no postage needed. Then your local PO mails you the stamps along
with a new blank order form. I've been using this service for years and
almost never need to go to the post office.