Apparently NOT!

Should I Invest in "Forever" Stamps?Absolutely not.
By Nathaniel Rich
Posted Thursday, May 17, 2007, at 4:10 PM ET

The postal rate climbed 2 cents on Monday, about a month after the United States Postal Service introduced its new "forever" stamp. As of last week, the USPS had sold more than $82 million worth of the forever stamps, which lock in the 41-cent rate for eternity. One man in Pennsylvania walked into a post office and made an $8,000 investment on his own. Should we all be stocking up?
Absolutely not. Since 1971, postal rates have increased more slowly than the actual inflation rate, as measured by the U.S. Consumer Price Index. So, despite the numerous rate hikes over the last 36 years, stamps have actually been getting cheaper. The 20-cent stamp from 1981, for instance, would be equivalent to 45 cents in today's dollars—which makes today's rate 10 percent cheaper than it was 26 years ago. Should this historical pattern hold, you'd be paying more for today's forever stamps than you would for any stamp in the future, no matter how high the rate goes.
In fact, this pattern must hold—as a matter of law. In December, President Bush signed the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act, which ensures that future price increases will be kept below an inflation-based ceiling. In other words, postage hikes will never surpass inflation—and the forever stamp will never become a good investment. Incidentally, the USPS announced the introduction of the forever stamp less than two months after Bush signed the act into law.

I think that guy was a fool to spend $8,000 in forever stamps. He would have been much better off having his money earn interest. I hear so many people complaining about the cost of fuel and they want to know how the post office do a price increase when people are struggling to put gas in their cars. The post office is losing a ton on money in fuel costs to ship mail. That 2 cents doesn't cover that. The average person uses 10 stamps a month. If rates increase 2 cents that would be 20 cents a month the average person pays extra. This comes to $2.40 a year in postage. Big feakin' whoop. I think people are getting a great deal. I think you would be better off earning interest on your money than purchasing the forever stamp. The $2.40 you will save per year, one day in the future, just isn't incentive enough to stock up.

Indeed.They'd make a daft 'investment'. The benefit of what you call "forever stamps" lies in the convenience, that's all.Never again do you have to wonder whether the stamps you find lying around the house or in the dark recesses of your purse or wallet are of any use.They could be ten years old but they are still good.

(France has had these for many years but Britain only since 1989. In 1995 the Universal Postal Union approved them for international mail)

Stamps are a pain in the butt anyway. And mail is a pain in the butt. I rarely use either. Wish I could opt out of mail service actually.

I will buy some of these stamps because whenever I break down and buy some stamps, before I can use them they've raised it another 2 cents. It's so aggravating.

Of course it's not an investment. This was a customer service move I believe? Even the US post office can tell that their price increases are an irritation.

You can opt out of mail service. Call your post office and tell them that you refuse all mail coming to your house. Take your mailbox down. You won't get any mail.