# A question about postage stamps **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 3, 2006, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-postage-stamps/338191 "2006-01-03T04:59:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![purple\_haze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/db5fbb/32.png) [@purple\_haze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purple_haze)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2006, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-postage-stamps/338191/1 "2006-01-03T04:59:49Z")
Hi! I don’t know very much about postage stamps, and I have a question. Warning - it may be a very stupid question, but here goes. Are postage stamps always usable at face value? If I wanted to use some 40th anniversary Corvette stamps with a face value of $1.00 to mail items, would they be accepted? Do stamps ever expire? Be nice to me. hugs, Karen ---
**Author:** ![Danalan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/76d3ee/32.png) [@Danalan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Danalan)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2006, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-postage-stamps/338191/2 "2006-01-03T05:19:30Z")
Stamps are always good for at least their face value. Some rare stamps are worth more than their face value, and some collections of stamps are worth more than the face value of the individual stamps, but they all work for postage. I have a friend who gets letters (from his stamp-collector dealer brother-in-law) with really old stamps on them. You can buy lots (as in large groups) of stamps for less than face value, and use them to mail anything you want. ---
**Author:** ![nivlac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/3bc359/32.png) [@nivlac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nivlac)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2006, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-postage-stamps/338191/3 "2006-01-03T05:20:53Z")
> [@purple haze](#): > > Hi! I don’t know very much about postage stamps, and I have a question. Warning - it may be a very stupid question, but here goes. > > Are postage stamps always usable at face value? If I wanted to use some 40th anniversary Corvette stamps with a face value of $1.00 to mail items, would they be accepted? Do stamps ever expire? > > Be nice to me. > > hugs, > Karen Go ahead and use them. They’re good. ---
**Author:** ![purple\_haze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/db5fbb/32.png) [@purple\_haze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purple_haze)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2006, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-postage-stamps/338191/4 "2006-01-03T06:17:01Z")
Thank you! ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2006, 8:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-postage-stamps/338191/5 "2006-01-03T08:34:11Z")
Mostly irrelevant to the OP, but I’ll mention it anyway; in the UK, it is possible to buy stamps marked with no explicit monetary value - just ‘1st’ or ‘2nd’ - these will be honoured for first and second class letter post even after the prices of those services rise with inflation. Alternatively the stamps may be added to others at their current market values (for heavier items). ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2006, 9:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-postage-stamps/338191/6 "2006-01-03T09:46:16Z")
I would just like to say that this sure was _not_ a stupid question. It’s quite fascinating, really. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2006, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-postage-stamps/338191/7 "2006-01-03T14:54:01Z")
Can I use a priority mail $3.?? stamp to send a non-priority mailing? Like a package which would cost $2.90 to send? ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2006, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-postage-stamps/338191/8 "2006-01-03T17:15:04Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > Mostly irrelevant to the OP, but I’ll mention it anyway; in the UK, it is possible to buy stamps marked with no explicit monetary value - just ‘1st’ or ‘2nd’ - these will be honoured for first and second class letter post even after the prices of those services rise with inflation. Alternatively the stamps may be added to others at their current market values (for heavier items). Just to note that this is _not_ true in the U.S. The normal practice here is to print “letter” stamps with no listed amount of postage so that a supply is ready whenever a price hike comes around. (Sometimes the USPS doesn’t know in advance whether the hike will be one cent or more.) But those stamps are limited in value to whatever that particular new rate will be. You would have to add stamps to an old “letter” stamp to send mail at today’s rates. > [@kanicbird](#): > > Can I use a priority mail $3.?? stamp to send a non-priority mailing? Like a package which would cost $2.90 to send? Yes. ---
**Author:** ![spingears](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@spingears](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spingears)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2006, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-postage-stamps/338191/9 "2006-01-03T17:20:56Z")
> [@purple haze](#): > > Are postage stamps always usable at face value? YES! Caveat: Some older uncancelled (unused) stamps may be worth more than their face value to collectors. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Danalan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/76d3ee/32.png) [@Danalan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Danalan)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2006, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-postage-stamps/338191/10 "2006-01-03T19:37:01Z")
> [@spingears](#): > > Caveat: Some older uncancelled (unused) stamps may be worth more than their face value to collectors. 🙂 … even though they are perfectly valid as postage. A valuable stamp used for postage will likely become less valuable in the process. This is an essential plot element of several movies and books.