# Is it legal to sell postage stamps??

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-legal-to-sell-postage-stamps/322293>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [September 19, 2005, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-legal-to-sell-postage-stamps/322293 "2005-09-19T00:37:40Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![MrPlatypus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb9ed0/32.png) [@MrPlatypus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrPlatypus)\
**Post date:** [September 19, 2005, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-legal-to-sell-postage-stamps/322293/1 "2005-09-19T00:37:40Z")

</div>

I know people sell collectable stamps on Ebay all the time.

Costco sells stamps.

Can I sell stamps?

(This is what I had in mind: [http://www.doughalpern.com](http://www.doughalpern.com) )

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\
**Post date:** [September 19, 2005, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-legal-to-sell-postage-stamps/322293/2 "2005-09-19T00:43:58Z")

</div>

Once you buy a stamp, you can put whetever price you want on it.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\
**Post date:** [September 19, 2005, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-legal-to-sell-postage-stamps/322293/3 "2005-09-19T00:49:13Z")

</div>

[The Master speaks](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_354a.html).

Robin

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Btrenary](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/919ad9/32.png) [@Btrenary](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Btrenary)\
**Post date:** [September 19, 2005, 7:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-legal-to-sell-postage-stamps/322293/4 "2005-09-19T07:44:18Z")

</div>

So how are they making a profit?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\
**Post date:** [September 19, 2005, 8:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-legal-to-sell-postage-stamps/322293/5 "2005-09-19T08:03:36Z")

</div>

> [@Btrenary](#):
>
> So how are they making a profit?

Like the Master says, you can sell stamps for whatever price you want. The convenience store across the street sells $0.37 stamps for $0.40 each.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Schnitte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/schnitte/32/9033_2.png) [@Schnitte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Schnitte)\
**Post date:** [September 19, 2005, 9:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-legal-to-sell-postage-stamps/322293/6 "2005-09-19T09:53:39Z")

</div>

And anticipating the question why people qould be willing to pay more for a postage stamp than they would in a post office: It’s the convenience of getting the stamp where you’re shopping anyway, without having to go to the post office.

I could imagine some stores would probably sell postage stamps at denomination, without making a profit, as a compimentary service to their customers.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\
**Post date:** [September 19, 2005, 11:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-legal-to-sell-postage-stamps/322293/7 "2005-09-19T11:10:11Z")

</div>

> [@Btrenary](#):
>
> So how are they making a profit?

According to their FAQ, they aren’t. It’s an advertising gimmick.