# Where to buy Mexican stamps? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 18, 2015, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-to-buy-mexican-stamps/715259 "2015-03-18T03:19:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Cardboard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Cardboard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardboard)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2015, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-to-buy-mexican-stamps/715259/1 "2015-03-18T03:19:36Z")
Hi there, I’m looking to purchase a handful of un-cancelled Mexican stamps, but am having no luck finding a place to buy them. Are there any websites that sell them? Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![slash2k](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@slash2k](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slash2k)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2015, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-to-buy-mexican-stamps/715259/2 "2015-03-18T03:51:28Z")
> [@Cardboard](#): > > Hi there, I’m looking to purchase a handful of un-cancelled Mexican stamps, but am having no luck finding a place to buy them. Are there any websites that sell them? Thanks. Are you looking to buy recently-issued stamps, or would older issues work? Any reasonably large stamp dealer will have at least a few mint Mexico stamps of varying age. A search on eBay, for example, turns up [hundreds of lots](http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2050601.m570.l1313&_nkw=mexico+stamps+mint&_sacat=0). For recent issues, try a “new issue” service, such as [Interpost](http://www.interpostusa.com/). ---
**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:** [March 18, 2015, 8:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-to-buy-mexican-stamps/715259/3 "2015-03-18T08:30:28Z")
If the reason why you need Mexican stamps is that you want to include return postage in a letter you’re sending to Mexico, then an [International Reply Coupon](http://about.usps.com/postal-bulletin/2012/pb22329/html/info_003.htm) might be a preferable alternative. You can sell it from USPS, and it is exchangeable in any post office in the world for local stamps for a letter to the United States. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2015, 8:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-to-buy-mexican-stamps/715259/4 "2015-03-18T08:31:58Z")
Unfortunately the USPS stopped selling International Reply Coupons in 2013. ---
**Author:** ![grude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2015, 8:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-to-buy-mexican-stamps/715259/5 "2015-03-18T08:59:12Z")
Not to be snarky but…a Mexican post office? Or postal kiosk? ---
**Author:** ![No\_Me\_Ayudes\_Compadre](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/no_me_ayudes_compadre/32/5224_2.png) [@No\_Me\_Ayudes\_Compadre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/No_Me_Ayudes_Compadre)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2015, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-to-buy-mexican-stamps/715259/6 "2015-03-19T05:03:04Z")
[This](https://www.tienda.sepomex.gob.mx/SEPOMEXtienda/) is the Mexican Postal Service’s online store with 768 stamps available, and it appears that you can have them delivered to other countries. ---
**Author:** ![Cardboard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Cardboard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardboard)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2015, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-to-buy-mexican-stamps/715259/7 "2015-03-20T21:37:11Z")
> [@slash2k](#): > > Are you looking to buy recently-issued stamps, or would older issues work? > > Any reasonably large stamp dealer will have at least a few mint Mexico stamps of varying age. A search on eBay, for example, turns up [hundreds of lots](http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2050601.m570.l1313&_nkw=mexico+stamps+mint&_sacat=0). For recent issues, try a “new issue” service, such as [Interpost](http://www.interpostusa.com/). That’s perfect, thanks. > [@Schnitte](#): > > If the reason why you need Mexican stamps is that you want to include return postage in a letter you’re sending to Mexico, then an [International Reply Coupon](http://about.usps.com/postal-bulletin/2012/pb22329/html/info_003.htm) might be a preferable alternative. You can sell it from USPS, and it is exchangeable in any post office in the world for local stamps for a letter to the United States. IRCs have a tendency to get stolen. The Mexican mail system has quite a few thieves. > [@grude](#): > > Not to be snarky but…a Mexican post office? Or postal kiosk? I live in New York. > [@No\_Me\_Ayudes\_Compadre](#): > > [This](https://www.tienda.sepomex.gob.mx/SEPOMEXtienda/) is the Mexican Postal Service’s online store with 768 stamps available, and it appears that you can have them delivered to other countries. I’m not willing to give them my credit card or PayPal info. ---
**Author:** ![robert\_columbia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2015, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-to-buy-mexican-stamps/715259/8 "2015-03-20T21:49:17Z")
> [@Lord\_Feldon](#): > > Unfortunately the USPS stopped selling International Reply Coupons in 2013. This used to be the way it was done. An IRC was good for local postage nearly anywhere in the world. You got one at your local post office wherever and sent it wherever, and your recipient could take the coupon to their local post office and convert it at their local post office. So someone from the US could correspond with someone from Romania who could correspond with a Mongolian who could correspond with someone in the Marshall Islands without worrying about ordering the right international stamps. ---
**Author:** ![robert\_columbia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2015, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-to-buy-mexican-stamps/715259/9 "2015-03-20T21:50:19Z")
> [@Cardboard](#): > > … > I live in New York. > … Have you tried a Hispanic grocery store? You know, the ones that have phone cards out the wazoo at the counter? Even if they don’t have any, they might be able to tell you were you could get some. ---
**Author:** ![Cole33](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Cole33](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cole33)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2015, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-to-buy-mexican-stamps/715259/10 "2015-03-21T05:03:19Z")
Mexico.:o its all I got. ---
**Author:** ![Missy2U](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@Missy2U](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Missy2U)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2015, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-to-buy-mexican-stamps/715259/11 "2015-03-22T04:36:52Z")
Do you have a large Hispanic community near you? If you do, you could try an Ombudsman’s. Office - they’ll either have them or should be able to tell you where to get them anyway. At least that’s been my experience. From the ones around me anyway. That’s where I sent a friend of mine and they fixed him up. ---
**Author:** ![Alley\_Dweller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alley_dweller/32/430_2.png) [@Alley\_Dweller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alley_Dweller)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2015, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-to-buy-mexican-stamps/715259/12 "2015-03-22T04:53:49Z")
> [@Cardboard](#): > > IRCs have a tendency to get stolen. The Mexican mail system has quite a few thieves. Are you maybe overthinking this? You’re saying if a mail thief opens up a letter and finds an IRC (which is only redeemable for a stamp) he’ll go “Score! I’m taking this!” But if he finds the stamp instead, he’ll say “Meh! I don’t need this.” Just stick some money to buy the stamp in the envelope (folding money only). If an occasional envelope gets stolen, it will probably cost you less to replace it than trying to import a postage stamp from Mexico. Think of it as self-insurance. ---
**Author:** ![Shalmanese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shalmanese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shalmanese)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2015, 9:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-to-buy-mexican-stamps/715259/13 "2015-03-22T09:44:38Z")
> [@Cardboard](#): > > I’m not willing to give them my credit card or PayPal info. Your bank might have a feature where you can generate temporary CC numbers that have a fixed spending and time limit. If it does, use that if you’re worried about the number being stolen.