postcard.co.uk

As the extended deadline for using old-style QIIE stamps approaches (it's July 31), a noticeable proportion of envelopes contacting my eBay postcard purchases have a fine array of stamps from decades ago. Obviously vendors are using up their stocks (as I am). Today's arrival included two 8½d, two 15½d and a 27p stamp, all once quite desirable to collectors of "QIIE GB commems" in fine used condition - before the drastic slump in interest in philately.

Not that the postmarks have been great, and on some occasions they haven't been franked at all, prompting the postperson to scribble over them with a pen.

I must admit to searching around in drawers and so forth of late to use up any stamps about to become invalid.

I think though that commemorative and christmas issues can still be used after July 31st

Y es, Kevin, that is so.

I don't have many commems left and try to stock up with a few higher values, but most of the recent issues seem to be only for letters - and often with pretty terrible designs and subjects.

Just received my replacement stamps from Royal Mail: 1p x 35 and 2p x 35, total value £1.05.

I still have some 30 or 40 high-value commems dating back over the decades to use on eBay sendings, though I would need to use several first-class stamps of yesteryear to put on a letter today.

An article in today's Metro newspaper tells of an eBay buyer being "stunned" when he received a parcel of sandpaper "plastered with stamps from up to 50 years ago" to make up the £1.25 cost. The purchaser wrongly observes that "stamps without barcodes are no longer valid, so the Royal Mail must have made an exception in this case".

Not at all unusual - the last three postcards posted to me have each had several "old" commems on the envelopes.

However ... today I posted a card to a purchaser and wondered whether to bother with a certificate of posting. I was passing a post office so thought "might as well" - for the clerk to point out that I'd put one of the new 2p stamps on the envelope, in mistake for a second-class stamp..