The state of stamps has continued to evolve. As you may have noticed on your trips to the post office, the postal service has become more aggressive in its marketing of stamps. Expected thenceforth to be self-sufficient, the service struggled for a number of years, apparently coming late to the marketing of stamps as collectables. Some of that profit comes from the sale of highly regarded commemorative stamps that are sought after by collectors around the world. By comparison, ours are appallingly dull.
Stamps are, in essence, a gift certificate.
The store gets the money up front, and if the voucher is never redeemed, the profit margin is huge. Making the certificate so desirable that the recipient would rather keep it than spend it is a very clever idea. Once considered the pastime of a quaint little group of hermits, stamp collecting is now seen as the key to a successful postal service. But with stamps being hawked like happy hamburger trinkets, many serious collectors feel that a once-esteemed avocation has been cheapened. Touted as investments that one day may prove valuable, new issues are introduced with great fanfare.