The price of a first-class stamp jumps to 49 cents next week – a three-cent hike – and many mailers undoubtedly will grouse that the cost of sending a letter is bumping up against the half-dollar mark.
But take heart: You’re still in way better shape than your great-great-great-great-grandparents.
Adjusted for inflation, mail prices actually have moved in a fairly narrow band for the last 150 years, as the chart below shows. But in the first half of the 19th Century, sending a Mother’s Day card or paying a credit card bill – wait, neither of those existed in the 1800s – was a far pricier affair.
For all but one year from 1792 to 1850, the minimum cost to send a letter to the next town or beyond topped the current equivalent of a dollar. Then, at mid-century, the government worked to modernize postal service, including the introduction of the first authorized national postage stamps in 1847. Putting a Benjamin Franklin on your envelope would set you back 5 cents that year – but that’s the equivalent of about $1.41 today. (And mail sent beyond 300 miles would have cost great-great-great-great-grandpa Jebidiah twice that.)
With that modernization effort – and a booming nation with the attendant economies of scale – the cost of postage plummeted, and by 1864 the cost of a stamp was less than 50 cents in current dollars. Since then, the inflation-adjusted price has fluctuated from about 35 to 70 cents, and has ranged from 40 to 50 cents for the last three decades.
Still grousing? Run out and buy forever stamps. Until Sunday, they’re still 46 cents – and valid for postage even after the rate increase.
Great web-site. Many strategies here. Now i’m mailing it to many good friends ans likewise sharing within delicious. And positively, thank you with your work!
I’m extremely impressed with your writing skills and also with the
layout on your blog. Is this a paid theme or did you customize it
yourself? Either way keep up the excellent quality writing, it is rare to see a
great blog like this one nowadays.
Here is my website: custom stamps
Hi! I just wanted to ask if you ever have any problems with
hackers? My last blog (wordpress) was hacked and I ended up losing many months
of hard work due to no backup. Do you have any solutions to
prevent hackers?
Take a look at my website beat maker
I do believe all the ideas you have presented
for your post. They are very convincing and can
certainly work. Still, the posts are too quick for beginners.
May just you please lengthen them a bit from next time? Thank you for the post.
Feel free to surf to my site :: top gaming laptop brands 2012
I really like what you guys tend to be up too. This sort of
clever work and exposure! Keep up the amazing
works guys I’ve included you guys to my blogroll.
Review my weblog: best laptop 2013
Hello! Would you mind if I share your blog with my twitter group?
There’s a lot of people that I think would really enjoy your content.
Please let me know. Cheers
my website: home based business
What’s up to all, because I am actually keen of reading
this blog’s post to be updated on a regular basis. It carries pleasant
stuff.