posted on April 14, 2005 03:31:42 AM new
I hope someone can give me some ideas. My sister would like to sell some stamps from her collection. She recently was told at the USPS that they don't insure stamps for their true value, only for the paper they were written on. Never heard of that, but I asked "What if you were shipping the original copy (if we would by some chance ever have one) of let's say The Declaration of Independance?" She was told that is paper also and thus can only be insured as a piece of paper. So I have read at one time hear about private insurance, or something like that. Any ideas? Oh another thing..she was told even a piece of paper shipped international cannot be insured! Is this just a crazy lady that happened to be working that day? Would like to give my sister some ideas as some of her stamps are worth several hundred dollars, and not such a good idea not to be able to insure them for more than .10-.20 cents!
Thanks in advance...
posted on April 14, 2005 05:36:45 AM new
I have this feeling the clerk is incorrect. Check USPS.com all kinds of good info there takes some digging to find it.
posted on April 14, 2005 05:46:29 AM new
I think they are right about international insurance except via registered mail - I was only able to get $40 insurance on a postcard sent to Italy using registered mail but it was better than nothing.
If I package a shipment in a padded mailer (1/2" thick) I have been able to get domestic insurance for postcards.
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posted on April 14, 2005 05:55:37 AM new
My postmaster lets me insure postcards in a flat clasp envelope. I guess it is who you go to. It would be nice to know the real rules for insurance. Sounds like everyone interperts insurance different.
posted on April 14, 2005 08:43:51 AM new
Stamp Dealers have been insuring stamps for decades. Here is your answer, I have copied from the larger document below:
Fair market value of stamps and coins of philatelic or numismatic value, as determined by a recognized stamp or coin dealer or current coin and stamp collectors newsletters and trade papers.
Insurance for loss or damage to insured, registered, or COD mail within the amount covered by the fee paid or within the indemnity limits for Express Mail as explained in 2.12 is payable for the following:
Actual value of lost articles at the time and place of mailing (see 2.11n for bulk insured articles).
Cost of repairing a damaged article or replacing a totally damaged article not exceeding actual value of the article at the time of mailing.
Remittance due on a COD parcel not received by the sender, subject to the limitations set by the standards for COD service.
Reasonable costs incurred duplicating documents such as:
Copying service.
Notary fees.
Bonding fees for replacement of stock or bond certificates.
Reasonable attorney's fees if required to replace the lost or damaged documents.
Other direct and necessary expense or cost, as determined by the USPS.
Face value of negotiable documents that cannot be reconstructed up to the amount of insurance coverage bought, but not to exceed the $25,000 maximum amount of insurance coverage available if sent by registered mail.
Extra cost of gift wrapping, if the gift-wrapped article was enclosed in another container when mailed.
Cost of outer container, if designed and constructed for the article sent.
Fair market value of stamps and coins of philatelic or numismatic value, as determined by a recognized stamp or coin dealer or current coin and stamp collectors newsletters and trade papers.
Federal, state, or city sales tax paid on articles lost or totally damaged.
Postage (not fee) paid for sending damaged articles for repair. (The USPS must be used for this purpose. Other reasonable transportation charges may be included if the USPS is not available.)
Cost of film stock or blank tape for photographic film, negatives, slides, transparencies, videotapes, laser disks, x-rays, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) prints, computerized axial tomography (CAT) scan prints, etc.
Cost of bees, crickets, or baby poultry destroyed by physical damage to the package or delay for which the USPS is responsible. (In the absence of definite evidence showing responsibility for death of these insects or animals, the USPS is presumed to be at fault if 10% or more are dead on delivery, and pays indemnity for all dead bees, crickets, or poultry; if less than 10%, the USPS is not presumed to be at fault.)
Cost of filing a lost ticket report with the airline.
Per page copying cost of lost or damaged blueprints, schematics, etc.
For bulk insured articles, indemnity is provided for the lesser of (1) the actual value of the article at the time of mailing or (2) the wholesale cost of the contents to the sender.
