The USPS announced that it is phasing out the last of its stock of gummed postage stamps. The USPS has very few gummed stamps in its stock now. What little is there will be phased out or possibly destroyed. Soon, all stamps will be self-adhesive only. This seems like a reasonable step since the USPS moved to mostly self-adhesive stamps over the last 10-15 years. Self-adhesives are what is in demand by the public. No one wants to lick stamps any more.

It also affects companies that prepare large mailings. The kinds of machines that apply self-adhesive stamps to envelopes are very different from the kinds of machines used to apply gummed stamps to an envelope. These stamp affixing machines are not cheap. Companies are not going to buy both types of machines.

Mailing companies aren’t demanding gummed stamps. The general public only wants self-adhesive stamps. Therefore, the eventual end of gummed postage stamps is upon us.