The current stamp issuing policy of the British Post Office is undermining the Kiloware Trade. Their policy is to reduce the number of stamps used especially the higher values. The Official reason given by Post Office Headquarters in London, is, there is no longer the demand for stamps!! All Post Offices are supposed to give their users the choice of either stamps or labels, but do not, as it is easier just to print a label. It is also no longer possible to generally purchase stamps with a face value over £1, unless your buy from The Philatelic Bureau or Royal Mail Direct, the later must be only in complete sheets. The net result has been a drastic reduction over the last 2 years in the quality and content of British Kiloware. It is also beginning to see a fall in the retail price as a result.

We have suggested to the Royal Mail they produce a pictorial label similar to many foreign countries, the answer again given by PO HQ is they have no intention of doing so.

The more people, businesses and charities that we can get to support this the better the trade will become and maybe we can force the Post Office to change its policy. You are most welcome to contact me via any of my listings. If you are a Newspaper editor I would welcome a contact to further promote this.

In order to attempt to arrest this worrying trend we have decided to start a campaign titled

INSIST ON USING REAL STAMPS

We therefore ask everyone to copy and paste the following statement into ALL your eBay listings. If you are a person or business dealing direct with a charity PLEASE ASK THEM TO SUPPORT THIS CAMPAIGN.

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REMEMBER every time you post anything

INSIST ON USING REAL STAMPS

Ask the person at the counter you do not wish to have the white label as Postage but REAL STAMPS. Pictorials are best used as these will greatly enhance the content of kiloware

If the Post Office clerk produces the label before you ask, dispite what they say IT CAN BE CANCELLED.

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David Allwright. Director. Allwright Trading International Limited.