Should stamps be made to have adverts on to keep prices down?

That's actually a good idea.

IMO the postal service needs complete privatisation. Competition would bring prices down and end Royal Mail's monopoly. The press could regularly release figures on late deliveries and complaints, regulated by a watchdog, so consumers would also be able to assess which company was most reliable.

What an absurd idea.

The UK is the only country in the world which does not have the name of our country on its postage stamps - in recognition of the fact that it was the British who invented postage stamps.

Other than the price, our stamps only display the monarch's head, except for special issues.

So, can you imagine what the Queen would think about the Royal Mail's stamps bearing adverts next to her portrait for Kentucky Fried Chicken, Anne Summers, Labrookes, etc.?

Although I am not a monarchist, I cannot support this idea. I would bet that not a single member of the Conservative Party would support this suggestion. It would simply make the Queen look ridiculous. Believe me, I am certain that not one sensible thinking Tory would say that's actually a good idea.

Redrobbo - it's not a good idea in the context of Royal Mail today. However, with full privatisation, there would be several companies who would more than likely have their own logos and stamp designs not involving the Queen's head. If they wished to sell advertising on their stamps and offer the consumer a lower price, they should be allowed to do so.

Royal Mail a monopoly ? don't you think fax machines e mailing ect took care of that monopoly ?

Originally posted by t020
Redrobbo - it's not a good idea in the context of Royal Mail today. However, with full privatisation, there would be several companies who would more than likely have their own logos and stamp designs not involving the Queen's head. If they wished to sell advertising on their stamps and offer the consumer a lower price, they should be allowed to do so.

Looks like I lost my bet!

Your suggestions are the economics of the madhouse t020. You do not explain how "full privatisation" would cover the costs of delivery services, especially to remote areas, let alone to foreign destinations.

I am amazed that you are indeed quite serious in suggesting that the Queen's head be removed from our stamps in favour of company logos! Since the invention of the penny black, well over a hundred years ago now, our stamps have always portrayed the monarch's head. But you would prefer to see the KFC logo as a replacement - and all for the sake of a penny or two knocked off the price of a stamp.

Your earnest pursuit of the abolition of a piece of British heritage is truly shocking! I do hope Her Majesty isn't reading this over breakfast in the morning, she'll be choking on her cornflakes.

Originally posted by redrobbo
Looks like I lost my bet!

Your suggestions are the economics of the madhouse t020. You do not explain how "full privatisation" would cover the costs of delivery services, especially to remote areas, let alone to foreign destinations.

I am amazed that you are indeed quite serious in suggesting that the Queen's head be removed from our stamps in favour of company logos! Since the invention of the penny black, well over a hundred years ago now, our stamps have always portrayed the monarch's head. But you would prefer to see the KFC logo as a replacement - and all for the sake of a penny or two knocked off the price of a stamp.

Your earnest pursuit of the abolition of a piece of British heritage is truly shocking! I do hope Her Majesty isn't reading this over breakfast in the morning, she'll be choking on her cornflakes.

I couldnt give a dam if the Queens head is on the stamp, whats that got to do with me getting my mail. As long as I get my mail and the price is low when I want to send something I wouldnt care if Bin Ladens face was on the stamp. so I dont see what the problem is.

Top idea, adverts on stamps.

The vast majority of commemorative stamps - don't they release about ten sets a year? - are horrible.

Why not introduce adverts on those, and leave the ordinary ones with the Queen's head on alone?

If the move would keep down the price of postage - which in the days of email, fax and text is now kept alive by ebay - and maintain the profits of Royal Mail, it's got to be investigated.

Wouldn't it be great to see that Crazy Frog on the stamps rather than the Queen's profile?

Originally posted by dishwasher
Wouldn't it be great to see that Crazy Frog on the stamps rather than the Queen's profile?

Only if the Crazy Frog is first against the wall, come the revolution!

Crazy Frog advert or the Queen's portrait? Mmmm. Difficult choice. Can you help out t020? What are the benefits of having the Crazy Frog over the Queen's portrait on our stamps?

Originally posted by redrobbo
What an absurb idea.

Other than the price, our stamps only display the monarch's head, except for special issues.

So, can you imagine what the Queen would think about the Royal Mail's stamps bearing adverts next to her portrait for Kentucky Fried Chicken, Anne Summers, Labrookes, etc.?

Although I am not a monarchist, I cannot support this idea. I would bet that not a single member of the Conservative Party would support this suggestion. It would simply make the Queen look ridiculous. Believe me, I am certain that not one sensible thinking Tory would say that's actually a good idea.

Blimey. Absurb indeed. But why wouldn't a sensible-thinking Tory support the idea? After all the Blues in their Thatch years were arch privatisers, obsessed with a free-market economy, virtually re-invented the ubiquitous marketing industry we know today, and encouraged us to see everything as a brand. The royal family, after all, is just another name in the UK's portfolio of publicity tools.

Of course, you're maybe right in thinking that today no right-minded Tory (assuming that such a thing exists) would go for this idea. All the above ideas have been nicked by Tony B, and the Conservatives are pretty much reduced to scaring the middle classes about immigrants. How strange things are.

Maybe we could take it further and have Betty W on stamps actually modelling the Ann Summers stuff and eating the junk food. Just imagine the impact of her, wolfing a Big Mac to the strapline "we have gone large... but not as large as that tramp Fergie". It's a marketing wet dream...

Originally posted by redrobbo
I am amazed that you are indeed quite serious in suggesting that the Queen's head be removed from our stamps in favour of company logos! Since the invention of the penny black, well over a hundred years ago now, our stamps have always portrayed the monarch's head. But you would prefer to see the KFC logo as a replacement - and all for the sake of a penny or two knocked off the price of a stamp.

Your earnest pursuit of the abolition of a piece of British heritage is truly shocking! I do hope Her Majesty isn't reading this over breakfast in the morning, she'll be choking on her cornflakes.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I always thought that stamps are just a way of proving that postage to a particular value has been paid on a particular item? If advertisements could be used (as they are in every single other aspect of our lives) to reduce the cost to the customer, then I don't see why not.

It may come as a shock to you, but many people don't care what the stamp they use looks like. They don't have it around long enough; it gets stuck on a parcel and ultimately put in the bin. I wouldn't personally call a small, mass produced, disposable sticker of the queens head to be part of the national heritage! :rolleyes:

Originally posted by redrobbo
Looks like I lost my bet!

Your suggestions are the economics of the madhouse t020. You do not explain how "full privatisation" would cover the costs of delivery services, especially to remote areas, let alone to foreign destinations.

I am amazed that you are indeed quite serious in suggesting that the Queen's head be removed from our stamps in favour of company logos! Since the invention of the penny black, well over a hundred years ago now, our stamps have always portrayed the monarch's head. But you would prefer to see the KFC logo as a replacement - and all for the sake of a penny or two knocked off the price of a stamp.

Your earnest pursuit of the abolition of a piece of British heritage is truly shocking! I do hope Her Majesty isn't reading this over breakfast in the morning, she'll be choking on her cornflakes.

Well, remote areas would be a niche and posting from them would probably be more expensive. It would be up to the companies competing with each other as to how they charged for stamps, e.g. according to distance, delivery priority, size, weight, a combination of any of the above. The deliveries would be made by the companies. Statistics would be released to the press by the industry watchdog. Consumers would have choice.

Originally posted by dishwasher
If the move would keep down the price of postage - which in the days of email, fax and text is now kept alive by ebay - and maintain the profits of Royal Mail, it's got to be investigated.


Most of the stuff I buy off eBay has a 'postage paid' or 'recorded delivery' sticker on it. No stamps at all.

Fuuny thing is if you actully look at your mail that gets put through your letter box's eveyday you will notice that most of them dont even have phsical stamps on them anyway. just printed on the envalope what class it is ETC 1st 2nd and mail sort, and now TNT and other Bissness stamps on the envolope. So onlhy time you would really see this advert stamp would be on your birthday or a christmas mainly. So i really dont see the point to it.

But hey im only a postman what do i know :D :D

Don't particularly have a problem with the price of stamps at the moment. Where else/how else can yo get documents from one end of the country to another for 30p??

:D make it a pound i say...then i can paid loads and loads...and everyone will have a happy smiling postman:clap: :clap: :clap:

It would make a lot more sense for adverts to be printed onto ppls letters (probably on the back) as they go through the sorting process - then they can pay for a bigger advert, which will cost more to the company taking the advert out but work out cheaper for RM to put into places - meaning prices can be lowered further. :)

That said, I don't care how much stamps cost, I probably post 2/3 things a year, so speaking personally... I don't mind what they cost.

Oh, and privatisation - I think that will have more cons than pros, at least in the short-to-mid term. :(

The Post Office already make a fortune out of stamp collectors, imagine the profit if these collectors started scrambling for every type of advert on every issue. (like bus ticket collecting kids used to when adverts were put on them in the late 60s/early 70s.)

I dunno about everyone else. . . but I am getting sick to death of excessive commerciallism. .

The psychological mind-job that is McDonalds adverts (tell em they love it and guess what. . . they'll love it!)
The hellish audio-torture that is the Frikkin Frog.
The constant battering of Ads for frikkin chav-tones. . . ! If you want a ring tone, frikkin make one. . it ain't rocket science!
Prats that have sold out the cosmetic appearance of their vehicle to the demons of advertising. Who the hell wants a car with a humongous can of Red Bull covering the back window or equally a car that looks like the wrapper from a bar of Dairy Milk!

I have never appriciated the BBC to the level I do now and a while ago, I was one of the many that said "Scrap the liceince fee for adverts".

So, in summary . . > NO!! No more frikkin adverts. . . anywhere!

Originally posted by redrobbo
.....the Queen's head be removed....



Excellent idea:thumbsup:.

A while ago (several years) were adverts not included in cancellation marks?

Originally posted by redrobbo
What an absurb idea.

Is that a cross between absurd and superb?

Originally posted by Phanerothyme
Is that a cross between absurd and superb?

Thanks Phan for spotting the typo. Original now edited. (Though I must say, it did appeal to me as a new word!).

Red :thumbsup:

they already do have adverts on, normally its the queens head :)

Originally posted by Phanerothyme
Is that a cross between absurd and superb?

That's now my favourite non-word :)