Has “The Simpsons” fandom run its course, or did the U.S. Postal Service simply dream too big? The post office produced 1 billion “Simpsons” themed 44-cent stamps in 2009, but only 318 million were sold, the New York Times reports. That leaves 682 million stamps that are now unlikely to sell since they now need a one-cent extra stamp for first-class postage. The post office raised its rates to 45 cents for a first-class letter in January. The Times reports that if the stamps are destroyed, as commemorative stamps that don’t sell often are, it would amount to a waste of $1.2 million in printing costs.
The post office has produced “Forever” stamps since 2007. Such stamps are always valid for the first-class postage rate despite any rate increases since they were issued.