Postage Stamps.....

I was browsing some penpal groups on Facebook yesterday when I came across this post:

I was horrified to read this, from someone I think lives in the US. What a cheek. It comes across as this person wants someone else to pay for her to send letters... The most important part of pen paling is the letter from someone sincere, not from someone who will commit a crime every time they post a letter. If she doesn't have the funds to write to all her penpals then she should cut down on them and or the frequency she sends a letter. 

I agree with the admin of the certain pen pal group and it is illegal to postally reuse postage stamps. A form of fraud or theft, although I haven't heard of any arrests/prosecutions for the crime.

Reading other penpal discussion groups and fora, this is a common practice. It isn't one I subscribe to myself. I buy my stamps from a lovely sub-postmaster and love being able to use the (mostly) wonderful stamp issues Royal Mail have produced to affix for postage.