They’re as much a part of the festive season as fairy lights, roast turkey and crackers. But there are fears the eye-watering cost of postage spells doom for the traditional Christmas card after 180 years. Above-inflation increases in the price of stamps over the past few years saw the price of first-class postage soar from £1.
35 to a frankly staggering £1.65 in October, making them a luxury item for many. Commercially-produced cards first appeared back in 1843 and sending them to friends and family in late November and early December has been almost compulsory for generations.
But it’s unlikely to survive given that stamps have gone from eminently affordable (first class stamps cost just 3p in 1971) to frighteningly expensive ones. Frankly, it’s amazing there hasn’t been a greater backlash. For much of the postwar era price rises were manageable for mail users.
Between 1991 and 2004, the price of a first class stamp rose by just 4p, from 24p to 28p and that of a second class one by just 3p, from 18p to 21p. In percentage terms, that amounted to a 16.67% increase, all very reasonable over a 13-year period.
Now consider what's happened in the 13 years since 2011, the year selected price controls were lifted prior to the privatisation of the Royal Mail. In 2011, first class stamps cost 46p and second class stamps 36p. Today, they cost £1.
65 and 85p respectively. This amounts to an incredible 259% price increase for first class and a 136% increase for second class. Th.
