It's All in the Numbers

by David Hachmeister

Despite the numbers for stamps this month, we think we see the light at the end of the tunnel. Stamp sales were down about 25 percent. Certainly, this is not good news. However, as we searched through the individual company data, we saw that the first quarter of 2009 was exceptionally strong for our largest company. Its numbers for that quarter have made the averages for the past two years look far worse than they actually were. In fact, the more typical company suffered about one-half the losses in stamp business that we have shown over the past two years. We predict one more month of downward movement (March figures), and then a very pleasant April!

Other product sales are much more positive, rising in double digits for the seventh consecutive month. They were up more than 15 percent. Here again, leaving out the distortion of the large company, sales were actually flat for the rest of the companies.

Anyone interested in joining our crew? We keep all sales figures private to this office. Just contact us and let us know. You may even get a nice little treat at the end of the year!

Click each graph for a larger view.