have you noticed that very often the stamps are not canceled when you get the package?

No I dont really pay attention. Out of curiosity why do you ask?

just a heads-up, reusing those stamps is actually fraud!

That is quite a common phenomenon.  I think they miss them on about 1/3 of the packages.  It is illegal to reuse them, since they have already done what they contract to do----i.e. pay for mailing priviledges.   However (!!!)  if you cut the paper they are attached to around them and soak them in warm water for 20-30 minutes, they will soak off---even the self-adhesives of today.  You can reattach them to packages, envelopes etc. with glue and nobody will know the difference.  Remember that you didn't hear it from me and I don't recommend it, and it is definitely illegal, but .....................

If you attach stamps to package, envelope etc. and don't send it off, you can salvage the stamps and soak them off as above and use them on another package or envelope.  This is NOT ILLEGAL and it is often the only way to recover from mistakes without losing the postage.

i just wondered if it was just packages coming to my area (ie, my PO) rather than a nationwide pattern. i would assume that the stamps should be postmarked when the package is mailed from the sender's PO.

I get a lot of packages where the stamps aren't cancelled but someone (my mailman?) has taken a ball point pen and slashed across them!   

I have also received a lot that weren't canceled. They are occasionally marked through with a pen.

The majority that I get aren't cancelled. And there are no markings on them either.

I get a lot that aren't cancelled either.

perhaps 95% or the ones I get aren't cancelled but, as a Christian reusing them would not be the honest thing to do.

most of mine come with the metered postage (or APC machine).  I've seen ones with stamps that aren't cancelled but I am too lazy to even try and remove them to reuse (not that I would). 

Media packages aren't processed on cancelling machines as stamped letters are. That's why they aren't cancelled.  And a conscientious postal employee has marked through them with a pen to protect postal revenue.

oh, of course it makes sense that the machines would not be able to cancel a thicker package as compared to a letter. would have to be hand-canceled i suppose...

s

Cozi, that's what my mailman does, too (slashes through all of the stamps with a ballpoint pen).

Petvet --

YES!!!  I've  noticed that and wondered if anyone else had as well. It seems to happen mostly to books that have the printed delivery confirmation coding on them.

In the past six months or so, I've salvaged about $50 or more of uncancelled stamps. Of course, the post office prohibits anyone from reusing them on outgoing mail, so I'd never ever suggest such a thing!  But ......

GrannyGamer