Good day everyone!
I’m a Postcrossing user based in Singapore, and I’m curious if any fellow postcard senders from Singapore can advise on the acceptability of affixing 1st local stamps to international postcards. Additionally, I’m interested in understanding how the postage is calculated in such cases.
Thank you so much for any information provided!
Best,
Charlotte
Hello there! Yes, 1st local stamps can be pasted as part of international postage, but you will need to add on stamps such that it reaches the actual mailing rate ($0.85/$1.55).
To take note, for an international postcard, it may be difficult to top up exactly to $0.85, unless you don’t mind overpaying (2 1st local stamps? 1st local + $0.40?) - reason being Singapore doesn’t issue $0.35 stamps now (unless you use the SAM machine to print labels, of which you can just put in any amount you want for each label.)
Hope this helps!
Thank you so much! That’s exactly the information I need. 
Have a wonderful day!
Just to add on, 1st local is currently worth 52 cents.
So an additional 35 cent stamp, or 30+5 cent stamp will work
Again, because these are older stamps, you may have to find other avenues of getting them
For this reason I have not really used 1st local for international mailing of postcards, preferring instead to use 60 and 70 cent stamps (then add on 20+5, or 5+5+5)
1st local is useful in envelope mailing though - 3 of these gets you 1.56, just over the 1.55 threshold
Have fun postcrossing!
Wow, thank you Seracker! That’s really good to know! I’ll try to get some 20 cents.
btw, where do you usually buy the small value stamps, the Singpost shopping website usually only sell stamp set with various unit value, which is not very worth it since I don’t send mails at all. Last time I had to go to Singpost centre to buy the 5 cent goldfish stamps (but also to see the largest Singpost 
).
So just checking are those also available in any Singpost outlet? Or do you usually buy stamps on carousell or other websites?
Thank you so much for your reply!
My neighbourhood post office carries 5 cents. I think the larger post offices should carry 5 cents - probably the old man one.
I haven’t tried buying from smaller post offices so I cannot answer whether all of them carry the 5 cents.
I would think so! Maybe the smaller post offices carry a small amount, but they should all have (barring someone buying them all up 
)
Singpost website is atrocious in terms of stamp availability, for new stamp issues I usually go down to the GPO (Singpost centre)
For a stamp combination that is the easiest, consider 80 + 5. No overpaying and it’s two stamps.
Most post offices probably only carry one type of 80 cents though (goldfish definitive) unless you visit on the day of the new release/in the days following the new release.
Here are some possible 80 cent stamps currently available. I got most of them from the GPO so stocks may vary at your local PO. These are last year’s stamp issues
The two types of 5 cents available. Currently waiting for new definitives!
That’s a very thorough answer! Yes I did buy those 5 cents to complement my 80 cents stamps LOL! I’ll try my nearby PO! Thank you so much for being so helpful 
!
Too many stamps and cards will look like this 
Right on it! I hope they issue just 1st international stamps
Ah but that would be boring in itself wouldn’t it?
A little like the USPS flowers, which some people don’t like
If you really want an international stamp, you can print postage labels with 85 cents on them at the SAM
I do enjoy mixing and matching stamps to hit necessary postage, quite fun to look through my stamps and pick something.
Just to jump on the bandwagon:
For 5 cents, usually I buy in sheets of 50, because it’s convenient and I use 0.80+0.05 and 1.50+0.05. It should be available at most if not all post offices - live in the West and can report that every post office I’ve gone to has at least a few 5 cent stamps lying around, even if they do not have a full sheet.
Usually, there should be at least 1 commemorative issue for 80 cents; if you want more variety visit a quieter post office (or the philatelic stores!) since less people are likely to purchase those stamps.
If you want to get 85 cents specifically, I believe the General Post Office (the one opposite the Philatelic Shop) has some left from a very old issue - updated as of 5 Jan. Or else you could print some postage labels, but I just feel that stamps provide more variety!
Edit: for other small values General Post Office is best, but you can ask for the specific amount (e.g. 50 cents) to see if they have it and they can flip the stamp book for you 
the nearest post office for me carries 50 cents and 65 cents iirc
Thank you so much for all the useful information! Will definitely try!
Hello! Sorry but does anyone know the value of 2nd local stamps now? I tried searching on Google and all I could find was the 2023 announcement of 51¢. Thank you!
2nd local are now worth the same as 1st local.
It’s 52¢ now because of the GST increase in Jan
Thank you! ^^
I have some old stamps with “For local addresses only”. The post office told me they are equal to 1st local, and can be used to for international mails. But, anyone used such stamps for oversea addresses before?
Yes, I have used several such stamps to send overseas before
See:
