Instead of creating posters to display about new issues, the USPS has switched to magnets. There is a small 8x10 inch board that holds the magnets. As new issues are available, workers can place the magnet on the board. When they no longer have that issue, they can remove the magnet from the display. The collection of magnets on the board represents the issues that this particular post office has available.

I assume the magnets are cheaper to produce than the posters. With posters, you’re kind of stuck displaying that poster whether you have the stamps on hand or not; unless you’re able to switch to another poster. If a customer asks, “Can I have a sheet of that stamp shown on that poster”, it’s a little difficult for the USPS clerk to say that they don’t have that stamp. If you don’t have the stamp, why advertise it?

I don’t know what happens to the magnets when they are no longer needed. I assume they just go in the trash. I wonder how many collectors will befriend a clerk and ask them to save them the magnets when they are done with them? I don’t see this area as having enormous demand. But I could see a few folks deciding to collect the official USPS magnets. It could be a new niche of the hobby like collecting stamp pins. It could be a lot of fun collecting these magnets.