Stamps

My local PO is not selling stamps anymore.  This means you have to queue up to get a letter franked or even post it as the box outside has been taped up.  Have others experienced this ?

The tobacconists also sells stamps.

Yep.  About a year ago I went to the PO to ask for a stamp, and they looked at me blankly.  eventually, after trying to sell me scratch cards, simcards and bicycles the vacuous girls admitted that perhaps there were 'some in the safe'  I waited for 40 mins for the director to come back from lunch and open the safe, and they brought the stamp to the desk with great pomp and ceremony - then told me that they wouldnt be selling stamps any more.   I did ask that it seemed strange for a Post Office not to sell the means to post, but it was too difficult a question for a director of the PO, and he had to go for a coffee.  The moral of the story being - unless you want send registered mail at 6 euros a throw, its now advisable to go to the tabacchi and by a stamp that has no glue and falls off the envelope within 12 seconds of being licked.

The tabbachi in Amandola has self adhesive stamps, which seem to stick ok!

Thank you all for your replies.  Yes, I did know and have bought stamps from the tabbachi in Sarnano in the past but it is a distance away.  However, even if I had a sheet of stamps I need to find a box that isn't taped up to post in...so back to Sarnano.As Modi says it is strange for a PO not to sell the means to post ?

I am heading Amandola way next week Geo so will try and get the self adhesive ones there.  Thx.

Angie, post offices not selling stamps is not limited to Italy, Spain and France do the same and we usually go to the tobacconist. In Spain, you can also buy stamps through expending machines installed in some post offices or outside them, but you need to know the cost of sending the letter. In larger cities, they also have a special desk for philatelists... But buying a simple stamp seems to be a thing of the past....