Postage

I don't understand. Where did you buy the stamps? I would assume that any post office in Rome can tell you.

Ha - have you ever gotten a direct answer from an Italian? Given past posts - I bought them in a tabercheria (don't bother going to the post office here) - I have asked numerous people, even US citizens living in Rome - and I can't get a definitive answer. Let me be more specific - who in the last month (Feb/March 2011) has been to Italy and has sent postcards from Rome to the USA? How much did you pay for the stamp? Grazie. Teresa

I'm also not really understanding. If you just bought postcard stamps, they should be the right denomination if the price went up 2 months ago.

According to a post on a website dedicated to trading postcards.... "Italian international postages have just increased to 75c to European countries (instead of 65c) , 1.60 euro (instead of 85c !) to non European countries and 2 euro (instead of 1 euro !) to Oceania" The post is dated January 2, 2011.

OK - Scenario 1: It sounds like you are at this moment IN Rome, and perhaps concerned that you're being sold the 85 cent stamp which means profit for the seller but no-postcard-going-anywhere-for-you. So, assuming that, I suggest going to Vatican City and using THEIR post office. Technically it's not Rome, but your postcards should get the correct postage. Otherwise, it's thunder and lightening and locusts... And NEVER leave your postcards with the person who sold your stamps...then sells 'your' stamps again to the next person, while your postcards go to the recycling bin... Scenario 2: You bought stamps at some point in the past, and now want to know the amount of increase from 85 cents...Can't help you there. Watch the size of your postcards; it the USA, there's a 'postcard' stamp, but it's not going to cover postage for some of the postcards I see for sale - too big. And since you've read the posts on the Italian postal 'service', you know to expect to never see those postcards again, and be pleasantly surprised when you do ;-)

It looks like the cost of a letter to the US is €0.41 so a post card should be no more than that.
http://www.poste.it/en/postali/economymail/a_prices.shtml

Jeff, I don't think that is the prices for the Italian post office, but for an independent company that competes with the Italian post office and handles bulk mail.

I was in Rome in March and received different postcard stamp prices from 2 tabaccheria so decided to go right to the post office (on Via Arenula). I was told the price had been raised to 1.60 euro. I almost fell over as in October 2010 it was .85. Price apparently raised as stated above. Since we are returning again this October I was just searching google to find the "real" answer and stumbled on this thread.
So much for those 40 some postcards total I send almost daily to a few special people! The card .50 euro. The stamp 1.60 euro. WOW