The Postal Service depends on mail volume to survive. In recent years letter writing has died, today it’s emails or texting, people pay their bills online and businesses spend a fraction of what they did just a few years ago to send out junk mail.

Because of this and other economic factors the post office has nearly 500 postal closings under way, and has set a goal to close a total of 2,000 in 2011. The postal service argues that its network of some 32,000 brick-and-mortar post offices, many built in the horse-and-buggy days, is outmoded in an era when people are more mobile.

This year may see some major changes with the postal service as they try to maintain thousands of post offices and find new ways to compete in the market place.

Postal history cover collectors may want to pay closer attention to this and try to get a “Last Day of Service” cover.

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