Kathleen

I'm packing tonight for my first trip back to Italy in a year and I found an envelope full of Italian postage stamps in my suitcase. Should I toss them or bring them along for all of the postcards I have promised to send?

xxx

Use the postage stamps in you photo album or memory book as decorations. Do the same with the lire, if you have a small amount of it.

Rex

Well, first of all, your lire are worth just as much now as they were a year ago - - 1936.27 of them can be exchanged for one euro at any Banca d'Italia this year and for about the next 8 years (I think).<BR><BR>I do not know the answer to your &quot;fancobolli&quot; question - - but I suspect that any official post office (not a &quot;Tabacchi&quot; shop) - - might exchange them for you, or apply them to the purchase of similar value euro-denomination postage.<BR><BR>But this is quite a guess on my part.<BR><BR>I would take them. It couldn't hurt to ask!<BR><BR>Best wishes,<BR><BR>Rex<BR>

sylvia

It depends on how old they are. We had some that were three years old and noticed that they had the price in euros as well as in lire. Italy obviously prepared early. We were able to use them in 2000

Alice Twain

Sylvia is right, your stamps are still valid and can be used, even if they do not bear the euro value on them.

Kathleen

Thank you, I will take them along. On the issue of Lire - I sent most of them &quot;home&quot; last October with a friend who was headed to Venice. The few I had left are framed with pictures of the sites engraved on the bills.

Dick Yeager

Kathleen,<BR><BR>In the future, you might consider not buying stamps in any country you are in unless you want a souvenier. Your hotel will sell you the stamps you need, and probably put them on for you.<BR><BR>Dick

Oh, Please

Are &quot;fancobolli&quot; any relation to the singer Fanco Corelli? If you're going to needlessly show off your knowledge of Italian, at least get it right.

Kathleen

I rarely stay in a hotel in Italy. Italy is a wonderful country for unique rentals. We are renting an apartment in Florence this time - no better way to get a real taste of Italian life. Even if it is just licking your own stamps!

xxx

Thank you.<BR>