Stamper ID: ITYK

Hometown: Ithaca, NY

Lifetime Found Bill Report Ranking: 22

Number of Times Reported: 585

Estimated Impressions: 511,875 times

Number of States Reported In: 37

Stamped in All States Ranking: 23

Why I Stamp:

I like this short  video frm Story of Stuff Project. It explains why we need to stamp money out of politics → Story of Citizens United v FEC

Relationship status:

I fell for a black labrador puppy who sometimes also looks like a pug. He's super smart and so unbelievably cute.

Favorite Stamp(s):

I like the two vintage stamps I have. One says Stamp Money Out of Politics and the other one Not 2B Used for Bribing Politicians.  I like them because they both say “Amend the Constitution” in addition to the main messages.

Started Stamping Date:

February 2, 2018

Favorite Place to Spend Stamped Money:

Everywhere – grocery, gas, car repair, coffee shops, thrifty shops, post office, pharmacy, ice cream shop, pet shop, dentist, travel lodging, money order for rent, etc.

Tips for Fellow Stampers:

* Keep your stamp pad upside down to keep fresh ink on surface.
* Replenish ink on the pad for clear imprint .. especially for stamps with small letters, like “The system isn’t broken it’s fixed.”
* Remove your animal companion’s hair from the stamp. I know it sounds silly but over time the stamps attracts gunk … wipe them off before stamping.
* Pay rent, credit card bills, auto insurance, and other bills using money orders – and use stamped bills to get them.  This takes care of a lot of stamped bills.  Credit card and other companies nowadays are not most responsive to this old-fashioned way of payment, so mail in your payments in advance.   I should mention this practice is totally worth it, as I ended up vastly improving my credit score, as a result of 1. dramatic reduction of credit card use in my attempt to avoid a high balance for monthly payment 2. sending in extra payments in advance – making the credit company owing me a few dollars rather than the other way around.  My credit scores have been always good, but not this soaring high, in 800s.
* Carry a small brochure or a card explaining Stamp Stampede to explain the purpose and legality of the stamps to the skeptics.
* Get a small safe – I find it useful to organize.
* Smaller bills ($1, $5, $10) circulate more so stamp them and use them. $5 bills are great not only because cashiers always want them but also because $5 bills have a LOT of white spaces for stamping, especially on the back!
* Use ATMs for deposit, especially those ATMs that take bare bills (instead of the ones that ask you to put bills into envelopes). I’m assuming with these bare-bill ATMs, the stamped money will be put right back into circulation, spitting them out for withdrawals.  Make sure to avoid stamping the bill number, and the security circle, and the middle area of the bill.
* Most banks will be willing to exchange at least a couple of $20 bills into singles, even if you don’t have an account with them.
* These days I stopped obsessing on trying to stamp and put into circulation every bills that come into my possession (namely $20s) – this decision made my life so much easier.  At my banks, I just bring and exchange plain $20s to exchange into $1, 5, and/or 10s – so if you have five $20 bills, that can be exchanged into 100 singles. I feel sacrificing five bills for one hundred bills to be stamped and put into circulation is totally worth it. Plus it’s nice to have a stamped supply of 1s.
* The types of stamps: Personally I prefer old-fashioned desk stamps, using a separate ink pad – I tried pre-inked pocket stamps but for their price, they don’t seem to make very good impressions – partly because you don’t really stamp well when you are on the go (stamping on a poor surface like a book, for example.).   Also,  if I keep it in a car in a freezing temp – the ink also freezes, rendering it unusable.
* The types of stamp pads: the best ink pad is the one from this site – I tried different pads from different places (from thrifty store, freecycle, and finally spent a fortune at Staples for a very disappointing result – ink bled on the bills like crazy) and I can tell you this one is really the best.  An older wooden stamp saying “Stamp Money Out of Politics” that I had almost given up on come out beautifully using this stamp pad.
* Stamp away on a bill in a really bad shape to your heart’s content. It’s going to be taken out of circulation soon anyway. Might as well take advantage of that.
* I read in one of the stampers’ tip for a supermarket – he recommends to use a quick checkout lane to pay for your shopping – most people use credit cards for their payment in regular cashier lanes, where your stamped bills have less chance to leave the cashier’s drawers.  The bills tend to leave the drawers of quick check-out lanes faster.
* Finally, but not the least, look through other people’s profiles on this website and check out their tips. I got some of the above from them – Kudos to the pioneers of the Stampede!

Education:

Masters and upwards.

Hobbies:

cats, hiking/backpacking, picking up trash, going zero waste. I’m ready to volunteer for Nina Turner in 2024.

What Makes Me Happy:

It makes me pretty happy when my stamped bills are reported as sighted on this website.

I especially enjoy reports with a little details – like where it was sighted and how it was used.

I want to thank someone who reported sighting of multiple bills at Northshire Bookstore in Vermont. I love that bookstore all the more!

General Comments:

“The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice.” MLK Jr.