A “forever” postage stamp issued Thursday has piqued the interest of customers and postal workers alike.

“We’re getting a lot of requests,” Natchez Postmaster Bill Farrior said. “I’ve probably had three or four calls a day recently. They’re anxious to buy it.”

The stamp, which sells for 41 cents, will remain valid, even through future rate increases. The stamp price will rise along with postal rates, but the old ones will still be valid.

“If they buy it now, it’s good forever,” Farrior said. “It will always be enough postage to mail a normal-sized letter, no matter what the price goes to in the future.”

The post office had sold roughly 40 stamps by lunchtime Thursday, but Farrior said he thought the business would pick up once word about it spread.

The stamp not only saves customers money, but it also helps the post office, he said.

“It will keep down the rush when the new tax rate goes into affect (May 14),” he said.

“Normally, the line will be out the door just before a rate increase. This will cut down on the rush.”

The Natchez post office is prepared for customers interested in buying the forever stamps and have stocked 1,200 books of the new stamps.

Some residents said Thursday they weren’t aware of the new stamps.

Natchez resident David Parsons said it wasn’t something on the top of his mind.

“I didn’t even really know about it,” Parsons said.

Patrick Anders, a Natchez resident, said he only recently found out about the new stamp, but he thought he might be interested in it.

“I think that would be a good idea,” Anders said. “I’m of a retirement age, and when you’re retired, you have to stretch your dollars. And anything that doesn’t go up, I’m for.”

Natchez resident Bonita Reed said she wasn’t jumping to be first in line to buy the new stamps.

“I don’t use that many stamps,” Reed said. “And if we could buy them at that price forever, that would be different. Right now, you’d have to buy enough to last you the rest of your life.”