Ad Campaign for Elvis Stamps Criticized

WASHINGTON — Ralph Nader accused the Postal Service on Friday of being wasteful in spending nearly $300,000 to promote its planned Elvis Presley stamp.

Nader calculated that to break even the agency would have to sell more than 1 million stamps to collectors who do not then use them.

Spokeswoman Robin Minard said the Postal Service normally prints 160 million copies of each new commemorative stamp, and an even larger run is expected for the Elvis issue. She declined to estimate how many will be saved by collectors.

Costs of printing posters and millions of ballots for choosing between two versions of the stamp, plus advertising and travel for postal officials, total nearly $300,000, Nader said in a statement.

Postal officials said they did not have a detailed total for spending on the project but said the consumer advocate’s estimate was likely “in the ballpark.”