A white sheet of paper that read "Sorry, no 2-cent stamps," decorated with frowning faces, greeted the lines of students outside the University Post Office early yesterday.

"Now I guess I have to buy a 39-cent stamp, since there aren't any 2-cent stamps," said Jen Anderson (sophomore-division of undergraduate studies), who almost dropped a letter into a mailbox before realizing the rate to send standard mail increased to 39 cents Sunday.

Anderson said she was not even aware of the rate increase until she heard people talk about it around her.

Stamp prices have gone up because of legislation requiring the Postal Service to place $3 billion in an escrow account, a trust account held in a third party's name, this year. Another rate boost is likely next year to cover rising costs for the agency.

Don Plotts, also known as the Mail Guy of the on-campus post office, said there were two occasions in which students intended to mail letters with only a 37-cent stamp and needed to be informed that the rate had risen.

Plotts added that the post office ran out of 2-cent stamps around 10 a.m., and he hoped it would be restocked by today or Thursday at the latest.

Connie Lang, a postmaster from Petersburg, was at the University Post Office lending her help with the Automated Postal Center, which allows students to send express mail and priority mail, as well as offering the new 39-cent stamps. She added that the machine helped the lines move quickly.

"Everybody thinks they need 2-cent stamps right away," she said.

Kim Waite, supervisor of customer services at the Fraser Street Post Office, 237 S. Fraser St., said the downtown office had run out of 2-cent stamps around 4 p.m. Monday.

"People overbuy them," she said.

Waite said the office has sold more than 100,000 2-cent stamps in the past two weeks and hope to have 50,000 more today. She said it would also receive 10,000 1-cent stamps, after selling more than 8,000 on Monday.

"We sell a fair amount of 1- and 2-cent stamps all year round," she added.

Waite said that although there were not many "irate" customers, people still continued to ask for the stamps, despite the neon signs posted around the office stating it had run out.

Some students said they weren't bothered or concerned by the new stamp prices.

"I mailed a lot of stuff last semester, but I haven't had to mail anything recently. I do think it's inconvenient though for those who have to buy 2-cent stamps," Meghan O'Rourke (sophomore-business) said.

Stamp prices last went up in June 2002.

Although the loss of 2-cent stamps may have created some confusion for students, Plotts said he thinks this is "not the time to panic."

"It's no big deal. We have the 39-cent stamps for those who need them, and over the course of time, people will be able to use the rest of their 37-cent stamps," he said.

The Associated Press contributed to this article.