The self adhesive conspiracy

I think that as people in general become more busy, the idea of self-adhesive stamps is partly a time save (not really but that is the general thought i imagine)....

there is also ease of use and the idea of better papers permitting better prints..

Like most collectors i find them to be a pain in the butt and often try to find the more modern material either off paper or closely clipped (and pry that the paper is archival safe so it does not ruin the collection over time!!)

Philately is money for free for Post companies... It is paying for a mailing service in advance that you don't intend to use.
Unfortunately, most of the Postal companies are still government entities.
So they don't see the business opportunity. It is a gold mine.
Every employee in the postal services should be philately trained and advocate,
In Australia, the post office people are very friendly with collectors.
In Japan, where it is a private entity, philately is a BU.