The Stamp Collecting Round-Up

United Nations Stamp Artist Wendy Wray

2012-02-03T00:01:00.000-08:00

Virginia's Newsleader.com website reports, "If you are a devoted philatelist or just someone who enjoys owning a collectors item, the United Nations endangered species stamp, designed by local artist Wendy Wray, might be high on your list of guilty pleasures."

According to the article, "Last year, Wray's representative in New York got an exciting offer from the United Nations. The United Nations Postal Administration was looking for an artist to design a set of stamps depicting 12 endangered bird species. Wray was thrilled and honored to get the job."

Wray is quoted as saying, ""The way it was done was Brian Arthur photographed my drawings and then I sent the file to the U.N. for the limited release series. These are not stamps you purchase at your local post office. The only place you can get them is online or at the United Nations office in New York. If you want to actually post a letter with the stamp, it would have to be mailed from the U.N. The stamps are issued in dollars, euros and francs."

Shown above, some of the stamps featuring Wray's artwork.

To order these and other United Nations stamps, click here.

To read the entire article, click here.

Buying Stamps in Tough Economic Times

2012-02-02T00:01:00.000-08:00

John Finch writes on the About.com website about buying stamps in tough economic times and offers some money saving tricks for acquiring stamps.

Finch suggests the following...

Buy new issues from countries or agencies,
Have a few favorite dealers,
Trade with fellow collectors,
Buy lesser quality,
Buy for the future,
Buy in bulk,
Possess the knowledge,
Take care of your stamps and they'll take care of you.

Click here to read the entire article.

A Match Made in Postal Heaven

2012-02-01T00:01:00.000-08:00

Nothing says love like a heart-themed postmark according to The Winnipeg Free Press.

Canada Post says the Love (Saskatchewan) and St-Valentin (Quebec) post offices, because of their aptly named towns, will cancel twice as much mail as usual over the coming weeks, with a special cancel designed for the romantic at heart.

According to the paper,"Already, mail is coming in from across Canada and from countries such as China, Japan, Hungary, United States, Switzerland and France."

Canada Post is calling the cancellations "a match made in postal heaven."

For more information and where to send your cards and letters, click here.

Owney The Railway Mail Dog on Facebook

2012-01-31T00:01:00.000-08:00

Owney The Railway Mail Dog recently posted this picture of one of his canine cousins in a backpack on his Facebook page.

Owney says, "I visited a lot of post offices by Railway Mail Service in my day, stopping by to say hi to the clerks (and eat their lunches). I'd like to clarify that I was NOT in a doggy backpack at the time, like this little guy in line at the post office. I'm pretty lucky these weren't invented back in the1890s. I wonder if this dog would like to collect tags with me and travel the country, sans backpack?"

To see what else Owney has been up to, click here.

How To Become a Virtual Philatelist

2012-01-30T00:01:00.001-08:00

Bruce Kilgour aka The Virtual Stamp Man writes, "Virtual stamp collecting has become a favourite pastime on social media platforms such as FaceBook, Flickr and Twitter/Twitpic. This is a short introduction with all you need to know to get started as well as directions to the main virtual stamp websites. Start your virtual stamp album online today. Its the most fun you can have with your computer on! "

Click here to check out his Facebook page.

Click here to check out The Virtual Stamp Club

Philpex 2012

2012-01-29T00:01:00.000-08:00

Reporter Jeannette I. Andrade of the Philippine Daily Inquirer pens, "The Philippine Philatelic Exhibition (Philpex) 2012 is out to prove that stamp collecting still has a place in the hearts of the young who have become so obsessed with instant communication that writing letters in longhand has become almost like a dying art."

Philpex 2012 is a festival of international exhibits and entries from member clubs of the Philippine Philatelic Federation (PPF) with the theme “Knowledge and fun through stamp collecting."

Lawrence Chan is quoted in the piece as saying philatelic judges used international standards and rules governing philatelic competitions set by the Fédération Internationale de Philatélie, a network of philatelists worldwide.

"Knowledge, study and research on the theme of the collection," he pointed out, "accounted for 35 percent of the rating. The condition and rarity of the postage stamps are 20 percent each, while the condition and importance make up 10 percent of the total score. Presentation accounts for only 5 percent of the total rating."

Shown above, Robert Tan, president of the Philippine Philatelic Federation

Click here to read the entire article.

Holocaust History Lesson Includes Stamps

2012-01-28T00:01:00.000-08:00

Michele Morgan Bolton, a correspondent for the Boston Globe, writes on the paper's website about a project at Foxborough Regional Charter School that includes collecting stamps to represent victims of the Holocaust and creating mosaics.

She writes, "The Holocaust Stamp Project is now in its third year at the school, where students are trying to collect 11 million stamps, one to represent each victim of the one of the darkest chapters in world history."

According to Charlotte Sheer, who teaches the school’s fifth-grade community service class, the number represents 6 million Jews, including 1.5 million children, and 5 million others in 21 European countries who were annihilated by Hitler’s ruthless regime in Nazi Germany.

The Foxborough students will use some of the stamps they collect to create 18 mosaics. The first, called “With Liberty and Peace for All,’’ already hangs in a school hallway. The mosaics will symbolize the Holocaust’s Jewish victims, 18 being the numerical translation of chai, the Hebrew word for life.

Sheer is quoted in the piece as saying, "Each stamp collected symbolizes one life “thrown away’’ as having no value, much like an envelope bearing a canceled postage stamp is tossed in the trash."

Shown above, one of the stamp mosaics created by the students at the Foxborough Regional Charter School.

To read the entire article, click here.

Ode to Snail Mail

2012-01-27T00:01:00.000-08:00

The Forbes website reports, "In the same week first-class postage rose a penny to 45 cents, the debt-ridden United States Postal Service re-circulated its ode to snail mail, the 'Hacker' commercial. If you haven’t seen it, the spot opens with women putting notices they presumably received via mail on their refrigerators and cork board. 'A refrigerator has never been hacked,' the narrator says. 'An online virus has never attacked a cork board.'"

Contributor Mickey Meece goes on to say that the ad, targeting businesses, implores them to: “Give your customers the added feeling of security a printed statement or receipt provides – with mail. It’s good for business, and even better for your customers. For safe and secure ways to stay connected, visit USPS.com/mail.”

Mark Finkelstein of the Newsbusters.org blog wrote: “The Post Office was trying to make the argument that snail mail is safer and more appealing to people in general and customers in particular. You might call it trying to sweep back the Internet age with a soggy envelope.

To read the entire article, click here.

For more on this story, click here.

Rural Carriers

2012-01-26T00:01:00.000-08:00

Historian Nancy Pope writes on the National Postal Museum's Pushing The Envelope blog about rural carriers. This is the first in a series of blogs spotlighting items and stories from America’s postal workers.

Nancy pens, "Rural Free Delivery (RFD) service began in 1896 and continues today. Rural carriers function a little differently from city letter carriers. For one thing, rural carriers are required to use their own vehicles to make their daily rounds. For another, rural carriers have, from the beginning, provided their patrons with more than just the day’s mail. They carry stamps, stamped envelopes, money orders, and other items that are more commonly found in a post office. This has led rural carriers’ vehicles to be nicknamed 'post offices on wheels.'”

She goes on to say, "Carriers often purchased metal cash boxes to keep money and other valuables safe and secure during their daily rounds. Many RFD cash boxes had storage compartments and shelves. All could be secured with a padlock, also to be purchased by the carrier."

Shown above, a rural carrier cash box.

To read the entire article, click here.

Bonsai Stamps Carefully Researched by Hawaiian Artist

2012-01-25T00:01:00.000-08:00

USPS's Beyond The Perf points out, "To create an arboreal masterpiece requires great patience, skill, and attention to detail. So when art director Ethel Kessler was tasked with featuring the art form of bonsai on a stamp, she knew that the assignment would require the same commendable traits."

Turns out she knew just the person for the project - John D. Dawson, with whom she worked on the 12-year Nature of America series.

According to the article, "Dawson lives in Hawaiʻi, a central location for the horticultural hobby of bonsai. But despite his interest in art and nature, Dawson was unfamiliar with the elaborate processes of the art form."

Dawson is quoted as saying, “It was a big learning curve. The first thing I did was buy a good number of books, and read about the history and principles of bonsai. I also attended a bonsai show in Hilo and talked to the members of the society here.”

"Consultants carefully examined the artwork, ensuring that each style of bonsai was realistically represented — and also checking for any cultural nuances. One needed revision was changing the number of azalea trunks from four to three, as four is considered unlucky in Asian cultures,"according to the article.

Click here for additional pictures and information.

In a separate article that appears on the Big Island News Center website, reporter Sherry Bracken says, "Dawson’s first stamps for the postal service were in the 1980s, the American Cats stamp series. Since then he has created the Idaho statehood stamp, a flowering trees series, and the Nature of America series. The final set in that series featured a Hawaiian rain forest, and was introduced at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park last December."

Click here to read Bracken's article and listen a radio interview she did with him.

Jazz Great Miles Davis to Get Stamp in 2012

2012-01-24T00:01:00.000-08:00

The Alton, Illinois Telegraph reports, "The great jazz musician Miles Davis has received the official stamp of approval from the U.S. Post Office."

According to Linn's Stamp News, Davis will get a stamp later this year.

Lee Barham, chairman of the steering committee for the Miles Davis Jazz Celebration is quoted in the piece by reporter Kathie Bassett as saying,"This is a fitting honor, Miles Davis was one of the greatest jazz musicians and trumpet players in the world. Before Michael Jackson and Elvis Presley, there was Miles Davis."

Miles Davis was born in Alton in 1926. He lived in the city for a year before his family moved to East St. Louis. According to Barham, Davis always mentioned Alton as his hometown in interviews.

Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2006, Davis died in 1991 in Santa Monica, Calif., at the age of 65.

Shown above, 2001 souvenir sheet from Guine-Bassau honoring Davis.

To read the entire article, click here.

The World of Penquins on Stamps

2012-01-23T00:21:00.000-08:00

Facebook friend Aimee Poitevin Devine writes to let everyone know about a new periodic feature that will be appearing on the American Topical Association (ATA) website.

It's called Topical Tidbits and in each issue there'll be a "specific topic of interest to philatelists with information, fun facts, games, puzzles, activities, and of course, loads of stamp images."

In the first issue of Topical Tidbits, (ATA) explores the world of penguins on stamps. It's free, downloadable and loaded with pictures, activities, puzzles about penguins.

It's perfect to pass on to young people and others who love animals and may be interested in starting a topical collection.

Click here to view.

Royal Mail Customers Told to Stock-Pile Stamps

2012-01-22T00:01:00.000-08:00

A British consumer watchdog is telling people to start stock-piling stamps now ahead of an expected steep price rise in April according to an article that appears on UK's Telegraph website.

Reporter Christopher Hope writes, "Royal Mail has asked its regulator Ofcom to increase second class stamps by 53 per cent from 36p to 55p - the biggest annual increase since 1975. There would be no limit on the price of a first class stamp, which currently costs 46p. The rises could be pushed through as early as April. "

Hope goes on to say, "The increase would see a book of 12 second class stamps increase from £4.32 to £6.60 over night, as Royal Mail could push through the increase in one go. The price of stamps would then increase every year by inflation, under the proposals."

A spokesman for the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, which is trying to push through the privatisation of Royal Mail, is quoted as saying, “It is not the Government's role to tell people when to buy stamps.”

To read the entire article, click here.

Virtual Magnifying Glass

2012-01-21T00:01:00.000-08:00

Jack writes on his Plate Faults Germany blog that while searching for stamps on the Internet, particularly Internet auctions, he wanted the pictures of the stamps to have more detail. A useful tool he often uses is "Virtual Magnifying Glass".

The software is a free and legal download at Source Force.

Jack says, "If you have installed the software you get the bottom right of your taskbar an icon. Right-click on the icon to set the magnification, etc., and then left-click on the icon to start your magnifying glass."

Also on Jack's blog (and shown above) is a picture of a Deutsche Post self-adhesive stamp dispenser. Interesting idea that USPS might consider for their next commemorative coil series such as the "Flags of Our Nation."

To visit Plate Faluts Germany, click here. Use Google translate for English and other languages.

Canada Post Celebrates Queen's 'Diamond Jubilee'

2012-01-20T00:01:00.000-08:00

The Winnipeg Free Press reports, "Monarchists in Canada are licking their lips in anticipation of new stamps celebrating the Queen."

According to the article by Kevin Rollason, "Canada Post announced on Monday it has issued a booklet of 10 self-adhesive stamps featuring a cameo of Queen Elizabeth II wearing a tiara and royal robes while waving from the window of a carriage in honour of her Diamond Jubilee."

It goes on to say other stamps featuring the Queen will be released in the months ahead. These include a mini-pane of four stamps which will feature stamps with the Queen portrait during her reign.

Shown above, one of the proposed designs celebrating Queen Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee.

To read the entire article, click here.

Postage Rates Going Up on Sunday

2012-01-19T00:01:00.000-08:00

The Gazette Virginian reports, "It’s going to cost a little bit more to mail that letter, bill or greeting card next week. On Sunday, the price of a first class postage stamp is going up a penny from 44 to 45-cents. This is the first increase in the price of a first-class mail stamp since May 2009, according to postal officials."

Here are some of the other changes...

Letters additional ounces – unchanged at 20 cents
Postcards – 3-cent increase to 32 cents
Letters to Canada or Mexico (1 oz.) – 5-cent increase to 85 cents.
Letters to other international destinations – 7-cent increase to $1.05

Forever stamps purchased before Sunday will still be valid and are always equal in value to the current first–class mail one ounce rate.

For more on the new rates and changes, click here.

Ireland To Issue 50th Anniversary Kennedy Stamps

2012-01-18T00:01:00.000-08:00

Ireland will commemorate the 50th anniversary of John F. Kennedy's presidency and his visit to Ireland with two stamps in 2013.

According to the New Ross Standard, "An Post has received government approval for its stamp collection for 2013, which includes these two commemorative stamps to mark the historic occasion."

The article quotes Councillor Michael Sheehan who said, "...when these stamps are issued, souvenir collections, commemorative envelopes and programmes will also be launched. The Fianna Fáil councillor said he has also spoken to representatives of the United States Congress to launch a joint issue in conjunction with the An Post Stamp."

Shown above, 1988 stamp was issued by Ireland to mark the 25th anniversary of the death President Kennedy.

To read the entire article, click here.

Contract Post Offices Fill a Need

2012-01-17T00:01:00.000-08:00

North Carolina's News Observer reports, "Yogesh Manocha wanted to increase foot traffic in his Citgo station convenience store. So between the cash register and the drink cooler, he recently opened a post office."

Reporter Catlin Baker pens, "Manocha is the latest Triangle business owner to open a Contract Postal Unit, miniature post offices owned and operated by private businesses. CPUs, as they are called, offer all the services of traditional post offices, except P.O. boxes, and allow the cash-strapped U.S. Postal Service to extend its reach with minimal investment."

Manocha (shown above) is quoted as saying, ""The convenience that we're providing to the neighboring community is great, because of the longer hours and because we're open on weekends."

According to the article, "Store owners purchase CPUs from the Postal Service and receive a portion of the revenue they generate...Each supplier must demonstrate to the Postal Service that the CPU will be able to make enough money to sustain itself. Most are found in busy areas that do not have another post office nearby. Postal Service also does not have to staff CPUs since they are run by store employees. "

For more on this story, click here.

The Ebony Society of Philatelic Events and Reflections (ESPER)

2012-01-16T00:01:00.000-08:00

The Ebony Society of Philatelic Events and Reflections was organized in 1988 and is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the collecting of African Americans on stamps and the collecting of stamps by African Americans.

The Society currently has close to 300 members throughout the United States and in other countries. Its quarterly newsletter, Reflections contains information and commentary about people of the African Diaspora on philatelic material from around the world.

According to its website, "Reflections not only is an educational source of information but also provides an avenue for networking and stamp trading. Many members spend time visiting schools to share their knowledge with children. Others give presentations at stamp shows, local libraries, and civic centers to spread the hobby of philately and the history of African Americans."

Shown above, is a First Clyde Bowman Cachet of the 1978 Martin Luther King, Jr. Black Heritage Issue. This is a combination cover with stamps for Paul Dunbar, Harriet Tubman, George Washington Carver, W.C. Handy, and Frederick Douglass.

Had he not been assassinated in 1968, Dr. King would have been 83-years-old yesterday.

To learn more about ESPER, click here.

100-Year-Old Stamp Show Goes on Despite Earthquakes

2012-01-15T00:01:00.002-08:00

Christchurch Philatelic Society, the second oldest stamp club in New Zealand, said they were determined to go ahead with the exhibition after so many cancellations of sporting and cultural events due to the earthquakes according to an article that appears on the Press.Co.NZ website.

The two-day show marks the centenary of the Society. More than 6500 pages of stamps and postcards sent from around New Zealand and Australia were on display.

A series of earthquakes right before Christmas shook the New Zealand city of Christchurch, sending residents rushing from buildings and causing minor damage. These came 10 months after swathes of the city were destroyed by another quake.

According to the Washington Post and Bloomberg Business News, devastating earthquakes in Japan and New Zealand made 2011 the costliest year yet for the insurance industry in terms of natural disaster losses.

Shown above, dealer and her customers at the Christchurch Philatelic Society stamp show.

To read the entire article, click here.

Political Controversy Erupts Over Israeli Stamp

2012-01-14T00:01:00.000-08:00

Israel's Haaretz.com website reports, "A postage stamp is at the heart of a conflict between Israel and Gibraltar, a tiny British overseas territory on the straits connecting the Mediterranean and the Atlantic Ocean. The stamp slated to be released by both the postal services of Israel and Gibraltar, will apparently never find its way to any envelopes, after the Gibraltar’s postal service refused to approve its design for apparent political reasons"

According to the piece, "A year ago, Israeli philatelists were informed on the upcoming release of the Israel- Gibraltar stamp. In June, its design was made public. It was half adorned by a picture of a Gibraltar cliff and half with a picture of the King David Citadel in Jerusalem."

It goes on to say, "Gibraltar’s postal service was dismayed with Israel’s choice, since the Jerusalem landmark is located beyond the Green Line. In response they froze the joint project, and Israeli attempts at replacing the picture with pictures of other landmarks were futile."

Moshe Rimmer, one of the leading stamp collectors in Israel is quoted in the article as saying, “As far as I know, the stamp hasn’t been released to the market, neither in Israel nor in Gibraltar. If you find one, you could become very rich.”

To read the entire article, click here.

Go 'Wild' - Collect Animals on Stamps

2012-01-13T00:01:00.000-08:00

Biologist Scott Shalaway writes in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that the only form of wildlife art he could afford while in graduate school was postage stamps.

He pens, "The U.S. Postal Service gets well-deserved criticism for closing small post offices and running deficits. But it is also a great source of outstanding art that anyone, even children, can afford to collect. Wildlife watchers are sure to enjoy some of the new stamps scheduled to appear this year."

He goes on to say, "I limit my stamp collecting to wildlife and outdoor themes. My oldest stamps date back to 1956, gifts from relatives. That 3-cent wildlife conservation series featured wild turkeys, pronghorn antelope and king salmon. Thereafter, wildlife appeared on stamps at least every few years."

"Do yourself and your children a favor," Scott says, "-- start a wildlife stamp collection with the birds of prey series this month."

On Jan. 20, the new series (shown above) will feature five birds of prey: northern goshawk, peregrine falcon, golden eagle, osprey and northern harrier.

To read the entire column, click here.

APS Mystery Stamps of the Month

2012-01-12T08:10:00.000-08:00

Can you identify the American Philatelic Society "Mystery Stamps" shown above?

If so, e-mail the Stamp Collecting Round-Up at donschilling@att.net with the name of the country and Scott Catalogue number.

The first and 11th person to correctly identify the stamp will win a recent commemorative "presentation pack" provided courtesy of Royal Mail.

Congratulations to our November "Mystery Stamp" winners Barry Dootoff of Fernie, B.C. and Joel Boland of Hillsborough, NJ. They were the 1st and 11th readers to correctly identify the stamp shown here as being from White Russia (Belarsus).

Barry writes, "The stamp was a legitimate printing of Belarus in about 1920. The stamps were never used as postage as the then government was absorbed by Russia while the stamps were in transit to the post office and never released for use. My Scott Catalogue recognizes these series of five stamps as legitimate postage stamps but does not give them a identification number."

Your prizes are on their way!

Letter Writing Improves Happiness

2012-01-11T00:01:00.000-08:00

According to an article that appears on the Kent State University website, "Steve Toepfer, associate professor in Human Development and Family Studies at Kent State University at Salem, says he has always been interested in the power of writing. In 2007, he created an assignment in his Building Family Strength class intended to show his students that being kind to others has psychological benefits. He decided to measure these benefits in a pilot study where participants wrote letters of gratitude to determine if there are benefits in terms of well-being for the authors of the letters."

His research shows shows writing letters of gratitude increases happiness and life satisfaction, decreases depressive symptoms.

Toepfer is quoted as saying, “The letter writers were instructed to write a letter of gratitude to anyone they wanted, however, the letter couldn’t be trivial and it couldn’t be a ‘thank you’ note for a gift or ‘thanks for saying hello to me this morning.' The participants had to write about something that was important to them."

“As they wrote, up to three letters, results showed increasing benefits,” Toepfer continued. “The more letter writing people did, the more they improved significantly on happiness and life satisfaction. The new and potentially important finding is that depressive symptoms decreased. By writing these letters – 15 to 20 minutes each, once a week for three weeks to different people – well-being increased significantly.”

To read the entire article, click here.

British Children's Author Roald Dahl Celebrated with New Stamps

2012-01-10T00:01:00.000-08:00

A set of Royal Mail stamps celebrating the work of children's author, Roald Dahl, is being released today.

Dahl, who died in 1990, was published in almost 50 languages, and his books have sold over 50 million copies in the UK alone according to Britain's Guardian.

The Daily Mail reports Dahl, who was a fighter Ace in World War II, also wrote the screenplays for Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and the Bond movie You Only Live Twice. He and American actress Patricia Neal were married for 30 years and had five children.

Dahl's daughter, Ophelia Dahl, is quoted as saying her father would have been "thrilled" about the stamps. "My dad wrote thousands of letters home throughout his life and never dreamed that one day one of his own characters would grace a stamp," she said.

Reporter Alison Flood mentions that Quentin Blake's illustrations of The Twits, Matilda and Fantastic Mr. Fox appear on the new stamps which are shown above.

According to a Wikipedia entry, Blake has participated in the writing and/or illustrating of 323 books (of which he wrote 35 himself, and 18 were by Dahl).

For more on Quentin Blake, click here.

For more on Roald Dahl, click here.

Danny Thomas Stamp Announced

2012-01-09T00:01:00.000-08:00

USA Today reports, "Danny Thomas, the versatile entertainer who spent seven decades on radio, TV and film, will make a posthumous appearance on a "forever" postage stamp in honor of the 50th anniversary of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, which he founded in 1962."

Reporter Donna Leinwand Leger pens, "The U.S. Postal Service unveiled the stamp Saturday night in Los Angeles at a star-studded gala for St. Jude to celebrate what would have been Thomas' 100th birthday. The party, hosted by his son-in-law Phil Donahue, included performances by Tony Bennett and Ray Romano."

As shown above, Thomas is shown in the foreground of the stamp wearing a lapel pin representing the St. Jude Police League, which supports Chicago police officers. The hospital is in the background. Thomas and his wife are buried on the hospital grounds.

The stamp goes on sale Feb. 16 and costs 45 cents, the new first-class rate.

The Secret Language of Stamps.

2012-01-08T00:01:00.000-08:00

Round-Up reader and friend Larry T. Nix sends along an interesting piece about postcards and the "language of stamps."

The article says, "On philatelic and auction sites you sometimes find postcards which illustrate with small pictures, similar to naval flag signals, what it means if the stamp was stuck in this or that position on the card. The custom is probably as old as the greeting card itself, which started its world conquering tour from the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy in 1869."

It goes on to say, "The new fashion spread rapidly, and after the turn of the century the rules of the language of stamps received their particular chapter in the etiquette books along with the languages of flowers, handkerchiefs and fans. Moreover, in many countries the acquisition of this language was assisted by particular manuals, such as George Bury’s Cupid’s code for the transmission of secret messages by means of the language of postage stamps (Ashford, Middlesex, 1899)..."

Besides the usual "I love you" and "I miss you," the positioning of the stamp sometimes"conveyed more subtle messages, from hesitation through desire to rejection, and even specific instructions such as 'tomorrow at the usual place!' or “he has discovered everything!”

To learn more, click here.

Mailboxes I Like To See

2012-01-07T00:01:00.000-08:00

Facebook friend Adriana Hangai posts this picture of a mailbox she saw at the Ueno zoo in downtown Tokyo.

Established in 1882, Ueno Zoo is the oldest zoo in Japan.

For more interesting mailboxes, click here.

'Support Our Soldiers' Appeal Gets Surprise Stamp Donation

2012-01-06T00:01:00.000-08:00

Britain's Leicester Mercury reports, "A Leicester girl collecting stamps for a military charity was stunned when a donor brought her more than one million. Alex Windram, 10, was amazed to be given 24 bags of used stamps for her Support Our Soldiers appeal."

Alex (shown above) is quoted as saying, "I couldn't believe it when I saw how many there were. There were massive Royal Mail sacks everywhere which were full of stamps. It's the biggest collection I've ever seen and I would like to thank Mrs. Brown so much. I really can't believe how many stamps she has given us."

According to the article, "Due to the predicted age of some of the stamps Amy is set to donate from Dr Beeby's collection, their sale could fetch £1,000...The stamp appeal is one of several aiding Support Our Soldiers, which helps members of the British armed forces serving overseas and their families...The funds raised will help fill parcels of shower gels, sweets, biscuits and other items for soldiers."

To read the entire article, click here.

Chinese Dragon Stamp Accused of 'Scaring' the World

2012-01-05T00:01:00.000-08:00

U.K's Telegraph reports, "Chinese have reacted angrily to a special edition stamp to celebrate the Year of the Dragon that depicts the iconic creature as a fearsome creature."

According to Peter Simpson in Beijing, "Scores of collectors and social commentators have complained about the ferocious-looking 2012 dragon. Some have sarcastically claimed it should be adopted as the motto of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, which has recently been accused of bullying China's neighbours and unnerving the wider international community."

He goes on to say, "Officials from China Post and the artist commissioned to design the stamp, Chen Shaohua, rebuffed the criticism, telling the state media the threatening, attacking pose of the mythical dragon should be interpreted as China's new found confidence."

The president of the Chinese Philatelic Research Society, Zhou Zhihua, is quoted as saying the Chinese are used to seeing "milder animals" on their annual New Zodiac Year postage stamps.

"However, sellers at a philatelic market in Beijing were reporting bumper pre-sale orders, with eager collectors paying up to £18 for a commemorative pack of the 12 penny stamps which go on sale on Thursday," writes Simpson.

To read the entire article, click here.

Lindsay Lohan a Stamp Collector? Huh?

2012-01-04T00:01:00.000-08:00

Timothy Mangan of California's Orange County Register reports, "Catching up on her sorely neglected stamp collection on a quiet Sunday evening in her Venice Beach flat, Lindsay Lohan was suddenly aroused from her philatelic ruminations by a knock on the front door."

Lindsay Lohan - a stamp collector? Tramp stamps, maybe, but not postage stamps.

To read the entire article, click here.

The Kimmswick Post Office Restoration Project

2012-01-03T00:01:00.000-08:00

Round Up reader Michael Erbschloe writes to say, "I work for the the City of Kimmswick, Missouri as the volunteer director of Economic Development. Kimmswick was founded in 1859 and now has a population of 152 people. Among our most treasured assets is a really old Post Office. I have been raising funds through various means to help restore the building."

He goes on to say, "Last summer at our annual Strawberry Festival we had a commemorative pictorial cancellation stamp provided by the USPS. In the fall we had a junk sale and for Christmas a raffle. I am considering starting a canceled postage stamp drive and working that into this year's Strawberry Festival as well.

"I need some advice.What if I did collect bunches, thousands, or even millions of stamps?Then what, sort them by groups, sell them by the pound on eBay? Any insights would be appreciated."

Mike would really appreciate any thoughts or ideas Round Up readers might have on this and any other fundraising suggestions. He can be reached at michaelerbschloe@att.net.

Shown above, the Kimmswick Post Office.

For more on the town of Kimmswick, Missouri and the Kimmswick Post Office Restoration Project, click here .

Greeting Cards Evoke Memories of a Bygone Era

2012-01-02T00:01:00.000-08:00

The Times of India reports with a new generation is totally dependent on e-cards and SMS greetings, the sale of greeting cards has hit an all-time low during this past holiday season.

However, N. Hariharan, a popular postmaster who retired in 1992, has a rare collection of paper greeting cards which evoke memories of a bygone era in which people lined up before post offices to buy stamps and covers to send their greetings.

According to the piece, Hariharan, who is also a stamp collector, is "one of the few people who still delights in writing letters and sending greeting cards."

He's quoted as saying, "There is nothing to beat the feel of seeing a letter written by hand. You feel the person is talking to you in person. That is why we like to preserve letters and read them again and again. Even if I get messages and e-mails, I usually send greeting cards and letters. Many call me to tell me how much they appreciate my gesture."

To read the entire article, click here.

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T00:01:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year to all our readers! Here's wishing you the best in 2012!

Shown above, New Year stamps from Thailand that uses a "glitter ink" technique which makes the fireworks sparkle.

Available for purchase on eBay by clicking here.

Using Stamps

2011-12-31T00:01:00.000-08:00

In a letter to the editor of the Topeka, Kansas, Capital-Journal, eighty-year-old Vera Casner writes, "I hear so much about the post office going broke. I remember the mail carrier rode the bus in our area twice a day in the 1950s. He carried a big leather pouch and would deliver the mail then get back on the bus to go to the post office and return in the afternoon with more mail. At Christmas time, he delivered on Sunday, too. No one talked about how much stamps cost. They were happy to hear from loved ones in service. No one complained."

She went on to say, "When my 3 1/2-year-old daughter was dying of cancer, the mailman rang the doorbell every day to see how she was. When she passed away, he was at the funeral. I guess it’s OK to push a button and send an email, but I was happy to put a stamp on a pretty card and help some man or woman with their job."

To read the entire letter, click here.

Stamp Sparks Love Affair

2011-12-30T00:01:00.000-08:00

Canada's Toronto Star reports, "Eugenia Yuen Chi got married thanks to a postage stamp.The stamp was from Indonesia, and it belonged to a gentleman by the name of Boen Tie Khouw, who was not interested in stamps. He was interested in Eugenia Yuen Chi."

According to the article by Oakland Ross,"She was Chinese, from Hong Kong, and had something of a philatelic bent. He was Chinese, from Indonesia, and was in possession of various Indonesian stamps. It was the early 1960s, and both happened to be studying at the University of Windsor. A friend told Boen Tie to attract the girl’s attention by giving her a stamp, wise advice that eventually blossomed into 43 years of marriage and two daughters."

To read the entire article, click here.

Counterfeit Dutch Stamps Discovered

2011-12-29T00:01:00.000-08:00

The Post and Parcel website reports, "Dutch postal service PostNL has tipped off police to a series of websites selling counterfeit postage stamps.The company said the fake stamps were being sold well under face value, estimating that the damage from these websites alone could run into several million euros."

According to the article, "To the untrained eye, the stamps being sold appear genuine, but they are printed on blank sticker sheets and so lack the proper PostNL authenticity features, such as phosphor tagging.
PostNL said it has been encountering the fakes mainly on registered letters and parcels, on both domestic and international mail."

PostNL commercial director, Ger Jacobs, is quoted as saying, "At first sight, these stamps are almost indistinguishable from real stamps issued by PostNL. So I’m glad to see that our security system was able to identify these counterfeit stamps and that we were able to stop shipment of the mail items concerned.”

To read the entire article, click here.

'Star Trek' Mailbox Goes Boldly Where No Mailbox Has Gone Before

2011-12-28T00:01:00.000-08:00

CNET's Amanda Kooser ponders whether letters will get delivered at warp speed if they are sent via a Star Trek inspired mailbox aptly named NCC-USPS.

As seen here, the fancy mail box in an unidentified galaxy is a favorite with Trekies throughout the Federation. While not entirely logical, Spock would not approve of the design which consists of a standard mailbox with an original-style Enterprise docked above it.

Kooser says, "The solar-powered creation lights up a night to help guide postal deliveries at late hours. It may also function as a beacon for the next time the Enterprise crew ends up back in time on Earth to save the whales."

To read the entire article, click here.

P.S. Want to send your favorite Star Trek movie or TV star a letter or card, click here for their addresses.

Letters Are Special

2011-12-27T00:01:00.000-08:00

Roger Angell writes in The New Yorker, "Christmas has flown, and mail at home this week will produce shiny bargain-sale notices, some bills and invitations, an early thank-you note for a gift, and a late Christmas card or two, but perhaps not an actual letter. There’s nothing new about this, but a bit of sadness, a pang, has remained since the Postal Service announced, last month, that it will soon drop any promises of next-day delivery for first-class letters."

Angell says, "Letters aren’t exactly going away. Condolence letters can’t be sent out from our laptops, and maybe not love letters, either, because e-mail is so leaky. Secrets—an expected baby, a lowdown joke, a killer piece of gossip—require a stamp and a sealed flap, and perhaps apologies do as well ('I don’t know what came over me'). Not much else."

He goes on to say, "Losing the mixed pleasures of just arrived letters may not mean as much in the end as what we’re missing by not writing them. Writing regularly to several people—a parent, a friend who’s moved to another coast, a daughter or son away at college—requires one to keep separate mental ledgers, storing up the weather or the idle thoughts or the disasters we need to pass on. We’re always getting ready to write. The letters out and back become a correspondence, and mysteriously take on a tone of their own: some rambly and comfortably boring; others cool and funny; some financial; some confessional. They stick in the mind and seem worth the trouble."

To read his entire commentary, click here.

OSU's Postal Plaza to Become an Art Gallery

2011-12-26T00:01:00.000-08:00

The Oklahoman's website NewsOK reports, "Oklahoma State University is renovating a downtown building called Postal Plaza with plans to turn it into a gallery to house the university's art collection. University officials hope to have the project completed by spring 2013."

Article to the article by reporter Silas Allen, "Postal Plaza dates back to the 1930s, and, as the name might suggest, it originally served as a post office. In more recent years, the building has been renovated to be used for offices. At the moment, crews are tearing out the insides of the building, he said, which left a larger, open space that is better-suited for an art gallery."

University officials chose Postal Plaza because of its historical nature and interesting architecture according to another article posted online. Because the building is also in a central location it should make it easier for students and the public to visit.

To learn more, click here.

What WasThe First Christmas Stamp?

2011-12-25T00:01:00.000-08:00

According to Wikipedia, "It is a matter of some debate as to which is the first Christmas stamp. The Canadian map stamp of 1898 [shown here] bears an inscription "XMAS 1898", but it was actually issued to mark the inauguration of the Imperial Penny Postage rate. The Christmas connection has long been reported to have been the result of quick thinking; William Mulock was proposing that it be issued on 9 November, to "honor the Prince" (meaning the Prince of Wales), but when Queen Victoria asked "what Prince?" in a displeased manner, Mulock realized the danger, and answered "Why, the Prince of Peace, ma'am".

The entry goes on to say, "In 1937, Austria issued two 'Christmas greeting stamps' featuring a rose and zodiac signs. In 1939, Brazil issued four semi-postal stamps with designs featuring the three kings and a star, an angel and child, the Southern Cross and a child, and a mother and child. In 1941 Hungary also issued a semi-postal whose additional fees were to pay for "soldiers' Christmas". The first stamps to depict the Nativity were the Hungary issue of 1943. These were all one-time issues, more like commemorative stamps than regular issues.

"The next Christmas stamps did not appear until 1951, when Cuba issued designs with poinsettias and bells, followed by Haiti (1954), Luxembourg and Spain (1955), then Australia, Korea, and Liechtenstein (1957). In cases such as Australia, the issuance marked the first of what became an annual tradition. Many more nations took up the practice during the 1960s.

"By the 1990s, approximately 160 postal administrations were issuing Christmas stamps, mostly on an annual basis. Islamic countries constitute the largest group of non-participants, although the Palestinian Authority has issued Christmas stamps since 1995."

For more on Christmas stamps, click here.

Christmas Seals

2011-12-24T00:01:00.000-08:00

Dr. Claire Panosian Dunavan writes on the Pasadena Star-News website. "Jolly snowmen with carrot-noses. Starry nights, smiling Saint Nicks. Apple-cheeked carolers. These and other postage-sized images bring back memories. In the 1950s and 1960s, Christmas seals decorated every winter card and package - or so it seems to this middle-aged reminiscer. Today, however, few folks know how Christmas seals started. In 1903, a Danish postal clerk named Einar Holboll conceived of the charitable stamp as a way to raise money for tuberculosis patients, especially children. "

In the article, Dr. Dunavan goes on to say, "Within a few years, Christmas seals spread to the U.S. After all, TB was rampant here, too. During the 19th century, some experts estimate the "white plague" killed 25 percent of young adults in our country. Back then, we had no effective drugs - just healthy food, fresh air, and - oh, yes - an extra ingredient called hope."

Shown above, 1924 poster promoting the use of Christmas seals.

For more on Christmas seals, click here.

The Philatelic Sherlock Holmes

2011-12-23T00:01:00.000-08:00

This past week the new film Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows starring Robert Downey, Jr. and Jude Law was released.

The Detective Fiction on Stamps website says Sherlock Holmes is a popular topic on stamps. In fact, they proclaim him "the champion," with a page of his own.

According to the site, "Over a dozen countries have produced Sherlock Holmes-related postal offerings, beginning in 1972 with Nicaragua's 50th Anniversary of Interpol issue,'The Twelve Most Famous Fictional Detectives,' in which Holmes was on the high value, and continuing through the 2009 Monaco issue commemorating the 150th anniversary of the birth of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle."

Shown above, 2009 release from Alderney (Guernsey) marking the 150th anniversary of Holmes creator, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

To see more stamps featuring the crime solver extraordinaire, click here.

In a Post-Postal World

2011-12-22T00:01:00.000-08:00

Monica Hesse writes in the Washington Post, "Christmas at the post office. Possibly the one time of year when everybody still makes a pilgrimage here. Over a lunch hour at this Bethesda location, the people in line at the post office stand as if they have forgotten how to be in line at the post office, as if 364 days of e-cards have left them incapable of operating ballpoint pens or responding to the orders of the middle-aged ladies who preside over their stations with an attitude best described as Stop-Your-Foolishness."

Washington based Deputy Postmaster General Ron Stroman is quoted in the piece as saying he wants to expand the Postal Service’s digital offerings and move away from the idea of post offices as brick-and-mortar buildings, "but the post office is forever imprisoned by its own wistful reputation."

She goes on to say, "Earlier this year, the Postal Service announced that it hoped to close up to 3700 facilities across the country by 2015, part of an effort to cut $20 billion. Suddenly, people were outraged, campaigning to save the buildings they rarely visit for a service they are using less and less. They started e-mail campaigns. Some of them noted the irony of saving the post office with e-mail campaigns. Then, last week, the 3,700 facilities were granted a moratorium , saved from shutdown at least until the spring. A Christmas miracle."

In the article she also mentions graduate student Evan Kalish whom she says has become the "philatelic poster child (stamp child?)" for post office awareness. On his website , Going Postal, Kalish has photos of some 2,700 post offices, "shooting everything he sees on the way: pickups, antelope, clapboard, flagpoles, Ameri-kitsch Americana."

Shown above, employees at the Curseen-Morris Mail Processing and Distribution Center in Northeast Washington.

To read the entire piece, click here.

Slower Mail Delivery Nothing New

2011-12-21T00:01:00.000-08:00

Syndicated columnist James Bovard writes in the Los Angeles Times and other papers around the country, "When people bought 'forever" stamps', they didn't realize that the name referred to the delivery time, not stamp prices."

In an op-ed piece U.S. Mail: Slow and Slower, Bovard claims the Postal Service has been intentionally slowing down first-class mail for almost 50 years.

He writes, "The U.S. Postal Service announced plans this month to phase out overnight delivery of first-class mail. Postal officials are portraying the decision as a painful but necessary budget-induced departure from a long history of exemplary service. In reality, the Postal Service has been intentionally slowing down first-class mail for almost 50 years. It's time to end the post office's monopoly on letter delivery."

Bovard points out, "In 1960, the post office's annual report announced 'the ultimate objective of next-day delivery of first-class mail anywhere in the United States.' But official standards for overnight delivery were lowered later that decade, trimming the target zone from statewide to areas conveniently covered by mail-sorting centers. At a high-level meeting in 1969, postal management decided 'to no longer strive for overnight mail delivery and to keep this a secret from Congress and the public,' the Washington Post reported in 1974. Management also considered cutting costs by educating Americans not to expect prompt service, according to the Post."

He goes on to say, "Back in 1764, colonial Postmaster General Benjamin Franklin — yes, that Benjamin Franklin — proclaimed a goal of two-day mail delivery between New York and Philadelphia. In 1989, the Postal Service's goal was two-day delivery from New York City to next-door Westchester County, N.Y. Under the new standards, the target for overnight first-class delivery was reduced from a 100-to-150-mile radius to often less than 50 miles. The Postal Service estimated that the changes could add 10% to the average delivery time for first-class mail, which was already 22% slower than it had been in 1969."

To read the entire column, click here.

Rural Postal Carrier’s Christmas Postcard, 1915

2011-12-20T00:01:00.000-08:00

Jessica Sadeq, public affairs specialist at the Smithsonian Institution, sends Round-Up readers a holiday greeting along with this little item...

"On Dec. 21, 1915, Rural Free Delivery letter carrier, John S. Mac Ilroy, sent this Christmas postcard to William Taylor, a patron on his Pittstown, N.J., route. The back of the postcard has a printed five-stanza poem titled 'If' that includes the verse, 'when packages due don't come on time / And those who are sending don't raise their sign / it sure would save anxiety / if I knew you and you knew me.'

According to Jessica, "Many rural letter carriers left holiday postcards for their patrons, though few went as far as Mac Ilroy in creating specialty cards such as this one. Fortunately for Mac Ilroy, he remembered to place a stamp on this postcard. Carriers who simply placed postcards in their patrons' mailboxes without stamps were subject to disciplinary measures for misuse of the mailbox."

This item is one of 137 million artifacts, works of art and specimens in the Smithsonian’s collection. It is on display at the Smithsonian’s National Postal Museum.

To view the Smithsonian's interesting exhibit about rural mail delivery in America, "Bringing the World Home," click here.

It's Always Christmas in Santa Claus, Georgia!

2011-12-19T00:01:00.000-08:00

For more on this story, click here.

China - Denmark Joint Issue

2011-12-18T00:01:00.000-08:00

China Daily reports, "A two-year collaboration between the Danish and Chinese postal systems bore fruit last weekend, when a pair of intaglio-engraved stamps was officially issued in Nanjing."

According to the article by Mike Peters, "Engraving stamps from steel plates is a fading art, as cheaper offset printing and digital ways to deliver postage and mail dominate the market. But engraved stamps represent a great tradition of fine design and craftsmanship, says Lene Reipuert, the head of stamp production for Denmark Post. She and Martin Pingel, the Danish agency's design chief, were in China last week for the Nanjing ceremony."

Peters goes on to pen, "The two stamps represent centuries-old inventions astronomers used to survey the night skies. The 'abridged armilla' from Ming-dynasty China and the 'great equatorial armillary sphere' of 16th-century Denmark are etched in fine detail on the newly minted Chinese stamps, valued at 1.20 yuan, and two 6-kroner stamps that will be issued in Denmark on Jan 4."

"China Post turned to Denmark for help after stamp engravers there won an international prize for a series of Hans Christian Andersen stamps," Peters points out.

"Stories by that Danish writer are very popular in China, and the culmination of the program will be a series of four Danish stamps honoring Andersen designed in China, which will be issued in Copenhagen next June."

For more on this story, click here.

On the Trail of Snail Mail: A First-Class Letter’s Trip

2011-12-17T00:01:00.000-08:00

AnnMarie Costella, assistant editor of the Queens Chronicle in New York traces the route of a first-class letter from sender to receiver.

Costella pens, "Whether it’s a bill payment, greeting card or correspondence to a friend or relative, few people give much thought to what happens once they drop a letter in a mailbox, provided it meets its destination in a timely manner."

She points out, "Presently, first-class mail is processed between midnight and 6 a.m. to allow for delivery on the next business day. But under the Postal Service’s proposal, which could be implemented next May, processing would be done from midnight to noon the next day, extending the delivery time to two to three days."

Stephen Larkin, executive vice president of the Flushing branch of the American Postal Workers Union is quoted as calling the new plan “self-destructive,” and " believes the two- to three-day anticipated delivery time is unrealistic given the logistics of the route, and expects the time of arrival for first-class mail to be closer to four to six days."

Costella concludes, "In comparison, if one were to drive the letter directly from Flushing to Jamaica, a distance of about six miles, it would take approximately 12 minutes, provided there is no traffic."

To read the entire article, click here.

2011 Top Stamp Picks

2011-12-16T00:01:00.001-08:00

USPS's Beyond The Perf has announced this year's top five favorite stamps.

Chosen from an informal poll of more than 1,000 people, here are the results....

#1 Owney the Postal Dog
#2 Civil War
#3 Edward Hopper
#4 Garden of Love
#5 U.S. Merchant Marine

To view some of the comments from poll participants regarding these and other stamps, click here.

Five-Month Moratorium on Post Office Closures Announced

2011-12-15T00:01:00.000-08:00

Bloomberg Business Week is reporting, "The U.S. Postal Service is imposing a five-month moratorium on closing facilities, meaning five Alaska post offices are safe -- for now."

Agency spokesman Ernie Swanson is quoted as saying that the waiting period, set to end in May, will give Congress time to act on "relief" for the agency. A bill aimed at overhauling the cash-strapped postal service is pending in the Senate writes reporter Becky Bohrer.

According to Bohrer, "In July, the postal service said it would study more than 3,600 offices for possible closure, including 36 in Alaska. Under pressure from the state's congressional delegation, it eventually removed all but five Alaska offices from consideration, since they generally were in remote communities not connected to a road system."

For more on this story, click here.

Cover Reveals Names of China’s Space Pilots

2011-12-14T00:01:00.000-08:00

According to CollectSPACE News, two space experts recently discovered a philatelic cover [shown here] from 2010 that they believe was signed by seven Chinese space pilots. Until the discovery of this envelope, the names of China’s space pilots were kept secret.

Lisa, today's Round-Up guest blogger, writes, "Remarkably, the cover is signed by two female space pilots, Wang Yaping and Liu Yang. Space experts speculate that one of those women will be the first Chinese woman to go into space. Though it was already believed that Wang Yaping was one of the female space pilots, Liu Yang was a surprise."

Lisa points out "Space experts found the philatelic cover for sale on a German stamp collector’s online shop. Details about the German collector’s identity and how he obtained this signed envelope are still unknown. The philatelic cover was postmarked on May 10, 2010, the same day China officially chose its seven new space pilots. "

She goes on to say, "This discovery is of great interest to space observers. However, it also provides important insight into why stamp collectors, are so fascinated by stamps and philatelic covers. Stamps and philatelic covers are a big part of our history as people. They are tools we use to help us communicate with each other, and sometimes they even help us communicate messages that make history."

For more on this story, click here.

[Editor's Note: Lisa is a guest post writer from the Blog Content Guild. She writes about stamp collecting, recreation, and the Brooklyn storage industry.]

“Mail Call” - New Exhibit at National Postal Museum

2011-12-13T00:01:00.000-08:00

Last month, The Smithsonian’s National Postal Museum opened “Mail Call,” its new permanent exhibit, exploring the history of America’s military postal system.

According to the Postal Museum Website, "Visitors can discover how military mail communication has changed throughout history, learn about the armed forces postal system from the American Revolution to the present day and experience military mail through exciting artifacts and letters. The exhibit offers an appreciation of the importance of military mail and the hard work that has gone into connecting service men and women to their government, community and loved ones at home."

It goes on to say, "The exhibit features a number of interesting artifacts that bring to life the story of military mail. Highlights include a camouflaged bag used to drop letters from helicopters during the Vietnam War and a postal handstamp recovered from the USS Oklahoma, which was sunk in the bombings at Pearl Harbor in 1941. In addition to letters and official correspondence on display, the accompanying film Missing You: Letters from Wartime, provides visitors access to the dramatic firsthand records and heartfelt sentiments exchanged between writers on the frontline and the home front. The exhibit also explores how the military postal system works today and describes the new ways the men and women of the armed forces are communicating with home."

Shown above, March 1919 postcard sent from France which is part of the exhibit.

Click here to learn more.

2012 Stamp Preview

2011-12-12T00:01:00.000-08:00

Want a sneak peek at what 2012 will bring in the way of new U.S. postage stamps? Click here.

Last Christmas for Bethlehem Post Office?

2011-12-11T08:45:00.000-08:00

The Associated Press reports, "The Bethlehem [Indiana] post office is one of more than half a dozen with winter-themed names that are on a list of about 3,700 post offices nationwide the U.S. Postal Service has proposed shuttering to help slash costs. The postmarks from Snow, Okla., Antler, N.D., and Chestnut, Ill., might also fade away."

According to the article, "There are other places that will still offer a holiday postmark. North Pole postmarks will still be available in Alaska and New York. Six other states have a Bethlehem. But the proposed closures mean that it could be the last time these rural outposts get to take pride in the purpose their postmark brings each holiday."

It goes on to say, "Bethlehem’s heyday as a bustling 19th century river town is far behind it. There’s not much left beyond a few dozen homes for the 100 or so residents, a church, an old schoolhouse and a view of the Ohio River’s swirling waters framed by bluffs in adjacent Kentucky. Its first post office opened in March 1816, and has moved several times over the past two centuries, now housed in a modular trailer.

"During the year, the office handles only about 120 pieces of mail each week. But come the six-week Christmas card crush, it surges to about 16,000 overall. Much of that mail arrives in packages filled with bundles of letters, postage already affixed, from as far away as Germany, France and Great Britain. Other cards are delivered in person to the postmaster, often from people whose families have sent cards with the postmark for years."

Shown above, postmark cachet depicting the three wise men following the Star of Bethlehem on a letter stamped at the Bethlehem, Ind., post office.

To read the entire article, click here.

Everything You Wanted to Know About Self Adhesives

2011-12-10T00:01:00.000-08:00

Well known philatelist Ken Lawrence posts on the Abbey Newsletter webpage, "When pressure-sensitive adhesive made its first appearance on postage stamps in the 1960s, most stamp collectors regarded it as a gimmick. These stamps represented a radical departure from traditional lick-and-stick stamps that had employed water-activated adhesive since 1840."

He goes on to say, "The United States was not the first country to put pressure-sensitive gum on stamps. For the first three countries to issue self-stick stamps—Sierra Leone in 1964, Tonga in 1969, and Bhutan in 1969—an alternative to water-activated gum was practical. All three countries have humid climates, in which old style gum has a tendency to get messy when days and nights are damp for extended periods of time."

According to Lawrence, "In 1996, a U.S. Postal Service authority was quoted as having predicted that the adhesive on self-stick stamps "is likely to turn to powder as it ages," perhaps in 80 to 150 years. Interviewed for this report, the official stated he had been misquoted, and had merely speculated that this transformation might occur, but that no tests had verified it."

Shown above, first U.S. self adhesive postage stamp issued in 1974.

To read the entire report, click here.

To learn how to remove self adhesives from paper, click here.

Ambassadors of Beauty

2011-12-09T00:01:00.000-08:00

Father Raymond J. De Souza of the Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Immaculate Conception in Kingston, Ontario writes on the National Post website,"The beauty of our cathedral will be shared with Canadians far and wide this year, albeit unwittingly for most. Canada Post's Christmas stamps for 2011 feature the magnificent stained glass windows of our cathedral. The designer, Andrew Perro, did a brilliant job of rendering the rich colour and detailed complexity of the enormous windows into the tiny format of the postage stamp. I offer the Mass amidst those windows every Sunday evening, so I am delighted that Canadians - and those around the world who receive mail from them - will get a glimpse of that beauty."

He goes on to say,"The use of stained glass images, a first for Canada Post, was inspired. For in the field of sacred art, stained glass has a particular place. It is art permanently for the people; stained glass windows cannot be put in museums or galleries. They adorn churches, sacred spaces to be sure, but also public places open to all. "

Father De Souza points out that stained glass is also an "apt metaphor for reality of the Church," quoting Pope Benedict as saying "From the outside, those windows are dark, heavy, even dreary. But once one enters the church, they suddenly come alive; reflecting the light passing through them, they reveal all their splendour."

To read the entire article, click here.

For more on this story, click here.

"Post Office" - The Play

2011-12-08T00:01:00.000-08:00

Show Business Weekly reports a new play by David Jenkins "might just help to give new focus to the ailing U.S. Postal Service!"

According to a write-up on its website, "In the playwright’s world premiere Post Office a 19-year-old mail carrier receives advice and mentorship from an aging postal worker who is intent on telling the younger man everything he knows."

Reporter John Rowel goes on say, "Meanwhile, the 19-year-old embarks on an affair with a disillusioned housewife, who imparts lessons of a radically different stripe. Jenkins’s play considers what the decline of the U.S. Mail means for three residents of a small town, each of them linked by the mail system. It’s a timely look at the state of the American dream and the decline of an American institution."

Performances take place at the New Ohio Theatre in a production directed by Josie Whittlesey, and featuring David Gelles, Anney Giobbe and Eric Hoffmann.

For more information, click here.

A Date To Remember

2011-12-07T00:01:00.000-08:00

This month's American Philatelist magazine remembers the attack on Pearl Harbor with several interesting features and articles.

One of those articles is by Lawrence Sherman who writes about a variety of patriotic covers that were prepared on December 7, 1941.

Sherman pens, "Seventy years ago America was stunned, grieving, and angry. The Pearl Harbor attack on December 7, 1941 killed more than 2,400 men, crippled the United States Pacific Fleet, and opened the way for Japanese conquests ranging to the borders of India, the Aleutian Islands, and the threshold of Australia. The spur of the attack never lost its sharp edge throughout the nearly four years of war that followed the date that has indeed lived on in infamy. This was reflected in the large number of illustrated envelopes that commemorated the event and memorialized those who had died. In the last weeks of 1941 U.S. event covers served as snapshots of the suddenly changed war picture."

He goes on to say, "A few covers were legitimately canceled on the day of the attack. However, it was a Sunday, post offices were closed to patrons, and there was little opportunity to have envelopes properly postmarked.

"A few enterprising individuals responded immediately to the challenge. One was William J. Batura of Brooklyn, New York, who had been tracking wartime events during the time of U.S. neutrality. Batura prepared a cover containing a printed special delivery cachet, franked the mail with a blue 16-cent air mail special delivery stamp of 1934 (Scott CE1), and sent the envelope“Via Air Mail / Special Delivery” to himself. He succeeded in having it machinecanceled in Washington, DC, the evening of December 7. Receiving marks on the back indicate the envelope arrived at the Ridgewood Station, Brooklyn, at 10 the next morning. Presumably, Batura added his hand-lettered announcement of the Pearl Harbor attack once the speedy missive was delivered."

To read the entire piece, click here.

Add a Fun Santa Postage Stamp to Your Holiday Mail

2011-12-06T00:01:00.000-08:00

Lisadh writes on the Happy Snowman page on Squidoo, "If you're looking for a way to make your Christmas cards or letters a little jollier or to make your kids Santa letters more convincing, Santa postage stamps might be what you're looking for. These days, you can find thousands of great, original designs on genuine US postage. From funny Santa cartoons to vintage art, holiday postage stamps are available in designs to please virtually everyone."

She goes on to present sampling of some of the Zazzle.com labels available online.

[Editor's Note: Just think how more effective this great idea would be by using with any number of postage stamps depicting Santa issued by the United States or even other countries (think Christmas Island). These are readily available at many stamp shows and are sold on-line at eBay or by individual dealers.]

Letters To Santa Program

2011-12-05T00:01:00.000-08:00

Rehobeth Beach, Delaware Postmaster Rick DeWitt (shown here) has volunteered to take on the additional duty this holiday season of being one of Santa's letter writers as part of the national "Letters to Santa" program

According to an article that appears on the DelMarVaNow.com website, in 1912, Postmaster General Frank Hitchcock authorized local postmasters to allow postal employees and citizens to respond to letters addressed to Santa.

In 1940, mail volume for Santa increased so much the Postal Service invited charitable organizations and corporations to participate and provide written responses to the letters and small gifts to the children who wrote them.

According to the U.S.P.S., post offices around the country let charitable organizations, major corporations, local businesses and individuals adopt letters to Santa.

When asked how many letters to Santa the Post Office receives each year, Freda Sauter, a Postal Service spokeswoman in Baltimore is quoted as saying, "It's difficult to know an exact figure, because some offices may participate one year and not the other. Nationwide, we believe it's easily in the millions (of letters.) You do not have to be a postal worker to respond to letters."

To read the entire article, click here.

For a list of particpating post offices, click here.

Next Day Mail Delivery to Be a Thing of The Past?

2011-12-04T00:01:00.000-08:00

Fox news is reporting, "The Postal Service on Monday plans to formally propose eliminating overnight standards for first-class mail, as it makes sweeping changes in a bid to avoid insolvency."

Sue Brennan, Postal Service spokeswoman, confirmed to Fox News that the service is moving forward with the overnight standard change. If approved, it means first-class mail would generally take more than a day to reach its destination.

Brennan explained that the Postal Service needs to overhaul service standards as it closes hundreds of processing facilities. U.S.P.S. announced in September it would look at closing 252 more facilities, aimed at saving up to $3 billion -- after closing nearly 190 over the past five years.

According to the report, the Post Office is looking at losing up to 35,000 positions as well, and ending Saturday delivery.

Shown above, Scott # 1496, First Day Cover from 1973.

To read the entire story, click here.

USPS Thinking About Going to the Cloud

2011-12-03T00:01:00.000-08:00

According to a report on Ed O'Keefe's Federal Eye website, " The U.S. Postal Service is thinking about going to the cloud. The cash-strapped agency recently proposed a new online mailbox system that could receive and store official documents like bills, legal correspondence and health records."

Reporter Alicia Mazzara and GovLoop pens, "The Postal Service has been struggling as mail volume has dropped over the years. Several other countries already offer an electronic mailbox system. While it’s clear that the USPS needs to think of ways to stay relevant in the electronic age, many public servants were skeptical about this latest eMailbox proposal."

Government workers’ concern with the eMailbox had less to do with the concept and more with the agency implementing it. “If this had been offered a few years ago I would have jumped right in,” said Kirby Coon, an employee at the Department of Agriculture. “However, the service that is received from USPS today is not something that inspires confidence they could pull this off.”

Not everyone was as pessimistic about the Postal Service’s ability to adapt. “There is no reason the USPS can’t figure out how to leverage the information age to enhance their business and services,” said Richard Rynearson, a National Parks Service employee. “The people at Google, Facebook, Yahoo and others are constantly coming up with innovative web applications. The USPS can too.”

According to an entry on Wikipedia, "Cloud computing is the delivery of computing as a service rather than a product, whereby shared resources, software, and information are provided to computers and other devices as a utility (like the electricity grid) over a network (typically the Internet)."

Shown above, 2004 Cloudscapes stamps.

To read the entire piece, click here.

New British Radio Series - The Peoples Post

2011-12-02T00:01:00.000-08:00

Hellmail Postal News reports, "Monday 5 December sees the launch of an exciting new series on BBC Radio 4. The Peoples Post is a 15 part series exploring the history of the postal service through the people that use and work for it. The series begins in the 16th century in the reign of Henry VIII and explores some of the key moments in the nearly 500 years since then. Each weekday there will be a new 15 minute episode touching on a different part of this fascinating and evolving story. The programmes are being broadcast at 1.45pm until 23 December."

According to the write-up, "The series is supported throughout by The British Postal Museum & Archive (BPMA). With each episode there will be new content loaded onto the website, Flickr and this blog, exploring some of the issues in more detail. Links to these will be provided via Facebook, Twitter and Google+. Much of the research for the series has also been drawn from the Royal Mail Archive, which is managed by the BPMA. Images and details from the BPMA's rich collections will illustrate each episode."

To learn more, click here.

Facts About the National Postal Museum

2011-12-01T00:01:00.000-08:00

The City Walking Guide website points out that "The National Postal Museum is home to over 5.9 million items. This massive collection began with just one sheet of 10-cent Confederate postage stamps that was donated to the Smithsonian in 1886."

The site goes on to say that...

• Funding for the museum comes from the US Postal Service, The Smithsonian’s annual federal appropriation and private gifts from individuals and corporations. Most of the items in the museum are donations as well, which come from individuals and foreign governments.

• The current National Postal Museum didn’t open until July 30, 1993. Before then, the contents of the museum were kept in the Smithsonian’s Arts and Industries Building from 1908 to 1963. Between 1964 and the opening of the National Postal Museum, the collection was kept in the National Museum of American History.

• The National Postal Museum is massive at 75,000 square feet with a 90 foot high atrium. 23,000 square feet of that is for exhibitions and the rest is made up of a 6,000 square foot research library, museum shop and stamp store.

• William H. Gross founder of the investment firm PIMCO and an avid stamp collector, donated $8 million to the museum in September 2009. This money was gifted to go towards expansion of the museum, which will be called the William H. Gross Gallery and is expected to open in 2013.

To learn more about the National Postal Museum, click here.

Would You Like A Trip With Your Stamps?

2011-11-30T00:01:00.000-08:00

Reporter Angela Saurine writes on the News.com.au website that Australia Post is set to open travel agencies and currency exchanges inside post offices around the country.

According to the report, "Australians will be able to buy a stamp and a trip to Bali at the same time..."

She goes on to pen, "The Brisbane GPO in Queensland became the first of hundreds of stores to open a Harvey World Travel outlet today where customers can book domestic and international flights, accommodation, cruises and tours.

"Australia Post has also launched its own travel insurance product and is partnering with American Express to offer currency exchange outlets in 200 of its post offices."

Australia Post CEO Ahmed Fahour is quoted in the piece as saying there was a boom in Australians travelling overseas thanks to the strong dollar and it was the perfect time to launch the new services, which would be a "one-stop-shop'' for travellers.

Shown above, the new travel desk at the Brisbane GPO.

To read the entire article, click here.

Grandpa's Stamp Collection

2011-11-29T00:01:00.000-08:00

Click on picture above to see a stamp collectors dream come true.

Being a Stamp Dealer Runs in The Family

2011-11-28T00:01:00.000-08:00

The San Francisco Chronicle posts a story on its about Warren Sankey (shown here) who owns and operates "the oldest independent stamp store of its type west of the Mississippi River."

Opened in 1928, United States Stamp Co. was started by his father, Frank, who bought the business in 1955 from its founder, Earl Hamilton. The younger Sankey bought the business from his dad in 1980 and has being running it ever since.

According to the article by Edward Guthmann, "There used to be a couple dozen stamp dealers in San Francisco, each with its own storefront. San Francisco was a tremendous hub for stamps. One by one, most of the dealers went the way of the Internet. Or they just do the large stamp shows."

Sankey is quoted in the piece as saying, "I'm one of the last ones left. My compelling reason for being this lone duck is my interest in dealing with people directly and having a nuts-and-bolts operation where customers can handle the merchandise - see the stamps they're buying."

He goes on to say, "I also buy a lot of stamps. People bring in childhood collections a lot, hoping they'll be able to put their kids through college by selling them. Usually, I can open up to one page and know right away that it's not worth anything. A lot of times it's a collection they might've purchased from an ad on a Wheaties box: '100 stamps for 25 cents.' And it's still worth 25 cents."

"I used to have a staff of eight, but now it's just me and my daughter, Catherine, who works three days a week," according to Sankey. "We actually have three generations, because she just had a baby. My grandson, my daughter and myself hold down the fort."

To read the entire article, click here.

"North Pole" Postmark Available

2011-11-27T00:01:00.000-08:00

The Postal Service is once again offering “North Pole” postmarks.

To receive the special holiday postmark, customers should affix the correct postage to addressed envelopes and cards; then pack them in a larger envelope, box, Priority Mail or Express Mail package and send them to:

North Pole Holiday Cancellation
Postmaster
4141 Postmark Dr.
Anchorage, AK 99530-9998

To ensure delivery by Christmas, all requests must be received in Anchorage by Dec. 10. The service is provided at no cost.

For a list of other places, Santa might mail a letter from, click here.

Scout Magazine Features Piece on Stamp Collecting

2011-11-26T00:01:00.000-08:00

The December issue of Boys' Life, the official magazine of the Boy Scouts of America, features an article about collections to include stamp collecting. As shown in the illustration above by Steve Sanford, two Scouts are seen working on their collections. One appears to be very organized, the other not so much.

The text that goes along with the article says, "The great thing about stamp collecting is that there are lots and lots of stamps to collect. The bad thing about stamp collecting is that there are lots and lots of stamps to collect."

It goes on to encourage would-be stamp collectors to collect stamps that have a similiar theme and goes on to briefly discuss topical collecting. It also discourages newcomers to the hobby to avoid trying to collect all of the stamps of a specific country.

The text indicates that trying to do so can be "an expensive, exhausting effort," and shows the disorganized Scout as if he's pulling his hair out in frustration.

The piece does make some good points about collecting in general and discusses...

1. Deciding What to Collect
2. Knowing Where to Look
3. Keeping Track of Your Collection
4. Displaying Your Collection
5. Preserving Your Collection

To visit the Boys' Life website, click here.

Father Keeps Memory of Daughter Alive Through Stamps

2011-11-25T00:01:00.000-08:00

India's IBN Live website reports, "On February 23, 1999, Dr. R. G.Sangoram lost his daughter, a fellow-philatelist. In her memory, he visits schools to educate kids about philately, thus keeping alive a hobby she was so intensely devoted to."

According to the article, Keerthi Sangoram was just 26-years- old when she died following adverse reactions to antibiotics. She left behind a remarkable stamp accompanied accompanied by handwritten explanatory notes.

Dr. Sangoram, a retired professor in chemistry, is quoted as saying,"Before I am her father, she is my Guru first. I developed an interest in philately because of her. I also learned how stamps have to be exhibited from Keerthi. I now visit schools, conduct workshops and encourage kids to take up this noble hobby."

Dr. Sangoram says philately goes beyond the mere act of collecting stamps.

"It involves collating knowledge about different countries, their history, politics and also economy. Keerthi took her stamps to 12 international exhibitions, winning silver prizes in all of them. She is probably the only Indian to have an exclusive stamp collection on Nobel laureates since 1901."

To read the entire article, click here.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T00:01:00.000-08:00

To all our readers and their families, here's wishing you a very Happy Thanksgiving!

Chinese Stamp Exhibition Attracts Huge Crowds

2011-11-23T20:48:00.000-08:00

The China Daily website reports, "The 27th Asian International Stamp Exhibition was the largest in its history, attracting philatelists from 53 countries and regions. At least 202,200 people attended during the weekend session. A total of 1,324 sets of stamps were shown for competition, and 89 additional sets were displayed, in addition to 24 sets of stamps from overseas."

Xu Jianzhou, deputy director of State Post Bureau, is quoted as saying, "Visitors were fortunate enough to get a look at the six most treasured stamps collected by China National Post and the Postage Stamp Museum, as well as stamps from Thailand's Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn."

According to the article by Shi Jing, postmarks were collected in an exhibition passport including one that featured effort a silhouette of President Obama.

Shown above, one of the rare stamps on display at the exhibition - a 1896 unsurcharged 3c Red Revenue stamp. It is thought that less than 100 of these are in existence today

To read the entire article, click here.

Eight Reasons To Collect Stamps

2011-11-23T00:01:00.000-08:00

The All Women's Talk website lists eight reasons why people (just not women) should collect stamps.

They are...

1. For the joy of collecting
2. For the price value
3. For the pride of building a comprehensive collection
4. To meet people with a common interest
5. To further an existing interest
6. To take forward something that was handed down
7. To learn and understand about different cultures
8. To have a personal passion

To read the entire piece, click here.

John F. Kennedy Remembered On Stamps

2011-11-22T00:01:00.000-08:00

Today marks the 48th anniversary of the death of President John Kennedy.

According to an entry on Wikipedia, "John Fitzgerald Kennedy, the thirty-fifth President of the United States, was assassinated at 12:30 p.m. on Friday, November 22, 1963, in Dealey Plaza, Dallas, Texas. Kennedy was fatally shot while traveling with his wife Jacqueline, Texas governor John Connally, and the latter's wife, Nellie, in a Presidential motorcade."

Since then two U.S. postage stamps have been issued in his honor. One in 1964 and one in 1967.

According to the Historical Archive website, "The first stamp [shown above] was issued on May 29, 1964. On that day, the U.S. Post Office released the five cent John F. Kennedy memorial stamp on what would have been Kennedy’s 47th birthday. The issue was designed by Raymond Loewy/William Snaith, a New York firm. It was based on an initial sketch by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing artist Robert L. Miller. His widow, Jacqueline Kennedy, was given the honor of making the final selection for the artwork from the many Postage stamp designs that were submitted."

The second stamp seen here was issued on May 29, 1967.

For a list of other Kennedy stamps from around the world, click here.

Children Create "Don't Close Our Post Office" Stamps

2011-11-21T00:01:00.000-08:00

New York's Three Village Patch Editor Christine Sampson posts the picture shown here of Sixth graders at Setauket Elementary School. According to Sampson, the students created stamps in an effort to prevent the closure of the Setauket Post Office.

"It's one of three Long Island post offices being reviewed for possible closure," writes Sampson. "The project was completed by students in Renee Cain's art class; the artwork is on display at Emma S. Clark Memorial Library and some local businesses."

For more on this story, click here.

Stamp Collecting - Down But Not Out

2011-11-20T00:01:00.000-08:00

In advance of this weekend's Chicagopex stamp show and exhibition, Chicago Tribune reporter Naomi Nix pens, "By many appearances, the more than century-old tradition of stamp collecting has lost its place among American leisure activities. Newspapers like the Chicago Tribune and the Chicago Sun-Times no longer carry weekly stamp columns. Most of the 20 or so brick-and-mortar stamp shops that populated the Loop in the decades between the 1950s and the 1980s are gone."

Nix says Berg's shop, Stamp King, is one of the last in the city to line its shelves with binders full of collectible stamps.

Nix goes on to say, "Berg took over the shop two decades ago, but said he believes it first opened about 30 or 40 years ago. Nowadays, Berg said the shop generates enough money to pay the bills, but it is not always easy."

He quotes Berg as saying, ""I have more people wanting to sell stuff then buy."

"But," Nix points out, " the growth of the Internet in recent decades has meant that collectors and dealers no longer have to depend on stamp shops, auctions or local associations to buy or learn about stamps. Blogs like The Stamp Collecting Round-Up offers hobbyists news and information about stamps, while sites like eBay, craigslist and dealers' personal websites give collectors access to thousands of stamps from vendors around the world. "

To read the entire article which also talks about why people collect, click here.

Why Aren't There More Jewish Stamps?

2011-11-19T00:01:00.000-08:00

"Ronald Scheiman, 74, of Boynton Beach, has been fighting the lonely fight for more Hanukkah stamps for nearly 20 years now," writes Frank Cerabino in a column that appears on Florida's Palm Beach Post website.

Scheiman, a former postal clerk on Long Island, got involved with his stamp suggestion efforts after the U.S. Postal Service started issuing a Chinese New Year stamp according to Cerabino.

Cerabino goes on to say, "So Scheiman lobbied for the Hanukkah stamp in 1993, and three years later the postal service issued its first one, a colorful menorah design."

Scheiman wonders why have only been four different Hanukkah stamp designs since 1996 unlike Christmas stamps which have new designs each year. He also says that they don't get the same distribution as Christmas stamps and would like to have more post offices make them available.

Scheiman has created a website, www.Hanukkahstampquest.com, in an effort "to get the United States Postal Service to issue a new and different Hanukkah stamp every year it issues a new stamp for Christmas."

On the site, Scheiman is also promoting the idea of having an American Jewish Heritage stamp and says there is a precedent for such a series of stamps citing the Black Heritage series which started in 1978.

"There are so many American Jews who could, and should, be recognized on such a series of stamps," Scheiman says, "The list includes Justices of the Supreme Court, Senators, Scientists, Patriots, etc. For a list of many of them please visit the website: www.fau.edu/library/depts/judaica9.htm. It is one of a few sites with listings of famous Jewish Americans."

The History of Mr. Zip

2011-11-18T00:01:00.000-08:00

The Smithsonian.com website reports, "One of the most important breakthroughs in modern communication lies in an overlooked place. It’s printed onto envelopes, just below the address. Although we think nothing of the ZIP Code these days, when it was rolled out in the 1960s, it was a novel and challenging concept for many Americans. And so, to help sell the ZIP Code, the Post Office Department introduced a friendly new mascot for the public campaign: the grinning, lanky Mr. Zip."

According to the article, "The National Postal Museum has now launched a new site, created by museum curator Nancy Pope and intern Abby Curtin, that celebrates the history of the ZIP Code campaign and its speedy mascot."

Pope is quoted in the piece as saying in the early 1960s growing mail volume and suburbanization had strained the mail system. The Postmaster General at the time, J. Edward Day, and others were convinced of the need to automate the sorting process. So the Post Office came up with the idea of having a unique five-digit number to each post office in the country. Sorting machinery could then use the codes to directly route mail from one city to another. The concept became known as the Zone Improvement Plan or ZIP.

To help promote the use of ZIP codes, an advertising campaign was developed around the amateurish cartoon figure known as Mr. Zip which was originally created to be used in a Chase Manhattan Bank 1950’s bank-by-mail campaign .

To read the entire History of Mr. Zip article, click here.

To visit the new Mr. Zip site, click here.

How About Just One Common Stamp and Some Mobile Post Offices?

2011-11-17T00:01:00.000-08:00

During a public hearing held by the Postal Service regarding the proposed closure of a popular post office in St. Paul, Minnesota, one resident asked, "Why don't they, instead of having all these fancy stamps, just go to one common stamp?" as a way of saving money.

According to an article by Madeleine Baran that appears on the Minnesota Public Radio website, postal employee Margaret Campbell replied, "I think the collectors would probably disagree with you on that. Stamp collecting is still one of the major hobbies in the world, and actually, stamp collectors more or less give us the money because they never use those stamps."

Baran reports, "Another woman suggested the Postal Service consider using a mobile post office, similar to a bookmobile, that could make up for the loss of a permanent station. Several Postal Service employees said they're considering that and think it's a good idea, although they cautioned that the mobile service would probably struggle to be as consistent as they would like."

To read the entire piece, click here.

Old D.C. Post Office May Become a Hotel

2011-11-16T00:01:00.000-08:00

Jonathan O'Connell of the Washington Post reports Ivanka M. Trump, the international model and television star, and Christopher J. Nassetta, the homegrown executive who now runs Hilton Worldwide, have proposed luxury hotels for the The Old Post Office Pavilion.

The Old Post Office Pavilion (also known as Old Post Office and Clock Tower) was built between 1892 and 1899 and is a few blocks away from the White House in downtown Washington, D.C.

O'Connell also says Carpenter & Co., a Boston firm which turned a 150-year-old jail in that city into the 298-room Liberty Hotel, has proposed a similar makeover for the Post Office.

A decision regarding the buidling's future which is currently owned by the Federal goverment will be reached this week.

The New York Times reported that as of 2011 that the building costs the government $6.5 million each year to operate.

To read the entire article, click here.

Christmas Island Gears Up For the Holidays

2011-11-15T00:01:00.000-08:00

The Canada News Wire reports, "Christmas Island Postmistress Hughena MacKinnon is busy gearing up her tiny post office for the anticipated influx of holiday mail set to arrive from all over the world—all in search of a very special postmark."

MacKinnon says she stamps personally on about 1,000 letters a day—2,000 on busiest days—during the peak holiday timeframe.

According to the article," For over 16 years now at this time of year, the Christmas Island post office gets almost as busy as Santa's workshop. The amount of mail received at the office jumps almost 1,000% during the holidays. The thousands of letters come from around the world from collectors and holiday enthusiasts anxious to get the official postmark from Christmas Island."

The Territory of Christmas Island is a territory of Australia in the Indian Ocean. According to an entry on Wikipedia, Captain William Mynors of the Royal Mary, a British East India Company vessel, named the island when he sailed past it on Christmas Day in 1643.

To read the entire article on the Digital Journal website, click here.

Readers' Pick: Best U.S. Stamp of 2011

2011-11-14T00:01:00.000-08:00

Beyond The Perf, a USPS publication, is asking readers to pick their favorite U.S. stamps that were issued this past year. Only one choice is accepted. Last day to vote is December 5, 2011.

To cast your vote, click here.

Budget Cuts Threaten Holiday Greeting Cards For Troops

2011-11-13T00:01:00.000-08:00

Kansas television station KAKE reports, "The librarians at McConnell Air Force Base have gathered holiday greeting cards for deployed troops for years, but this year, they were told there was no money in the budget for postage to send the cards to Afghanistan for our homesick troops to enjoy."

McConnell Air Force Base is the home of the 22nd Air Refueling Wing, the 931st Air Refueling Group and the Kansas Air National Guard's 184th Intelligence Wing. They are one of only three supertanker KC-135 Stratotanker wings in the Air Force. Their primary mission is to provide global reach by conducting air refueling and airlift where and when needed.

Click here to watch video.

Post Office Wants Its "Stuff" Back

2011-11-12T00:01:00.000-08:00

Columnist Ed O'Keefe on the Washington Post's "Federal Eye" webpage reports the U.S. Postal Service is giving customers two weeks to return stolen pens, tape guns, letter trays, mail tubs and pallets - or else!

According to O'Keefe, "USPS spent nearly $50 million last year replacing equipment that was stolen or inadvertently taken and never returned by customers."

"Postal inspectors have recovered more than 200,000 pieces of equipment worth more than $4 million since 2008," O'Keefe says. He also points out, "It is a federal crime to steal postal equipment and can lead to up to three years in prison or up to $250,000 in fines."

He goes on to say, "According to postal inspectors, one of the worst offenders was a Georgia man who worked for a major mailer and was arrested for stealing and selling almost 10,000 Postal Service pallets to a pallet supply company. The company in turn provided USPS’s equipment to a freight company shipping to South America. The man paid $10,129 in restitution to USPS."

To read the the entire article, click here.

DAR Collecting Stamps For Veterans

2011-11-11T00:01:00.000-08:00

Today is Veteran's Day.

It's a time to remember the service and sacrifice of those who served in the U.S. Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard and Air Force as well as their family and loved ones.

Mary Collins, a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), writes on her webspage, "Many Veteran groups collect used stamps that have been sent to them from all over. Some of the groups send these contributions to a central clearing house where the stamps are soaked and resold to dealers, collectors, etc. The Veteran groups that do this then take the money raised and spend it for various Veterans needs. Some stamps are also kept back and distributed to patients as a hobby to help them recover or pass the sometimes many lonely hours in the hospital. There are six or seven of these collecting agencies for the veterans."

She goes on to say, "....your spouse, or your children have accumulated and are not interested in anymore and don't want to be bothered to find a buyer! Donate them to one of these groups and say 'thank you' to a Vet who needs them now. If you choose, and you know the approximate value of the items and have an inventory, you can receive a receipt for tax purposes."

To read the entire article, click here.

To locate a DAR chapter near you if you would like to donate your unwanted stamps, click here.

November Mystery Stamp Contest

2011-11-10T00:09:00.000-08:00

Can you identify the American Philatelic Society "Mystery Stamp" shown above?

If so, e-mail the Stamp Collecting Roundup at donschilling@att.net with the name of the country and Scott Catalogue number.

The first and 11th person to correctly identify the stamp will win a beautiful commemorative "presentation pack" provided courtesy of Royal Mail.

Congratulations to our October "Mystery Stamp" winners Fred Gamarsh of Gardner, Massachusetts and Ruth Hughart of Kenna, West Virginia. They correctly identified the stamp shown here as Nepal 29a.

Your prizes are on their way!

Donated Collection Sheds Light on Jewish Plight In Nazi Germany

2011-11-09T00:01:00.000-08:00

Los Angeles' Jewish Journal reports "a rare collection throwing new light on the paper trail of the Holocaust bureaucracy" has been donated to Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust.

According to the article by Tom Tugend, the collection consists of some 2,000 stamps, letters, ID cards, visas, currency receipts and other assorted documents from the Nazi era.

Tom says, "Valued at $260,000, the collection was painstakingly acquired and organized by Victor, a retired Los Angeles lawyer, over a 30-year period. In many cases, the content tracks the fate of a given Jewish family from the very beginning of the Nazi regime in 1933 to its demise in 1945."

Shown above, a postcard sent from Dachau concentration camp. The collection documents how newly arrived prisoners at Nazi concentration camps were forced to sign similiar postcards and send them to friends and family with the inscription - “Things are going well and we are enjoying ourselves.”

The Germans called this “Operation Briefkarte” (Operation Postcard). Its goal was that of "lulling the others into the belief that they had nothing to fear when their turn for deportation to the east arrived," according to the piece.

Click here to read the entire article

How to Outfox "Foxing'

2011-11-08T00:01:00.000-08:00

Keijo Kortelainen, Finnish blogmaster of the Stamp Collecting Blog website asks, "What do you do with stamps that show signs of brown foxing /rust stains like the one shown here?"

Keijo pens, "Foxing, rust, staining… The arch nemesis of stamp collectors has about as many names as forms. Though I try to be very picky with what I include into my stamp albums, every once and awhile I notice that some stamp in my collection has developed the dreaded red brown spots. Usually I just go sigh, and bin the stamp… But sometimes it’s not so easy, especially if the stamp in question is not so common."

He goes on to point out, "I’m very well aware that there are also lots of chemical methods / solutions (like Foxit, Chloramine-T, Hydrogen Peroxide etc) to stop the foxing process, and remove/ lessen the signs of foxing. Sometimes a simple quick bath in boiling hot water is enough to remove any signs of the staining… But this is where I draw the line. I acknowledge a lot of these methods are used to restore old books, paintings etc. without larger issues by conservation specialists. But I’m not a specialist, and as such I very little interest to storing and using chemicals in my home."

Click here to read the entire piece along with readers thoughts and ideas.

"The Adventures of Tintin" Philatelic Exhibition Opens in Singapore

2011-11-07T00:01:00.000-08:00

Rarely seen original stamp artworks of the comic series, "The Adventures of Tintin", will be on display for the first time at the Singapore Philatelic Museum from Friday till May of next year according to an article that appears on the ChannelNewsAsia website.

According to reporter Wendy Wong, the exhibit will feature a full range of Tintin postage stamps issued by Belgium, France, the Netherlands as well as from the Permanent Collection at the museum. The exhibition will also feature rare stamps, colour trials and other philatelic materials from the Museum Voor Communicatie in the Netherlands and L'Adresse Musée de La Poste in France.

The exhibition coincides with the release of the animated movie "The Adventures of Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn." "The Adventures of Tintin" series of comic books has sold more than 200 million copies worldwide.

Shown above, 1979 stamp from Belgium featuring Tintin and his dog Snowy, a white Fox terrier.

For more on this story, click here.

Janet Klug: Stamp Collecting's Ambassador-at-Large

2011-11-06T00:01:00.000-07:00

The Beyond The Perf website features a nice article about past APS president and current Citizens Stamp Advisory Committee member Janet Klug.

The site reports, "Six-year-old Janet was a little jealous when her two older brothers were given stamp collections one Christmas morning. So she waited until her brothers lost interest and then “confiscated” their collections, hiding them under her bed. Once the coast was clear, a lifelong passion was born."

It goes on to say, "She specifically remembers a Canadian issue, a 'pretty lady stamp' of young Queen Elizabeth. On a map, Canada was not far from Klug’s native Ohio, but to the elementary-school student, it was a million miles away.

As regards the recent USPS decision to put living persons on U.S. stamps, Janet is quoted as saying, “The United States is late out of the gate doing this. I think it’s a great idea. Why not honor people during their lives?” After all, the Postal Service has, after a fashion, recognized a living person on a stamp. The First Moon Landing, 1969 stamp (issued in 1994) doesn’t name Neil Armstrong, but, she says, 'who else could it be?' Further, the very first postal stamp honored a living person — Queen Victoria, issued in England in 1840."

To read the entire article, click here.

USPS "Scribble Specialists" Sort Out The Nixies

2011-11-05T00:01:00.000-07:00

Wall Street Journal reporter Barry Newman pens a piece on the "Remote Encoding Centers (REC)" of the U.S. Postal Service— "...where hundreds of clerks sit in silence, day and night, staring at America's worst-addressed envelopes."

There are two RECs— one in Salt Lake City, Utah and one in Wichita, Kan. where 1,900 clerks cope with machine-unreadable mail from the whole country. Last year there were 714,085,866 chicken-scratch "nixies" according to the article.

"A nixie (it's in the dictionary) is a letter with an illegible or incorrect address," writes Newman, "Salt Lake's nixies land on a table where nixie clerks take a last stab at divining where they're supposed to go."

If they can't figure out the nixie's return address and/or destination, the nixie's next stop is a hamper marked "dead letter office." From there it goes to the last remaining 'Mail Recovery Center' in Atlanta. There clerks will open any letters that might look important or contain cash. After that, it's "hand-delivered to the shredder," according to the article.

Shown above, Debbie Holender and Jonathan Berry, at the Salt Lake processing center, try to decipher an address.

For more on this story, click here.

A Post Office Exhibits Paranormal activity

2011-11-04T00:01:00.000-07:00

The Postal Podcast website reports, "We've all heard of haunted houses -- some people even seek them out, looking for hints of the paranormal. But a haunted Post Office?"

In this month's Halloween edition, the site features a podcast about a Southern California Post Office that many believe is tended to by a friendly ghost.

Shown above, San Pedro Post Office employees Brian Bundy, left, and Lance McCall stand in one of the hallways in the facility's basement.

For more on this spooky story and and other interesting articles, click here.

Inverts Make for Favorite Philatelic Flips

2011-11-03T00:01:00.000-07:00

The Inverted Jenny is the world's most famous stamp - but it's just one of many classic inverts according to an article that appears on the Paul Fraser Collectibles website.

The site points out, "Stamp errors in general and inversions in particular have been a fascination for collectors since the hobby began and continues to be so today."

It then goes on to list some famous and not-so-famous inverts. These include....

~ The Western Australia 1854-55 4d blue inversion error (inaccurately described as the 'Inverted Swan', when actually it is the frame around Swan which is inverted).

~ The 1854 inverted Queen Victoria from India.

~ Belgium's Inverted Dendermonde (or Termonde in French) which shows one of the town's buildings upside down.

~ 1920 Jamaican 1 shilling which is shown above.

To read the entire article, click here.

Collector Puts Heart and Soul Into Postal Museum

2011-11-02T00:01:00.000-07:00

"With the art of letter-writing seemingly consigned to the dustbin of history by global internet usage, you could be forgiven for thinking that the sound of the death knell for stamp-collecting cannot be far behind.But for philatelist and director of the Cyprus Postal Musuem Ploutis Loizou, nothing is further from the truth," writes reporter Zoe Christodoulides on the Cyprus Mail website.

According to Christodoulides, "Loizou has put his life and soul into making the museum an alluring place ever since it fell under his auspices in 2004. Originally set up at a different down town location in 1981, it took a lot of work to get the new space organised when Loizou took over. But it was a labour of love for Loizou who has collected stamps ever since he was a young boy when relatives in Africa would send letters back home."

About the Cyprus Postal Museum, Wikipedia says, "Situated within the walled city of Lefkosia (Nicosia), this museum is home to an exhibition dedicated to the development of postal services in Cyprus and a collection of Cyprus stamps from the 18th century onwards considered as some of the best in international philately."

Shown above, Ploutis Loizou looking a sheet of ‘Penny Reds’ overprinted with “Cyprus”. Dating back to 1880, it’s the first official stamp to have ever circulated in the country, issued by the British shortly after their arrival on the island in 1878 according to the article.

For more on this story, click here.

Post Office Hiring For The Holidays

2011-11-01T00:01:00.000-07:00

The U.S. Postal Service is hiring temporary employees to work during the upcoming holiday season.

Mailhandler and postal support employee clerk positions are available at various locations around the country. There are also some temporary tractor-trailer operator and motor vehicle operator positions available.

The jobs pay from $11 to $15.85 an hour and have no benefits. The work will depend on needs of the post office or distribution center.

Applicants must be at least 18 and be a U.S. citizen or have permanent alien status.

To apply, click here.

Adam McCauley’s Monster "Stamps"

2011-10-31T00:01:00.000-07:00

Although technically "cinderellas" with no valid postal use, illustrator Adam McCauley won a gold award at the Society of Illustrator’s annual exhibit for the monster "stamps" shown above.

From Dracula to Godzilla, each creature’s "stamp" is related to their city of origin.

Happy Halloween!

To visit Adam's website, click here.

Dismantling a Legacy: New Deal Post Offices Being Sold

2011-10-30T00:01:00.000-07:00

SaveThePostOffice.com website reports, "The US Postal Service is dismantling the institution of the community post office and the rich legacy of the New Deal. The USPS has announced that it will be closing as many as 2,000 of its 32,000 post offices and auctioning off the buildings. As of May 2011, about 200 post offices have found themselves on the closing list, Many of them, like the Century Post Office in Raleigh, are significant historic buildings. At least 12 of them were built by the New Deal."

It goes on to say, "At this rate, something like 120 historic New Deal post offices could be closed and sold. They will be converted to real estate offices, retail showrooms, and restaurants. Most are not likely to remain public spaces, and they will certainly not continue to remind citizens of their link to the federal government. Moreover, while they are almost all located in downtown areas and serve people on foot, their services will usually be consolidated to annexes and office parks on the outskirts of town and require a car."

According to the article, "The director of the Smithsonian's National Postal Museum once said that the New Deal murals "constitute a great national treasure . . . and the buiidings that house these works represent a vaulable and important American asset" (quoted in Preserving the People's Post Office by Christopher Shaw). It's one thing to close a small, underutilized, retail post-office outlet in a shopping mall, but closing downtown post offices and selling off valuable architectural resources that belong to the public is a shame, and it shouldn't be happening. "

Shown above, Westport, CT, Post Office which was built in 1935. The Westport News reports that the post office was sold on May 18 for $2.35 million, to a real estate company named Ansley Westport Partners, based in Atlanta. The new owners of the building will seek a retailer or restaurant as a tenant.

For more on this and other historic post offices being closed, click here.

Occupy Wall Street: You’ve Got Mail

2011-10-29T00:01:00.000-07:00

The Wall Street Journal reports, "When the [Occupy Wall Street] group set up camp at Zuccotti Park... they signed up for the mailbox so that supporters near and far could send provisions. Tani Sussman, 33, franchise manager at the UPS Store, rented them the box for about $40 each month."

According to the article by Jessica Firger, the demonstrators receive hundreds of packages from supporters each day. Besides a marching band drum, whistles and noise makers, other items have included blankets, clothes, hygiene products and even big-ticket items like the generators used to power laptops and cellphones.

Packages and letters of support should be sent to OWS, # 205, 118A Fulton St., New York, 10038.

For more on this story, click here.

Dracula - #1 Halloween Character on Stamps

2011-10-28T00:01:00.000-07:00

According to Thomas Lera, the Winton M. Blout Chair in Research at the National Postal Museum, Dracula is the Halloween character that postal administrations around the world have depicted the most on stamps. In 1997, the U.S. Postal Service issued a “Classic Movie Monsters” stamp set, featuring five villains from Universal Studio films. Dracula was one.

"As a special security feature, a process called ‘scrambled indicia’ was used, which overlaps symbols and images that are not seen by the naked eye when printed,” says Lera.

“The Dracula stamp has three vampire bats in the blue background, which can only be seen by a precision optical device using elongated lenses called lenticules.”

Lera suggests modeling a Dracula costume after this or the many other portrayals—a Canadian stamp honoring the 100th anniversary of Bram Stoker’s novel Dracula in 1997, a Samoan stamp from 2000 featuring the Sesame Street’s Count von Count and a British stamp from 2008 with actor Christopher Lee as Dracula commemorating the 50th anniversary of Hammer Horror Films.

For more Halloween costume ideas from the Smithsonian, click here.