Author Archives: VSC

Lazaroff Now Top Boston 2026 Commissioner

Posted on by
Reply

[press release] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]
Boston 2026 Commissioner Reorganization

Chris Lazaroff has been appointed as the Commissioner General of Boston 2026, replacing Yamil Kouri who will continue as the exhibition’s President.

“As work progresses it became clear that it would be best that I concentrate my time solely on my leadership role and turn the important responsibilities of the exhibits to someone else,” said Kouri. “Chris is eminently qualified to handle the position, assisted by Deputy Commissioner General Dzintars Grinfelds.”

Lazaroff was earlier selected to be the show’s U.S. East Commissioner in addition to his role as United States Postal Service Liaison.

Tom Fortunato of Rochester, New York, is assuming the East Commissioner post while continuing as Public Relations Chair. He had been the exhibits chair for the national ROPEX stamp show for two decades and has been a jointly certified APS/ATA judge since 2000.

Kouri continued, “These reassignments strengthen our Boston 2026 team and commitment to exhibiting participants in particular. We welcome Chris and Tom’s willingness to add to their present show duties.”

Boston 2026 World Expo takes place May 23-30, 2026, at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center. Full show details may be found at Boston2026.org and on Twitter and Facebook. Sign up to be added to the Boston 2026 email list and receive updates when available.

U.S. Postmaster General Quits Suddenly

Posted on by
Reply

U.S. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy resigned suddenly Monday, March 24, just weeks after saying he wanted to leave, but would stay until a successor was named. A major contributor to President Trump’s first bid for the White House, he was named PMG in 2020 by a USPS Board of Governors largely appointed by President Trump.

DeJoy and the USPS have faced increasing criticism from the Trump administration, with the president and Elon Musk calling for its privatization. Democrats say that would violate federal law. President Trump was very unhappy with DeJoy and the USPS for aid voting by mail in the 2020 presidential election.

President Trump has also floated the idea of ending the Postal Service’s independent-agency status and putting it in the Commerce Department.

DeJoy’s “Delivering for America” modernization plan has rankled many USPS employees and major mailers. However, his refusal to give DOGE officials broad access, as reported by The Washington Post, certainly did not sit well with the administration.

The newspaper reports that in recent days, administration officials have met with Jim Cochrane, the chief executive of the Package Shippers Association, a trade group that represents companies including Amazon, DHL and FedEx, about replacing DeJoy. Cochrane is reportedly a leading candidate to replace DeJoy.

The acting Postmaster General now is Doug Tulino, who rose to that position in 2021. He retained the position of Chief Human Resources Officer, to which he was named in November 2020.

Tulino began his career with the USPS as a management associate in Chicago in 1980. His entire career with the Postal Service has been in management.

AFDCS Adds Member No. 30,000

Posted on by
Reply

[press release] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]
AFDCS Signs Up Member Number 30,000 At Show

Edward Pieper of the St. Louis area is the 30,000th person to join the American First Day Cover Society. He was signed up at St. Louis Stamp Expo on Saturday, March 22, by Foster Miller at the AFDCS table at the show. (Photo: Pieper, left, Miller, right)

Pieper now has a credit with the AFDCS of 30,000 pennies — $300. He can spend it on
the AFDCS.org website, buying FDCs, catalogues and handbooks; renewing or upgrading his membership; paying for successful AFDCS auction bids; and more. Miller, as the person who recruited member #30,000, also was awarded a $300 credit, which he will be donating to the AFDCS Endowment Fund.

The AFDCS today does not have 30,000 members: It is closer to 1,000. Some numbers may have been skipped; some people may have received more than one number over the years; and, of course, some former members have passed away or no longer collect.

The AFDCS, founded in 1955, is the largest not-for-profit first day cover society in the world, with members in more than a dozen countries. It publishes an award-winning journal, First Days, six times a year, as well as handbooks, catalogues and You-Tube videos; holds fundraising auctions; is a co-sponsor of the annual Great American Stamp Show, conducts an annual cachetmaking contest; and encourages philatelic exhibiting and writing about FDCs.

For more information about the AFDCS, visit www.afdcs.org, e-mail afdcs@afdcs.org or write the AFDCS at Post Office Box 57, Somerset, WI 54025-0057.

Myths and Legends (UK 2025)

Posted on by
1

[press release] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]
Royal Mail Celebrates Myths and Legends with a Set of Special Stamps

  • Issue date: 27 March
  • The eight-stamp set explores the mythical creatures and legendary figures of UK folklore
  • The images feature: Beowulf and Grendel, Blodeuwedd, the Loch Ness Monster, Cornish piskies, Fionn mac Cumhaill, Black Shuck, a grindylow and a selkie
  • The stamps and a range of collectible products are available to pre-order now at www.royalmail.com/myths and by telephone on 03457 641641

Royal Mail has revealed images of eight striking illustrations capturing the spirit of well-known mythical creatures and legendary figures of folklore.

The images feature: Beowulf and Grendel, Blodeuwedd, the Loch Ness Monster, Cornish piskies, Fionn mac Cumhaill, Black Shuck, a grindylow and a selkie.

The stamps were illustrated by London-based artist Adam Simpson. Simpson’s work has been shortlisted for a British Design Award and he was included in the Art Directors Club Young Guns awards.

David Gold, Director of External Affairs and Policy, Royal Mail, said: “For some parts of the UK, local myths and legends are as much a part of their identity as the local landmarks and architecture. These beautifully illustrated stamps celebrate a fascinating aspect of British culture and custom.”

Myths and Legends of the UK:
The landscape of the United Kingdom resounds with folktales, myths and legends. Each region has its own unique stories, creating a tapestry of tales passed down over centuries that offers fascinating insights into the shared cultural imagination.

The Old English poem Beowulf recounts how the eponymous hero defended the Danish King Hrothgar’s mead hall, vanquishing the monstrous Grendel.
Across the sea, Northern Ireland’s heroic tale of Fionn mac Cumhaill explains how he built the Giant’s Causeway, outwitting a Scottish giant with strength and cunning.

Myths such as the Welsh story of Blodeuwedd, conjured from flowers and destined to wed an unwanted suitor, illustrate the complexities of human emotions and behaviour, including love and betrayal. In Orkney and Shetland, selkies shed their seal skins to take human form. Exploring loss and longing, these folktales often recount how selkies eventually leave their human mates, succumbing to their yearning for the sea.

Some stories tackle human foibles, such as temptation and forgetfulness. The piskies of Cornwall are blamed for stealing household items and leading travellers astray with their pisky lights.

Cautionary tales often warn of grave dangers. Grindylows are sprites with long arms who lurk in the rivers and ponds of Lancashire and Yorkshire, waiting to drag curious children to their deaths. Black Shuck, a spectral hound with fiery eyes, stalks the countryside of East Anglia, foretelling death and destruction. One of the most famous legendary creatures in the world, the Scottish Loch Ness Monster taps into the primal fear of the unknown. This long-necked, humped beast snakes through the depths, a remnant of our ancient past that still waits for us in the deep.

Exploring the mythical creatures and legendary figures of folklore entails uncovering not only intriguing stories but also the deeper meanings and values they convey. These tales continue to captivate and inspire, offering a fascinating window into the collective psyche of the United Kingdom.

The stamps, and a range of collectible products, are available to pre-order at www.royalmail.com/myths and by telephone on 03457 641 641. A Presentation Pack including all eight stamps is priced at £14.10. The stamps go on general sale from 27 March.

From VSC: Products include

  • Medal Cover £19.99
  • Framed Stamps £39.99
  • First day covers, with Tallent House or Drumnadrochit, Inverness postmarks £16.50
  • Postcards £3.60

Butterflies of Sint Eustatiusm (Netherlands 2025)

Posted on by
Reply

[from PostNL press materials] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]
Experience Nature – Butterflies of Sint Eustatius

Issue date: 31 March 2025
Appearance: Sheet of 10 stamps in 10 different designs, each with denomination 1 for mail weighing up to 20 grams sent within the Netherlands
Item number: 450361
Design: Frank Janse, Gouda
Photography: Alamy, Dreamstime, Shutterstock, and Wikimedia Commons (Francisco Farriols Sarabia and Charles J. Sharp)

The Experience Nature – butterflies of Sint Eustatius sheet features 10 stamps in 10 different designs. The stamps have a denomination of 1 for mail up to 20 grams within the Netherlands. The price for a sheet of 10 stamps is €12.10 (currently about US$13.15).

The sheet is part of the multi-year series Experience Nature dedicated to the Caribbean Netherlands from 2024-2026. Each year, the series features four stamp sheets, each with 10 different stamps. The stamps depict plants and animals found in this part of the Netherlands. The islands in this region boast an extraordinary biodiversity by Dutch standards, with thousands of plant and animal species. In 2025, attention will be given to the birds, butterflies, underwater world, and flora of the island of Sint Eustatius.

The island of Sint Eustatius, like Bonaire and Saba, has a special status within the Netherlands. The collective name for the three islands is the Caribbean Netherlands. Sint Eustatius lies between Saba and Saint Kitts, separated from these islands by a shallow sea. The only city and capital of Sint Eustatius is Oranjestad. Since 2010, Sint Eustatius has been a special municipality, with the island council as the highest governing body responsible for local legislation. The executive power lies with the island commissioners appointed by the island council, chaired by the governor. About 3,000 people live on Sint Eustatius, and the island’s official language is English.

Sint Eustatius is dominated by the dormant volcano The Quill (601 meters) in the southeast and a 200,000-year-old extinct volcanic area in the north around the hill Bergje (223 meters). There are three national parks on the island: Quill/Boven National Park, Statia National Marine Park, and Miriam Schmidt Botanical Garden.

Butterflies belong to an order of winged insects, with approximately 160,000 described species in total. The collective name is Lepidoptera. This word comes from Greek, where ‘lepis’ means scale and ‘ptera’ means wings. The literal translation is therefore ‘scale-winged.’ Indeed, the wings of butterflies are covered with scales that absorb light in various ways, creating visible colours and patterns.

Of all the butterfly species in the world, about 265 are found in the Caribbean Netherlands, with nearly 30 day-flying butterflies on Sint Eustatius (both permanent residents and occasional visitors). The large number of yellow butterflies on the island is particularly striking, including the Small Sulphur and the Cloudless Sulphur. The latter has its own stamp in the Experience Nature – Butterflies of Sint Eustatius issue. From the family of brush-footed butterflies, the Zebra Longwing stands out, gliding through the area around the volcano The Quill. Another brush-footed butterfly is the Painted Lady, with its orange-brown colour pattern with black and white spots on the forewings and, of course, its preference for thistles. Another remarkable species from the tropical forest area is the Red Rim, while the Tropical Buckeye, with its striking peacock-like eyes, is a more common species on the island. The Florida Leafwing is a striking butterfly in flight but blends completely into its surroundings when at rest, making it difficult to spot among the leaves.

The stamp sheet Experience Nature – butterflies of Sint Eustatius is designed by graphic designer Frank Janse from Gouda. The sheet features all the butterflies portrayed in their natural environment, each on its own stamp. The butterflies include: Caribbean Blue, Painted Lady, Manuel’s Skipper, Long-tailed Skipper, Cloudless Sulphur, Lime Swallowtail, Tropical Buckeye, Banded Yellow, Mallow Scrub-Hairstreak, and Florida Leafwing.

Technical Specifications:

Stamp Size: 40 x 30 mm
Sheet Size: 122 x 170 mm
Paper: Normal with phosphor coating
Gumming: Self-adhesive
Printing Technique: Offset
Print Colours: Cyan, magenta, yellow, and black
Edition: 275,000 sheets
Format: Sheet of 10 stamps in 10 different designs
Denomination: 1 for mail up to 20 grams within the Netherlands
Design: Frank Janse, Gouda
Photography: Alamy, Dreamstime, Shutterstock, and Wikimedia Commons (Francisco Farriols Sarabia and Charles J. Sharp)
Printer: Koninklijke Joh. Enschedé B.V., Haarlem
Item Number: 450361

Note: PostNL does not sell directly to collectors in North America. Its website refers to a company called Nordfirm, which says it sells Dutch new issues at face value. The Virtual Stamp Club has no connection to this company.

Collectors may also wish to contact the U.S. firm Bombay Stamps, which can also obtain first day covers upon request, with lower shipping fees. The email is sales@bombaystamps.com Again, The Virtual Stamp Club has no connection to this company.

AFDCS Names Wile, Youngblood Asst. Editors

Posted on by
Reply

[press release] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]
AFDCS Adds Assistant Editors for First Days, Other Media

The American First Day Cover Society, the world’s largest not-for-profit organization dedicated to first day cover collecting, has retained Jason Youngblood and Kristopher Wile (L-R in the photo) as assistant editors. Their primary responsibilities will be editing and laying out articles and producing graphics for First Days, the official journal of the AFDCS. However, they will also be involved in producing material for the society’s website, its YouTube Channel, and overseeing the publication of new handbooks and catalogues.

In addition, they will work on maintaining the AFDCS’ new data management system, which is tightly tied in with the website.

“Here in the third decade of the 21st century, we have the tools to do so much more than we have up to this point,” said AFDCS president Lloyd A. de Vries. “I think hiring these two young men will not only benefit the members of the AFDCS, but philately in general.”

Both men are familiar with philately and first day covers, thanks to their fathers, but were hired on their own merits.

“These were the second- and third-best applications we received,” said de Vries. “New First Days editor Anthony Bard’s was the best.”

Wile has more than 15 years of experience in the entertainment industry with a focus on film production and post-production. While at the University of North Carolina, he was an editor for the prestigious student literary magazine Cellar Door. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife and daughter. His father Eric is on the AFDCS Board of Directors.

Youngblood runs his own video production company in Austin, Texas, where he lives with his wife and son. He also directs, edits and composes music and has worked with hundreds of music artists and for festivals such as Austin City Limits, SXSW (“South By Southwest”) and Boilerroom. He handles layout and design for several philatelic publications, often working with his father Wayne.

The American First Day Cover Society is a not-for-profit educational organization, established in 1955. In addition to First Days, the AFDCS also publishes handbooks and catalogues, and promotes the collecting of both modern and “classic” issues and cachets, as well as the exhibiting of FDCs.

For more information about the AFDCS, visit www.afdcs.org, e-mail afdcs@afdcs.org or write the AFDCS at Post Office Box 57, Somerset, WI 54025-0057.

APS/APRL Seek Executive Director

Posted on by
Reply

The American Philatelic Society, the largest stamp collecting organization in the U.S., and the American Philatelic Research Library have retained a professional recruitment company to find its next executive director. Current executive director Scott English gave notice last fall that he would like to leave sometime this summer (2025).

The Moran Company, according to its website, specializes “in the recruitment of Executive Directors/CEOs, Fundraising/Development Directors, Hospital Foundation Directors and other senior leadership staff — who get results.

“We only serve the nonprofit community.”

The summary for the position cites four areas of primary duties and responsibilities: Organizational Leadership, Community Leadership, Financial Sustainability and Board Governance, that is, interaction with and monitoring of the members of the APS Board of Directors and the American Philatelic Research Library trustees.

There is much more detail on these four areas in the announcement of the search on the APS website. The announcement anticipates a salary of $175,000-200,000.

All applicants are directed to contact The Moran Company, not the APS. That link also provides background information on the APS and APRL.

Online Hotel Reservations Now for Boston 2026

Posted on by
Reply

[press release] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]
Boston 2026 Online Hotel Reservation System Now Active

Hotel reservations have opened for Boston 2026 World Expo, taking place in fourteen months.

Eight official show hotels have been selected from throughout the Boston Seaport district representing Hilton, Hyatt, Marriott, Omni and Yotel chains. All are three or four-star rated, fully wheelchair-accessible and within walking distance of the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center [below left]. The show headquarters hotel, the Westin Boston Seaport District (right), and the Omni Boston Hotel at the Seaport, are physically attached to the center itself.

Reservations are being accepted for check-ins a few days before the show’s opening, during, and a few days after the close from Tuesday, May 19 through Monday, June 1.

Per night room rates run from $229 to $333. Rates shown are for single/double occupancy. Triple and quad occupancy is available at some show hotels. These discounted prices are only available by making reservations through the Boston 2026 web site link to onPeak, the show’s contracted housing management firm. Negotiations continue to add one or two properties to the list outside of the city center. These, too, will be found on the Boston2026.org hotel page when confirmed.

Hotel rooms are offered on a first-come basis with no guarantee that additional room blocks will be released once full. In all cases a credit card or check deposit of one night’s stay is required. Reservations must be cancelled 72 hours prior to the day of arrival to avoid a late cancellation fee of one night’s room and tax.

Boston 2026 World Expo takes place May 23-30, 2026, at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center. Full show details may be found at Boston2026.org and on X and Facebook. Sign up to be added to the Boston 2026 email list and receive updates when available.

Added March 22:

[press release]
Additional Boston 2026 Show Hotels Contracted

Two additional properties have signed on to become official show hotels for Boston 2026 World Expo.

“Details took a bit longer than expected to work out,” said Boston 2026 Executive Director Mark Butterline, “But the addition of these hotels help round out our eight hotel offerings to attendees with discounted prices ranging from $129 to $333 per night plus tax.”

Both the Boston Marriott Newton and Boxborough Regency Hotel & Convention Center are in the greater Boston suburbs, 11 and 27 miles respectively from the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center and offer free parking. Visitors planning to drive to the region will find them especially convenient as they are off major highways with plenty of restaurants and attractions nearby. Residents of these communities take advantage of low-cost parking at train and light rail stations throughout the area and commute into the city.

Boston 2026 President Yamil Kouri reminds show-goers, “We encourage visitors to make reservations through our web site as early as possible to avoid disappointment. Each property only has a limited number of rooms available at the special reduced price. Reservations can be changed based on availability closer to the show or cancelled within 72 hours of its starting date without penalty.”