One year to the day after she was appointing Acting Director of Stamp Services for the U.S. Postal Service, Mary-Anne Penner has been promoted to Director, Stamp Services.

The appointment was made by Chief Marketing and Sales Officer and Exec. Vice President Jim Cochrane on Friday, April 22, 2016.

As you will read in the VSC post from one year ago, Penner has had a variety of management positions within the USPS. Since her appointment as Acting Director, she has been very visible at stamp shows and very accessible to collectors.

There are special postmarks to commemorate the resumption of service. See the bottom of this page.

[press release]
United States Postal Service Resumes Mail Service to Cuba
First Direct Transportation of Mail Service to Cuba in More Than 50 Years

WASHINGTON — Today the United States Postal Service announced it resumed direct transportation of mail service with Cuba for the first time in more than 50 years. [The USPS tells The Virtual Stamp Club that direct service began March 16th, the day before this announcement.]

“The U.S. Postal Service is pleased to participate in the historic direct transportation of mail service with Cuba,” said Postmaster General and CEO Megan J. Brennan. “Moving letter mail and package volume directly between our countries will improve service for businesses and consumers.”

The types of mail customers in the U.S. can send to Cuba include First-Class Mail International items, such as postcards and letter size envelopes, First-Class Package International Service items, Priority Mail International Flat Rate Envelopes and Priority Mail International Small Flat Rate Priced Boxes. A comprehensive list of mailing conditions to Cuba can be found in the International Mail Manual at: http://pe.usps.gov/text/imm/ce_017.htm#ep1416554.

The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.

•

The VSC radio feature on this, and how it could prove an opportunity for postal history colletors, can be found here.

•

Special March 16th postmarks, available until May 16th:

United States Postal Headquarters
USA⁄Cuba Direct White House Station
National Postal Museum Post Office⁄Special Cancellations
2 Massachusetts Avenue
Washington, DC 20002-9998

United States Postal Headquarters
USA⁄Cuba Direct Postal HQ Station
National Postal Museum Post Office⁄Special Cancellations
2 Massachusetts Avenue
Washington, DC 20002-9998

The cost of mailing a letter in the U.S. went up three cents two years ago, but it was a temporary measure because the U.S. Postal Service was in serious financial trouble. The deal was the rate hike would last two years.

Those two years are up, and, despite USPS objections, and barring a last-minute reprieve by Congress, the Postal Service has to give up two of the three cents on April 10th. It getes to keep one cent to cover inflation. The rate reduction — the first in 97 years! — also affects other rates. Here are the ones most used by consumers:

Letters: From 49¢ to 47¢
Additional ounces: From 22¢ to 21¢
Letters to international destinations: From $1.20 to $1.15
Postcards: From 35¢ to 34¢

That means all those Forever stamps in your desk drawer are losing value on April 10th. Remember: Forever stamps will always pay the fee for mailing a letter, no matter where rates go. Who knew they could go down?

Not surprisingly, the USPS is crying the blues (and how appropriate the Sarah Vaughan stamp will be issued three days before the reduction). Here’s the USPS press release:

Forced Price Reduction to Worsen USPS Financial Condition by $2 Billion Per Year
Postal Service Exigent Surcharge Pricing to End April 10

WASHINGTON — Absent Congressional or court action to extend or make permanent an existing exigent surcharge for mailing products and services – including the Forever stamp — the Postal Service will be required to reduce certain prices on Sunday, April 10, 2016. This mandatory action will worsen the Postal Service’s financial condition by reducing revenue and increasing its net losses by approximately $2 billion per year.

“The exigent surcharge granted to the Postal Service last year only partially alleviated our extreme multi-year revenue declines resulting from the Great Recession, which exceeded $7 billion in 2009 alone,” said Postmaster General and CEO Megan J. Brennan. “Removing the surcharge and reducing our prices is an irrational outcome considering the Postal Service’s precarious financial condition.”

An order from the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) requires the 4.3 percent exigent surcharge to be reversed after the Postal Service has collected surcharges totaling $4.6 billion. As outlined in a notice filed with the PRC today, that amount is expected to be reached by April 10th.

Postal Service prices for Mailing Services are capped by law at the rate of inflation as measured by the Consumer Price Index for all urban consumers (CPI-U). However, the law does allow for exigent pricing (price increases beyond the CPI-U cap) due to extraordinary or exceptional circumstances. That was the case when the Postal Service sought and ultimately received approval for the current exigent pricing, citing the severe effects of the Great Recession on Postal Service mail volume.

However, the PRC did not accept the views of the Postal Service concerning the extent of the harm resulting from the Great Recession, and the PRC strictly limited the period of time that the Postal Service could continue to collect the exigent surcharge. While the Postal Service has experienced rapid growth in package volume over the past few years, it is not nearly enough to offset the decline in revenues from Market-Dominant products, especially First-Class Mail.

Brennan added that the Postal Service’s current pricing system, where products that generate roughly 76 percent of its revenues fall under the statutory price cap, is fundamentally unsuited to the Postal Service’s current business environment in which First-Class Mail volume continues to decline and the network costs required to provide universal service continue to rise.

According to Brennan, “our current pricing regime is unworkable and should be replaced with a system that provides greater pricing flexibility and better reflects the economic challenges facing the Postal Service.”

Sure seems that way. The current postcard rate within the U.S. is 35 cents. Yet this picture postcard from my wife’s friend in Boston, from the Museum of Fine Arts, is clearly postmarked in January 2016 with a 21¢ stamp. (I’ve removed the address, but, trust me, it went through the mail.)

[press release]
500 YEARS OF HISTORY DELIVERED TO YOUR DOORSTEP

2016 commemorates 500 years since Henry VIII knighted Brian Tuke, the first Master of the Posts, in 1516.

As you would expect from any institution that has been around for 500 years, there are a number of significant dates in our history. The knighting of Brian Tuke was the catalyst for the creation of the Royal Mail we know today. Tuke had the influence and authority to establish key post towns across the country and build out a formal postal network.

To celebrate, Royal Mail is working in close partnership with its heritage partner, the British Postal Museum & Archive (BPMA), to create an online gallery of 500 objects, people and events, telling the story not only of the postal service but also of our contribution to social and political development over the last 500 years.

Moya Greene, Chief Executive Officer, Royal Mail, said: “We are proud to celebrate the heritage of this great company. The history of the postal service in the UK reflects the tremendous societal and political change that has taken us from sixteenth century Tudor England to the United Kingdom today.

“In all its guises, Royal Mail has been responsible for a number of world firsts – the Penny Black stamp and the first ever airmail flight to name just two. It has also changed almost beyond recognition, from a small group of King’s Messengers in those early days to a national network connecting consumers, companies and communities across the UK today.

“Against this backdrop of continued change, Royal Mail’s people have been a constant presence. They are the heart of this company. I hope that, through them, we will continue to deliver the Universal Service and play an instrumental role in people’s lives for many years to come.”

Origins of Royal Mail

• 1516: Henry VIII knighted Brian Tuke, the first Master of the Posts. Tuke had the influence and authority to establish key post towns across the country and build a formal postal network.
• Before 1635: The postal service operated only for the King and the Court
• 1635: The postal service was opened up to the general public by King Charles I. A Letter Office was established in London, and six post roads were formalised, including Dover to London, to carry mail across the country
• 1660: The Post Office Act created the publicly-owned postal service
• 1711: The Post Office Act paved the way for a unified postal service across Scottish and English (including Wales) administrations following the 1707 Act of Union. Ireland followed in 1808
• 1840: The reform – over a number of years – of the Post Office by Rowland Hill and others defined the basis of the modern postal service as we know it today and coincided with the broader social and technological changes sweeping across Victorian society at the time
• 1883: The launch of Parcel Post reflected a growing appetite among both residential and business customers to send and receive parcels. The growth of parcels saw the term ‘Letter Carrier’ replaced with ‘postman’, which is still in use today
  Royal Mail and Social Change
• 1840: The introduction of the Penny Post prompted an unprecedented expansion in the popularity of mail, as it became more affordable. Mail volumes rose from 67 million in 1839 to 242 million by 1844, with a further lift to more than one billion letters by 1875
• 1840 onwards: The rise of mail was accompanied by a significant increase in literacy levels as the UK became more industrialised and there was a greater provision of early education
• 1901: The Association of Post Office Women Clerks was founded. It was the first association in the UK civil service to represent female clerical workers
• 1861: British entrepreneur Pryce Pryce-Jones set up the first modern mail order company. He distributed Welsh flannel catalogues across the country, allowing people to choose the items they wished and to order them via post
• Royal Mail employees were some of the first in the UK to receive a company pension, before the introduction of the state pension by David Lloyd George in 1908
• 1959: Postcodes were introduced on a trial basis in Norwich and then rolled out nationally from 1965-1972. The system is widely recognised as one of the most granular and precise Postcode systems in the world
  World Firsts
• 1661: The first Bishop mark (or postmark as it is known today) was used. This identified the date of dispatch to give confidence in the speed and reliability of the mail. It was named after the then Postmaster General, Henry Bishop
• 1840: The Penny Black, the first adhesive postal stamp, launched. As the inventor of the postage stamp, the UK is the only country in the world that does not have its country name on the stamp
• 1840: The release of the Penny Black also marked the origins of the Universal Service, under which postal rates became uniform across the country
• 1911: The first scheduled airmail service flew from Hendon to Windsor, as part of the celebrations for the Coronation of King George V. Aviator Gustav Hamel was at the helm for the maiden flight, which was a precursor to the opening up of the postal service overseas
  How the Mail Was Delivered
• 1516: Busy towns kept a special stable, known as a post, ready to carry mail at a moment’s notice. Letters travelled at speeds averaging 7 to 8 miles per hour in summer and 5 miles per hour in winter. Fresh horses were supplied every 10 to 15 miles
• 1784: Horse drawn coaches featuring the Royal Mail livery were deployed for the first time to transport the mail, following a trial run between Bristol and London. Other routes to major cities soon followed. The departure of the night mail from London was a public spectacle, with hundreds of onlookers gathering to watch the coaches depart
• 1800s: King’s Messengers were employed by the government to carry messages from the Admiralty during wars. They were often required to board sail-driven packet ships in order to deliver messages to the theatre of conflict
• 1821: Steam-driven packet ships were introduced to deliver mail across the British Empire and the Commonwealth, leading to the founding of Royal Mail Ships (RMS) in 1840. The ships proved popular with passengers too, as they ran to strict timetables to ensure mail was delivered on time
• 1830: The General Post Office and the Liverpool and Manchester Railway reached an agreement that saw the start of mail being carried by train. The first route was between Liverpool and Manchester
• 1907: The first motor vehicle, a two and a half tonne lorry called the Maudslay Stores Number 1, entered the service. The vehicle was in service for 18 years during which it covered over 300,000 miles
• 1934: German rocket engineer, Gerhard Zucker, made the suggestion that mail could be delivered by rockets. He failed to persuade the company that they were a viable option
  http://500years.royalmailgroup.com/gallery/rocket-mail/

The People Made Royal Mail

• 1665: 45 people were employed by the postal service. Employee numbers climbed to nearly half a million in the 20th century
• 1836: Moses Nobbs was the longest serving Mail Guard in the Royal Mail, serving 55 years (1836-1891) initially on the Mail Coaches and later on the railways in Travelling Post Offices (TPOs)
• 1880: Post Office telegraphy clerk, Charles Garland begins to campaign for better healthcare and working conditions for staff during the consumption crisis. The campaign led to development of the first healthcare fund in the country. The Post Office Sanatorium Society was founded in 1905, leading to much improved conditions across the company. The fund continues today as The Benenden Healthcare Society Limited, with almost 900,000 members
• 1880: Henry Fawcett from Salisbury was appointed Postmaster General in 1880. With the support of his wife Millicent Fawcett, who founded the Fawcett Society, he campaigned for the employment of women
• 1908: Mrs Elizabeth Dickson retired as a rural postwoman after 30 years and 8 months’ service. She was never late for duty and had only taken off 14 days for illness
• 1912: Two British postal workers died aboard the RMS Titanic. James Bertram Williamson and John Richard Jago Smith were determined to save the mail as the ship went down, with a witness saying they “urged them to leave their work. They shook their heads and continued.” They died alongside US postal workers Oscar Scott Woody, John Starr March, and William Logan Gwinn
• 1941: The General Post Office approves women’s trousers, named “Camerons” after the postwoman Jean Cameron who requested their introduction
  http://500years.royalmailgroup.com/gallery/jean-cameron-born-19211922/

Royal Mail and the British Empire

• 1737: Founding father of the United States, Benjamin Franklin was appointed Postmaster of Philadelphia under the British Parliamentary Post. He, alongside William Hunter, streamlined the postal system in the US to increase take up and make it profitable
• 1847: The ‘Post Office’ Mauritius stamps were first issued. They were the first stamps to be issued in the British Empire. They are among the rarest in the world, with a value of around one million pounds. The plates were engraved by Joseph Barnard from Portsmouth, who stowed away on a ship to get to Mauritius
• 1937: Launch of the Empire Mail Scheme, which lowered the cost of sending letters to British Empire destinations. The scheme was a success, with over 91 million letters being sent in 1938

Royal Mail’s Role in the Two World Wars
World War I

• 1914-1918: 12,000 postal workers served in The Post Office Rifles throughout the First World War. 1,800 were killed and over 4,500 wounded
• 1914-1918: During the First World War, Royal Mail saw a huge rise in letters and parcels sent to loved ones fighting abroad. At its peak, 2,500 staff handled 12 million letters and a million parcels in a week
• 1914-1918: To cope with the increase, Royal Mail built the Home Depot, an enormous wooden temporary sorting office in Regent’s Park that covered several acres
• 1914-1918: Four former postal workers were awarded the Victoria Cross – Sgt Albert Gill from Birmingham, Sgt Alfred Knight from Nottingham, Major Henry Kelly from Manchester and Sgt John Hogan, a postman from Oldham

World War II

• 1944: General Dwight D Eisenhower wrote to the Postmaster General, thanking staff for keeping the network of communications open across the country in the run up to D-Day
• Eisenhower wrote: ‘The build-up of the necessary forces for the current operations has involved the construction of a vast network of communications radiating from key centers of vital importance in the United Kingdom. The greater part of this work has been undertaken by the Engineers and Staff of the General Post Office’
• 1941: Airgraph, based on microfilm technology, was introduced in the Second World War as a solution to the circuitous route for air communication between Britain and the Middle East. It helped reduce the size of mail while maintaining the volume of letters sent

The Role of Animals

• 1868: Cats were first officially appointed by the Post Office to catch rodents. Three cats worked at the Money Order Office in London, with an allowance of one shilling a week
• 1950: Probably the most famous feline is Tibs who lived in the Royal Mail Headquarters refreshment club in the basement of the building. After Tibs died on 23 November 1964, his obituary in the January 1965 Post Office Magazine was headed “Tibs the Great is No More”
• 1898: Horses harnessed to coaches were used to deliver a growing amount of mail. As a valuable part of the delivery process, the horses were entitled to sick leave. A note from 1898 states that ‘Mr T C Poppleton’s horse…is suffering from sore shoulders and unable to perform his official duties’
• 1943: During the Second World War, there were 22,000 pigeons in service

The “Royal” in “Royal Mail”

• Starting with Henry VIII, the UK postal service has operated under 21 monarchs
  http://500years.royalmailgroup.com/gallery/king-s-posts/
• 1840: Queen Victoria was the first monarch in the world to appear on a postage stamp with the launch of the Penny Black
• 1840s: Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh and the second son of Queen Victoria begins the Royal stamp collection, with the ‘Kirkcudbright Cover’ bearing ten Penny Blacks
• 1853: Postboxes first appear with the insignia, or cypher, of the monarch reigning at the time of placement
• 1966: Queen Elizabeth II approved Arnold Machin’s design of her to be used on what came to be known as the ‘Machin series’ of British definitive postage stamps. Her Majesty’s image has appeared more than 180 billion copies produced to date

Stamps

• 1840: The introduction of the Penny Black meant postage was paid by the sender and the price set by weight. Before this point, recipients usually had to pay postage, and were charged by the number of sheets in the letter and distance travelled
  http://500years.royalmailgroup.com/gallery/the-first-postage-stamp-queen-victoria-1d-black-the-penny-black-1840/
• 1940: Following the outbreak of the Second World War, and the resulting greater co-operation between Britain and France, there were many calls for a joint stamp issue. The plans were eventually abandoned
  http://500years.royalmailgroup.com/gallery/proposed-anglo-french-union-issue-1940/
• 1951: The plan to celebrate the centenary of the Great Exhibition of 1851 with a Festival was accompanied by a request for a complete new range of stamps. The stamps were issued on 3 May 1951, the day the Festival was officially opened
  http://500years.royalmailgroup.com/gallery/festival-of-britain-4d-1951/
• 1965: The then Postmaster General, Tony Benn, worked with designer David Gentleman to modernise stamp design. The reason for the creation of Special Stamps was to celebrate events and commemorate anniversaries relevant to UK heritage and life. The stamp of Sir Winston Churchill, issued in July of that year, was designed by Gentleman and was the first under Benn’s administration
  http://500years.royalmailgroup.com/gallery/modern-special-stamp-programme-born-with-churchill-commemoration-1965/
• 2012: Twenty nine stamps were produced to commemorate Great Britain’s gold medal winners at the London 2012 Olympic Games
  http://500years.royalmailgroup.com/gallery/celebrating-britain-s-2012-gold-medal-athletes/
• Images of The Queen form the most frequent subject on Royal Mail Special Stamps (in addition to Her Majesty’s silhouette which can be found in the corner of every stamp). The next most popular individual to feature is The Duke of Edinburgh. He is followed by William Shakespeare
  http://500years.royalmailgroup.com/gallery/most-frequent-top-3-people-to-feature-on-stamps/
• Christmas
• 1843: The postal service played an important role in defining the archetypal Victorian Christmas. Henry Cole launched the first Christmas card with an initial print run of 1,000. The cards originally cost a shilling each, the equivalent of about £36 today. In 2001, an original card sold at an auction for £25,000
  http://500years.royalmailgroup.com/gallery/first-christmas-card-1843/
• Mid 1800s: Robins began gracing the front of Christmas cards. This change was a result of the bright red waistcoat that Royal Mail postmen and women wore
  http://500years.royalmailgroup.com/gallery/the-changing-face-of-christmas-cards/
• 1963: Royal Mail was appointed by Santa to reply to letters addressed to him. In the first year, Royal Mail replied to over 8,000 letters. It was such a success, the Postmaster General, Reginald Bevins – was labelled ‘Santa Bevins’
  http://500years.royalmailgroup.com/gallery/letter-from-santa-1963/
• Royal Mail today
• As the UK’s sole designated Universal Service Provider, Royal Mail delivers the ‘one-price-goes-anywhere’ service to more than 29 million addresses, across the UK, six-days-a-week
• Royal Mail handles more than one billion parcels and more than 16 billion letters a year¹
• With a workforce of more than 140,000 people, the company is one of the UK’s largest employers
  http://500years.royalmailgroup.com/gallery/employees-20th-century/
• On average, one in 180 employed people in the UK works for Royal Mail
• Royal Mail made the 6th largest contribution to the UK economy of all UK corporations in 2014¹
• The organisation has a fleet of more than 49,000 vehicles delivering mail to all parts of the country
  http://500years.royalmailgroup.com/gallery/expansion-of-the-vehicle-fleet/
• In 2004, The British Postal Museum & Archive (BPMA) is established as an independent charity to care for five centuries of Royal Mail history. 2017 will see the new rebranded The Postal Museum open in central London, bringing a wealth of stories from British social and communications history to life
• In 2014, Royal Mail introduced around 30 new services, products and promotions to enhance its customer offering
• Royal Mail red – which features on the vans, uniforms and post boxes – is part of the DNA of Royal Mail as well as part of the fabric of UK life
• In 2015, Royal Mail was named as the global leader in its sector in the prestigious Dow Jones Sustainability Indices

You know all that aggressive marketing this holiday season by the U.S. Postal Service? It appears to be paying off.

The Wall Street Journal reports the USPS share of holiday deliveries this year will increase from last year’s 35% to 40%. Volume is already up 15%

WSJ says the agency prepared well, deploying additional package sorting equipment, adding more scanning devices for carriers and clerks, hiring about 30,000 seasonal workers, increasing the number of shifts in some areas from one a day to three — that is, round-the-clock. The USPS is also delivering on Sunday for the equivalent of about 25,000 routes. UPS and FedEx don’t usually deliver on Sundays.

Meanwhile, the Journal also reports that Amazon is looking to become less dependent on United Parcel Service. Right now, Amazon is the biggest customer of UPS.

Among the steps Amazon is taking: Buildings its own freight operation and relying more heavily on the USPS.

More from The Wall Street Journal here and here.

Following reports of hoverboard fires around the country, the U.S. Postal Service will only ship the recreational gizmos by ground transportation, slower than other services.

Hoverboards are skateboards without wheels, first depicted in the films Back To The Future Part II and Back To The Future Part III. In real life, they are self-balancing scooters with wheels at each end of the board.

On Wednesday, December 16, 2015, the federal Consumer Product Safety Commission issued a stern warning about hoverboards, and said it is investigating the problem “to find the root cause of the fire hazard, how much of a risk it might present, and to provide consumers with answers as soon as possible.”

“Every consumer who is riding a hoverboard, who purchased one to give as a gift during the holidays, or who is thinking about buying one deserves to know if there is a safety defect.”

Later in the day, the USPS announced the restrictions:

[press release]
2016 regulated postage stamp rates to remain at current levels

OTTAWA, Dec 16, 2015 /CNW Telbec/ – Consumer-facing regulated postage stamp rates will not increase in January 2016.

Increases previously announced in July 2015 will not proceed pending a Government of Canada review of Canada Post, as outlined in the mandate letter for the Minister of Public Services and Procurement. As a result, the current rates for Domestic Lettermail, U.S. and International Letter-post items (letters, cards and postcards destined for the United States and other international destinations) and Domestic Registered Mail will remain in effect for 2016.

PermanentTM stamps for Domestic Lettermail items weighing 30 grams or less will remain at the current rate of $0.85 when purchased in a booklet, coil or pane. The price of a single stamp will remain $1.00.

The regulated postage stamp rates impacted by this decision are largely geared to consumers because they apply to regular letters, cards and postcards. Non-regulated rates for items like parcels, direct mail and large-volume mailings of letters will continue to see competitive rate changes take effect in early 2016.

Canada Post estimates the average Canadian household purchases approximately two postage stamps per month while the typical small business purchases fewer than 250 postage stamps per year.

[press release]
Post Offices Open Christmas Eve, New Year’s Eve Many Will Close Early Dec. 24, Collection Box Mail May Be Collected Earlier

WASHINGTON – Post Offices nationwide will be open Christmas Eve, Thursday, Dec. 24, but many will shorten retail lobby hours and close at noon. Post Offices will be open regular hours on New Year’s Eve. Mail delivery will be unaffected.

Revised hours will be posted at each Post Office, and commercial customers are asked to check with their business mail entry units for specific information about holiday hours of operation. Blue collection boxes having final collection times before 12 p.m. will not be affected. However, boxes with final collection times scheduled after 12 p.m. may be picked up early. Therefore, mail should be deposited into these mailboxes by 12 p.m. for early pickup on Dec. 24 and Dec. 31. Customers requiring postal services later on Christmas Eve are encouraged to contact their local Post Office. Customers also may call 1.800.ASK.USPS for additional information.

Areas where Post Offices may have different hours from this schedule will issue local media announcements specific to their locations. Post Offices will be closed Dec. 25 and Jan. 1. Only Priority Mail Express will be delivered on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. All Post Offices will be open and regular mail delivery will resume Dec. 26 and Jan. 2.

Additional holiday information can be found at usps.com/holidaynews. The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.”

[press release]
Postal Service’s Holiday-Themed Stamps Available at usps.com

WASHINGTON — The Postal Service has more than a billion Holiday themed stamps in stock from previous years, and has printed 800 million more to help Americans celebrate this year’s holiday season. Customers may purchase them now at usps.com/shop at this link or by calling 1-800-STAMP24 (1-800-782-6724).

“This is an exciting time of year when Americans share greetings with family, friends and loved ones,” said Postal Service Stamp Services Acting Director Mary-Anne Penner. “Our vast assortment of holiday-themed stamps are sure to fit everyone’s needs. And by ordering them online, you can save a trip to the Post Office.”

Here’s an alphabetical list of stamps available this year: A Charlie Brown Christmas; Geometric Snowflakes; Gingerbread Houses; Hanukkah; Holiday Baubles; Holy Family; Kwanzaa; Madonna of the Candelabra by Raphael; Neon Celebrate!; Poinsettia; Virgin and Child by Jan Gossaert; and, Winter Fun.

In response to a VSC query, “Rudolph, item 680404, is still available by phone at SFS (1800STAMP-24).”