Announced June 8th:
These stamps will be issued Wednesday, August 3. Other additional information is below the horizontal line, with the most recent nearest the top.
[press release] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]
Stamps To Take Your Mail From ‘Infinity to Forever’ This Summer
Add a Pop of Color and a Bit of Fun with Stamps Featuring the Iconic Buzz Lightyear
WASHINGTON — Far from the confines of Andy’s room, a sneak peek of new Forever stamps from the U.S. Postal Service was revealed at the red-carpet premiere of Disney and Pixar’s “Lightyear,” the new movie featuring Buzz Lightyear.
“Go Beyond” is a pane of 20 stamps arranged in four horizontal rows of five stamps uzz
featuring the image of Buzz Lightyear, a Space Ranger marooned on a planet 4.2 million light-years from Earth.
Greg Breeding was the art director using illustrations from Pixar Animation Studios.
Additional details about the “Go Beyond” commemorative stamp collection, including the release date, will be announced later this year.
Linn’s Stamp News reports the approximate issue date was given as “summer,” and the new movie “Lightyear” will debut June 17. (Summer technically begins June 21.) Linn’s also says the announcement was made at the premiere of the movie on June 8th.
Another possible first-day date and location is D23 Expo 2022, billed as “the ultimate Disney fan event.” The USPS really, really likes affinity events. D23 Expo 2022 is being held September 9-11 in Anaheim, CA.
Updated September 8th — Scott Catalogue Numbers:
5709 (60¢) Buzz Lightyear – Head in Profile
a. Imperforate
5710 (60¢) Buzz Lightyear – Standing With Legs Visible
a. Imperforate
5711 (60¢) Buzz Lightyear – Running
a. Imperforate
5712 (60¢) Buzz Lightyear – Standing, Feet Not Visible
a. Imperforate
b. Vert. or horiz. strip of 4, #5709-5712
c. Imperforate vert. or horiz. strip of 4, #5709a-5712a
Updated July 7th:
Here are the first-day postmarks for this issue: 
The Digital Color Postmark measures 2.91″ x 1.50″ 
The B&W Pictorial Postmark measures 2.69″ x 1.10″
Updated June 30th from the Postal Bulletin:
On August 3, 2022, in Los Angeles, CA, the United States Postal Service® will issue the Go Beyond stamps (Forever® priced at the First-Class Mail® rate) in four designs, in a 
pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) pane of 20 stamps (Item 482500). These stamps will go on sale nationwide August 3, 2022, and must not be sold or canceled before the first-day-of-issue. The Go Beyond commemorative pane of 20 stamps may not be split and the stamps may not be sold individually.
Four exciting new stamps in a pane of 20 feature the famed Space Ranger, Buzz Lightyear, as seen in Disney and Pixar’s 2022 film, Lightyear. Known until now as the coolest character in the toybox, the Buzz seen on these stamps is the hero whose origin story inspired the Toy Story action figure. Each stamp features a different view of the brave, galaxy-defending hero along with the phrase “GO BEYOND.” The selvage features the full-body Buzz Lightyear against a graphic background and the slogan “From Infinity to Forever,” with the word “Lightyear” enhanced by a spaceship streaking through the letters. Art director Greg Breeding, working closely with Pixar Animation Studios, designed the stamps using artwork provided by the studio.
No automatic distribution.
How to Order the First-Day-of-Issue Postmark:
Customers have 120 days to obtain the first-day-of-issue postmark by mail. They may purchase new stamps at their local Post Office™ or at The Postal Store® website at store.usps.com/store/home. They must affix the stamps to envelopes of their choice, address the envelopes (to themselves or others) and place them in a larger envelope addressed to:
FDOI – Go Beyond Stamps
USPS Stamp Fulfillment Services
8300 NE Underground Drive, Suite 300
Kansas City, MO 64144-9900
After applying the first-day-of-issue postmark, the Postal Service will return the envelopes through the mail. There is no charge for the postmark up to a quantity of 50. There is a 5-cent charge for each additional postmark over 50. All orders must be postmarked by December 3, 2022.
Technical Specifications:
Issue: Go Beyond Stamps
Item Number: 482500
Denomination & Type of Issue: First-Class Mail Forever
Format: Pane of 20 (4 designs)
Issue Date & City: August 3, 2022, Los Angeles, CA 90052
Art Director: Greg Breeding, Charlottesville, VA
Designer: Greg Breeding, Charlottesville, VA
Artist: Pixar Animation Studios
Modeler: Joseph Sheeran
Manufacturing Process: Offset
Printer: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd (APU)
Press Type: Muller A76
Stamps per Pane: 20
Print Quantity: 45,000,000 stamps
Paper Type: Nonphosphored Type III, Block Tag
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Colors: Black, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Pantone 6C
Stamp Orientation: Vertical
Image Area (w x h): 0.84 x 1.42 in. / 21.336 x 36.068 mm
Overall Size (w x h): 0.98 x 1.56 in. / 24.892 x 39.624 mm
Full Pane Size (w x h): 8.4652 x 7.27 in. / 215.016 x 184.658 mm
Press Sheets Size (w x h): 23.25 x 27 in. / 590.55 x 685.8 mm
Plate Size: 180 stamps per revolution
Plate Number: “P” followed by five (5) single digits in two corners
Marginal Markings:
Front: Header: BUZZ LIGHTYEAR FROM INFINITY TO FOREVER • Plate number in bottom two corners
Back: ©2022 USPS • USPS logo • ©2022 Disney/Pixar • Disney/Pixar logo • 2 barcodes (482500) • Plate position (9) • Promotional text
Updated June 28th:
The time for the first-day ceremony has changed from 11 a.m. PDT to 9 a.m. PDT
Updated June 21st:
[press release] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]
‘Go Beyond’ Your Typical Forever Stamps with Buzz Lightyear
What: The iconic image of Buzz Lightyear has been captured in the newest Forever stamps from the U.S. Postal Service and Disney and Pixar.
Go Beyond is a colorful pane of 20 stamps arranged in four horizontal rows of five stamps featuring the image of Buzz Lightyear, a Space Ranger marooned on a planet 4.2 million light-years from Earth.
Greg Breeding was the stamp art director using illustrations from Pixar Animation Studios.
The first-day-of-issue event for the Go Beyond stamps is free and open to the public. News of the stamps is being shared with the hashtag #GoBeyondStamps.
Who: Isaac Cronkhite, chief processing and distribution officer and executive vice president, U.S. Postal Service
When: Wednesday, Aug. 3, 2022, at 9 a.m. PT/12 p.m. ET [note changed time]
Where:
El Capitan Theatre
6838 Hollywood Blvd.
Hollywood, CA 90028
RSVP: Dedication ceremony attendees are encouraged to RSVP at: usps.com/gobeyond.
Background: The U.S. Postal Service celebrates new commemorative Forever stamps featuring Buzz Lightyear, who is the star of his own feature film this summer — “Lightyear.” The sci-fi action-adventure movie gives audiences insight into Buzz’s past and brings to the big screen the intergalactic exploits of the hero.
Buzz is known for being Woody’s best friend in the “Toy Story” movie franchise from Disney and Pixar.
Preorders for the Go Beyond stamps can be made online at usps.com/stamps beginning July 3.
Customers may purchase stamps and other philatelic products through the Postal Store at usps.com/shopstamps, by calling 844-737-7826, by mail through USA Philatelic or at Post Office locations nationwide.
The Postal Service generally receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.
Still waiting for a John Glenn stamp.
Or 100th Anniv of the American Legion…
The USPS doesn’t honor organizations…except when it does. (Also doesn’t do commercial enterprises…except when it does.)
Then explain to me why in 2017 the USPS released a postage stamp dedicated to a National Museum of African American History and Culture? That’s an organization and is federal (if I am not mistaken).
“(except when it doesn’t)”
Same here. Maybe when it will be 150th anniversary then the USPS will care. I also need to assume that politics are involved. You see, John Glenn was also a politician in his later life. However, that didn’t stop Nancy Regan to be put on a stamp.🤔
Best guess is that whoever holds the rights to John Glenn’s image and likeness wouldn’t cooperate with the USPS.
Would or wouldn’t? Confused by your answer.
Any evidence of this?
Also, even if that was true, they could still have honor him with a stamp featuring Friendship 7 and his F8U Crusader jet that set the cross country record.
Epic fail by USPS
Exactly. They can’t honor a real space hero, but instead honor fictional ones – just in time for a Disney film. It’s pathetic.
Because obtaining the rights of a fictional character is easier then to go through all the legal hoops. You see, you don’t need to wait three years for a stamp to be made that way. A request for copyright material being sent by USPS to Disney Pixar. They look it over, see how much money they can make out of it and give it a “green light”.
I personally don’t mind when USPS make stamps with comic book or television characters, but when they make from 4 to 35 of those a year, the question arises, who buys those?
Like, such enterprises are good because they promote philately to the youngsters. However, producing those kind of stamps enmasse doesn’t seem to attract much attention from the young crowd.
Germany for example makes 1 to 4 stamps a year dedicated to promote youth philately. Majority of such stamps carry a phrase which literally translates as “For the Children” with a picture of a cartoon character or a child drawing. France and Belgium have something similar with a depiction of Tintin once in a while.
I do understand that there are countries which make such stamps as part of their culture, i.e, Japan makes stamps with anime in same way as we make stamps with Disney characters.
By the way, lo and behold, in couple of years (if not next year) we will have stamps dedicated to American video games, and I bet not only American…
Yes, John Glenn died in Ohio which has a right of publicity that protects a person’s image or likeness for 60 years after death. So, if they wanted to do a stamp they would have to ok it with his family/trust/foundation ect or maybe we’ll have a John Glenn stamp in 2076.
https://rightofpublicityroadmap.com/state_page/ohio/
If any of us will be alive by that time, which is dubious.
To be honest, America is the only country that have these issues. First, USPS needs to wait 3 years after person X dies as if there is a chance that the dead would ressurrect. Then they need to research and approve the subject (another 3 years)… Is it only me that see those obstacles as ridiculous or many others are in the same boat?
Besides, what if somebody would make a stamp without an approval, big deal. The person most likely will be send to jail but the stamp will sell millions of copies worldwide – enough to bail him out.
On a positive note, I am still awaiting Elizabeth Taylor stamp which was promised in 2016 but was never published in the “Legends of Hollywood” series.
In fact, without explanation, the series was brought to a halt. Why would they quit such a popular series is beyond me.
Somehow I don’t think anyone, least of all me, will convince you, and I hasten to point out that I am anything but a “mouthpiece” or apologst for the USPS.
“USPS needs to wait 3 years after person X dies” The USPS chooses to wait. It’s amazing what we sometimes learn about public figures (and even private ones) after he or she dies.
“Then they need to research and approve the subject (another 3 years)…” No, the two 3-year periods can run simultaneously.
“Besides, what if somebody would make a stamp without an approval, big deal. ” Very big deal. The USPS has, several times in the last 20 years, been forced to pay tens of thousands of dollars, sometimes more, for the inadvertent use of someone’s work. And what started all this caution in the U.S. was the W.C. Fields stamp (1980), where the lawyer representing the comedian’s estate sued the USPS for failing to get permission in advance.
“I am still awaiting Elizabeth Taylor stamp …” Don’t hold your breath. Like Paul Newman’s estate, word is hers wants her honored not as a legendary actress, but as a humanitarian for her work for AIDS victims. That’s not why she is remembered. (At least people like me still use Paul Newman products!)
Yes, but Paul Newman was honored in 2016.
So, if USPS chooses to wait 3 years why were they choose to wait 10 years in the previous century?🤔
From what I remember 10 and 3 year periods was a policy, which they are scared to violate. Nobody but US have those policies.
I don’t know, Canada for example honored Christopher Plummer in 2021, the same year he died.
Plummer in fact had input on the stamp and OFDC designs! At one point, briefly, the USPS allowed no waiting period at all. That was quickly changed. Personally, I like the waiting period. Can you imagine if the U.S. had issued a stamp for that great football star and actor O.J. Simpson? Sometimes immediately after death there is an outpouring of grief and the person is lionized, before public opinion comes back down to earth.
No. You know, a stamp issued without waiting period is fine.
In Russia, there was a Polish-Soviet and probably Russian spy. He died in February 2020 with the stamp in his honor was issued in July of the same year.
And there are probably many other examples that I can’t think off from the top of my head.
As for O.J. Simpson, I am not his fan, and, considering the conviction, the stamp with him is less than likely. However, since we are on the topic of sports, I am surprised that American football is being ignored. Sure, we had one issued in 1969 and another one in 2000 (which was part of a set), ending with tiny mention of it in one of the Celebrate the Century blocks in 1998 and a set of 4 football players (finally) in 2003. Sure, we might remember set of 4 dedicated to the football coaches in 1997, but that’s a different topic.
Considering that football and basketball are as popular as baseball I am surprised that we made almost 40 stamps dedicated to baseball players, 2 for basketball (Wilt Chamberlain), 3 for golf, and 4 for football players. By adding coaches that will be 8, but still.
The National Football League (pro football in the U.S., to all intents and purposes) is extremely licensed and the NFL extremely vigilant. It is one of the best marketing machines in history. Almost as “good” is the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). That is probably why we haven’t seen more football stamps.
The USPS policy is nothing if not confusing. How long was the waiting period between the death of Maya Angelou and issuance of stamp honoring her?
And MLB is less “licensed”? I don’t think that’s the case. They all sell merchandise like T-shirts with the names of the current players, mugs, etc. Been on a few stadiums myself. Also, why ice hockey isn’t popular on stamps? Like, some of the players who played the Soviet Union in 1980 (at least their coach) should be dead for a long time.
Misha, arguing with you is like trying to fill a bucket with big holes in it. You never let the facts stand in the way of your points. Yes, the NFL is much more licensed than MLB: NFL controls all broadcast rights, MLB allows stations to sign their own broadcast deals, for example. I don’t have the overall player-league contracts here, but I believe the NFL has much more control over any endorsement deals that players can sign.
You’re missing many.
I can’t think of much these days where I would want the United States to emulate Russia, ranging from its stamp issuance policies or its regard for other countries’ sovereignty.
I’m not arguing, but am amazed how low USPS is in comparison to other countries.
I was referring to the exact anniversaries, not 101 years later (Nancy Reagan), not a month before or a month after. For example, John F. Kennedy stamp of 2017 was released not on May 29 (the anniversary of his birth), but on February 20.
Meantime, we have a release of Henry David Thoreau stamp on May 23, 2017 which also doesn’t correspond with his birth anniversary (however, the USPS outright lied that it was). He have the same month, date and year of Andrew Wyath which surprisingly was released on his birthday (finally). But, could have USPS released them both in one day? Sure. Why they couldn’t have done it is beyond my comprehension.
As for the sports, again, I am not arguing, but from my understanding all the sports bodies have something in common. I didn’t knew that MLB is less licensed than NFL or NCAA. To me, license should be the same for every sport franchise because all of them are popular sports franchises.
Like to me it’s kind of like fast food places. There are McDonald’s, Burger King, Arby’s and Culver’s. They all have burgers and they all have fries. They might have different choices of pop (Pepsi vs Coke) or have couple of special meals (a Whopper you can get only in BK, for example).
Maybe it’s a wrong comparison? Maybe I don’t understand something here?🤔
Maya Angelou died in 2014 with the stamp honoring her came out in 2015. Personally, if I would have been an issuer, I would have waited until 2028 and issued it on April 4th, the 100th anniversary of her birth.
I, for one, can’t understand why USPS issues stamps not on birth anniversaries but “just because”? W.C. Fields is the only stamp that was issued on the 100th anniversary of birth. I might be missing some.
Or even Better – Buzzed Light Beer
https://www.theshirtlist.com/lightly-buzzed-t-shirt/
The Movie opens mid-june. Disney didn’t get the promotional department with USPS ready sooner? ( Or will this be a Virtual Stamp? )
June 17. I think the plan was to announce it at the premiere of the new film, thus reaching the fans and media for Buzz Lightyear. You and I are not the intended market for these stamps.
The premiere however is on June 8th. Either way, the stamp probably will be released between these dates: June 8th-June 17th at the earliest convenience.
Yes, the “red-carpet premiere” as Linn’s called it was the 8th. I think Linn’s then used the wrong word for June 17th: I think it should be “general distribution.” That would be my guess for the issue date (even though it’s four days before “summer”).
Do stamps of such kind usually get released on premiere or distribution date?
The USPS has found a willing partner in Disney for its “affinity” tie-ins…
See the rest of this LloydBlog editorial here in “One Hand Washes The Other.”
Read it. Interesting article by Lloyd but I don’t think they wash each other’s hands. As we know, USPS have issued many stamps with non Disney themed stuff. For example in 2020, USPS issued stamps with Bugs Bunny, in 2007 and 2008 it was Marvel and in 2014 Batman was released in a set of 8. Stamps featuring Wonder Woman and Snoopy were released in 2016 and 2015 respectively.
While I do understand that a “serious collector” will sneeze on it, those stamps are issued to attract younger audiences.
Disney owns the “Marvel Universe” as well as the Muppets and (in this case) Pixar. Best guess is that the stamps will be promoted by Disney in its media. Warner Bros. Discovery owns DC Comics (Superman, Batman), Looney Tunes characters such as Bugs Bunny and (although stamps are unlikely) CNN and the Discovery Channel, among other entertainment/media properties, and probably has a similar quid pro quo deal with the USPS when related stamps are issued.
Yes, but the Marvel stamps were issued in 2007 and 2008 respectively, before it was aquered by Disney in 2009. Now, I am confused about CNN, since it’s a news broadcasting service, so I am surprised that they own Warner Brothers.
The Virtual Stamp Club radio feature is back! The announcement of the Buzz Lightyear stamps from the USPS have people wondering “when will human actors be on U.S. stamps again?” “When is the next Legends of Hollywood stamp? and “What happened to that Elizabeth Taylor stamp?”
We have answers to none of these questions, but if you want the official word on what happened to the Hollywood series and its future, read or listen (or both!) to my new Stamp Collecting Report (i.e., “podcast”) here.
Not that I am an Elizabeth Taylor fan, but if something is promised, it should eventually be released. From me, it’s more of a demand then opinion, because I saved a slot in my album particularly for the next Legend of Hollywood.😀
From Post Bull 30 June Buzzed Lightyear 482504 $12.00 DCP. PIC, and ANY city cancels. NO Auto-Distrib. FDoI City Los Angeles CA 90052 Sold in Panes-20 ONLY, no split.
Scott 5709-12 See https://www.linns.com/insights/2022-u.s.-stamp-program