The USPS has found a willing partner in Disney for its “affinity” tie-ins. Disney is all about cross-promotion: All of its product lines help promote all of its product lines. I was at ABC 
News when the “final trilogy” (HA!) of “Star Wars” movies were released. Disney owns ABC. The anchors on several programs wore Star Wars costumes! No Disney event would ever go unmentioned in the newscasts.
Was this ordered From Above? I don’t know. After a while, a smart manager knows what the employers want and often delivers it without being asked. I’m pretty sure renting the costumes didn’t come out of our show’s meager budget.
I caught a promo the other night on ABC-TV for some sort of an “event” involving ABC Sports anchors and the Muppets. I think it was happening at Disneyland or Disney World or Disney Empire. Certainly somewhere in the Disney Empire!
The UPSPS loves announcing and issuing stamps at related events. If a pop-culture icon’s 
manufacturer offered an opportunity, I’m sure the USPS would jump at it. It’s all about publicity for the Postal Service (what I call “Hey! Look at me! We’re still relevant!” stamps, of which the USPS is not the greatest offender) and selling stamps and “philatelic products” at the event.
“Star Wars” by the way, for which the U.S. issued stamps in 2021 and the U.K. issued stamps in 2017, is part of the Disney empire.
Will the Buzz Lightyear stamps sell well? Yes. Will they sell well to philatelists? Who cares. We are a small part of the market.
With a little extra work, the USPS could use these affinity issues to help create more stamp collectors, who would eventually branch out into other parts of philately. That would pay off down the road. But that payoff might come after the current postal management is gone, so it’s not considered.
Meanwhile, “serious” stamp collectors turn up their noses at Buzz and Droids and Hot Wheels and the Hogwarts crowd, as did our grandparents when the first commemoratives were issued in 1892.
Clearly, I, a lifelong stamp collector, am not the market for Buzz stamps. Never heard of Buzz until now…. stamp collecting is truly an education, isn’t it.
I’m not trying to be critical, but how do we know our grandparents turned their noses up at commemoratives back in 1892? Sales figures from then? News stories? Stamp collections from that era? Just wondering. Please expound.
I have read creditable sources that news stories, editorials and letters to the editor in the philatelic press of that day complained vociferously about how commemoratives would ruin philately.
Buzz Lightyear OK, Communists on our postage, NO!
The Disney organization has shot itself in the foot with it’s WOKE promotions. People (and collectors) would like ly poo poo issues from Disney as well it’s movies ( again WOKE values). As big as they are Disney enterprises is going to take quite a hit soon.
Having been to Disney World in Florida I can safely say that if Walt could see what they did to his dream he would most certainly turn over in his grave. OVER HYPED..OVER PRICED AND VERY VERY WOKE! I am convinced that walt would have wanted to make it possible for every child to have the opportunity to visit. Incredibly high hotel on- campus costs. Walt was a businessman but he was also a humanitarian.
My family and I went to Disney World in 1976 (the Bi-centennial year) and it was expensive way back then. On the plus side, it wasn’t Woke yet and the patriotism was unashamedly on vibrant display.