Community Foundation Semi-Postal (Canada 2024)

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From Virtual Stamp Club contributor Danforth Guy:

Here’s a look at the upcoming Canada Post Community Foundation semi-postal stamp. Last year’s Community Foundation issue came out May 1, so we can anticipate seeing these soon.

Given the illustration, it appears an animal cause will be the recipient of this year’s funding. That, or hot air ballooning. Or animal gay rights.

The stamp comes in a booklet of 10 domestic-rate ‘P’ stamps, plus 10 cents added ($1 per booklet). I have since learned the money goes to “local and national non-profit groups that assist children and youth”.

On the booklet, the postal service thanks its frontline workers for “participating in the selection” of the stamp design.

A postal person tells Danforth it will be issued April 29.

You can click on the image above for a larger version. Additional details will be posted below the line, with the most recent at the top.

Updated 29 April:
[press release] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]
Canada Post Community Foundation fundraising stamp helps children and youth soar to new heights
Every dollar raised during annual campaign supports community projects for children and youth across Canada

OTTAWA, ON, April 29, 2024 /CNW/ – Today, the Canada Post Community Foundation kicked off its annual campaign to raise money for children’s programs across Canada with an uplifting new stamp.

Featuring an illustration of a group of animals flying in a hot air balloon, the stamp is a nod to the Foundation’s mission to support young Canadians to reach for their dreams and soar as high as they can imagine.

Each year, the Foundation distributes grants to Canadian charities, schools and community organizations that make a difference in the lives of children and youth. In addition to the sale of the stamp, funds are raised through customer donations in post offices, grassroots fundraising activities and employee payroll deductions.

100 per cent of funds go to local communities
Since 2012, the Foundation has provided $13.5 million to more than 1,100 initiatives nationwide, including literacy and language programs; youth outreach services; projects that support Indigenous youth; gender and sexual diversity programs and many others. Every dollar raised during the campaign goes straight to community projects in every province and territory.

Front of postcard

This year’s grant recipients will be announced in August.

About the stamp
The 2024 Canada Post Community Foundation stamp was designed by Seung Jai Paek. The artwork was selected by Canada Post retail employees. The stamp, Official First Day Cover (OFDC) – cancelled in Ottawa – and postage-paid postcard are available at post offices and online at canadapost.ca/shop. One dollar from the sale of each booklet of 10 stamps, or 10 cents from the sale of each

Back of postcard

OFDC and postcard, helps fund programs that elevate children and youth and fuel their dreams to take flight.

About the Foundation
The Canada Post Community Foundation is a registered charity that aims to have a positive impact on the lives of children and youth (up to age 21). Through its grassroots, community-based approach, the Foundation is one of the best examples of Canada Post’s commitment to building a stronger Canada. Supporting initiatives that benefit children and youth helps strengthen communities for all Canadians.

To donate to the Foundation, purchase a booklet of stamps at a local post office or visit canadapost.ca/community.

Canada Post’s YouTube Video:

[en Francais pour les médias d’information]
Un timbre philanthropique de la Fondation communautaire de Postes Canada aide les enfants et les jeunes à prendre leur envol
Chaque dollar recueilli au cours de la campagne annuelle appuie des projets communautaires pour les enfants et les jeunes partout au Canada.

OTTAWA, ON, le 29 avril 2024 /CNW/ – Aujourd’hui, la Fondation communautaire de Postes Canada a lancé sa campagne annuelle afin de recueillir des fonds pour des programmes destinés aux enfants à l’échelle du Canada grâce à la vente d’un nouveau timbre inspirant.

Ornée d’une illustration d’animaux à bord d’une montgolfière, la vignette est un clin d’œil à la mission de la Fondation : insuffler aux jeunes l’envie d’aller plus haut et de se laisser guider par leur imagination.

Chaque année, la Fondation verse des subventions aux œuvres de bienfaisance, aux écoles et aux organismes communautaires du Canada qui améliorent la vie des enfants et des jeunes. En plus de la vente du timbre, elle amasse des dons du public dans les bureaux de poste, lors d’activités communautaires de collecte de fonds et au moyen de retenues sur la paie du personnel.

La totalité des fonds profite aux collectivités locales
Depuis 2012, la Fondation a octroyé 13,5 millions de dollars en subventions à plus de 1 100 initiatives au pays, y compris des programmes d’alphabétisation et de langue, des services d’aide pour les jeunes, des projets qui soutiennent les jeunes Autochtones, et des programmes sur la diversité de genre et sexuelle. Chaque dollar amassé durant la campagne est directement versé à des projets communautaires dans chaque province et territoire. L’annonce des bénéficiaires de cette année se fera en août.

À propos du timbre
Le timbre de la Fondation communautaire de Postes Canada de 2024 a été conçu par Seung Jai Paek. Le motif a été choisi par le personnel de vente au détail de Postes Canada. Le timbre, le pli Premier Jour officiel – oblitéré à Ottawa -, et la carte postale port payé sont en vente dans les bureaux de poste et sur le site postescanada.ca/magasiner. Le dollar de plus déboursé à l’achat de chaque carnet de 10 timbres (ou les 10 cents supplémentaires à l’achat du pli Premier Jour officiel ou de la carte postale port payé) permet de financer des programmes qui aident les enfants et les jeunes à réaliser leurs rêves et à prendre leur envol.

À propos de la Fondation
La Fondation communautaire de Postes Canada est un organisme de bienfaisance enregistré qui vise à améliorer la vie des enfants et des jeunes de 21 ans ou moins. Grâce à son approche communautaire, elle constitue l’un des meilleurs exemples de l’engagement de Postes Canada à bâtir un Canada plus fort. En appuyant des projets qui viennent en aide aux enfants et aux jeunes, la Fondation contribue à renforcer les collectivités pour toute la population.

Pour faire un don à la Fondation, achetez un carnet de timbres à votre bureau de poste ou visitez postescanada.ca/communautaire.

Video du Canada Post en Francais:

Design Language of Nature (Netherlands 2024)

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[from PostNL press material] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]
The Design Language Of Nature

Date of issue: 22 April 2024
Format: sheet with eight stamps in eight different designs, with denomiation 1 for post up to and including 20 grams for destinations within the Netherlands
Item number: 440561
Design: Sandra Smulders, Vormgoed, Gouda

PostNL will issue The Design Language Of Nature stamp sheet on 22 April 2024. The stamps feature photographs of unusual geometric shapes found in nature with patterns such as spirals, symmetry, fractals, Fibonacci sequences and the golden ratio. It was designed by Sandra Smulders. The denomination on these stamps is ‘1’, the denomination for items weighing up to 20g with destinations in the Netherlands. A sheet of eight stamps costs €8.72 (currently US$9.28).

People in every culture throughout the world use regular patterns to decorate artefacts and other objects. We also observe these patterns in nature, based on geometrical shapes such as rectangles, star patterns, circles, spheres and cylinders. When these shapes are combined, all sorts of complex patterns emerge underpinned by mathematical principles.

The Design Language Of Nature stamps feature photographs of plants and animals that display these geometrical patterns, including spirals (a curved line around a defined point that gets ever closer or further away from the point) and symmetry (where one half of an object is the mirror image of the other half). Other patterns represented include fractals (where geometric shapes are precisely replicated in different sizes) and Fibonacci sequences (a sequence in which each element is the sum of the two preceding elements). These four regular patterns are linked together on the stamp sheet using the golden ratio, sometimes referred to as the divine proportion, that is also observable in nature. In the golden ratio, the largest of two parts is in proportion to the smallest part, while the whole is in proportion to the largest part. The ratio found is called the golden number and is denoted by the Greek letter phi.

The Design Language Of Nature stamps depict the following animals and plants: panther chameleon and Christmas tree worm (spirals), romanesco cauliflower and fern (fractals), dandelion, sunflower, nautilus shell and dahlia (Fibonacci sequence), monarch butterfly and tiger (symmetry).

Smulders laid out the stamp sheet itself in the aesthetically pleasing proportions of the golden ratio. A multitude of rectangles of different sizes formed by white lines is overlaid on each stamp. In the golden ratio, the largest rectangle is in proportion to the smallest while all the rectangles together are in proportion to the largest rectangle. The proportions of the stamps and of the stamp sheet in relation to one another are also determined by the golden ratio.

A white line taking the form of a spiral is traced across the stamp sheet. The spiral starts in the smallest two rectangles on the yellow/red shaded stamp. From this point, the colours on the stamps change as the spiral moves over the page: from yellow to orange, through red, brown, blue and finally to various shades of green on the stamps at the top. On the sheet edges and the tabs, pale colours matching those in the photographs on the stamps fade into one another. The year and denomination 1 appear in the white rectangles on the stamps. The country appears vertically along the edge of the stamp outside the photograph. The explanatory text on the tabs traces the curve of the spiral and, on the bottom edge of the sheet, the typography and the PostNL logo remain within the spiral. An explanatory text appears at the top left on the sheet edge.

“From my research it became clear that the Design Language Of Nature comes in vastly differing forms,” says Smulders. “I chose to focus only on flora and fauna for the stamps, but there are so many natural phenomena in which you can observe geometric shapes: from snowflakes and clouds, to schools of fish and the effects of the wind on sand in deserts.

“All these shapes and their behaviour are underpinned by mathematical formulae. That’s what makes it so fascinating.”

For the eight stamps, Smulders chose four geometric shapes: spirals, fractals, Fibonacci sequences and symmetry. She then set about putting together a selection of images she could use, within certain parameters. “For example, there needed to be a balance between flora and fauna”, continues Smulders. “So, an equal number of plants and animals. Colours also played a role in my design decisions.”

Technical Details:
Stamp size: 114.721 x 179.442mm:
Sheet format: 40 x 24.721 mm
Paper: normal with phosphor print
Glue: gummed
Printing technique: offset
Printing colours: cyan, magenta, yellow and black
Edition: 95,000 sheets
Format: sheet of 8 stamps in 8 different designs
Design: Sandra Smulders, Vormgoed, Gouda
Printing company: Koninklijke Joh. Enschedé B.V., Haarlem
Item number: 440561

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.

Endangered Frogs (Canada 2024)

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[press release] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]
New Canada Post stamps raise awareness of endangered frogs

Oregon spotted frog and Fowler’s toad are on Canada’s list of endangered species

PORT ROWAN, Ont. – Canada Post has issued new stamps drawing attention to two of the country’s endangered frog species.

The two stamps feature the Oregon spotted frog and Fowler’s toad. Both on Canada’s endangered species list, the frogs have experienced habitat loss from human activity, invasive organisms and pollution.

Fowler’s toad (Anaxyrus fowleri)
In Canada, Fowler’s toads are found only on the north shore of Lake Erie (in Ontario), often on its sandy beaches and dunes. The primarily nocturnal animals are also found in much of the eastern United States.

Adults range in size from about 5 cm to over 8 cm in length and breed in shallow ponds, pools and marshes. They are grey to buff-coloured, with small dark spots and warts on the back, and have a white or cream-coloured belly.

Oregon spotted frog (Rana pretiosa)
In Canada, Oregon spotted frogs live exclusively in British Columbia’s Fraser Valley. In the United States, their California population has disappeared; however, they are still found in Oregon and parts of Washington state.

The webbing on their hind feet extends to the tip of their toes, making them efficient swimmers. Unlike most other frogs, their eyes are angled upward, allowing them to be almost entirely submerged while seeing above the water. Adult Oregon spotted frogs are brown or reddish-brown, with light centred black spots on their heads, backs, sides and legs.

About the stamps
Designed by Jocelyne Saulnier, Joce Creative, illustrated by Emily S. Damstra and printed by Lowe-Martin, the stamp issue includes 250,000 booklets of 10 Permanent™ domestic rate stamps, 6,000 Official First Day Covers and 40,000 souvenir sheets.

The stamp cancel location is Port Rowan, Ontario, a town on the north shore of Lake Erie close to the habitat of Fowler’s toads. The souvenir sheet background image shows an Oregon spotted frog peeking up from the water’s surface.

Stamps and collectibles are available at canadapost.ca and postal outlets across Canada.

Technical Specifications:
The stamps are at the Permanent™ rate and printed by lithography in five colors.

Product
Booklet of 10 stamps
Official First Day Covers
souvenir Sheet		 Size
40 mm x 36 mm
190 mm x 112 mm
101 mm x 114 mm		 Price
$9.20
$2.84
$1.84

[en Francais pour les médias d’information]
De nouveaux timbres de Postes Canada nous sensibilisent au sort des grenouilles en voie de disparition

La grenouille maculée de l’Oregon et le crapaud de Fowler figurent sur la liste des espèces menacées du Canada.

PORT ROWAN, ON, le 15 avril 2024 /CNW/ – Postes Canada a émis de nouveaux timbres qui attirent l’attention sur deux espèces de grenouilles en danger au pays.

Un timbre présente la grenouille maculée de l’Oregon et l’autre, le crapaud de Fowler. Ces deux amphibiens figurent sur la liste des espèces en voie de disparition du pays en raison de la perte de leur habitat, attribuable à l’activité humaine, aux organismes envahissants et aux polluants.

Crapaud de Fowler (Anaxyrus fowleri)
Au Canada, le crapaud de Fowler habite exclusivement sur la rive nord du lac Érié, en Ontario, se trouvant souvent sur les plages sablonneuses et les dunes. Principalement nocturne, on le trouve également dans une grande partie de l’est des États-Unis.

Les adultes, dont la taille varie de 5 cm à plus de 8 cm de longueur, se reproduisent dans des étangs, des bassins et des marais peu profonds. Leur couleur varie du gris au chamois, avec de petites taches foncées et des verrues sur le dos, et un ventre blanc ou crème.

Grenouille maculée de l’Oregon (Rana pretiosa)
Au Canada, la grenouille maculée de l’Oregon se trouve uniquement dans la vallée du Fraser, en Colombie-Britannique. Aux États-Unis, sa population californienne a disparu, mais on la trouve encore en Oregon et dans certaines régions de l’État de Washington.

Les pieds de ses pattes postérieures présentent une palmure complète et font d’elle une excellente nageuse. Contrairement à la plupart des autres grenouilles, ses yeux sont orientés vers le haut; elle peut ainsi voir au-dessus de l’eau en demeurant presque entièrement submergée. À l’âge adulte, la grenouille maculée de l’Oregonest brune ou rougeâtre, et a des taches noires au centre pâle sur la tête, le dos, les flancs et les pattes.

À propos des timbres
Conçue par Jocelyne Saulnier, de l’entreprise Joce Creative, illustrée par Emily S. Damstra et imprimée par Lowe-Martin, l’émission compte 250 000 carnets de 10 timbres Permanents🅪 au tarif du régime intérieur, 6 000 plis Premier Jour officiels et 40 000 blocs feuillets.

Le lieu d’oblitération est Port Rowan, en Ontario, une ville sur la rive nord du lac Érié qui est à proximité de l’habitat du crapaud de Fowler. L’arrière-plan du bloc-feuillet montre une grenouille maculée de l’Oregon qui regarde au-dessus de l’eau.

Les timbres et les articles de collection sont en vente sur postescanada.ca et dans les comptoirs postaux partout au pays.

 

Britain Celebrates 100 Years of Commemorative Stamps (UK 2024)

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[press release] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]
Royal Mail Marks the 100th Anniversary of Its Commemorative Stamps Programme with a Set of New Stamps

Issue Date: 16 April

  • The first commemorative stamp was issued on 23 April 1924
  • Each of the 10 stamps features three images of previously issued commemorative stamps
  • The stamps and a range of collectible products are available to pre-order at www.royalmail.com/100years and by telephone on 03457 641641. The stamps go on general sale on 16 April.

Royal Mail have revealed images of 10 new stamps to mark the centenary of British commemorative stamps.

For 100 years, commemorative stamps, also known as Special Stamps, have helped to mark and celebrate some of the most significant events in the United Kingdom’s history and national life.

Each of the 10 stamps includes a selection of three images of previously issued commemorative stamps – including the very first, released in 1924. That year, on 23 April, the first UK special stamp was issued to commemorate the opening of the British Empire Exhibition at Wembley Park in London.

Collectors Sheet

Commemorative stamps are works of art in miniature. Much of the artwork that goes into their design begins at a much larger scale. It is part of the stamp designers’ task to ensure that it can be successfully reduced to the small size of a postage stamp. Over the past century, talented artists and designers have been commissioned to commemorate and celebrate important anniversaries and events.

The themes and topics covered range from the tiniest of insects to the far reaches of outer space. Over the past century, popular subjects have included literature, film and television, music, transport, the natural world, influential people and royalty.

David Gold, Director of External Affairs and Policy said: “British commemorative stamps have mirrored the changes in society and culture at large for the past century. They celebrate the best of the UK, our people and our national character. Everyone will have their own favourites, but this set shows the diversity of the stamps programme and how design and subject matter have evolved in a century.”

Themes
In the early days, there were few commemorative issues. Those that were released were generally focused on Royalty. The Silver Jubilee of King George V got a commemorative stamp in 1935. In 1936, work began on stamps to mark the coronation of King Edward VIII the following year, but he abdicated that December and therefore no Coronation stamps were ever released. The coronation of his brother, King George VI, was marked with a stamp. It remains one of only three coronation issues, the others being for the coronations of Queen Elizabeth II and King Charles III.

The modern commemorative stamp programme was devised in 1965 by the then Postmaster General, Tony Benn, who worked with designer David Gentleman to overhaul stamp design. The stamp of Sir Winston Churchill, issued in July of that year, was designed by Gentleman and was the first British stamp to feature a non-Royal contemporary individual. With its bold modernist approach and no text, it set the scene for the future.

Over the years, some incredible designers and artists have contributed their work, including Quentin Blake, David Hockney, Paula Rego, Grayson Perry and Yinka Shonibare.

The world of music has been well represented over the years, with classical pieces, such as Sea Pictures by Edward Elgar, balanced with more contemporary artists, including David Bowie, Elton John, Pink Floyd and Queen. Popular culture has been celebrated with major film franchises, such as Harry Potter, popular comedy series Blackadder’s 40th anniversary in 2023, Coronation Street (60th anniversary), The Clangers (50 years of children’s TV), and Dr Who (50th anniversary).

Celebrating diversity is a theme that runs through Royal Mail’s stamp issues, with individuals from all backgrounds and walks of life depicted. Amongst the many stamps issued to celebrate the diversity of the UK was a set in 2023 to mark the 75th anniversary of the Empire Windrush arriving in the UK.

Also, in 2018 a stamp honoured Sophia Duleep Singh, a prominent suffragette campaigner of Sikh heritage and in 2022, a set of stamps was released to mark the 50th anniversary of the UK’s first Gay Pride rally that took place in 1972.

The natural world has been a major theme from the very earliest days of commemorative stamps. The British countryside, flora and fauna – including the tiniest of insects – have made appearances. Commemorative stamps have helped to celebrate the wonder of the natural world and highlight significant environmental issues, such as endangered species and pollution. It has not been just the existing natural world to feature; dinosaurs, for example, have appeared more than once, including on an innovative set of stamps in 2013, where the image of the dinosaur breaks out from the edge of the frame.

Stamp-by-Stamp:
1st Class: British Empire Exhibition, Postal Union Congress, Silver Jubilee

1st Class: Royal Silver Wedding, Centenary of First Adhesive Postage Stamps, Peace and Reconstruction1st Class: Tercentenary of ‘General Letter Office’, Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, Festival of Britain

1st Class: Landscapes, Investiture of HRH The Prince of Wales, National Nature Week

1st Class: Philympia 70 Stamp Exhibition, British Wildlife, British Achievement in Chemistry

1st Class: Flowers, Halley’s Comet, Transport and Communications

1st Class: Robert Burns: The Immortal Memory, Millennium, Architects of the Air

1st Class: The Weather, Lest We Forget, Sounds of Britain

1st Class: Landmark Buildings, Jane Austen, Queen

1st Class: Platinum Jubilee, Brilliant Bugs, Windrush: 75 Years

Philatelic products include framed stamps, collectors sheet, framed collectors sheet, and postcards. The top price is £67.50 for a 50-stamp “full sheet” (Europa or Silver Jubilee)

The stamps, and a range of collectible products, are available to pre-order at www.royalmail.com/100years and by telephone on 03457 641 641. A Presentation Pack including all 10 stamps in the set is priced at £14.40. The stamps go on general sale on 16 April.

Jackson Appointed to U.S. Advisory Panel

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[press release] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions] [Photo of Jackson supplied by her]
New Member Appointed to Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Postal Service today announced the appointment of marketing executive Trish Jackson to the Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee (CSAC). Members are appointed to the committee by the postmaster general to provide expertise in business, history, science, technology, art, education, sports and other areas of public interest. Working together, they make recommendations for future stamp subjects.

Jackson was born in New York City and grew up in Williamsburg, VA, where she first discovered her love and appreciation for American history. She is an active member of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), where she is Molly Stark chapter regent in Manchester, NH. She was an honorary New Hampshire state regent from 2019-2022 and is the national chairman of the DAR Leadership Training Committee. She was recently appointed by Gov. Christopher Sununu to New Hampshire’s America 250! Sesquicentennial Commission.

Jackson has had an extensive career in marketing, focusing on campaign and data analysis. She is currently a marketing campaign analyst for Cigna-Express Scripts. She is a graduate of Colgate University with a double major in political science and international relations.

Jackson lives in New Hampshire with her husband of 32 years, Hans, and has two children, Erin and Connor.

Submitting Stamp Suggestions
Due to the time required for research and approval in the stamp selection process, ideas for stamp subjects should be received at least three years prior to the proposed issuance. Each submission should include pertinent historical information and important dates associated with the subject. Proposals must be in writing and submitted by U.S. Mail. No in-person appeals, phone calls or emails are accepted. Mail your suggestion (one topic per letter) to the address below:

Stamp Development
Attn: Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee
475 L’Enfant Plaza SW, Room 3300
Washington, DC 20260-3501

Mystic Co. Adds $25K to Boston 2026

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[press release] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]
Boston 2026 Received $25,000 from Mystic Stamp Company

On the heels of a personal donation from its president, Donald J. Sundman, Mystic Stamp Company has come forth with its own $25,000 donation to Boston 2026 World Expo.

Yamil Kouri, Boston 2026 President, welcomed the contribution saying, “We continue to be amazed at the generosity of the entire Mystic organization in their backing of America’s next international exhibition. The company’s slogan as ‘America’s Leading Stamp Dealer’ is certainly befitting their support of the show.”

As mentioned in a prior press release Mystic became a 100% employee-owned company in April 2021 with the Sundmans continuing their positions—Donald as president and wife Chacea as director of human resources. The 110-employee business is based in Camden, New York, specializing in the buying and selling of postage stamps, collecting supplies, and other philatelic items.

The firm’s annual U.S. Stamp Catalog is one of the most comprehensive featuring over 160 pages depicting 4,800 stamps in full color along with other must-haves for collectors. Those in the U.S. may request one free of charge through their web site at www.mysticstamp.com and learn of their approval services.

First day cover enthusiasts know of the connection between Mystic and three historic mass-producers of cacheted covers formerly in the marketplace. Fleetwood was bought by Mystic in 2007, followed by Colorano’s silk cachet business in 2016. Mystic then purchased Artcraft’s 5 million steel-engraved cover inventory in 2019, making it the country’s foremost supplier of FDCs.

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.

Schedule Your GASS 2024 Meeting Now

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Latest news from Great American Stamp Show 2024:

A tentative schedule will go online soon. However, the show is running out of time slots (there is a limited number of rooms), especially the better ones. Also, the printed program will go to press soon, and you’ll want your event in that. Fill out this form.

Also, have you pre-registered yet? It only takes a minute, it’s free and there’s no obligation — no one will be taking attendance! Then you won’t have to wait in line to get your badge and the badge itself will look so much nicer than the handwritten ones. That link is here.

Booths All But Gone at Great American Stamp Show 2024

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There are only a handful of dealer booths and society tables left for Great American Stamp Show 2024 (August 15-18 in Hartford, Conn.) Societies that aren’t sure whether to take a table (which involves a commitment to STAFF it) should consider sharing with another society. The same is true if all the society tables are gone: Share. You’ll find the links for societies, dealers and more here.

Don’t think this is a fluke because the show is in the Northeast. Next year will be even tighter: It’s a smaller space. Moral of the story: Book early, whether it’s booth space, hotel rooms or anything else. (Some may call me “Lloyd the Late,” but I made my hotel reservation in mid-November.)

USPS Gets July 2024 Increases

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As expected, the Postal Rate Commission granted the USPS request. The details are in the press release about the proposal.

[press release] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]
U.S. Postal Service Recommends New Prices for July 2024

WASHINGTON, DC — Today [April 9, 2024], the U. S. Postal Service filed notice with the Postal Regulatory Commission of mailing services price changes to take effect July 14, 2024. The new rates include a 5-cent increase in the price of a First-Class Mail Forever stamp from 68 cents to 73 cents.

The proposed adjustments, approved by the governors of the Postal Service, would raise mailing servicesproduct prices approximately 7.8 percent. If favorably reviewed by the commission, the price changes would include:

Product
Letters (1 oz.)
Letters (metered 1 oz.)
Additional Ounces
Domestic Postcards
International Postcards
International Letter (1 oz.)		 Current Prices
68¢
64¢
24¢
53¢
$1.55
$1.55		 Proposed Prices
73¢
69¢
28¢
56¢
$1.65
$1.65

The additional-ounce price for single-piece letters increases from 24 cents to 28 cents. The Postal Service is also seeking price adjustments for Special Services products, including Certified Mail and money order fees. Notably, there will be no price increase for Post Office Box rental fees, and the Postal Service will apply a price reduction of 10 percent for postal insurance when mailing an item.

As changes in the mailing and shipping marketplace continue, these price adjustments are needed to achieve the financial stability sought by the organization’s Delivering for America 10-year plan. USPS prices remain among the most affordable in the world.

The commission will review the changes before they are scheduled to take effect. The complete Postal Service price filing, with prices for all products, can be found on the commission’s website under the Daily Listings section. The Mailing Services filing is Docket No. R2024-2. The price tables are also available on the Postal Service’s Postal Explorer website at pe.usps.com/PriceChange/Index.

VSC Notes:
The USPS filing says the 5¢ increase is 7.674%.

Of interest to those of us who mail “flats” (large envelopes that can bend), the USPS filing says,”The Postal Service is also making a change to the price structure of domestic First-Class Mail Flats. Currently, and for some time, Flats have been
priced by the ounce, with a base price for the first ounce and a single price for each additional ounce. That is, the price differential from one ounce to the next is constant.

“Under the proposed price structure here, the Postal Service would price each ounce independently, so the price diff erential from ounce to ounce may vary. This structure should provide greater flexibility in pricing First-Class Mail
Flats.”

Based on the filing, a one-ounce flat would go from $1.39 to $1.50, two-ounce from $1.63 to 1.77, three-ounce from $1.83 to $2.04, and so on: 11 to 21 cents in each of these cases.

Periodicals will increase nearly 10%.

Stamp Fulfillment Services fees will increase 8.641%

Radio: Alone Or Together?

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The Stamp Collecting Report
A radio feature by Lloyd de Vries

Download or listen to this report as an MP3 sound file.

Alone or With Others?

The Stamp Collecting Report. I’m Lloyd de Vries.

One thing we learned during the pandemic: Stamp Collecting is a hobby that can be done all by yourself or in a group, as a solitary pursuit or a social event.

You can sort and put away your stamps and related materials at any hour of the day or night, whether you’re in quarantine or just coming home from work late at night. But you can also get together with fellow collectors to buy, sell and trade stamps, give and get advice or just trade stories. There are “stamp shows,” as they’re called, almost every weekend of the year. Some are just a small collection of dealers in what’s called a “bourse.” Others are much more elaborate affairs, with not only dealers, but meetings, seminars, and food functions. Sometimes a new stamp will go on sale, too. There are also clubs in many areas. We’ve got links at virtual-stamp-club-dot-com.

One other thing we learned: Stamp collecting adapted quite nicely to the online meeting technology. For a year or so, it was almost the only way we could get together. But online meetings also make it easier to show your most interesting stamps to others attending the session. You can see much more on a computer or even a phone screen than something hand-held in the front of a room.

Best of all, you can participate in stamp collecting both by yourself and in a group, often all in the same day.

Stamp collecting weathered two world wars, the Great Influenza Epidemic of 1917, COVID-19 and mass media like radio, television, the movies and the internet. And it’s still going strong.

And that’s stamp collecting for now. I’m Lloyd de Vries of The Virtual Stamp Club. For more on stamps and stamp collecting, and for that list of links I promised, visit virtual-stamp-club-dot-com.

The Stamp Collecting Report began in 1997 as a 60-second weekly feature distributed to CBS Radio Network stations by CBS News as part of its Weekend Feature Package. Eventually, longer versions were recorded for this website and a Christian evangelical shortwave service. The Report ended its CBS run in 2017 with only six repeats in some 1,040 weeks. It is now produced solely for The Virtual Stamp Club on an occasional basis.

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