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Pressing the issue

The Stamp Collecting Report, I'm Lloyd de Vries.

The hottest new collectible in modern U-S stamps is the press sheet.

“Basically, it’s stamps as they come off of the printing press before they’re cut into
individual panes that you see at the post office.” RUNS :08

Jill Ambrose of Cincinnati may be the foremost expert on U-S press sheets.

“I have a complete collection of every press sheet that’s ever been issued.” RUNS :04

Each contains anywhere from three to 12 panes, or hundreds of stamps. They’re not cheap.

“The cheapest ones are like $25 range. The most expensive ones at this point are the
Express Mail stamps, and they’re in the 6, 7-hundred dollar range.” RUNS :09

Press sheets are often sold either with or without die cuts — the performat that let you
lift a single stamp off a pane. The “no die cut” press sheets are the more popular.
Neither is sold in post offices, but only on the U-S-P-S-dot-com website or the toll-free
800-stamp-24 number.

“I like them because it’s different and it’s something that’s just relatively new that
you can be complete with.” RUNS :06

Although the U-S has flirted with press sheets before, the modern versions began in
July 2012. The U-S joined the party late.

“There’s quite a few other countries, including Canada and some European countries.”
RUNS :05

Jill Ambrose has a book on the first three-and-a-half years of no-die-cut press sheets,
available on Amazon and eBay.

I’m Lloyd de Vries of The Virtual Stamp Club. For more on stamps and stamp collecting,
and a link to the book, visit virtual-stamp-club-dot-com.

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