Author Archives: VSC

Speculation: US 2026 Issues

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We haven’t heard anything official from the U.S. Postal Service and, even when we do, it won’t be the complete U.S. 2026 stamp program. Still, it’s fun to try to guess what stamps will be issued.

These are pretty definite:
Lunar New Year (Year of the Horse)
Bicentennial issues
6 issues at Boston 2026, including the Encore winner

I think these are good bets, all born in 1926:
Civil rights leader Ralph Abernathy (Black Heritage Series?)
Singer Tony Bennett (died 2023)
Musician Chuck Berry

Some 1876 events that might be commemorated:
Centennial International Exhibition (1876) in Philadelphia, first official world’s fair to be held in the US. (Opened May 10; stamp or stamps at Boston 2026?)
Colorado Statehood
The National League of Professional Base Ball Clubs is formed
First successful telephone call (stamp in 1976)
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is published

A 1926 event that I think is a good bet for commemoration:
U.S. numbered highway system is established, including Route 66.

Less likely births in 1926:
Comedian/philanthropist Jerry Lewis
Author Harper Lee (“To Kill A Mockinbird”)
Comedian Don Rickles
Actor Andy Griffith
Mel Brooks – still living!

Less likely events from 1876:
Introduction of Heinz Tomato Ketchu
Introduction of Budweiser Beer

Less likely events from 1926:
First weather map is televised! (from one government office to another)
The 8-hour, 5-day work week is announced by Henry Ford
NBC Radio Network established (CBS isn’t founded until 1928)
Winnie the Pooh is published, but in London

Radio: Publications Disaster Averted

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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.

No catalogue catastrophe.

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

That sound you may have heard at stamp shows and club meetings was a sigh of relief: Two active stamp collectors, with backing from others, have purchased Linn’s Stamp News, the Scott Stamp Monthly magazine and the Scott catalogues from Amos Media. That company will retain its coin collecting publications and its stamp and coin supplies business.

The Scott books are the bible for U.S. stamp collectors, assigning the catalogue numbers and identifying varieties. Linn’s, a weekly, was once THE source of stamp collecting news. But over the past year, the newspaper has shrunk as advertisers and columnists abandoned it. The catalogues were delayed because of problems getting them printed. Cash flow seemed to be a problem.

It took most of a year to put the deal together. Meanwhile, stamp collectors have been holding their collective breath, waiting to see if the publications would survive.

And apparently, they will. The new publishers have big plans to modernize and expand, and collectors are rejoicing.

I’m Lloyd de Vries of The Virtual Stamp Club. For more on stamps and stamp collecting, and the latest on Linn’s and the Scott catalogues, 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.

Go to Report Index • Return to Virtual Stamp Club Home Page

Boston 2026 Promotion Offer for Cachetmakers

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The Boston 2026 team wants to see — and show — your cachets for the Boston 2026 stamps that came out in August!

It will post images of some or all of the FDCs on its social media sites. The offer is open only to AFDCS members.

If you wish to participate, send .jpg images — ideally, 1080×1080 or a vertical format — to Boston 2026 social media coordinator Julie Dennehy, dennehypr@gmail.com with this information:

Artist Name and AFDCS Member #
Cachet line name
City/State/Country:
Medium Used:
Quantity Made:
Email:
Web Site/Social Media:

As an example:

Artist Name, AFDCS Member #: Lloyd de Vries, #LM381
Cachet line name: Dragon Cards
City/State/Country: Twp of Washington, NJ, USA
Medium Used: Commercial digital press
Quantity Made: 88
Email: DragonCards@pobox.com
Web Site/Social Media: www.dragoncards.biz

And a personal tip: If you produced more than one design, I recommend you show the best or the best or the one you most want to sell!

Boston 2026: Update on U.S. Philatelic Tariffs

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[press release] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]
Boston 2026: Update on U.S. Philatelic Tariffs

Boston 2026 has been working with various officials of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, which includes U.S. Customs and Border Protection, regarding tariffs and the exhibition. Lower-level analysts specializing in collectibles up to Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem have been consulted, along with Republican and Democratic members of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives.

The 1994 amendment to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) states that informational materials are free of all tariffs. Our case, being presented by Mick Zais (right), former U.S. Acting Secretary of Education during the first Trump administration, is that philately is primarily an educational undertaking. Since stamps, philatelic material and exhibits are the informational media instruments furthering that pursuit, no tariff should be levied.

As a supplemental strategy, we have employed a customs broker, Vantage Point, to assist with acquiring temporary importation bonds, permitting exhibits for display purposes and other philatelic material not being sold, to enter the country under a tariff-free status. This would allow Boston 2026 commissioners and exhibitors from abroad bringing in “displays,” along with auction houses not directly selling material at the show, to enter and depart without worry.

We continue our efforts in anticipation of a resolution as soon as possible and thank everyone involved for their patience and understanding. Further news will be released as soon as a final resolution is known.

Boston 2026 World Expo takes place May 23-30, 2026, at the BostonConvention & 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.

Major Publications Have New Owner

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Updated Thursday, October 16. There is also a new article on the Linn’s/Scott Stamp website.

Jay Bigalke, David Fritz and others have formed a new company to publish the philatelic publications formerly owned by Amos Media: Linn’s Stamp News, Scott Stamp Monthly and the Scott postage stamp catalogues. The announcement was made Wednesday, October 15, after the close of business and Amos employees were notified.

Amos Media will retain its numismatic publications and the supplies and albums operation.

The new company is called “Scott Stamp LLC” (LLC stands for limited liability corporation, a legal term.) The negotiations took many months. Among the investors is Mystic Stamp Co. president Don Sundman, who called it “a great day for stamp collecting.”

All of the investors are themselves stamp collectors, Bigalke told The Virtual Stamp Club in a telephone interview, and their ages vary widely.

In the story on the Linn’s website, Bigalke [shown left at Great American Stamp Show 2021] and Fritz are described as “passionate collectors dedicated to strengthening and modernizing philately for future generations.”

Bigalke is already well-known in philately, starting with his first day cover cachetmaking while in high school, then to editorial jobs with VSC (albeit unpaid), Linn’s, the American Philatelic Society’s journal The American Philatelist and then back to Linn’s. Fritz, however, is not as well-known, although he is an active member of The Collectors Club and a member of the Royal Philatelic Society.

The new ownership is likely to be apparent with the November 3 issue of Linn’s, which is expected to go online this Saturday, October 18. All the philatelic editorial staff is making the move to the new company. Scott Stamp LLC’s offices will be located in Troy, Ohio.

Readers had noticed the paper was shrinking, both in terms of advertising and editorial content, and Bigalke told The VSC he plans to reverse that trend. “The editorial content is going to increase greatly,” Bigalke said.

Could Linn’s again be available as a printed newspaper? Yes, said Bigalke. “I am studying how to do it and if it makes financial sense to do so.”

When he returned to Linn’s after the APS sojourn, he told Amos Media owner Rick Amos he wanted to run not just the weekly newspaper, but also the Scott publications. “I’m gunning for your job,” he says he told Amos. “I always thought it would be fun to own the stamp side of the business some day.”

“What I want to pump back into philately is excitement,” he added. “We’re going to make heads spin here and I can’t wait.”

AFDCS Doubles Boston 2026 Donation

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[press release] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]
AFDCS Doubles Boston 2026 Donation

The American First Day Cover Society has made an additional $5,000 contribution to Boston 2026, bringing their total donation to date to $10,000, raising them to “Boston 2026 Early Bird” status.

With over 1,100 members, the AFDCS is the third-largest philatelic organization in the United States and the largest catering to first day collectors around the world. The organization is a co-sponsor of the Great American Stamp Show along with the American Philatelic Society and American Topical Association, where it hosts its annual Americover exhibition and convention.

Their latest gift was approved by the AFDCS Board during the GASS show in August and sent to Boston 2026 officials shortly thereafter by Executive Secretary Debra Gibson, commenting that many of their members will be attending the event and are looking forward to all that the exhibition and Boston area have to offer.

“We plan a strong presence at Boston 2026, with meetings, seminars and a booth,” said AFDCS president Lloyd A. de Vries. “With as many as half a dozen U.S. issues being released at Boston 2026, those eight days will be an exciting time for first day cover collectors.”

The AFDCS has many active chapters. Some are regional affiliates, like the Rochester Philatelic Association, while others are specialist groups, including the National Duck Stamp Collectors Society and Maximum Card Study Unit.

While FDC collecting and exhibiting has a strong following in North America, the international philatelic community is still discovering the enjoyment of this facet of the hobby. First day cover exhibiting is being featured at Boston 2026 as a Fédération Internationale de Philatélie experimental class. This exposure can further grow interest in first day covers around the world.

Annual membership in the American First Day Cover Society is $35 for collectors in the US and $100 for non-US residents, who may instead opt for online delivery of the organization’s bimonthly journal “First Days” for $24 instead. See details on their web site, afdcs.org, check out their Facebook group at facebook.com/groups/afdcs, and view their YouTube Channel, youtube.com/@afdcsamericanfirstdaycover367.

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.

Chicago Club Donates $5K to Boston 2026

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[press release] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]
Collectors Club of Chicago Named Boston 2026 Sponsor

The Collectors Club of Chicago has donated $5,000 to be named the Boston 2026 World Expo Philatelic Literature Library Sponsor.

Few hobbies can claim the wealth of abundant resources that philately has. The ever-growing number of books, periodicals, catalogs, articles, web sites, applications, videos and other reference material continue to fill home bookshelves, libraries and computer hard drives around the world in every possible language.

Boston 2026 and the Fédération Internationale de Philatélie (FIP) recognize the importance of these works in the scholarly pursuit of knowledge through the exhibition’s judged literature competition. All entries will be made available for viewing by show-goers in a special reading room set aside to showcase the breadth of material available to philatelists.

It is fitting that the Collectors Club of Chicago has agreed to sponsor the literature library, as their very charter has as its primary objectives the documentation, preservation, advancement and promotion of philately through education, study, research and services. This most recent gift added to their prior contribution boosts the organization to “Boston 2026 Directors” donor level status.

Collectors Club of Chicago has a long history of publishing original philatelic literature that has earned numerous awards globally. The club has been an early advocate for on-demand publishing, which is a recent expansion for philatelic literature.

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.

Astrophilately Talk at U.S. Museum

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[press release] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]
David S. Ball Will Speak on “Astrophilately: Intersection of Space and Postal History”

The Smithsonian’s National Postal Museum will host the 22nd Maynard Sundman Lecture Thursday, Nov. 6, at 4 p.m. ET at the museum and also online on Zoom. Admission is free, but registration is required.

David Ball, astrophilatelist and NASA Solar System Ambassador, will discuss how personal stories, philately and rockets intertwine. For nearly 100 years, human ambitions to reach and explore space have been paired with philatelic aspirations. This intersection of space and postal history — astrophilately — uses philatelic material related to space exploration, including covers and their postmarks linking the date and location of key events in aerospace history, to tell stories of humankind’s conquest of the heavens.

About David S. Ball
Ball is a recognized collector, exhibitor and author on aerophilately and astrophilately. His writings have been published in The American Philatelist (published by the American Philatelic Society), The Airpost Journal (published by the American Air Mail Society), The Israel Philatelist (published by the Society of Israel Philatelists), The Astrophile (published by the Space Unit Study Group), The Philatelic Exhibitor (published by the American Association of Philatelic Exhibitors) and many others.

His book, American Astrophilately: The First Fifty Years, was nominated in 2010 for the American Astronautical Society’s Eugene M. Emme Astronautical Literature Award, which recognizes the outstanding book that advances public understanding of astronautics. The book received a gold medal in the American Philatelic Society literature competition. With 14 contributors, the book introduces astrophilately and some of its specialties through a collection of essays and images.

Ball uses these philatelic materials in his capacity as a NASA Solar System Ambassador. This NASA program works with motivated volunteers across the nation to communicate the science and excitement of NASA’s space exploration missions and discoveries with their communities. As an ambassador, Ball has hosted events at public libraries, Merrimack College and Framingham State University and its McAuliffe Center for Integrated Science Learning.

Ball serves as U.S. delegate to the Astrophilatelic Section of the Fédération Internationale de Philatélie (FIP) and is a nationally accredited philatelic judge with specializations in aerophilately, astrophilately and Holy Land, polar and postal history.

He is currently president of the American Air Mail Society. He is also active in the American Association of Philatelic Exhibitors, the American Society of Polar Philatelists and the Society of Israel Philatelists, and is a 25-year member of the American Philatelic Society. He is also currently the awards chair and security manager on the organizing committee for the Boston 2026 World Expo.

Ball is a retired Air Force officer and health-care professional and was previously the executive director of the Spellman Museum of Stamps and Postal History in Weston, Massachusetts. He has been fascinated by space exploration since watching the Apollo astronauts walk on the face of the moon a half-century ago.
The public can visit the museum’s website for additional information and registration instructions.

About the Smithsonian’s National Postal Museum
The National Postal Museum is devoted to presenting the colorful and engaging history of the nation’s mail service and showcasing one of the largest and most comprehensive collections of stamps and philatelic material in the world. It is located at 2 Massachusetts Ave. N.E., Washington, D.C., across from Union Station. The museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (closed Dec. 25). For more information about the Smithsonian, call (202) 633-1000 or visit the museum website.

Monopoly (UK 2025)

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[press release] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]
Pass Go, Collect Monopoly Stamps:
Royal Mail Celebrates a Timeless Classic

  • Issue Date: 16 October
  • New stamps mark the 90th anniversary of Monopoly, the world’s favourite board game brand
  • A limited-edition postbox Monopoly playing token is also available
  • The stamps and a range of collectible products are available to pre-order now at www.royalmail.com/monopoly and by telephone on 03457 641641

Royal Mail, under license from Hasbro, a leading games, IP and toy company, has unveiled a striking new set of 10 stamps to commemorate the 90th anniversary of one of the nation’s most beloved board games: Monopoly.

The stamps capture iconic moments and locations from the classic UK edition of the game, including:

  • Collect £200 Salary As You Pass Go
  • Old Kent Road
  • Pentonville Road
  • Whitehall
  • Free Parking and Vine Street
  • Park Lane
  • Liverpool Street Station
  • Oxford Street and Regent Street
  • Coventry Street
  • Chance

In addition to the stamps, Royal Mail is launching a limited-edition run of 5,000 Monopoly postbox playing tokens [right, £39.99], available for purchase exclusively via the Royal Mail website. These collectible tokens pay tribute to the familiar red postboxes seen across the UK and offer fans a unique way to celebrate the game’s legacy.

Monopoly first arrived in the UK in the 1930s when John Waddington Limited of Leeds secured the European licence, following its original release in the United States. The British edition, featuring well-known London streets and landmarks, quickly became a cultural icon.

Today, Monopoly is played by over one billion players in 114 countries and has been translated into more than 40 languages, continuing to bring families and friends together around the world.

David Gold, Director of External Affairs & Policy, Royal Mail said: ” Monopoly has been a cherished part of British family life for generations, and we’re proud to celebrate its 90th anniversary with this Special Stamp issue. These designs pay tribute to the game’s enduring legacy and its deep connection to London’s streets and culture. We hope fans of all ages will enjoy this nostalgic journey around the board.”

Marianne James, Senior Vice President, Global Licensed Consumer Products, Hasbro said: “Monopoly has been bringing friends and family together for 90 years, and it’s an honour to mark this milestone alongside Royal Mail. These Special Stamps celebrate not only the game’s incredible legacy, but also its unique ties to the UK. It’s a wonderful way to pay tribute to a brand that continues to spark joy, connection and a little friendly competition for families everywhere.”

The stamps, and a range of collectible products, are available to pre-order now at www.royalmail.com/monopoly and by telephone on 03457 641 641. A Presentation Pack including all 10 stamps is priced at £17.90. The stamps go on general sale from 16 October.

The philatelic products include postcards; framed stamps; first day covers with either of two postmarks, and either addressed or unaddressed (£21.05 or currently US$28.16)

a presentation pack, and coin covers, either with an uncirculated coin as shown here

or with a gold coin for £1,595.00 (currently US$2,133.47). The limited edition postbox marker (shown above) is £39.99 (US$53.49).

Wade Saadi, 1949 – 2025

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Former American Philatelic Society president Wade Saadi has passed away at the age of 76 after a long illness. The announcement was made by the Collectors Club at the start of an online presentation.

He listed himself on Linked In as an ” Independent Nanotechnology Professional” and president of Pencom Systems for more than 52 years. The firm recruited high-technology and scientific professionals with an emphasis on the financial services industry in the New York City area.

Saadi was president of the APS from 2008, when he succeeded Nicholas Carter, who had died in office. He was then elected to two full terms in his own right. He was also president of World Stamp Show-NY 2016, which after it closed donated $700,000 to other philatelic organizations, including its success U.S. “international,” Boston 2026.

“The biggest challenge was whether the show would make money, because yiou have to make commitments six or seven years before [the show],” he told Linn’s Stamp News for its Most Influential Philatelists. “It was all a bit nerve-wracking.”

He also served on the boards of the Smithsonian National Postal Museum and the Philatelic Foundation.

An exhibitor and researcher of early U.S. issues and then fancy cancels, Saadi was the recipient of the APS’ Luff Award for Outstanding Service to the Society in 2017, the Collectors Club’s Lichtenstein Award in 2015, and many other honors. His exhibits won many international gold medals.

Despite his illness, he attended Great American Stamp Show this past summer.