4¢ Chippendale Chair

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According to the December 12th issue of the Postal Bulletin, a version in a self-adhesive coil of 10,000 will be issued January 2nd with a first day city of Kansas City. I doubt there will be a ceremony.

[press release]
Chippendale Chair 4-Cent Definitive Stamp Now On Sale

USPS04STA036WASHINGTON — The U.S. Postal Service is today reissuing the Chippendale Chair 4-cent definitive stamp in one design in a water-activated gum coil of 10,000 stamps.

Chippendale Chair, the fourth stamp in the American Design series, was first issued on March 5, 2004. This 4-cent definitive stamp features a stylized treatment of a Chippendale chair made in Philadelphia between 1760 and 1765. The artist, the late Lou Nolan, based his design on a Chippendale side chair, or chair without arms. The colors he used for the wood and seat cover give the stamp design a contemporary feel. Derry Noyes was the art director.

How to Order the First-Day-of-Issue Postmark:
Customers have 60 days to obtain the first-day-of-issue postmark by mail. They may purchase new stamps at their local Post Office, at The Postal Store website at http://usps.com/shop, or by calling 800-STAMP-24. They should affix the stamps to envelopes of their choice, address the envelopes (to themselves or others), and place them in a larger envelope addressed to:

Chippendale Chair Stamp
Cancellation Services
8300 NE Underground Drive, Pillar 210
Kansas City, MO 64144-0001

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. For more than 50, customers have to pay five cents each. All orders must be postmarked by March 2, 2014.

Technical Specifications:

Issue: Chippendale Chair Stamp
Item Number: 785600
Denomination & Type of Issue: 4-cent Definitive
Format: Coil of 10,000 (1 design)
Series: American Design
Issue Date & City: January 2, 2014, Kansas City, MO 64108 (No Ceremony)
Designer: Derry Noyes, Washington, DC
Art Director: Derry Noyes, Washington, DC
Typographer: Derry Noyes, Washington, DC
Artist: Lou Nolan
Modeler: Joseph Sheeran
Manufacturing Process: Gravure
Engraver: N/A
Printer: Ashton Potter/Guilford Gravure
Printed at: Williamsville, NY
Press Type: Cerutti, 118
Stamps per Coil: 10,000
Print Quantity: 100 million stamps
Paper Type: Nonphosphored, Type III
Adhesive Type: Water-activated
Processed at: Ashton Potter/Guilford Gravure, Williamsville, NY
Stamp Orientation: Vertical
Image Area (w x h): 0.708 x 0.84 in./17.98 x 21.37 mm
Overall Size (w x h): 0.87x 0.98 in./22.10 x 24.89 mm
Colors: PMS 476 (Brown), PMS 477 (Brown), PMS 7407 (Yellow), PMS 172 (Orange)
Plate Size: 432 stamps per revolution
Plate Numbers: “P” followed by four (4) single digits
Plate Number Frequency: Plate block number on 1st stamp of the form below stamp
Coil Back Number Frequency: N/A
Marginal Markings: N/A

Year of the Horse (Lunar New Year)

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yearofhorseAccording to the December 12th Postal Bulletin, this stamp will be issued January 15th. However, the Bulletin has New York as the first-day; the correct city is San Francisco.

From my October preview:

2014 will be the Year of the Horse, but as with the other six stamps in this series by Kam Mak, the design shows artifacts associated with Lunar New Year celebrations, as well as peonies, traditional symbols of prosperity. In this case, it’s Chinese drums used by revelers to welcome the new year.

More details here as we get them.horsesheet We do have illustrations, though:

Added December 19th: The Digital Color Postmark design: LNY14dcp

Hummingbird

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Hummingbird

The January 23rd Postal Bulletin says this stamp will be issued February 7 with Kansas City as the location.

A new postcard stamp celebrates the beauty and grace of the hummingbird. The stamp art is a tinted, highly stylized, digital depiction of a hummingbird hovering near a plant.

Hummingbirds, known for their agility, brilliant colors, and long bills, are among the smallest birds in the world, ranging in size from about two to eight inches long. Some weigh less than a penny. Special wing anatomy enables hummingbirds to fly forward, backward, and upside down, as well as to hover in one spot. The “humming” sound they produce is made by their rapid wing movements — the wings of some species beat up to 80 times per second!

The Hummingbird stamp features the art of illustrator Nancy Stahl. Carl T. Herrman was the art director.

Here’s the Digital Color Postmark for this issue:

humbird_dcp_vsc

How to Order the First-Day-of-Issue Postmark
Customers have 60 days to obtain the first-day-of-issue postmark by mail. They may purchase new stamps at their local Post Office, at The Postal Store® website at www.usps.com/shop, or by calling 800-STAMP-24. They should affix the stamps to envelopes of their choice, address the envelopes (to themselves or others), and place them in a larger envelope addressed to:

Hummingbird Stamp
Cancellation Services
8300 NE Underground Drive, Pillar 210
Kansas City, MO 64144-0001

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. For more than 50, customers have to pay five cents each. All orders must be postmarked by April 11, 2014.

Technical Specifications:
Issue: Hummingbird Stamp
Item Number: 117200
Denomination & Type of Issue: 34-cent Definitive
Format: Pane of 20 (1 design)
Series: N/A
Issue Date & City: February 7, 2014, Kansas City, MO 64108 (No Ceremony)
Designer: Carl T. Herrman, North Las Vegas, NV
Art Director: Carl T. Herrman, North Las Vegas, NV
Typographer: Carl T. Herrman, North Las Vegas, NV
Artist: Nancy Stahl, New York, NY
Modeler: Joseph Sheeran
Manufacturing Process: Offset/Microprint “USPS”
Printer: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd. (APU)
Printed at: Williamsville, NY
Press Type: Mueller Martini, A76
Stamps Per Pane 20
Print Quantity: 100 million stamps
Paper Type: Nonphosphored Type III
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Processed at: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd. (APU)
Colors: Black, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, PMS 625 (C Blue)
Image Orientation: Vertical
Image Area (w x h): 0.73 x 0.84 in./18.54 x 21.34
Stamp Size (w x h): 0.87 x0 .98 in./22.10 x 24.89 mm
Full Pane Size (w x h): 5.35 x 4.93 in./135.89 x 125.22 mm
Plate Size: 400 stamps per revolution
Plate Numbers: “P” followed by five (5) single digits
Marginal Markings:
Front: Plate numbers in four corners of pane
Back: © 2013 USPS • USPS logo • Plate position diagram • Barcode (117200) in upper and lower left corners of pane • Promotional text

HummingbirdTechnical Specifications:
Issue: Hummingbird Stamp
Item Number: 774600
Denomination & Type of Issue: 34-cent Definitive (Postcard Rate)
Format: Coil of 100
Series: N/A
Issue Date & City: February 7, 2014, Kansas City, MO 64108 (No Ceremony)
Designer: Carl T. Herrman, North Las Vegas, NV
Art Director: Carl T. Herrman, North Las Vegas, NV
Typographer: Carl T. Herrman, North Las Vegas, NV
Artist: Nancy Stahl, New York, NY
Modeler: Joseph Sheeran
Manufacturing Process: Offset/Microprint “USPS”
Printer: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd. (APU)
Printed at: Williamsville, NY
Press Type: Mueller Martini, A76
Stamps Per Coil: 100
Print Quantity: 400 million stamps
Paper Type: Prephosphored Type I, Block Tag Applied
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Processed at: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd. (APU)
Colors: Black, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, PMS 625 (C Blue)
Stamp Orientation: Vertical
Image Area (w x h): 0.73 x 0.84 in./18.54 x 21.34 mm
Stamp Size (w x h): 0.87096 x 0.98 in./22.12 x 24.89 mm
Coil Size (w x h): 0.98 x 87.000 in./24.89 x 2209.80 mm
Plate Size: 744 stamps per revolution
Plate Numbers: “P” followed by five (5) single digits
Coil Number Frequency: Plate numbers located under first stamp of impression • Barcode (07746004)

Cut Paper Heart

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From the USPS:

CutPaperHeartsThe Cut Paper Heart stamp adds another romantic entry to the beautiful Love stamp series.

This fanciful stamp takes its inspiration from the folk traditions of papercutting. Its digital illustration depicts a large white heart enclosing a smaller pink heart with a saw-toothed edge along its left-hand side. Surrounding the central hearts are pink swirls, with smaller hearts imbedded in the design and a ragged-edge motif that echoes the edging on the small pink heart. The hearts and swirls are contained within a red square that has “pinked” edges, as if cut with pinking shears. A white border frames the entire design.

The stamp art is reminiscent of liebesbriefe — ornately cut and painted love letters that are a form of scherenschnitte, the papercutting tradition brought to America in the 18th and 19th centuries by German immigrants. Not intended only for February 14, these early precursors to valentines carried declarations of love and sometimes proposals of marriage. The stamp art is a stunning digital interpretation of these traditional love-letter decorations.

Like the liebesbriefe, the Cut Paper Heart stamps are not just for use on Valentine’s Day, but say “love” all year round.

Designed by art director Antonio Alcalá, the stamp features an illustration by Q. Cassetti.

From my October report:

There will be a new Love stamp, a heart in the center of art deco-like swirls. We were told it’s a cut-paper heart, although I don’t see how you would be able to tell.

Here’s the Digital Color Postmark for this issue:

cutpaper_dcp_vscFrom the USPS on the first-day, January 21st:

U.S. Postal Service Unveils Limited-Edition 2014 Love Stamp
and Hosts Crafting Workshop for Handmade Valentines

Actress Bella Thorne Joins the Fun And Talks About The Personal Touch of Handmade Valentines

CutPaperHeartsNEW YORK — Love is in the air. The United States Postal Service today dedicated the Cut Paper Heart Forever Stamp, this year’s limited-edition Love stamp.
Postal customers can beat the Valentine’s Day rush as the stamps go on sale today at Post Offices nationwide, online at usps.com/stamps, at the Postal Store on eBay at ebay.com/stamps, and by calling 800-STAMP24 (800-782-6724).

“This year’s Love stamp is a reminder that the most heartfelt messages for Valentine’s Day are personalized and sent by mail, not text,” said Richard Uluski, area vice president, Northeast Area, who dedicated the stamp during a ceremony held at the Time Warner Center in New York City. Joining Uluski to dedicate the Cut Paper Heart Forever Stamp was actress Bella Thorne, who participated in a valentine crafting workshop.

“With this lovely paper heart, our stamps will once again help spread a message of love on millions of cards and letters mailed all across America. And, these Forever stamps will be valid for First-Class Mail postage forever, no matter what the price is when you put them on the envelope,” Uluski said. The Love stamp series was launched in 1973.

In addition to the stamp dedication ceremony, the Postal Service hosted a workshop to create handmade valentines. The Cut Paper Heart stamp takes its inspiration from the folk traditions of papercutting.

The digital illustration depicts a large white heart enclosing a smaller pink heart with a saw-toothed edge along its left-hand side. Surrounding the central hearts are pink swirls with smaller hearts imbedded in the design, and a ragged-edge motif that echoes the edging on the small pink heart. The hearts and swirls are contained within a red square that has “pinked” edges, as if cut with pinking shears. A white border frames the entire design. Art director Antonio Alcalá designed the stamp, which features an illustration by Q. Cassetti.

Ordering First-Day-of-Issue Postmark for Cut Paper Heart Forever Stamp:
Customers have 90 days to obtain the first-day-of-issue postmark by mail. They may purchase the new stamps at local Post Offices, at usps.com/stamps or by calling 800-STAMP-24. They should apply the stamps to envelopes of their choice, address the envelopes to themselves or others and place them in larger envelopes addressed to:

Love: Cut Paper Heart Stamp
Special Events Coordinator
380 West 33rd Street, Room 4032
New York, NY 10199-9998

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 for fewer than 50 requests. For more than 50, customers have to pay five cents each. All orders must be postmarked by March 21, 2014.

Ordering First-Day Covers:
The Postal Service also offers first-day covers for new stamp issues and Postal Service stationery items postmarked with the official first-day-of-issue cancellation. Each item has an individual catalog number and is offered in the quarterly USA Philatelic catalog, online at usps.com/stamps or by calling 800-782-6724. Customers may request a free catalog by calling 800-782-6724 or writing to:

U.S. Postal Service
Catalog Request
PO Box 219014
Kansas City, MO 64121-9014

Philatelic Products for Cut Paper Heart Forever Stamp
There are 11 philatelic products available:

  • 587206, Press Sheet w/die cuts, $55.20
    587208, Press Sheet w/o die cuts, $55.20
    587246, Press Sheet w/die cuts, $58.80
    587248, Press Sheet w/o die cuts, $58.80
    587210, Keepsake (Panel and Digital Color Postmark set), $10.95
    587216, First-Day Cover, $.90
    587221, Digital Color Postmark, $1.61
    587224, Framed Art, $39.95
    587230, Ceremony Program, $6.95
    587231, Stamped Deck Card, $.95
    587232, Stamped Deck Card w/Digital Color Postmark, $1.96

The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses, and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.

Technical Specifications:
CutPaperHeartsIssue: Cut Paper Heart Stamp
Item Number: 587200
Denomination & Type of Issue: First-Class Mail Forever
Format: Pane of 20 (1 design)
Series: Love
Issue Date & City: January 21, 2014, New York, NY 10199
Designer: Antonio Alcalá, Alexandria, VA
Art Director: Antonio Alcalá, Alexandria, VA
Typographer: Antonio Alcalá, Alexandria, VA
Artist: Q. Cassetti, Trumansburg, NY
Engraver: WRE
Modeler: CCL Label, Inc.
Manufacturing Process:
Gravure Printer: CCL Label, Inc.
Printed at: Clinton, SC 29325
Press Type: Dia Nippon Kiko (DNK)
Stamps per Pane: 20
Print Quantity: 50 million stamps
Paper Type: Prephosphored, Type I
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Processed at: CCL Label, Inc., Clinton, SC
Colors: 032 (Red), 211 (Pink), 1807 (Dk. Red)
Stamp Orientation: Horizontal
Image Area (w x h): 1.05 x 0.77 in./26.67 x 19.56 mm
Overall Size (w x h): 1.19 x 0.91 in./30.23 x 23.11 mm
Full Pane Size (w x h): 5.75 x 5.50 in./146.05 x 139.70 mm
Plate Size: 120 stamps per revolution
Plate Numbers: “C” followed by three (3) single digits
Marginal Markings:
Front: Plate numbers in four corners of pane
Back: ©2013 USPS • USPS logo • Plate position diagram • Barcode (587200) in upper right and lower left corners of pane • Promotional text

USS Arizona Memorial Express Mail

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From the USPS:

Note that the denomination may change.

Note that the denomination may change.

Every year, more than a million people visit the USS Arizona Memorial in Hawaii’s Pearl Harbor and remember the events of December 7, 1941. This tranquil shrine to the 1,177 sailors aboard the Arizona who lost their lives that day also marks the entry of the United States into World War II.

The art for this Priority Mail Express stamp features an illustration of the white concrete memorial, which rises above the sunken ship in the shape of a bridge. Depicted under a sunny sky and bright clouds with an American flag fluttering overhead, the memorial is mirrored by its own reflection on the water below.

Nearly half of the Americans killed in the attack died aboard the Arizona when a bomb struck an ammunitions store, causing it to detonate. The remains of the ship now rest at the bottom of Pearl Harbor. The illustration was created by Dan Cosgrove, working with art director Phil Jordan.

Added January 13th: This stamp will be issued March 13, 2014.

Here’s the Digital Color Postmark for this issue:

ussariz_dcp_vscHere’s the address for submitting FDCs:

USS Arizona Memorial Stamp
Marketing Department

3600 Aolele Street, Room 106
Honolulu, HI 96820-9996

Surprise! SpongeBob Postcards

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[UPDATED] A surprise from the U.S. Postal Service and the Nickelodeon children’s television channel, announced on the same day they were first available — and they’re only going available in 25,000 post offices.

They’re not “postal cards,” or postal stationery, as we first thought. They’re available for free.

Here’s the press release:

 [Nickelodeon press release]
Nickelodeon And The United States Postal Service Team Up For “SpongeBob Mailpants” Letter Writing Program

Campaign Encourages Kids to Write and Mail Letters


30 Custom-Wrapped SpongeBob Mailboxes Placed in 13 Cities Nationwide, as Program Rolls Out in 25,000 Post Office Locations

spongebob_card2NEW YORK, Dec. 5, 2013 /PRNewswire/ — Today Nickelodeon and the United States Postal Service are launching “SpongeBob MailPants,” an educational letter-writing program that uses SpongeBob SquarePants to show kids the fun of writing, sending and receiving mail this holiday season. Now through Jan. 4, 2014, kids can get special postage-paid, customized SpongeBob postcards at more than 25,000 Post Office locations nationwide to connect with their loved ones using the U.S. Postal Service.

In addition to the postcards, 30 mailboxes are being wrapped in a custom SpongeBob design in cities, including Atlanta, GA; Boston, MA; Charlotte, NC; Chicago, IL; Dallas, TX; Hollywood, FL; Kirkwood, MO; Los Angeles, CA; Miami, FL; New York, NY; Orlando, FL; Philadelphia, PA; and Washington, DC, adding a blast of color and comedy to sidewalks this winter.

spongebob_cardback2“This program is a great way to inspire kids to write and send cards and letters because it’s done with the fun, positivity and humor of the one and only SpongeBob SquarePants,” said Pam Kaufman, Chief Marketing Officer and President of Consumer Products for Nickelodeon. “SpongeBob MailPants is a terrific partnership between Nickelodeon and the Postal Service, and we’re thrilled that kids and families across the country can go to their local Post Office for some SpongeBob-inspired holiday cheer.”

“We’re excited to partner with Nickelodeon. This is a great, fun way to teach kids to write postcards. What better way to encourage kids to experience the excitement of sending personal correspondence than teaming up with SpongeBob, who is adored by children of all ages,” said Nagisa Manabe, Chief Marketing and Sales Officer at the United States Postal Service. “And the timing is perfect. A postcard is a terrific way to send a holiday thank you.”

Kids, parents, and teachers who want to learn more about letter writing and the “SpongeBob MailPants” program can visit www.nick.com/usps to find the following:

  • A step-by-step, interactive video tutorial that guides kids through the process of writing a letter and provides printable practice sheets.
  • Customizable and printable SpongeBob stationery that will be updated with new imagery throughout the program.
  • Writing-themed SpongeBob video clips.

spongebob_mailbox2Since its launch in July 1999, SpongeBob SquarePants has emerged as a pop culture phenomenon.  The series has been the most-watched animated program with kids 2-11 for more than 12 consecutive years, and over the past several years, it has averaged more than 100 million total viewers every quarter across all Nickelodeon networks. As the most widely distributed property in Viacom history, SpongeBob is seen in more than 170 countries and translated into more than 35 languages. The character-driven cartoon chronicles the nautical and sometimes nonsensical adventures of SpongeBob, an incurable optimist and earnest sea sponge, and his undersea friends.

This partnership with the United States Postal Service was created by Nickelodeon’s New Business Development team, which brings family-influenced insights to the marketing community and delivers new, robust partnership solutions to clients.

About USPS
 

The second design

The second design

A self-supporting government enterprise, the U.S. Postal Service is the only delivery service that reaches every address in the nation: 152 million residences, businesses and Post Office Boxes. The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations. With more than 31,000 retail locations and the most frequently visited website in the federal government, usps.com, the Postal Service has annual revenue of more than $65 billion and delivers nearly 40 percent of the world’s mail. If it were a private-sector company, the U.S. Postal Service would rank 42nd in the 2012 Fortune 500. The Postal Service has been named the Most Trusted Government Agency for seven years and the fifth Most Trusted Business in the nation by the Ponemon Institute.

About Nickelodeon
spongebob_2card2Nickelodeon, now in its 34th year, is the number-one entertainment brand for kids. It has built a diverse, global business by putting kids first in everything it does. The company includes television programming and production in the United States and around the world, plus consumer products, online, recreation, books and feature films. Nickelodeon’s U.S. television network is seen in more than 100 million households and has been the number-one-rated basic cable network for 18 consecutive years. Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIA.B).

New Scott Catalogue Numbers (U.S.)

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4813                                       (46¢) Holy Family and Donkey, dated “2013”
4814                                       ($1.10) WreathC13S

4815                                       (46¢) Virgin and Child booklet stamp
a.                                            Convertible booklet pane of 20

4816                                       (46¢) Large Poinsettia booklet stamp, serpentine die cut 11 on 2 or 3 sides
a.                                            Convertible booklet pane of 20

4817                                       (46¢) Gingerbread House with Red Door booklet stamp
4818                                       (46¢) Gingerbread House with Blue Door booklet stamp
4819                                       (46¢) Gingerbread House with Green Door booklet stamp
4820                                       (46¢) Gingerbread House with Orange Door booklet stamp
a.                                            Block of 4, #4817-4820
Convertible booklet pane of 20, 5 each

4821                                       (46¢) Small Poinsettia ATM booklet stamp, serpentine die cut 8 on 2, 3 or 4 sides
a.                                            Convertible ATM booklet pane of 18

I Was Collecting Stamps That Day

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copy-copy-lloydblog_title3.gifMy local paper has been running a “Where were you on November 22, 1963” features this month. Like most of us, I know exactly where I was, and it has a philatelic connection, but I’ve always had misgivings about it. But, after reflecting on the significance of the date, and realkennedy1246aizing that we can’t hold a 10-year-old boy to adult standards, I’ll tell the story.

Every Friday, Mrs. Meade, our 5th grade teacher at Roosevelt School in Ossining, NY, let us have the afternoon as “hobby time.” For myself and three or four of my friends, that meant stamp collecting.

In fact, I believe Mrs. Meade gave me my first first day cover; certainly, my first foreign FDC. I think I still have it somewhere.

Few fifth-graders, then or now, are into exhibiting, so it’s not as if we were going to show each other great rarities and scholarly philatelic research, kennedy1246band, just like adults then and now, our weekly “hobby time” stamp sessions had become largely buy/sell/trade sessions. Mrs. Meade wasn’t happy about that.

That afternoon, she came into the classroom and said hobby time had been canceled, because the president had been shot. I didn’t believe her. After all, no one shoots presidents. In fact, I’m not sure up to that point I knew of anyone who had been shot, much less killed.

So I figured she’d concocted this unbelievable, ridiculous excuse just because she was upset about our stamp swaps. Remember, I was 10 years old.

We returned to our desks and sat there in silence for the rest of the afternoon. I think some of the other teachers came into the room and talked with Mrs. Meade in whispers.

UC37We never had hobby time again, reinforcing my suspicion.

We also didn’t have school the following Monday, of course. I remember walking into our living room, and finding my mother weeping as she watched the funeral on television. “Why are you crying, Mommy? You’re a Republican.”

I was 10 years old.

Poor History Students

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copy-copy-lloydblog_title3.gif

Writing the Harry Potter stamps story for Muggle… uh, sorry, for non-philatelist news people the other day made me think about how I felt about this issue and other recent actions by the U.S. Postal Service.

I realized I’m not upset that the U.S. is issuing Harry Potter stamps with only a minimal connection to American culture or history. Other countries’ postal services are going or have already gone that route. Get used to it. As a collector, I have the option of deciding what I buy, what I keep, and what I skip. I’m already fairly selective.

No, what is annoying me is <i>how</i> the USPS people in charge of stamps are doing things.

Twenty stamps on sale for Harry Potter all at once — $9.20 – is overkill. Why not release four a year for five, as the Postal Service did with its Disney stamps a few years ago.

Need to put the Hanukkah stamps on sale sooner, because your customers are wondering why there are Christmas stamps on sale but nothing for the Festival of Lights? Fine, do it – but change the first-day cancels to the actual first-day date. Already canceled the ceremony programs and other merchandise with the old release date? Then at least make a postmark with the correct date available to collectors.

Oh, and don’t put stamps with a Jewish theme on sale for the first time on Shabbat! That’s insensitive.

Don’t care what a bunch of (in your view) out-of-touch stodgy cultural elitists think should be on stamps and what shouldn’t? That’s your prerogative. Tell the Citizens Stamp Advisory Committee it’s disbanded or only responsible for a few issues a year. Don’t just ignore CSAC; that’s rude. It’s as if someone took my writing and replaced it with Wikipedia text.

What ought to worry the general public is that most of the members of CSAC are not stamp collectors. They’re experts in American culture, including pop culture.

First day cover collectors (like myself) have their own particular gripes: The postmarks are too big and often don’t print well on actual envelopes and stamps. The information about the postmarks and even the issues themselves is withheld, often until the day of issue. Yes, other countries produce their own cacheted first day covers. None sells as many FDCs as the USPS, not even when you factor in the differences in population.

You don’t want to kill FDC collecting: When stamps are put on first day covers, they are “retained;” they’re not going to be reused ten or 20 years later. Contrast that to the stamp you love to tell us is the most popular ever, Elvis Presley. I’m seeing it now in face-value bins at shows and discount postage lots. Stamp collectors and others are using them to pay for mailings. The Postal Service got a loan, not a gift on all those sheets that were thrown into dresser drawers.

Millions of the Elvis stamp, though, were used on first day covers, and not one of those will now be used for postage.

The same thing is going to happen with the $2 Jenny Invert Reprint. Thousands will be purchased by people hoping to hit the jackpot with one of the “unverts” (with the airplane rightside-up). Thousands of the stamp will end up on packages and letters.

My Latin teacher, Anthony Fiorella, used to say, “Those who fail to learn history are doomed to repeat it.” (I know it wasn’t original with him.) The Postal People now in charge of the U.S. stamp program aren’t learning from history.

What worries me, though, is that the “Mickey Marketeers” now running the stamp program don’t care about the history. If so, they’re not alone. The attitude in Corporate America these days is join a company, puff up the bottom line, collect the bonuses, parlay the short-term success into a better job, and move on to another company, never looking behind at the wreckage.

I hope that’s not what is happening with the U.S. stamp program. If it is, I hope the people responsible move on before the damage is permanent.

Building the Future; Remembering the Past

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by John M. Hotchner

hotchner
Building the Future:
Visiting grown children is always a mind-altering experience; especially when it is the one among the pack who was a bit of a rebel growing up. Our second son fits this definition. He learned many of his lessons the hardest possible way. We’d tell him he couldn’t do something, and he’d find some method to accomplish the unlikely. And that only begins to tell Jay’s story.

Now just past 40, he needed to increase the living space for his growing family. Living in Southern California, real estate is prohibitive for normal mortals, so he had to find a bargain, and he did: a rickety 100-year old house on the side of a hill, not far down the coast from Santa Barbara. He has now spent two years bringing it up to code and making it habitable; doing much of the work himself, and acting as general contractor for the rest. This included everything from strengthening the foundation to replacing the roof, to laying flooring, to new windows to landscaping, and 1,001 other things that today’s codes require.

The core living space is done, but the house is not finished. He is busily making and executing plans for both inside and outside. He does this with no formal training, but he learned some of what he needed to know from summer jobs and the rest from books, and consults with friends; all this while pursuing a demanding career totally unrelated to homebuilding. Basically, he has a vision, and he is going to make it into reality. As someone who barely knows what to do with a hammer, I am amazed and not just a little proud of his grit and determination.

And I am struck as I sit here in his dining room by the similarities between Jay’s quest and serious stamp collecting. Ignoring the fact that there is not much dirt underneath the fingernails with philately, each of us in philately has a dream. Each of us is substantially self-taught, though we may have had mentors along the way. Each of us recognizes that we will probably not get done every possible project, but we all take pleasure in seeing sometimes slow but steady progress.

Whether it is a complete collection of used U.S., or a perfect house and yard, we all understand that the joy is in the journey far more than in the endpoint. I feel sorry for many of today’s youth; those who are conditioned from the moment they touch their first Game Boy or X-Box controller, to opt for immediate gratification rather than choosing and working toward long-term goals. This is, I think, one of the reasons that stamp collecting does not resonate with young people the way that it used to.

Stamp collecting — and home development — are both about goals for the future. Jay has a part of the house that he is turning into what will be a family activities room. I am developing a new exhibit of a U.S. air mail subject. We are both enjoying mulling over the possibilities, accumulating the raw materials at favorable prices, learning the things we need to know to get it done, and envisioning the payoff when the project is completed; whether it is next year or the year after that.

Both will require an investment of time, knowledge, and money. Both of us will have something of value when we are done, and the satisfaction that we took on a worthy challenge and accomplished it. And we will have enjoyed the process and completing the many small milestones that go to make up a large project.

Remembering the Past:
I am a long-time fan of the monthly Guideposts magazine that my parents introduced me to many moons ago. I would describe it as a non-denominational group of stories from people who describe faith in action in their lives, and I never fail to find at least one story that resonates clearly with my experience.

I was reading the January 2012 issue and came across an article titled “This Way to Memory Lane” by Edward Hoffman. The header drew me in with “It may be unhealthy to dwell on the past. But science has discovered that nostalgia itself is good for us.” If stamp collectors are anything, we are (to coin a word) “nostalgiacs:” people who are constantly returning through stamps to the events of our past illustrated on stamps, and even to the stamps themselves that we remember as we grew up.

I have maintained for years that stamp collecting is both satisfying and good for us in terms of physical and mental health. This Guideposts article provides further evidence, summed up in this paragraph:

“Today, technological and social change happens at a rapid pace, work and travel take us farther from home than ever before, and new information bombards us constantly. It’s easy to feel lost. A high-powered Manhattan executive may get caught up in the rat race, only to catch a scent of horses in Central Park and be reminded of her idyllic beginnings growing up on a Midwest farm. Wherever we find ourselves, nostalgia helps bring us back to our roots, back to the things that are most important.”

That looking back, however brief it may be, is calming. It provides perspective on our disordered world. It allows us to see ourselves not only in the present, but as we were before life wore down our hopes and dreams and expectations, while it also taught us lessons, and gave us more understanding. I think people tend to judge themselves harshly in the present, to mourn for the ideals we think we should have reached: the things we don’t have, have not accomplished, loves lost. Somehow, nostalgia brings us back to a more realistic, a more humble, view of what we have become; thus the calming and even less self judgmental effect.

Playing with stamps gives us a regular dose of nostalgia; especially so if we had an introduction to philately as a child; just one more of the hobby’s many benefits.

Should you wish to comment on this editorial, or have questions or ideas you would like to have explored in a future column, please write to John Hotchner, VSC Contributor, P.O. Box 1125, Falls Church, VA 22041-0125, or email, putting “VSC” in the subject line.

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