Stamps Blog

All Star Stamp Clubs

admin — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 20:12:09 +0000

Submitted by Stamp Collecting Round-Up Blog As baseball’s All Stars battle it out in St. Louis, the American Philatelic Society’s All Star Stamp Club program continues to grow. Currently there are 43 clubs throughout the United States helping promote stamp collecting among elementary and middle school-age children. Members get an APS All Star Stamp Club membership card, certificate, [...]

Texas Post Office Features Stamp Collage

admin — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 20:11:09 +0000

Submitted by Stamp Collecting Round-Up Blog EastlandTexas.com reports,”Few community efforts can match that which was achieved by the late Marene Johnson-Johnson, who with the aid of stamp collecting buffs in Eastland, put together the stamp mural window which has decorated the lobby of Eastland Post Office since its dedication on June 14, 1963.” The 6 ft. x [...]

IRS Taking a Closer Look At Stamp Collectors

admin — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 20:10:19 +0000

Submitted by Stamp Collecting Round-Up Blog Forbes.com reports, “A new audit manual issued by the Internal Revenue Service to its agents concerns “hobby losses”–efforts by taxpayers to improperly write off costs of their stamp collecting, fishing excursions and other side activities. The good news for taxpayers is that the manual also provides guidance on how to [...]

The Mail Cats of Belgium - 1879

admin — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 20:09:17 +0000

Submitted by Stamp Collecting Round-Up Blog Marie Reed of Saint Fargeau, Yonne, France, posts on her fascinating Web site, Vintage Postcards, an interesting story about Belgian pussy cats who delivered the mail back in the 19th century. According to Marie, “Thirty-seven plucky mail cats” were trained and employed to carry bundles of letters (and postcards) to nearby [...]

Vienna Printings

admin — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 20:07:21 +0000

Submitted by Akphilately Blog A rather peculiar episode in the postal history of the Netherlands Indies/Indonesia is that of the Vienna Printings. Much has been written about them, and much of that is contradictory. I’m no expert so please don’t take it that the following is the one and only true version, it is just a [...]

Prestige Booklets

admin — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 16:46:23 +0000

Submitted by Stamp Collecting Round-Up Blog An article by Jeremy Lifsey, author of Stamp Booklets: Magic Carpets To Adventure, about prestige booklets appears on the Philataelic Database Web site. The piece originally appeared in the February 2007 edition of the American Philatelist. In it Jeremy writes,”Great Britain started printing Prestige Booklets in 1972. The first one was [...]

Al Sharpton and a Michael Jackson Stamp

admin — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 18:07:07 +0000

Submitted by Stamp Collecting Round-Up Blog Over the weekend I received an e-mail from Dan Berman of KTLA, Channel 5 News, here in Los Angeles wanting to do an interview with me regarding Rev. Al Sharpton’s remarks that Michael Jackson deserved to be honored on a US Postage stamp. Dan had read the Round-Up post I did [...]

Picture Gallery

admin — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 18:04:45 +0000

Submitted by Akphilately Blog The Netherlands, 12 October 1923. The 50c from the set marking the 25th Anniversary of the Queen’s Accession. The stamp depicts Queen Wilhelmina and, surprisingly, does not include the country’s name. Printed in recess. Engraved by J.J. Warnaar.

Preschool Stamp Collecting Program Under Development

admin — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 00:48:48 +0000

Submitted by Stamp Collecting Round-Up Blog A press release from the American Philatelic Society announces, “A pilot program for more than 100 preschool students in five Head Start Classrooms in central Pennsylvania has completed its first year. Cheryl Edgcomb, CEO of Stamp Camp USA, and Gretchen Moody, Director of Education for the American Philatelic Society, are [...]

Recommended Books For Stamp Collectors

admin — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 02:42:12 +0000

Submitted by Stamp Collecting Round-Up Blog Gary Eggleston, BellaOnline’s stamps editor, writes on the site, “Stamp collecting is an enriching hobby because it has educational and cultural value. In about six months, you will have learned about countries and special events, and a lot about the stamp collecting industry as well. You will probably meet a [...]

Investing in Stamps

admin — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 17:51:28 +0000

Submitted by Stamp Collecting Round-Up Blog According to the Proactive Investors Web site, “Rare stamps and autographs are the only investment that’s risen in value every year for the past 50 years.” They quote Stanley Gibbons Chief Executive, Mike Hall, who explains, “…why rare stamps and autographs could be the best investment you’ve never heard of: Why [...]

Canada’s New Musical Icon Stamps

admin — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 17:50:42 +0000

Submitted by Stamp Collecting Round-Up Blog The Winnipeg Free Press reports, “New Canada Post stamps featuring Bryan Adams and Stompin’ Tom Connors are music to the ears of a Winnipeg design company. Circle Design International designed the stamps released this week, which also feature French-Canadian rock pioneer Robert Charlebois and Acadian singer Edith Butler.” According to the [...]

Stamps - An American Journey

admin — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 17:49:30 +0000

Submitted by Stamp Collecting Round-Up Blog Click on the center of the picture to watch the story of America as seen through its postage stamps. Happy 4th of July!

Are Post Office Closures Next?

admin — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 17:48:04 +0000

Submitted by Stamp Collecting Round-Up Blog Caitlin McDevitt reports on the MSN Money Web site, “As mail volume declines, the US Postal Service could shutter up to 3,200 post offices and retail outlets.” He goes on to say,”As the United States Postal Service, weighed down by a crippling multibillion-dollar deficit, shrinks its operations, post offices across the [...]

Picture Gallery

admin — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 17:46:53 +0000

Submitted by Akphilately Blog Australia, 14 February 1966 The $1 value from the first decimal definitive set of Australia. The stamp depicts Matthew Flinders who circumnavigated Australia in 1802/3, and his ship HMS Investigator. Printed in recess, engraved by E.R.M. Jones.