Philosateleian Blog

Philosateleian Blog http://www.philosateleia.com/blog/ Ruminations on stamp collecting and postal news. en-us Copyright 2009 Kevin Blackston http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Thu, 10 May 2012 22:54:58 EDT Who moved my mailbox? http://www.philosateleia.com/blog/entries/who-moved-my-mailbox_452.php Today, I’d like to talk a little bit about my mailbox. It’s not directly related to stamp collecting, but since mail (some of which bears stamps) is deposited into it, there is something of a connection.At first glance, my mailbox seems pretty run of the mill. It’s part of a large array of boxes that serve the neighborhood in which my wife and I live.My mailbox is special, though. It’s where I deposit my outgoing mail: letters to my sister, covers containing stamps to other collectors, and even appropriate decorated envelopes containing bill payments. And it’s where I find the mail addressed to my wife and me: letters, cards bearing happy news of weddings, magazines, and coupons. Certainly, the Internet connects me to the rest of the world almost instantly, but my mailbox connects me to the rest of the world in a more tangible way.The best thing about my mailbox, however, is that it’s there each morning when I leave for work, and it’s there each evening when I get home from work. It is a solid symbol of stability in a world with a cracked and wobbly foundation.The trouble is that someone decided that the array of mailboxes should be moved a bit further down the street, and when I got home this evening, my mailbox was in a different place than it usually is. In and of itself, that’s not necessarily a bad thing; I’m not a huge fan of change, but if there’s a good reason for it, then so be it. But that such a symbol of stability could be moved leads me to cry out:“Who moved my mailbox?!” http://www.philosateleia.com/blog/entries/who-moved-my-mailbox_452.php#comments http://www.philosateleia.com/blog/entries/who-moved-my-mailbox_452.php Thu, 10 May 2012 22:54:58 EDT One reader’s story: collecting with dad http://www.philosateleia.com/blog/entries/one-reader-s-story-collecting-with-dad_451.php I don’t remember exactly why I started collecting stamps back in my pre-teen years. I have a fuzzy inkling that I may have read a children’s book in which one of the characters had a stamp collection, but I don’t remember for sure. No one in my family collected, but we did have a couple of close family friends who, upon hearing of my new interest, started plying me with stamps. From that point on, I was off to the races.It’s interesting to hear how other folks got started collecting, though, because not everyone gets started the same way. Several months ago I received a letter from Dave S., a <a href="http://www.philosateleia.com/post-horn/"><cite>Philosateleian Post Horn</cite></a> subscriber. Unlike me, he had an immediate family member who collected stamps: his father. Dave has given me permission to share his story.<blockquote>One of my fondest memories of my father was the time we spent together pouring over the pages of my Harris Liberty <abbr title="United States">U.S.</abbr> stamp album. I was probably too young to truly appreciate stamp collecting, but during those years, my father worked long hours and traveled frequently, so any time we spent together was very precious indeed.My father would share the duplicates of his own collection with me to start filling my album pages, teaching me how to identify precancels, how to properly hinge, and even how to soak stamps from paper. Sometimes, he would leave a small stack of stamps before going on a business trip, for me to identify and place into the album. Upon his return from his travels, I would eagerly show him my progress. My father would approvingly look over each page and would tell me stories of his own stamp collecting youth.</blockquote>Having a mentor is huge, as I wrote after my <a href="http://www.philosateleia.com/blog/entries/in-memoriam-aunt-donna_442.php">Aunt Donna died</a>. Having a family member helping you is even better!Like many young collectors, Dave shelved his collection during high school and college. It’s hard to make time for such things, especially when you’re starting a career and a family. As Dave writes, it was getting laid off from his job a few years ago that ultimately, and unexpectedly, led him back to the hobby.<blockquote>I became an avid eBay seller, reducing the accumulated closets full of things purchased but never really used: the guitar I never learned to play, the trumpet I had forgotten how to play, etc. It was spring-cleaning gone awry—an obsession of purging many years of fruitless purchases and unfulfilled dreams. I suddenly had more time on my hands, and daytime television was not going to cut it.I had sold my baseball card collection at an appallingly low price. While sifting through the many boxes, my stamp album reappeared. I remember flipping through the yellowing pages, stamps falling off their hinges—I wonder if these are worth anything now? I perused eBay looking at the collections for sale: albums inherited by the children of the old, who cared nothing for stamp collecting, only for what value they could bring—and for the same low prices as baseball cards.In searching further, I began seeing <abbr title="American Philatelic Society">APS</abbr> member listings, specific Scott numbers, higher selling prices. Somehow in my mind, it was determined that I needed to properly identify each stamp in order to sell them for a good price. So it began, and I was unaware that the spark of stamp collecting was rekindled.Armed with free copies of Mystic and Kenmore stamp catalogues, I began to identify and price my stamps, and before long, had carefully removed them from the yellowing album pages. My wife laughed as I lined the house with little stacks of stamps, first the coffee table, then the dining room, the hearth, and the bookcase shelves. Her laughs turned to bewilderment as she started to question just what I was doing with all these stamps. My friends would come by and laugh. “Do people really collect these? Have these not already been used?” I found myself defending the merits of stamp collecting and the history they told. I began remembering the fun I used to have with my father, and as I studied each stamp using the very tongs and magnifying glass we had used together so many years ago, I somehow knew that I was too sentimental to sell these stamps.</blockquote>From that point, Dave began buying more stamps instead of trying to sell the ones that he had. He became an enthusiastic collector once again—and a user of <a href="http://www.philosateleia.com/album/"><cite>The Philosateleian <abbr title="United States">U.S.</abbr> Stamp Album</cite></a>!<blockquote>Searching the many albums available for sale online, I was astonished by the high prices. Some of these hingeless albums were more costly than all of my stamps combined, and I needed something less expensive so that I could continue collecting more stamps.Luckily, I came across <cite>The Philosateleian</cite>, and the album pages began replacing the little piles of stamps all over the house. My wife said, “Finally, some organization my dear.” She then agreed to accompany me to a stamp show in Birmingham that I had read about online. I had not attended a stamp show since going with my dad at a much younger age.</blockquote>Even though he had been away from the hobby for years, Dave was one of the youngest people at the stamp show, but the dealers and collectors there made him and his wife feel very welcome.Dave ends his story by talking about a recent visit with the man who got him started collecting as a child.<blockquote>I had assembled my <cite>Philosateleian</cite> albums and loaded the car to head for my parents’ house. It was time to show my progress to my dear ole dad. Just as I remember when I was young, we sat at pouring over the album pages one by one. My dad was excited to see so many modern stamps, taking time to read over each one, commenting on the space shuttle express mail stamps, the many souvenir sheets (especially the <abbr title="World War II">WWII</abbr> collection), and the almost completed airmail collection. My father looked at me and smiled, “My fine son.”I am continuing my collection now and for years to come. I am sure that my dad will want to tag along at the next stamp show. Maybe it will be a chance for another memory to relive, and even better chances for more new memories to make with “my fine father.” That is probably what most sparked my interest in stamp collecting both then and now, quality time with my dad.</blockquote>A most excellent story—and many thanks, Dave, for sharing.You’ve read Dave’s story. What sparked your interest in stamp collecting? Leave a comment, or—if your story is a bit too long for that—<a href="http://www.philosateleia.com/contact/">e-mail me</a> and tell me about it. http://www.philosateleia.com/blog/entries/one-reader-s-story-collecting-with-dad_451.php#comments http://www.philosateleia.com/blog/entries/one-reader-s-story-collecting-with-dad_451.php Sun, 22 Apr 2012 10:32:04 EDT Back to eBay-sics http://www.philosateleia.com/blog/entries/back-to-ebay-sics_450.php For the first time in ages, I’ve fired up the scanner and listed a couple of <a href="http://www.ebay.com/sch/philosateleian/m.html">old covers on eBay</a>. It’s material that doesn’t really fit into my collection, so it’s time for it to go.I really tend to use my <a href="http://www.delcampe.net/page/seller_sales/language,E,nickname,philosateleian.html">Delcampe storefront</a> more than eBay. A big reason is that Delcampe lets me set up listings to automatically restart if my item doesn’t sell the first time around—and keep restarting until I get a bid or somebody buys the lot. It’s kind of a set it and forget it deal, which I like. Delcampe also seems to have lower fees than eBay does, which is a big plus, especially for items with very low values.On the other hand, material listed on eBay seems to move a bit more quickly, and my interest here is really just on getting some stuff out the door.What’s your experience? Do you prefer eBay, Delcampe, or one of the other online auction sites when you’re selling off surplus philatelic material? http://www.philosateleia.com/blog/entries/back-to-ebay-sics_450.php#comments http://www.philosateleia.com/blog/entries/back-to-ebay-sics_450.php Thu, 29 Mar 2012 22:35:34 EDT Spring 2012 update for The Philosateleian http://www.philosateleia.com/blog/entries/spring-2012-update-for-the-philosateleian_449.php We’re only a little more than two months into 2012, but several dozen new United States stamps have already been issued. You may be seeing some of those on your mail; now you can put them in your stamp album! The <a href="http://www.philosateleia.com/album/updates/">Spring 2012 Supplement (359 <abbr title="Kilobytes">KB</abbr>, 6 files, 16 pages)</a> for <a href="http://www.philosateleia.com/album/"><cite>The Philosateleian <abbr title="United States">U.S.</abbr> Stamp Album</cite></a> is available for download.As is always the case, these <abbr title="Portable Document Format">PDF</abbr> stamp album page files are completely free to use; all you have to supply is the paper and ink. Download <a href="http://www.philosateleia.com/album/updates/">the supplement</a> now! http://www.philosateleia.com/blog/entries/spring-2012-update-for-the-philosateleian_449.php#comments http://www.philosateleia.com/blog/entries/spring-2012-update-for-the-philosateleian_449.php Sun, 04 Mar 2012 08:25:01 EST Random ruminations on collecting and Philosateleia http://www.philosateleia.com/blog/entries/random-ruminations-on-collecting-and-philosateleia_448.php <h3>New United States stamps</h3>We’re only a little more than a month into the new year, and already there are dozens of new stamps for those of us who collect modern <abbr title="United States">U.S.</abbr> material. As is the case with a great deal of modern material, however, finding some of those stamps used is probably going to be a challenge.So far, I’ve acquired only three of the new stamps for my own collection. I have two of the weather vanes—one of which came on a piece of mail from my credit union, oddly enough—and one of the bonsai stamps. That’s it. I’m still seeing a lot of holiday baubles at work, but hopefully the newer issues will gradually replace those as time moves on.Editor’s note added March 27, 2012: Rachel asks, “Why can’t you just mail yourself to get a used stamp?” An excellent question—and of course, you can. What I meant, but failed to convey, was that finding a lot of new issues used <cite>commercially</cite> rather than by stamp collectors won’t be easy. My thanks to Rachel for pointing out my omission, and giving me the chance to clarify!<h3>In local news</h3>A couple of projects are in progress here right now. First, I’m working on posting images of and write-ups about my <a href="http://www.philosateleia.com/gallery/landscapes/">landscape stamps</a>. That’s not exactly a small undertaking, and I don’t know how long it might take me to get everything online, but I’m doing what I can.Something else on my plate is the <a href="http://www.philosateleia.com/gallery/">stamp gallery</a> as a whole. I’m trying to bring the look of the oldest pages, some of which haven’t been updated since 2006, up to speed with the rest of Philosateleia. This is an “as time permits” sort of thing, but it would be really nice a uniform look across the entire site again one day.<h3>New <cite>Post Horn</cite>, new album pages</h3>The February issue of the <a href="http://www.philosateleia.com/post-horn/"><cite>Philosateleian Post Horn</cite></a> is just about ready to go. My current plan is to distribute that on Sunday. That newsletter is free, so if you’re not already receiving it, <a href="http://www.philosateleia.com/post-horn/">sign up</a>.After that’s done, I’ll need to turn my attention to putting together the Spring 2012 supplement for <a href="http://www.philosateleia.com/album/"><cite>The Philosateleian <abbr title="United States">U.S.</abbr> Stamp Album</cite></a>. As I mentioned earlier, there are several dozen new stamps for which we’ll need spaces. Look for the new pages by the middle of March.<h3>Show your support</h3>I try not to spend a lot of time on this topic, as I like to think of Philosateleia as a public service of sorts. Nevertheless, I do appreciate your support, whether it’s a <a href="http://www.philosateleia.com/support/">small donation</a> to help cover expenses, a link from your website or blog, or even just an e-mail letting me know you’re using my stamp album pages. Finally, you can <a href="http://www.facebook.com/Philosateleian">like <cite>The Philosateleian</cite> on Facebook</a>, if that’s what floats your boat. http://www.philosateleia.com/blog/entries/random-ruminations-on-collecting-and-philosateleia_448.php#comments http://www.philosateleia.com/blog/entries/random-ruminations-on-collecting-and-philosateleia_448.php Wed, 08 Feb 2012 21:46:24 EST 2012 U.S. stamp program loaded with landscapes http://www.philosateleia.com/blog/entries/2012-u-s-stamp-program-loaded-with-landscapes_445.php The United States Postal Service last week finished unveiling its <a href="http://www.beyondtheperf.com/2012-preview/">2012 stamp program</a>, and it’s full of goodies for landscape collectors like myself.The following stamps will feature images of landscapes across the <abbr title="United States">U.S.</abbr>:<ul><li>Louisiana Statehood (Flat Lake, Louisiana)</li><li>Arizona Statehood (Cathedral Rock, Arizona)</li><li>New Mexico Statehood (Cerro de Santa Clara, Cerro de Guadalupe, and Rio Puerco)</li><li>Lancaster Country, Pennsylvania</li><li>Glacier National Park (Logan Pass, Montana)</li></ul>Several of the stamps from a planned “Earthscapes” sheet will also meet my requirements for consideration as landscape stamps.Other notable commemoratives include the final 10-design coil in the long-running Flags of Our Nation series; a new set of five stamps honoring Pixar movies like <cite>Toy Story 2</cite> and <cite>Finding Nemo</cite>; and a variety of stamps picturing individuals best known for their work in the fine arts.Interestingly, the <abbr title="United States Postal Service">USPS</abbr> has also announced multi-design issues at the 65¢ one-ounce non-machinable or two-ounce rate, and the 85¢ three-ounce rate.In each case, the stamps in question depict animals, and may very well be popular with topical collectors. One could argue that the number of stamps being issued (five in each denomination) is a bit excessive, but such complaints are more likely to come from collectors rather than the general public, who have little reason to care whether a pane of 20 stamps contains 20 different designs or only a single design repeated 20 times.Take a look at the <a href="http://www.beyondtheperf.com/2012-preview/">entire 2012 stamp program</a>, and then let me know: what do you think of this year’s stamps? http://www.philosateleia.com/blog/entries/2012-u-s-stamp-program-loaded-with-landscapes_445.php#comments http://www.philosateleia.com/blog/entries/2012-u-s-stamp-program-loaded-with-landscapes_445.php Mon, 02 Jan 2012 21:27:11 EST Philosateleian Post’s 2012 stamp program http://www.philosateleia.com/blog/entries/philosateleian-posts-2012-stamp-program_444.php Following in the footsteps of other stamp-issuing entities that announce new issues ahead of time, Philosateleian Post has released a <a href="http://www.philosateleia.com/post/news/2012-stamp-program/">preview of its upcoming 2012 commemorative stamp program</a>.Among the highlights of the Post’s planned new issues is a stamp honoring <a href="http://www.philosateleia.com/blog/entries/in-memoriam-aunt-donna_442.php">Aunt Donna</a>, whose death I recently mentioned in this blog. This stamp will be issued on World Local Post Day (January 30, 2012).<div class="featuredItem"><img class="stamp" style="height: 232px; width: 356px" src="http://www.philosateleia.com/images/post/aunt-donna-stamp.jpg" alt="Private local post stamp with stylized image of Aunt Donna" title="Aunt Donna (1933–2011) stamp"></a><div>Aunt Donna (1933–2011) stamp</div></div>You can read more about the Aunt Donna stamp and the other stamps planned for 2012, plus learn how to get copies of these stamps for your own collection in Philosateleian Post’s <a href="http://www.philosateleia.com/post/news/2012-stamp-program/">press release</a>. http://www.philosateleia.com/blog/entries/philosateleian-posts-2012-stamp-program_444.php#comments http://www.philosateleia.com/blog/entries/philosateleian-posts-2012-stamp-program_444.php Sun, 18 Dec 2011 20:32:17 EST New cover added to American Indian exhibit http://www.philosateleia.com/blog/entries/new-cover-added-to-american-indian-exhibit_443.php There’s a new addition to Philosateleia’s featured exhibit <a href="http://www.philosateleia.com/14-cents/">14 Cents: the American Indian Stamp</a>. J. Emory Renoll, a Pennsylvania stamp dealer, mailed <a href="http://www.philosateleia.com/14-cents/united-states/pennsylvania-cover/">this registered cover</a> in 1930.<div class="featuredItem"><img class="stamp" style="height: 240px; width: 419px" src="http://www.philosateleia.com/images/blog/2011/american-indian-pennsylvania-cover.jpg" alt="Front of cover bearing 14-cent American Indian stamp, pair of 2-cent Ohio River Canalization stamps, and 3-cent Victory stamp" title="14¢ American Indian registered cover"></a><div>14¢ American Indian registered cover</div></div>Read all about <a href="http://www.philosateleia.com/14-cents/united-states/pennsylvania-cover/">the cover</a> and the postage rate it exemplifies. http://www.philosateleia.com/blog/entries/new-cover-added-to-american-indian-exhibit_443.php#comments http://www.philosateleia.com/blog/entries/new-cover-added-to-american-indian-exhibit_443.php Sun, 18 Dec 2011 20:26:22 EST In memoriam: Aunt Donna http://www.philosateleia.com/blog/entries/in-memoriam-aunt-donna_442.php Earlier this evening, I learned that my Aunt Donna died. We weren’t actually biologically related—she was the sister of a longtime family friend—but for the better part of two decades she filled the “aunt” role about as well as anyone could ask. I will miss her friendship.You may wonder why I’m writing about this here; this is, after all, a blog about stamp collecting. The simple answer is that, although not a stamp collector herself, Aunt Donna had a huge influence on my pursuit of the hobby. Indeed, had it not been for her support, I don’t know that I would be a collector today.I first learned of Aunt Donna when I was a kid. It was either 1992 or 1993 when she started sending letters to me, and with those letters, stamps. Not just United States stamps, either, although there were plenty of those. One of the first things she sent to me was an Elvis souvenir sheet of nine stamps from St. Vincent and the Grenadines, a country I had no idea even existed. If I had to point to a single event as getting me “hooked” on stamps, that would be it.Over the nearly two decades between then and today, Aunt Donna and I exchanged dozens of letters. Our correspondence became somewhat less frequent as I went off to college, started my career, and got married, but we managed to stay in touch. And with most of those letters came a batch of stamps she pulled off mail she received, or some packet acquired through a mail order offer. I have no idea how many thousands of individual stamps she must have sent to me over the years.Far more important to me than the stamps, however, is that Aunt Donna took an interest in me and my interests. To a kid, especially, there’s little that’s better than that. Her encouragement is a big part of why I collect stamps today, and by extension a major reason that Philosateleia even exists.There’s much more that I could write, but I’ll just close by saying that I’m grateful for the influence Aunt Donna had on my life, and I look forward to seeing her again in the future. http://www.philosateleia.com/blog/entries/in-memoriam-aunt-donna_442.php#comments http://www.philosateleia.com/blog/entries/in-memoriam-aunt-donna_442.php Tue, 29 Nov 2011 21:47:08 EST U.S. stamp prices on the rise http://www.philosateleia.com/blog/entries/u-s-stamp-prices-on-the-rise_440.php The cost of mailing a letter is going up once again in the United States.The <abbr title="United States">U.S.</abbr> Postal Service <a href="http://about.usps.com/news/national-releases/2011/pr11_116.htm">recently announced</a> that, beginning on January 22, the cost of mailing a 1-ounce letter within the <abbr title="United States">U.S.</abbr> will increase by a penny to 45¢.Other significant changes include postcards, which will go from 29¢ to 32¢, and international letters. Letters and cards bound for Canada and Mexico will cost 85¢ to mail instead of 80¢, while sending a note to someone in any other country will cost $1.05, an increase of 7% from the current 98¢ international rate.My guess is that most customers probably won’t pay much attention to the change in prices; with the recent advent of “forever” stamps, the face value is no longer indicated on the stamp. There’s less of a reminder that what you paid for your stamps the last time you went to the post office isn’t the same as what you’ll be paying the next time you go. Those of us who collect stamps, however, may notice the change, whether because of the increased cost of new issues, or because of the amount of mail we send to other collectors.What do you think of the proposed rate hikes? Share your thoughts in the comments section below. http://www.philosateleia.com/blog/entries/u-s-stamp-prices-on-the-rise_440.php#comments http://www.philosateleia.com/blog/entries/u-s-stamp-prices-on-the-rise_440.php Wed, 02 Nov 2011 21:49:45 EDT