Philosateleia2012 U.S. stamp program loaded with landscapes
Monday, January 2, 2012 (posted by Philatelius at 9:27 pm)
The United States Postal Service last week finished unveiling its 2012 stamp program, and it’s full of goodies for landscape collectors like myself.
The following stamps will feature images of landscapes across the U.S.:
- Louisiana Statehood (Flat Lake, Louisiana)
- Arizona Statehood (Cathedral Rock, Arizona)
- New Mexico Statehood (Cerro de Santa Clara, Cerro de Guadalupe, and Rio Puerco)
- Lancaster Country, Pennsylvania
- Glacier National Park (Logan Pass, Montana)
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 Toy Story 2 and Finding Nemo; and a variety of stamps picturing individuals best known for their work in the fine arts.
Interestingly, the USPS 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 entire 2012 stamp program, and then let me know: what do you think of this year’s stamps?
U.S. stamp prices on the rise
Wednesday, November 2, 2011 (posted by Philatelius at 9:49 pm)
The cost of mailing a letter is going up once again in the United States.
The U.S. Postal Service recently announced that, beginning on January 22, the cost of mailing a 1-ounce letter within the U.S. 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.
New website design for USPS
Tuesday, July 26, 2011 (posted by Philatelius at 9:01 pm)
If you haven’t visited the online home of the United States Postal Service within the past couple of days, you might want to check it out.
The USPS this week implemented a new website design which looks a little more 2010s and a little less 2005. The same information is still in place; it’s just nicer to look at now.
Of particular note when you visit the revised homepage is the panel on the left side. It contains links to the postage calculator application and the ZIP code finder—the two parts of the postal service’s website that I use most often.
Overall, I like the “eye candy” the new layout offers. What do you think of it?
