APS offers 25% off first year dues for new members
I wrote earlier this year about receiving a certificate recognizing my 25 years of membership in the American Philatelic Society. It was a bit of a milestone for me and should give you an idea of just how long I’ve been involved in the hobby.
If you’re not already an American Philatelic Society member, now is a great time to join. In celebration of its 140th anniversary, APS is running a special promotion offering you 25% off regular membership rates. For United States residents, that means saving $11.25 off your first year’s membership. (If you live outside the U.S., you save even more!)
To take advantage of this offer, visit the APS 140th Anniversary New Membership Special page and click one of the join buttons. On the application form, you can enter my member number (198084) when asked who referred you—and be sure to enter discount code APS140 in the appropriate box to ensure you get the special membership rate!
Mick’s Local Post commemorates 2026 visit to Collinwood mansion
When I checked my post office box last Wednesday for the first time in a couple of weeks, one of the items awaiting me was an envelope from Mick T. of Mick’s Local Post in Portland, Oregon. On that envelope was a stamp captioned “Collinwood 2026.”
Mick’s Local Post Collinwood 2026 stamp
The stamp obviously portrays a large old house or mansion of some sort, but I must admit I wasn’t familiar with the reference. An announcement Mick included in the envelope shed some light on the matter.
Mick writes, “I have recently become a fan of the remarkable gothic soap opera, Dark Shadows, which started in 1966 and ran for a number of years. The show follows the Collins family, the most promiment residents of the fictional town of Collinsport, Maine, where they own a large cannery and much of the real estate in the town. The Collins family has a dark past, and throughout the series we are gradually and skillfully introduced to the members and history of that family.”
Mick adds that he vacationed in Rhode Island earlier this year, and had the opportunity to view the Collinwood mansion, known as Seaview in real life, in person. He created his new stamp to commemorate the experience.
And there you have it. Dark Shadows aired long before my time, but thanks to Mick, I’m now aware of the existence of the show!
New business reply envelope artwork used in mailings from four nonprofits
After traveling out of state late last month, my family and I are back home again, and it’s time to catch up on some of the mail that arrived during our time away. Today, we’ll take a look at four different business reply envelopes that came in mailings from various nonprofit organizations.
Let’s begin with this large envelope from Cal Farley’s Boys Ranch. The three preprinted stamp-sized designs located to the left of the “No Postage Necessary” inscription depict a reindeer, a mitten, and a log cabin, respectively.
Cal Farley’s Boys Ranch business reply envelope with preprinted Christmas designs
Next up is a BRE distributed by Environmental Defense Fund. The three designs, all of which are printed in blue, depict a butterfly with the word “future”; a bear with the word “hope”; and Earth with the word “love.”
Environmental Defense Fund business reply envelope with preprinted butterfly, bear, and Earth designs
The third envelope from today’s collection came from Shriners Children’s, and bears three different illustrations picturing a snowman, a fir tree with snowflakes, and a stack of gift boxes.
Shriners Children’s business reply envelope with preprinted Christmas designs
And finally, we have a small business reply envelope from Operation Smile. This one has three stamp-sized illustrations depicting a penguin, a star with the word “joy,” and a Christmas tree.
Shriners Children’s business reply envelope with preprinted Christmas designs
The penguin and Christmas tree illustrations are, so far as I can determine, new to Operation Smile BREs, but I first saw the the “Joy” design with simulated die cuts on an envelope distributed in a September 2024 mailing.
Feed the Children turns to United States flag for business reply envelope imagery
My daughter and I went to check the olde post office box today, and there was a big stack of nonprofit mailings inside, as well as a few more in our home mailbox. In all, there were half a dozen business reply envelopes with preprinted stamp-sized designs on them.
Five of the envelopes used repeats of artwork I’ve seen on other BREs from the same organizations, but one from Feed the Children had four copies of a United States flag design with simulated perforations.
Feed the Children business reply envelope with preprinted United States flag designs
Despite the lack of inscriptions on any of the designs, they kind of remind me of the United States definitive coil stamps issued from 2002 through 2005. Interesting stuff.
Boys Town distributes business reply envelope with new Christmas-themed artwork
September is absolutely flying past. I haven’t had a great deal of time to play around with my collection, but I have at least been keeping up with the flow of incoming mail, and this business reply envelope arrived in a mailing from Boys Town late last week.
Boys Town business reply envelope with preprinted Christmas designs
As the image of the envelope shows, there are four preprinted stamp-sized designs with simulated printed perforations. They depict an elf with a gift; a cardinal with a lantern; a snowman with gifts; and a Christmas tree ornament.
Although nonprofits have for years sometimes affixed small amounts of United States postage to the business reply envelopes they distribute in an effort to boost response rates, Boys Town was a pioneer in using cinderella stamps affixed to their BREs before transitioning to designs preprinted directly on the envelopes.
As I’ve mentioned previously, given a choice, I would opt to receive envelopes with distinct cinderellas affixed, but even the preprinted stuff adds a bit of color to the contents of the mail I receive.
