With the books finally closed on 2014, I can say with certainty that it was a record-setting year for Philosateleian Post! The Post carried just more than 400 pieces of mail last year, an increase of roughly 67% over 2013.
The jump in volume was nearly across the board. The only mail category in which I did not send more items in 2014 was packages. All other groupings (letters, business mail, international, etc.) saw marked increases.
My efforts to sell more excess material on eBay certainly contributed to the busy year, but I also wrote more real letters, something I hope to do again this year.
I received this delightfully-franked envelope from the American Philatelic Society in the mail yesterday:
American Philatelic Society cover
There are 10 stamps on here, which is no small feat! The envelope even caught my wife’s eye; she recognized Whistler’s Mother on the purple 3¢ stamp.
At any rate, the envelope contained a letter from the Young Friends of the American Philatelic Society, which is made up of collectors ages 20–49. The group is planning activities for the 2015 Ameristamp Expo being held in Riverside, California, February 13–15, and the organizers are trying to get a feel for how many people in that age bracket are planning to attend.
If you’re part of the under-50 crowd but you missed out on previous news about the Young Friends of the APS, let me know. I’ll be happy to put you in touch with the folks in charge.
Last week, I received a package from my mail art friend Marguerite K. She mailed a children’s book for Hadassah to us, and as usual, did so with great style!
Package wrapping paper
I have no idea where Marguerite came up with this wrapping paper, but it is perfect for a collector like me. Cool stuff!
Last month I wrote about how the Penny Black would be the subject for World Local Post Day 2015. I can finally release details about Philosateleian Post’s contribution to the event: a 1-stamp stamp based on the Penny Black design!
Penny Black’s 175th Anniversary stamp
Although I’ve perforated some Hadassah stamps since my antique perforator arrived last week, the Penny Black commemorative will be my first stamp to be perforated from the day I begin using it.
Would you like a copy of the new stamp for your personal collection? Check out Philosateleian Post’s Penny Black press release for details on how to get one.
In the December issue of the Philosateleian Post Horn, I asked readers to name their favorite United States stamp of 2014. The most popular issue? Circus posters!
“Most of my friends would be shocked since I am a huge comic book collector and I was at Comicon for the Batman release,” says Isaac K., “but my vote goes to the circus posters.”
Linda W. agrees. “I’ve had so much fun using the circus theme for my mail art envies, and the look was perfect when I’d use one of the circus postage stamps,” she writes.
My personal favorite? As a landscapes collector, the Hudson River School issue gets my vote, although I have to concede that those stamps would have been more impressive in a larger format like the size used for the Civil War stamps.
What was your favorite new stamp of 2014? Leave a comment below.
