Japan Stamps

I dealt with some of the changes in the stamp collecting world in Top U.S. Stamp Stories 2011. For such a relaxing and sedate hobby there is certainly a lot going on, especially as clubs and their publications, not to mention stamp dealers, migrate to the Internet. It almost makes one think of that curse people would throw at enemies: "May you live in i […]

Looking at the new USPS international rate stamp picturing an Amish horse and cart on a road in Lancaster County, PA I noticed something in the background. A closer look showed me that they were cars and vans, parked near the barn-like structure. I was struck by the randomness of that. Most stamps are thought out to the extent that there is nothing extraneo […]

Are you up for some philatelic adventure? If you like philately in literature to play a large role in your vicarious fictional reading adventures, look to the exciting hard-boiled fiction of Lawrence Block. His character Keller is a philatelist and Block's stamp knowledge comes through in the stampish touches he puts in his novels. It is a great way for […]

The National Postal Museum wants us to be aware of what it takes to move the mail from here to there. Their new exhibit is titled "Systems at Work." It's filled with hands-on attractions that allow visitors to virtually cancel stamps from various eras with ever changing canceling devices; sort and scan, to get a feel for what a postal job feel […]

The new international rate stamp features an Amish carriage, the very antithesis of the speed of delivery we attribute to airmail. Is the USPS trying to slip us a subliminal message about their recent press item that service will be slowing down? After all, it was many, many years ago that mail traveled roads such as the one the stamp shows the Amish cart […]

Some philatelists are getting their tongs all twisted over the coming James Bond stamps from the the U.K.'s Royal Mail. But if you're a Bond fan you might want to get involved in the excitement of commemorating the fiftieth anniversary of the exciting films by going here and voting for your favorite Bond posters. A stamp-size design of the ten mos […]

As some parents-to-be play classical music near the mother's belly, hoping to create a great composer; or read great literature into the abdominal bulge, as if the belly button is a microphone to send messages to create the next Charles Dickens, perhaps there is a way to influence your coming family member to be a philatelist....Read Full Post […]

"He was a stamp collector. Both of us -- philatelists." -- Writer Harlan Ellison on horror writer Robert Bloch, speaking during an appearance at Cinefamily, Jan. 19, 2012. Film buffs may know Bloch as the writer of the novel Psycho, that became one of Alfred Hitchcock's signature films. Mr. Ellison was convincing the crowd that Bloch was a ki […]

Kudos to admin Lloyd de Vries and the folks that help him keep The Virtual Stamp Club on top of the news of the philatelic world: they've got a one stop spot to learn all about the USPS's 2012 stamp program, including those being issued for the new rates coming this month....Read Full Post […]

If you haven't checked out Stamp Insider yet, do it now. This is simply a good stamp club publication, covering a broad range of topics from eBay to youth philately to deltiology to patriotic covers and on and on. It is produced by the members of the Federation of N.Y. Philatelic Societies, Inc. Al Starkweather is editor. It is an entirely digital publi […]

From sales of rarities to the possible sale of the U.K.'s Royal Mail to the sticky problem of getting self-adhesive stamps off of envelopes, there were a few philatelic stories that stood out a bit more than most in the quiet, but always interesting world of stamp collecting in 2010. […]

If you have hours to fill when you're out of school this summer, consider taking up stamp collecting. It's easy to start a collection, while many philatelic activities are open to active stamp collectors, including visits to postal museums, partcipating in first day cover ceremonies, going to stamp shows large and small, joining a club and attendin […]

First Day Cover - What is a First Day Cover or FDC […]

The collecting of postal and philatelic covers can give one an added perspective on the stamps that he collects. After all, stamps primary function is to carry the mail. A casual inspection of postal history shows stamps at work in their practical purpose; to move the mails. That the results, called covers also can have an intrinsic beauty and charm produces […]

2009 Wedding Rings Commemorative […]

Hanukkah Commemorative […]

Explanation that first day covers without cachets are, as a rule, not sought after and worth very little […]

4¢ U.S. 1893 Columbian Exposition Stamp […]

2009 Blackbook Price Guide to United States Postage Stamps […]

Will the USPS close the historic B Free Franklin post office in Philadelphia as a cost cutting measure? […]