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To Be a Philatelist, It's Not Necessary to Own a Stamp

Reporter Stacey Kirk pens on New Zealand's Manawatu Standard website, "... philately is the study of stamps. Enthusiasts are quick to point out, however, it is not necessarily just stamp collecting, "

The local stamp club president and lawyer Tony Thackery is quoted as saying, "... you may not necessarily own a stamp but can still be a philatelist... It is the study of stamps rather than just owning them. There may be a pile of stamps that are seemingly the same, but on closer inspection they may be on different paper, or have different perforations or variations in colour."

To read the entire article, click here.

"Ghostly" Tour Hopes to Revive Philately

Jeannette Andrade  of the Philippine Daily Inquirer reports a "unique walking tour of historic places and buildings in Manila not only lets people get in touch with the past, but also with the ghosts of the past" - some of which are found in the Philippine Postal Corp.

According to Jeannette, the postal office’s “spirit-workers” are on its third and fourth floors and are frequently seen by Philpost employees."

"But the ghostly apparitions are just a part of the total experience of the tour, which hopes to resurrect the dying art of philately in the e-mail age through leisurely strolls around historic sites around the country’s capital often depicted in stamps," pens Jeannette.

The tours sometimes coincide with the The Filipinas Stamp Collectors’ Club (FSCC) meetings on Sundays at the Postal Museum and Philatelic Library.

To read the entire article, click here.

Post Office Limits Shipment of Cigarettes and Smokeless Tobacco

According to a USPS press release, "To comply with legislation passed by Congress and signed into law by the President, cigarettes and smokeless tobacco products will be subject to new mailing regulations effective June 29, 2010."

It goes on to say, "The law does permit infrequent lightweight shipments by age-verified adults to recipients who are at least the age of majority for purchase of tobacco. Shipments between businesses in the tobacco industry will also be permitted, as well as cigarettes sent to consumers age 21 and above for testing or public health purposes."

Postal inspectors will also be monitoring transport and delivery, saying they have "the right to refuse to accept packages if it has reasonable cause to believe they contain cigarettes or smokeless tobacco, or loose tobacco for roll-your-own cigarettes," according to an article on New Jersey's Post-Chronicle website.

Shipments entirely within Alaska and Hawaii will continue, subject to certain labeling and acceptance requirements. 

The new regulations does not apply to cigars.

To read the entire press release, click here.

APS StampShow Coming to Richmond, VA

The largest annual stamp show in the United States will take place August 12–15, 2010, in Richmond, Virginia. Hosted by the American Philatelic Society the show will be held at the Greater Richmond Convention Center at 403 North Third Street.

The floor plan for the event at the Richmond Convention Center has been laid out to accommodate booths for a bourse of approximately 130 dealers and as many as 14,000 pages of exhibits in 16-page frames.A detailed floor plan layout can be viewed online at www.stamps.org/stampshow/richmond_2010_floorplan.pdf.

The dealer bourse includes the United States Postal Service, United Nations and Nordica postal administrations, as well as dealer booths where all covers will be priced at $1 or less and all stamps at 10¢ or under. In addition, Regency-Superior. Ltd. of Saint Louis, Missouri www.regencystamps.com will conduct a special auction featuring Stamps & Postal History,with presale viewing on site during the show.

The philatelic exhibition will consist of the annual Champion of Champions competition between Grand Award winners of World Series of Philately shows held between July 1, 2009 and June 30, 2010. The traditionalopen competition also will be held — the Grand Award winner’s exhibit will qualify to participate in the World Series of Philately competition at APS StampShow 2011 in Columbus, Ohio.

There also will be a Literature Exhibition that showcases philatelic publications, including handbooks, special studies,catalogues, periodicals, articles, columns, and radio or television productions.

For more information, click here.

Chinese Stamps Skyrocket

According to an article in California's Sacramento Bee, "Stamps from the People's Republic of China have skyrocketed in value. In the past year, more than 2,000 different vintage Chinese stamp varieties have experienced price increases. One jumped from being worth just over $27,000 last year to $60,000 now. Another catapulted from $325,000 to $750,000."

Reporter Peter Rexford pens, "Evidence of this new wealth became especially apparent recently from an unlikely source. It came in the 2011 Scott Postage Stamp Catalog Volume II. For anyone other than stamp collectors, the seven-volume compendium isn't regular reading. However, this year especially, armchair enthusiasts – or even those with old worldwide stamp collections – might want to dust them off and take a look at any Chinese stamps grandpa may have collected. Some of the prices stagger the imagination."

Scott editor James Kloetzel is quoted in the article as saying, ""Individual wealth has soared in China and it's being reflected in the price of collectible stamps. The disposable income has to go somewhere and rare stamps are one of the areas."

Shown above, "The Holy Grail" of Chinese stamps, the 1897 Red Revenue small one dollar block of four.

To read the entire article, click here.

Postal Worker Killed By Lightning

A St. Louis-area mail carrier killed by lightning has been laid to rest following a funeral that began with a procession of mail trucks according to the St. Louis Dispatch.

Christina Jones was 34. She was delivering mail on June 15 when she was struck by lightning during a thunderstorm. Jones was pronounced dead a short time later at a hospital.

The procession of postal vehicles, shown above, left from the Post Office where Jones worked.

Postal officials have sent alerts out to all employees to review safety procedures during severe weather.

For more on this story, click here.

Designer of New Oscar Micheaux Stamp Featured in Article

Iowa's WCF Courier's Melody Parker writes about local artist Gary Kelly and his design for the new Oscar Micheaux stamp which was released yesterday.

Micheaux wrote, directed, produced and distributed more than 40 films in the early to mid 20th century.

According to the article, Gary completed and submitted the artwork nearly three years ago and was based on a portrait of Micheaux that appeared in the 1913 novel, "The Conquest," which was the first of seven novels written by Micheaux in addition to his film making career.


Gene is quoted as saying "I took some liberties, but you can't get too creative or complicated with the artwork."

Melody pens, "The process is lengthy from artwork to postage stamp, which he learned when he was commissioned to create stamps commemorating gospel singers Mahalia Jackson, Clara Ward, Roberta Martin and Sister Rosetta, which were issued in 1998."

Writing about Micheaux, "The filmmaker's success came at a time when there were few African-American filmmakers, scarce venues to show their work and no support from Hollywood. He was awarded posthumously a Directors Guild of America award in 1986 and in 1995, the Producers Guild of America established an award in his honor. Only 15 of his movies have survived in whole or in part," according to Melody.

To read the entire article, click here.

Stamp Collecting Becomes Part of a High School Graduation Ceremony

Joseph G. Cote, a staff writer for Massachusetts's Nashua-Telegraph, covered the graduation ceremonies of one of the local high schools over the weekend and heard stamp collecting mentioned in one of the commencement speeches.

According to Joseph, "Class President Jennifer Smith likened all of the people and experiences she and her classmates have had to stamps in a collector’s book. She placed a stamp under each graduate’s chair to help them remember Sunday and encouraged them to not stop collecting experiences as they move out into the world. 'We just need to swing by the stores and pick up a new album, a fresh start,' she said."

To read the entire piece, click here.

Pure Silver Stamps

China's People's Daily reports, "Authorized by the Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coordination and the China Post Group, the Shanghai Philatelic Corporation has officially issued a set of pure silver commemorative stamps for the China Pavilion."

The stamps, are made from .999 pure silver, and four different weights are available: 88 grams, 188 grams, 388 grams, and 688 grams. The number produced for each weight is restricted to 20,000, 10,000, 6,000 and 2,010, respectively.

On the face of the stamp is the pattern of the China Pavilion and the reverse side has a lily design and the Chinese traditional bat-shaped pattern representing open-mindedness, a harmonious Expo and benefiting China. The Expo theme "Better City, Better Life" is also printed on the reverse side in both Chinese and English. In addition, the stamp carries an anti-counterfeiting label specifically made for the Expo's licensed products.

For additional information, click here.

Philatelic Forgers: Their Lives and Works

Looking for something interesting to read this summer?

If so you might want to pick up a copy of Philatelic Forgers: Their Lives and Works. First printed in 1976, a revised edition was published by Linn's in 1991.

According to a book review on Amazon.com, author Varro E. Tyler is the world's reigning expert on stamp forgeries. It goes on to say, "Tyler's long-time interest in the stamps of Japan and his eight-year period of service as chairman of the Expertizing Committee of the International Society for Japanese Philately led him to develop an interest in the forged postage stamps of all countries."

In his professional life, Tyler was dean of the School of Pharmacy and Pharmacal Sciences at Purdue University for 20 years. 

Professor Tyler chaired the APS Committee on Fakes and Forgeries from its beginning in 1992 until 1998. In addition, he taught a class on "Detecting Fakes and Forgeries" at the annual APS Summer Seminar on Philately.


Tyler received the Meritorious Service Award of the Korea Stamp Society, and in 1998 he received the APS Luff Award for Distinguished Philatelic Research.

Tyler passed away in 2001.

To order a copy of Philatelic Forgers: Their Lives and Works, click here.

Post Office Delivery Vehicles Coming to the End of Their Lifespan

The Washington Post reports that cost-effectiveness is an issue for Postal Service vehicle repairs.

Staff Writer Ed O'Keefe pens, "The wheels are literally falling off at the Postal Service, and it's getting more expensive to fix them, according to a report by the agency's auditors."

He goes on to say, "Most of the Postal Service's right-hand-drive delivery trucks, known as long-life vehicles (LLVs), are nearing the end of a 24-year life cycle, and the agency estimates that it would cost $4.2 billion -- or $30,000 a truck -- to replace them. The big price tag and plummeting revenue caused the Postal Service to delay buying new vehicles until 2018."

According to the article, "Auditors discovered that about 19,000 trucks required an average of $5,600 in maintenance, with the cost rising to as much as $43,000. Repairs ranged from complete reconstruction to minor fixes, the report said. Postal officials told auditors that they plan to start replacing broken trucks more often next year and that they will remind maintenance staff and district managers to keep costs under control."

To read the entire piece, click here.

New World's Record For Maximum Number of Stamps on a Parcel.

A man from West Bengal, India has made it into the Guinness Book of World Records by using maximum number of stamps on a parcel according to a post on the HindustanTimes.com website.

According to the write-up, Guinness authorities confirmed the feat of Manoj Kumar Mondal, who had sent a parcel to their office in London using 3809 Indian postal stamps.

Earlier this month, he got a letter from the Guinness authorities saying that he has broken the record of Les Stewart, an Australian, who had used 3400 stamps on a parcel in 1999.

To learn more, click here.

Artist Loves Post Office, Stamps and Mail Art

Jill Butler writes on Connecticut's ShorelineTimes.com website, "Forever, I have loved the post office. Maybe it started at camp with mail call. I would spot my Dad’s beautiful penmanship on his business envelope and my heart would sing. I wrote, its been noted, an endless stream of letters. Perhaps, it was the excuse to visit the camp store for stamps and candy. What ever got me started, it has now carried me around the world to post offices in shacks to historic buildings in world capitals. I’ve enjoyed tracking down stamp dealers in dark and shabby offices in order to comb their collections. Every stamp has a story to tell and I love their simplicity of scale."

Jill, who is an multi-media artist and stamp collector, points out, "I gravitate to my red binder that houses my stamp collection. This collection is not based on issue dates or normal collectors’ concerns for resale value. It’s the graphic, color, and message that resonates and attracts me to collect a specific stamp."

She goes on to say she also enjoys creating mail art as seen above and comments, "In Munich, Germany, the postal clerk flat out refused to post my creations not even with a begging smile. Instead he shouted at me in German (which I don’t speak) and the entire line behind me translated: 'this is not an art gallery, this is THE POST OFFICE!"

To read the entire piece, click here.

Why Stamps Were Invented

Error on Canadian Christmas Stamp

Canada's Telegraph Journal reports, "It would be a rare collector who wouldn't be thrilled to discover a stamp with an error."

David Williams, a stamp collector in Saint John, writes in his monthly column, "A stamp that bears a major mistake in its design or production becomes a unique and much-sought-after variety. It also can be worth a great deal of money...So you can imagine that my heart skipped a beat when I thought I'd found one of these gems."

What David found was a printing error on a copy of the 60-cent Christmas stamp that was issued nine years ago (Scott No. 1923). As shown above, the stamp has the "Christmas-Noel" inscription at top left  missing and the word "Canada" and the denomination "60" at bottom right are partially gone.

Initially, it was thought that somehow the inscription and words were erased. However, after two other identical copies were found, the stamp became a true printing error.

To read the entire article, click here.

Philatelic Treasure House

According to an article by Alokparna Das that appears on the IndianExpress.com website, one of the bedrooms in Chandra Bhan Gupta's home "is a virtual treasure-house for any philatelist."

"What began as a hobby is now a full time vocation for Gupta, who has an enviable collection of stamps, first day covers and postal stationery," writes Das.

Das goes on to say,"His most cherished possession is his album of princely states stamps — rare and priceless. His collection also boasts of Meghdoot postcards, mint stamps, stamps with errors, postal souvenirs, commemorative brochures and books on philately."

After having retired from the Punjab National Bank in 2000, Gupta turned his hobby into a full-time vocation. Now, both amateur collectors and professional dealers come to his house to buy, sell and trade stamps and other material.

Shown above, Chandra Bhan Gupta and some of his collection.

To read the entire article, click here.

What's Stamp Collecting All About?

Columnist Barrie Hudson writes on Britain's Swindon Advertiser website, "DO YOU think stamp collecting is about trotting down to your local post office counter every few weeks to pick up a couple of quid’s worth? You’re right. Or perhaps you think it’s about buying three rare stamps a year at hair-whitening prices from obscure dealers or frantic auction houses? Right again."

This weekend the Swindon Philatelic Society held SWINPEX - one of the biggest collectors’ fairs outside London. The Society was founded in 1943, and collectors during WWII sometimes had to dive under tables with their albums when air raid sirens sounded according to Barrie.


When asked why people collect stamps, David Gibbon, a 66-year-old retired Royal Navy Chief Petty Officer and member of the Swindon Philatelic Society is quoted as saying, "It's probably because of the sheer variety to be found within a single hobby. It’s geography, it’s history. It’s truly an international hobby with thousands of collectors in every country. Collectors are both young and old. Their interests vary from filling spaces with the cheapest stamps that they can afford to the serious philatelists who spend thousands of pounds building up valuable collections.”

To read the entire article, click here.

APS/APRL Hires New Librarian

The American Philatelic Society (APS) and American Philatelic Research Library (APRL) have announced that Tara Murray has been hired as their new Director of Information Services/Librarian effective July 19.

According to an APS/APRL press release, "Murray was selected from among nearly 40 applicants in a national search. She will be responsible for improving access to and use of the Library holdings by members and stamp collectors throughout the world, most of whom use the library remotely. Enhancement of the online union catalogue, development of search aids, digitization of materials, recruitment and management of volunteers, and development of grant proposals will be important to improving access."

The 12,500 square foot American Philatelic Research Library, contains more than 20,000 book titles, more than 5,500 periodical titles, government documents, auction catalogues, philatelic exhibits, and several unique archives.These include coverage of postal services including route maps and time schedules; the production and cancellations of stamps and envelopes; and resources to assist in determining the authenticity of philatelic materials. The Library staff of four serve the public and also publish the quarterly Philatelic Literature Review.

The American Philatelic Research Library is a public nonprofit that relies heavily on donations of materials. Members of the APS and APRL may borrow materials directly through the mail and others may use the Library through InterLibrary loan. Scholars are always welcome to do research on site.

Royal Mail To Be Privatised?

The U.K.'s Daily Telegraph is reporting that the Royal Mail could be partially sold off in an effort to solve the British postal service's worsening financial troubles .

Reporter Heidi Blake writes in an article about the history of Royal Mail, "The new Conservative/Liberal Democrat coalition announced its intention to sell off the Royal Mail’s delivery business but retain the Post Office network in public ownership."

In a related article that appears in the Telegraph, Ed Davey, the Postal Affairs Minister, is quoted as saying Royal Mail’s future is in doubt without fresh investment because of a “lethal combination” of a sharp fall in revenue from the declining number of letters and parcels being sent and a growing black hole in its pension scheme.

It goes on to say, "Postal workers could be given shares in any part-privatisation so they have an incentive to improve performance. "

Shown above, a privatisation protester.

To read the entire article, click here.

French President Shares Passion for Stamps

French President Nicolas Sarkozy has written a letter to the French Federation of Philately Associations in which he said, “I share your passion for stamps. I have been a stamp collector since I was a young boy. This hobby is an opening to the world, to history, and to great events,” according to an article on Toronto's The Star.com website

Feature writer Oakland Ross pens, "Since Sarkozy became French leader in 2007, Queen Elizabeth has presented him with a rare set of British stamps issued in 2004 to celebrate the Entente-Cordiale, a series of agreements between the U.K. and France signed in 1904. California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, meanwhile, has given him a leather-bound book of stamps."
Oakland points out, "It’s said Sarkozy’s primary philatelic interest involves Hungarian stamps, which comes as little surprise as he’s the son of a minor Hungarian aristocrat who immigrated to France after World War II."

Shown here, President Sarkozy and his wife, Italian-born, French songwriter, singer, and former model Carla Bruni.

To read the entire article, click here.

Negro League Stamp Replicas Disappear During Banquet

Al.com reports two over-sized replicas of the newly unveiled Negro League commemorative postage stamps disappeared Friday night from the Sheraton in Birmingham, Alabama during a banquet honoring former Negro League players.

 Gary Crawford, who runs the website NegroLeagueLegends.org is quoted as saying that more than 25 former Negro League players had signed the replicas.

"It's extremely historically significant to have all these signatures in one place. They're one of a kind," Crawford said in the piece by Jeremy Gray of the Birmingham News.

To read the entire article, click here.

Splendid Peonies - Most Stamps in One Series

In case you missed it...On April 10, 2010, in Luoyang City, China, a new Guinness World Records™ record was set for the most stamps in one series.  Capturing the title was the Splendid Peonies series which is comprised of 1,000 stamps.

According to the Guinness World Records website, "The stamps in the series entitled Splendid Peonies were released officially from 2006 to 2010. The stamps were released for the annual peony festivals held in Luoyang, which is famous for its peony in the world. Starting from 2006, 200 different stamps were released consecutively each year. The stamps feature the beautiful peonies, with 1000 varieties."

Shown above, a miniature sheet from the series.

To read the entire post, click here.

World Cup Stamp Designs from 1970 Uncovered by Archivists

ArtDaily.com reports, "Just days before the 2010 World Cup kicks off, unused postage stamp designs from the 1970 World Cup have been uncovered by archivists at The British Postal Museum & Archive (BPMA). The designs, by one of the UK’s most prolific stamp designers, David Gentleman, were commissioned in the event that England should have a successive World Cup victory following its win in 1966. The find comes half way through the London 2010: Festival of Stamps."

According to the article, "It’s thought that David Gentleman was briefed to prepare the 1970 designs after the more hasty production of the celebratory stamp for the World Cup four years previously." 

It went on to say, "Although the Royal Mail had produced a hugely popular set of stamps to mark England’s hosting of the World Cup in 1966, when the national team won, there was only time to modify the existing stamp with the words ‘ENGLAND WINNERS’ to celebrate the triumph."

Shown above, a World Cup 1970 stamp design recently uncovered by BPMA.

To read the entire article, click here.

Remembering D-Day - June 6, 1944

"The anniversary of D-Day has never risen to the level of recognition as other patriotic observances, such as Veterans Day, Memorial Day or the Fourth of July. Ask some people what June 6 commemorates, and they’re apt to answer with a shrug," writes Utica, New York's Observer-Dispatch.

The paper points out in an editorial titled Our view: Don’t Ever Forget What D-Day Meant, "The D-Day anniversary is a day we mustn’t forget. 'Operation Overlord' — the Allied invasion of Europe — was a defining event of World War II. And as our veterans of that war continue to dwindle, it becomes even more important to make certain that their story is told and retold to succeeding generations."

It goes on to say, "On June 6, 1944, the future of freedom hung in the balance when 156,000 Allied troops crossed the English Channel and stormed the beaches of northern France to begin an assault on Adolf Hitler and Germany’s Third Reich. When you talk of terrorism, Hitler wrote the book, but the Allies penned the final chapter. And it began at Normandy."

To read the entire article, click here.

Carol Edholm Recipient of Kehr "Future of Philately" Award

American Philatelic Society (APS) member Carol Edholm (shown here with APS Executive Director Ken Martin) has been named the recipient of the Kehr "Future of Philately" Award for 2009.

According to an APS announcement, "Carol has been an active collector and promoter of the hobby in the Pacific West Coast area for approximately seventeen years. What started as a presentation about stamp collecting to a school in 1993 has led to the creation of a non-profit organization called Youth Stamp Collectors, which not only works with youth and educators on the West Coast, but also throughout the United States, Canada, and a few other countries. It has included youth in China since the organization began and has since added youth in Belgium and Ukraine.

"Carol has set up stamp clubs, worked youth areas at philatelic events, educated stamp show staff about youth areas, and worked with teachers and home-school parents. She produces a monthly newsletter for members. She has worked with Boy Scouts to teach and assist them in obtaining their Stamp Collecting Merit Badge. She also serves on the youth committee for the Council of Northern California of Philatelic Stamp Clubs as well as the Northwest Federation of Stamp Clubs. workshop.Most recently, the late APS President Nick Carter named her to head up the APS Committee on youth and entry-level collectors."

The Kehr Award, named for Ernest Anthony Kehr (1911–1986), one of philately's most distinguished spokesmen, recognizes a living philatelist each year, who has contributed to the future of the stamp hobby. The candidate's endeavors must exhibit sustained excellence, lasting value, and demonstrated positive results. The candidate's activities in one or more of these areas should also have been demonstrated for a period of at least five years. In Carol's case, the committee felt Carol had fully and generously met all of the published criteria.

For more information, click here.

Pens & The Post

Last month the National Postal Museum in Washington, D.C., held a workshop titled Pens & the Post.

A according to a entry on the museum's newly named Pushing the Envelope blog, "When Tadas Osmolskis, a Postal Museum volunteer, brought a handful of World War II era pens to a Postal Museum museum program, something magical happened.

"Kids, parents, and grandparents at the letter writing table were thrilled to write their letters with authentic pens from the era. Grandparents shared stories of their school days while kids marveled at the way the pens felt in their hands. 'Everything I write seems more important,' one young visitor said as he worked on his letter, enjoying that distinctive scratching sound that today’s pens just don’t make." 

Some of the workshop activities that took place included...

• Calligraphy demonstrations
• A “Pen Petting Zoo” where children could try out different types of pens. 
• Exploration of the many different types of papers available to letter writers. 
• Writing letters to U.S. military members and learning about World War II era correspondence
• Meeting members of Pen Collectors of America and learning about their hobby.

To learn more, click here.

Stanley Gibbons, Pickles the Dog and the Missing World Cup trophy

Paul Fraser Collectibles asks the question on their website, "What links the leading stamp dealer Stanley Gibbons, a used car salesman, the original Jules Rimet World Cup trophy, and a black and white mongrel dog named Pickles?"

According to Paul, "The answer involves a theft, a whodunit mystery which had the public and media gripped, and a Tutankhamun-like curse which may have claimed the lives of two people as well as Pickles."

Shown above, the Jules Rimet World Cup trophy.

To learn more, click here.

Royal Mail Gets Date Wrong on New Stamp

Reporter Mike Merritt of Britain's Sunday Mail reports that Royal Mail got the date wrong on a new stamp featuring the likeness of John Knox and the inscription "Reformation 1559".

According Mike, "... historians slammed the blunder as the Reformation happened a year later in 1560 - with this year marking the 450th anniversary."

The mistake was spotted by a 75-year-old British philatelist, Dr. Sandy Waugh, whose PhD is in church theology.

Dr. Waugh is quoted in the piece as saying, "They have got the wrong date. It is a bit off and very embarrassing. They should have done more research. After all, it's the 450th anniversary of the Reformation, which banned Papal supremacy - and to compound the timing of the mistake even more, the Pope is due here in September."

A Royal Mail spokeswoman is also quoted as saying,  "The stamp featuring John Knox is specifically designed to commemorate the role played by John Knox in the Scottish Reformation. It focuses on the importance of the year 1559 in John Knox's career, as that was when he returned from exile in Geneva to lead the campaign for the Scottish Reformation...and, therefore, there has been no error made by Royal Mail on this stamp."

To read the entire article, click here.

Top Ten Reasons to Use Snail Mail

Ever had to decide whether it would be better to send an e-mail or a real letter with a stamp or two on it?

Well, fret no more, here's a summary of the top ten reasons to use snail mail vs. e-mail that appears on the ChangeOf Address.org website...

#1. It’s exciting to receive a personal letter or note.
 
#2.You can add confetti or creative designs to your letter or card.

#3. There’s more privacy to snail mail.

#4. Emails can get lost in junk mail filters. 

#5. Emails are prone to quicker judgments and rash decisions.

#6. You can send more variety of items via snail mail.

#7. People tend to elaborate more with snail mail. 

#8. There’s no virus attached.

#9. It’s too easy to forward your email content to thousands of people worldwide (on accident).

#10. The check is in the mail.

The piece concludes with advice you might want to keep in mind, "So these aren’t the only reasons but they are some good ones. An honorable mention that didn’t make the list is the excuse that you can always use for a greeting being late (birthday card, graduation card, etc.). You can say you had trouble getting to the post office or that your letter was lost in the mail, but be careful with that one though as most people are smart enough to look at the postmark date."

To read the entire piece, click here.