Forever Stamps Prove to Be a Good Investment

Allan Sloan, senior editor-at-large, for Fortune reports on the CNN Money website, "In these days of manic-depressive financial markets, it's nice to be able to put your money into something that isn't designed to make you rich, but that at least is pretty much guaranteed to always rise in value. And that, on occasion, can post a nice tax-free gain -- most recently, 6.5% -- overnight.

He goes on to say, "No, I'm not talking about some esoteric investment product with six levels of derivatives, pages of unreadable disclosures, and fat management fees. I'm talking about … postage stamps."

According to Allan, "Forevers have risen in value by almost 20%, to their current 49 cents from the 41 cents that the Postal Service charged when it sold its first Forevers on April 12, 2007. More than a third of that value increase came on Jan. 26, when the price of a first-class stamp rose to 49 cents from the previous 46 cents: the 6.5% overnight increase..."

To read the entire article, click here.

Quintessential Penny Black Gift Items

"As surely the most famous, iconic stamp ever issued, it’s no surprise to find that the Penny Black postage stamp is making a comeback of sorts having inspired a collection of inspirational gift items including a scarf, tote bag and apron amongst others," says Rob Stebbings on Britain's Post Office Blog.

To view and order these items, click here.

For more on the Penny Black itself, click here.

Ireland Withdraws Stamp Over Image

Denise McCarty writes in Linn's Stamp News, "Ireland's An Post halted the sale of a stamp on what would have been its first day of issue over a possible case of mistaken identity."

The  stamp features a photograph of a man believed to be Captain Jack White, a former British Army Officer who volunteered, in 1913, to train the new Irish Citizen Army.

According to Linn's, "This image, which was researched and verified, has been widely used over the years in academic journals and other publications. However, following advance publicity for the stamp...a number of historians have disputed the veracity of the image saying the man depicted is not Jack White."

Linn's reports at least one pane of 15 stamps has been offered for sale by a dealer in Ireland.

To read the entire article, click here.

Pete Seeger (May 3, 1919 - January 27, 2014)

The New York Times reports, "Pete Seeger, the singer, folk-song collector and songwriter who spearheaded an American folk revival and spent a long career championing folk music as both a vital heritage and a catalyst for social change, died Monday. He was 94 and lived in Beacon, N.Y."

For more on his life, click here.

Cost of Collecting Just Went Up

Reporter Lauren Boyer writes on the York Daily Record.com website, "Starting today, stamps cost another three cents and collectors say it's hurting the hobby."
  
According to Boyer, "Because of incremental price increases over the years, it's getting more expensive these days for a kid to collect stamps.Think about it.Each year, the U.S. Postal Service comes out with hundreds of stamp varieties. You pay 49 cents a piece. Say you get a sheet of 20 stamps. That's $10. And so on. A child's allowance can only go so far."

Shown above, nine-year-old Thomas Pokrivka finds a stamp he has been looking for at the 36th Annual Stamp and Postcard Show put on by White Rose Philatelic Society of York, Pennsylvania.

To read the entire article, click here.

Thanks to Stamps You're Got Mail and More

Staff Columnist Sharon Henry of the Orange County Register put together an interesting visual piece that features well known stamps, collectors and dealers following last weekend's ORCOEXPO held in Anaheim.

To view, click here.

Bill Gross - Billionaire Stamp Collector

The Orange County (CA) Register features billionaire stamp collector Bill Gross (shown above) in an article by reporter Elizabeth Held.

According to Elizabeth, "Gross said he can't imagine not having his collection nearby. Many stamp collectors keep their albums locked in a vault, but “there's no fun in that,” he said.

“Why would you want to have a kid and keep them in a room that you can only visit once every three or four months?,”  Gross is quoted as saying.

Elizabeth pens "Gross, the lead donor, gave $10 million to the Smithsonian Institution to help establish the gallery. He also lent the institution three of his rarest stamps for display. He wants to inspire future generations of stamp collectors and remind people of the unique history the stamps represent."

She goes on to say, "Gross also offered organizers an idea they took up. He wanted gallery visitors to be able to start their own stamp collections on the spot. In the middle of the gallery, visitors find a table with baskets filled with stamps. They are invited to take home six stamps to start their stamp albums."

For more on this story along with some photos of items in his collection, click here.

New Postal Rates

Effective Jan. 26:
• Letters (1 oz.) – 3-cent increase to 49 cents
• Letters additional ounces – 1-cent increase to 21 cents
• Letters to all international destinations (1 oz.) – $1.15
• Postcards – 1-cent increase to 34 cents

Valentine's Day Postmark Available

"A unique design created by a local artist and selected via a competitive contest is stamped on the outside of all Valentine envelopes and re-mailed from the Sweetheart City, "reports Colorado's Burlington Record.

It goes on to say, "More than 200,000 cards and letters were handled last year, from more than 100 countries and every state in the Union.

"Since the start of the program in 1947, more than 12 million Valentines have been re-mailed by Loveland.

"To have cards and letters re-mailed with the Loveland postmark, properly stamp and address each individual Valentine and put them all in a larger, stamped envelope and mail them to:

Postmaster
Valentine Re-mailing
446 E. 29th St.
Loveland, CO 80538

"Deadlines for re-mailing and delivery by Valentine’s Day, Feb. 14:
•Feb. 4: Outside of the U.S. to other countries and international destinations
•Feb. 10: Within the U.S. and outside of Colorado
•Feb. 11: Within the state of Colorado"

 

Klug to Head Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee

Linn's Stamp News reports Janet Klug has been named by the United States Postal Service as the new chair of the Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee (CSAC).

Bill McAllister, Linn's Washington correspondent writes, "Klug, a former president of the American Philatelic Society and current CSAC member, will replace Jean Picker Firstenberg, a former chief executive of the American Film Institute, during one of CSAC's most turbulent years."

According to McAllister, "Members of the committee, which selects and develops subjects and designs for U.S. stamps, walked out of a September meeting upset over what they said was the committee's reduced role in the U.S. stamp-selection process."

Firstenberg declined to be interviewed on her departure from the panel says McAllister.

Firstenberg is quoted as saying, "Thanks for the invitation, but I think I will let the stamps issued during my term speak for themselves."

For more on this story, click here.