There is a wealth of cool info online about stamps; fun to look at and collect!
In my post of October 31st, (Inspiration...and Stamps!) I mentioned the wonderful stamp artist, Donald Evans. Today, I am sharing links related to the fantastic stamps used by our U.S. Post Office. (The stamps above are of military working dogs.)
Stamps are much more than a way to get a letter from one address to another. They are tiny works of art that carry a message from sender to recipient. They teach us about historical events and people. They celebrate art, music, sports, and popular culture. They highlight our beautiful national parks and the uniqueness of our 50 states. Looking closely at them and reading about them allows us to be explorers right from our home.
*Philatelic (an adjective) is pronounced like this...
phi·lat·e·lic
fi-lə-ˈte-lik
*Philately (a noun) is pronounced like this...
phi·lat·e·ly
fəˈladlē
...and means: "the collection and study of postage stamps."
First off, I suggest asking the USPS to mail you their free Philatelic* catalog, which is published 4 times a year and has beautiful color photos of all the stamps available or soon to be coming out that year. Here is a PDF of the current USPS quarterly catalog. Isn't the cover beautiful? If you can't collect the actual stamps, you can still have fun looking at the designs and if you want, you can request a printed copy of the catalog. Here is how to do that.
The USPS also has a Holiday Catalog. You can view it online here (a PDF). Holiday gifts from the post office include ornaments, hats, sweatshirts, t-shirts, messenger bags, stationary, coasters, jigsaw puzzles, and more! (See the cool book above.) You can also buy holiday items online here.
Young Stamp Collectors of America (YSCA) is a division of the American Philatelic Society created to promote the hobby of stamp collecting to young people between the ages of 6 – 17.
Regular Membership - Cost: $10 per year
Family Membership- A great option for a family with multiple children who are interested in joining. Cost: $15/household per year
Membership Includes:
A monthly eNewsletter - A colorful e-newsletter is sent quarterly filled with articles, how-to's, collecting basics, activities, stamp offers, and more!
YSCA Members Only Area in C3a, our online learning platform- YSCA members can log-in and access monthly video lessons, archives of eNewsletters, collecting tips, and more!
Treasure Package - New members receive a treasure package of philatelic materials and collecting information.
Here is another link to get started in stamp collecting: American Philatelic Society.
The American Philatelic Society is proud to offer downloadable stamp albums that you may print for personal use or distribute free of charge. The albums range from as few as four to more than 30 pages and include background information on the illustrated stamps. Albums are not necessarily comprehensive. They focus on face different stamps that the average collector has a reasonable chance to acquire often excluding expensive items and varieties. Here is the 2019 album.
“The Museum celebrates the beauty and lore of stamps. A stamp is much more than the physical evidence that postage has been paid. Stamps can be miniature works of art, treasured keepsakes, and rare collectibles.”
Also from the same museum, an introduction to stamp collecting.
For teens and older: Here is an interesting webpage on how to get started in stamp collecting. "Remember, most collections are formed by an already developed interest in a specific country - perhaps where your ancestors came from, or a specific topic (cleverly called "topicals") such as horses or flowers on stamps. As you are forming the collection for yourself, you get to be the one to make up the rules. If you are the one to choose what to collect it will be much more suited to keeping your interests piqued."
How Are Artists Chosen to Design Stamps?
You can learn about that at this link.
A wonderful artist and writer I know, Elizabeth Brandon, had her beautiful paintings featured on stamps. The stamps were called Forever Flowers. Visit Elizabeth's site to learn more about her work, including her books about a wonderful dog named Sadie Bug.
Here are some stamp designs that I think are beautiful (and a little mail truck, available from the USPS website).
Comments