WASHINGTON, DC — What do Bette Davis, “Take Me Out to the Ball Game,” and Latin jazz have in common? They’re some of the subjects recognized in the Postal Service’s 2008 stamp program.

The 2008 stamp program recognizes a range of subjects as diverse as America itself, from the Chinese Lunar New Year celebrated in Chinatowns all over the country, to 20th century movie icons and literary figures, to the flags of our states and territories.

“This stamp series celebrates our greatest creative minds, our groundbreaking heroes, and the places, institutions and values that have made us who we are,” said Postmaster General John Potter. “We’re proud to be able to highlight noteworthy parts of our shared American history on stamps that people will use every day to connect with family and friends.

Our introduction of The Flags of Our Nation series this summer makes for a perfect start into stamp collecting — and they’re a great geography lesson. We encourage parents to involve their children in this fascinating inexpensive hobby they will cherish for years to come.”

Flags of Our Nation

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WASHINGTON, Dec. 14 — The office of Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., issued the following news release:

The U.S. Senate has approved legislation sponsored by U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) to extend the sale of the highly successful Breast Cancer Research Stamp for four additional years beyond the current expiration date of December 31, 2007. The legislation is cosponsored by a bipartisan coalition of 62 additional Senators.

The Senate last night approved the House-passed bill, which included a provision requiring the National Institutes for Health and the Department of Defense to submit an annual report to Congress and the Government Accountability Office (GAO) on significant advances achieved due to funding from the Breast Cancer Research Stamp. Read the rest of this entry »

Press release:

Kansas City, MO, July 31, 2007 Since the Postal Service began permitting consumers to design their own stamps in 2004, the demand for custom designed wedding stamps has been steadily growing. Perfect Postage began in March of this year with custom designed 777 wedding stamps as a fun way to showcase invitations for those that were married on July 7, 2007.

Annie Slentz, stamp designer at perfectpostage.com. said “I could not design the stamps quickly enough for the 777 couples – they would sell immediately after becoming available.” As the demand for custom wedding postage grew, Perfect Postage filled the niche for brides to be and wedding planners by offering a full line of wedding correspondence postage.

Wedding postage options include save the date, wedding invitations, bridal showers, engagement announcements, monograms, RSVP and thank you notes. From the first announcement to the thank you notes, brides are no longer limited by Post Office designs.

At perfectpostage.com, brides and wedding planners can browse hundreds and hundreds of wedding stamp designs. These novelty stamps are a great way to introduce your guest to your overall wedding theme whether it’s a beach wedding or a “green” environmentally friendly wedding.

Perfect Postage features elegant designs ranging from a simple rose to personalized initials with artistic backgrounds. Popular wedding phrases include stamps designed with “All you need is Love”, “With this ring” “And the Two Shall Become One.” Wedding cakes, one of the best selling lines, are featured on a wide range of postage. Each stamp can be personalized with the bride and groom’s name, wedding date or initials.

Custom stamps are tailored for each month with a wide range of colors and backgrounds to feature each season. January wedding stamps showcase chocolate brown backgrounds with winter white flowers. June, the most popular month, has a variety of themes including roses, calla lilies, orchids, lace and pearls. A unique June stamp also features the next big wedding date: 06/07/08.

Perfect Postage also offers fun designs for showers, new baby announcements, anniversaries and birthdays. To view the full line of designer stamps, visit perfectpostage.com. As one bride said, “Your invitations will not only get delivered, they’ll get noticed.”

From Flickr:

An interesting use of the personalized postage program- Danish artist Asbjorn Lonvig sells postage stamps with his original artwork via Zazzle.
Buy US Postal stamps with Asbjorn Lonvig Art Motifs….

Today’s Hartford Courant has an article about a company in Connecticut that helps schools and other organizations raise money by selling custom stamps, with designs created by the kids.

The article doesn’t explain why you’d need to use a company like this rather than dealing directly with one of the custom stamp vendors, though. The ‘entrepreneur’ talks a lot about his research, his pending patents and such, but never explains what value his company adds to the process. And yes, there is actually a patent application on file, claiming that this idea is an ‘invention’!

HERSHEY, PA. — Love and the sweet smell of chocolate filled the air today during an event at the Giant Center in Hershey, Pa. The U.S. Postal Service® dedicated the 2007 With Love and Kisses stamp, which is available nationwide today.

“Americans traditionally send something sweet in their envelopes on Valentine’s Day,” said John E. Potter, postmaster general and chief executive officer, U.S. Postal Service, at the stamp dedication ceremony. “With the With Love and Kisses stamp, they can now put something sweet on their envelope.”

Joining Potter in the dedication was Richard H. Lenny, chairman, president and chief executive officer, The Hershey Company®; Honorable Tim Holden, member of Congress,17th district of Pennsylvania; and David E. Failor, executive director, Stamp Services, U.S. Postal Service.

“The Hershey®’s Kisses® Brand is an enduring symbol of love, affection and sharing, recognized world over for its distinct shape, classic silver foil and unmistakable plume,” said Lenny. “The With Love and Kisses stamp reinforces the passion and emotional connection consumers have with the iconic Hershey’s Kisses Brand.”

Evoking images of sweet and ardent affection, the With Love and Kisses stamp features a Hershey’s Kisses Chocolate and a red heart that form mirror images of one another. Written on the heart is “Love,” while “Kisses” appears on the plume that extends from the top of the chocolate treat.

The unmistakable shape of Hershey’s Kisses Chocolates has not changed since The Hershey Company introduced this milk chocolate candy to the nation in 1907. Wrapped by hand until the process was automated in 1921, Hershey’s Kisses Brand Chocolates have been available year-round for 100 years with only one exception. Production ceased from 1942 to 1949, when silver foil was rationed as a result of the war effort. Hershey’s Kisses Brand Chocolates wrapped in red and silver foil were introduced in 1986 in honor of Valentine’s Day.

The Postal Service™ began issuing its popular Love stamps in 1973, and the With Love and Kisses stamp marks the 23rd in the series. Over the years these stamps have been used on wedding correspondence, Valentine’s Day sentiments and Mother’s Day and Father’s Day cards.

Award-winning illustrator José Ortega of New York City and Toronto, who designed the With Love and Kisses stamp, previously designed the Salsa stamp, one of four stamps that appeared as part of the 2005 Let’s Dance: Bailemos! stamp issue.

With Love and Kisses Promotion Fact Sheet

“Guess & Win” Sweepstakes

The United States Postal Service® is celebrating the launch of the With Love and Kisses stamp by offering consumers a chance to win a romantic getaway.

* Beginning January 15 through February 15, 2007, the U.S. Postal Service® is giving consumers a chance to win $10,000 for a romantic getaway of their choice, along with other great prizes, in the exciting “Guess & Win” Sweepstakes.

* To enter, consumers can guess how many Hershey®’s Kisses® Brand Chocolates will fit inside a U.S. Postal Service Priority Mail® flat-rate box (dimensions: 11 7/8″ x 3 3/8″ x 13 5/8″). Interested consumers can visit participating Post Office™ locations to receive a “Guess & Win” entry form and personal access code. Entries can then be submitted online at www.guessandwinsweeps.com or by sending a 3 x 5 note card, including name and address, to USPS Guess & Win Sweepstakes, PO Box 861, Bethpage, NY 11714-0861.

* One lucky winner who correctly guesses the number of Hershey’s Kisses Chocolates that fit inside a U.S. Postal Service Priority Mail flat-rate box will receive $10,000 for a romantic getaway, compliments of the Postal Service™. Additional prizes include 100 “In the Mailbox™ With Love and Kisses” bears.

* Consumers can also enter this sweet promotion by visiting usps.com and clicking on the “Guess & Win” banner, or by visiting www.guessandwinsweeps.com directly to make their guess.

* In addition to offering consumers a chance for exciting prizes, www.guessandwinsweeps.com is also helping people to connect with a kiss. To celebrate the personal connections fostered by the U.S. Postal Service and Hershey’s Kisses Brand Chocolates, consumers nationwide can send “Virtual Kiss” e-mails to friends and loved ones from the site.

* The U.S. Postal Service “Guess & Win” Sweepstakes is open to legal U.S. residents 18 years of age or older. Winners will be announced on or about February 23, 2007, by Strobe Promotions, Inc., an independent judging organization.

* Entrants can view the official rules at www.guessandwinsweeps.com.

With Love and Kisses Philatelic Fact Sheet

Philatelic Products

There are five philatelic products available for this stamp issue.

* Item 676740: Booklet Pane of 20 - $7.80
* Item 676761: First Day Cover - $.0.77
* Item 676765: DCP CNC Cover - $1.50
* Item 676793: First Day Cover Keepsake - $8.57
* Item 676799: Digital Color Postmark Keepsake - $9.30

How to Order First Day Covers

Stamp Fulfillment Services also offers first day covers for new stamp issues and Postal Service stationery items postmarked with the official first day of issue cancellation. Each item has an individual catalog number and is offered in the quarterly USA Philatelic catalog. Customers may request a free catalog by calling 800-STAMP-24 or writing to:

INFORMATION FULFILLMENT
DEPT 6270
US POSTAL SERVICE
PO BOX 219014
KANSAS CITY MO 64121-9014

How to Order First Day of Issue Postmark

Customers have 60 days to obtain the first day of issue postmark by mail. They may purchase new stamps at their local Post Office, by telephone at 800-STAMP-24 and at The Postal Store® Web site at www.usps.com/shop.

They should affix the stamps to envelopes of their choice, address the envelopes (to themselves or others) and place them in a larger envelope addressed to:

WITH LOVE AND KISSES STAMP
POSTMASTER
FIRST DAY OF ISSUE CANCELLATION
50 N LINDEN RD
HERSHEY PA 17033-9998

After applying the first day of issue postmark, the Postal Service will return the envelopes through the mail. There is no charge for the postmark. All orders must be postmarked by March 13, 2007.

Chinese sweet and sour postal pork, that is:

“When you scratch the front of the stamps, it smells of the popular chinese dish and when the back of the stamp is licked it tastes of the dish too.”

Ananova: Sweet and Sour stamps

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While the 1993 Elvis stamp continues to hold court as the most popular stamp of all time with more than 124 million collected, three sets of stamps issued during 2006 rank among the top 10, Postmaster General John E. Potter announced today.

“Stamp collecting continues as one of the world’s most popular educational hobbies that the entire family can enjoy,” Potter said in announcing the 25 most popular stamps of all time. “Three stamp subjects issued this year were extremely popular: Wonders of America, Land of Superlatives, came in at number two for all time with more than 87 million collected; DC Comics Super Heroes hit number five with 73 million; and, Art of Disney: Romance was number eight with more than 57 million.”

Since 1988, the Postal Service has annually surveyed more than 10,000 households to determine the number and types of stamps purchased versus stamps saved.

The Postal Service receives stamp ideas from about 50,000 people every year, yet only 20 to 25 subjects make the cut. To narrow down the selection, the Postmaster General’s Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee — a cross section of designers, historians and academics — reviews the suggestions and make recommendations to the Postmaster General for final approval.

“The fact that 10 of the top 25 were issued in the last three years serves as a testament to the Committee’s expertise in selecting dynamic subjects and America’s continued interest in the hobby,” he added.

This year proved to be the best ever for stamp shows. The Washington 2006 World Philatelic Exhibition — as the world’s largest stamp show and held only once every decade in the U.S. — attracted nearly 140 postal administrations and more than 200 stamp dealers to showcase the world’s rarest stamp collections worth hundreds of millions of dollars to nearly a quarter of a million visitors.

The Postal Service encourages individuals with stamp ideas to submit their suggestions in writing to: CITIZENS’ STAMP ADVISORY COMMITTEE
STAMP DEVELOPMENT
U.S. POSTAL SERVICE
1735 NORTH LYNN ST RM 5013
ARLINGTON VA 22209-6432 To see the top 25 most popular stamp subject images, visit this special Download Center.

To see the 2007 Commemorative stamp program and learn more about the stamp selection process, visit the 2007 Commemorative stamp program.

Top 25 Most Popular Commemorative Stamps

Stamp Subject	Year	Stamps Saved
1) Elvis	1993	124.1 million
2) Wonders of America	2006	87.5 million
3) Wildflowers	1992	76.1 million
4) Rock & Roll/Rhythm & Blues	1993	75.9 million
5) DC Comics Super Heroes	2006	73.0 million
6) Greetings From America	2002	71.4 million
7) Insects and Spiders	1999	61.0 million
Art of Disney: Romance	2006	57.2 million
9) Legends of Baseball	2000	53.9 million
10) Art of Disney: Celebration	2005	52.8 milion
11) Baseball Playing Fields	2001	49.0 million
12) Art of Disney: Friendship	2004	47.7 million
13) Civil War	1995	46.6 million
14) Legends of the West	1994	46.4 million
15) Marilyn Monroe	1995	46.4 million
16) Advances in Aviation	2005	45.8 million
17) Bugs Bunny	1997	44.1 million
18) Lunar New Year SS	2005	42.7 million
19) Comic Strip Classics	1995	40.8 million
20) Jim Henson: Muppets	2005	40.6 million
21) Cloudscapes	2004	40.1 million
22) Stars and Stripes	2000	40.0 million
23) Baseball Sluggers	2006	39.5 million
24) Summer Olympics	1992	39.5 million
25) Lucille Ball	2001	38.7 million

USPS Press release

Worth1000.com invites you to create some new postage stamps- it’s their sixth stamp contest- check out some of the past entries too…

Going Postal 6

(via the Stamp Collecting Roundup)