International Polar Year Stamps Have Just Arrived!

Check out the newest feature at County Stamp Center: the International Polar Year issues. To date, we have available issues from the United States, Iceland, Denmark, Greenland, Norway, Finland, and the French Southern and Antarctic Territories.

These exciting stamps feature exotic portrayals of life at our frozen poles that is both breathtakingly beautiful and hauntingly bizarre. Nowhere else on our planet must man and animal fight so fiercely to maintain their toehold on life. Life at the poles is a constant battle against nature's most savage elements.

The unique stamp-on-stamp commemorative shown above features a map of the antarctic along with some of the more recognizable residents of that frozen land, the popular penguin. (Click the link to order.) Click the post title to view our complete collection of International Polar Year stamps and check back with us periodically for new acquisitions. Visit the County Stamp Center website for exciting stamps on every subject imaginable. Come to County Stamp Center for all your philatelic needs.

Taiwan Gives Butterflies Safe Passage

In an unusual move to protect these delicate creatures, Taiwan is cordoning off part of a highway to create safe passage for a massive seasonal butterfly migration, a Taiwanese official told the Associated Press. Milkweed butterflies, which are indigenous to the island nation off China's southern coast, migrate from southern Taiwan to the north at the end of March. Once they reach the north end of their route, the purple-winged, white-spotted insects lay their eggs and die. To protect the migrating butterflies, a 600-year stretch of highway will be sealed off to avoid collisions with car windshields.

County Stamp Center has hundreds of stamps portraying butterflies in all their glory and variety. Salvador issued the lovely butterfly, bird and plant stamps shown above. One of our 2006 best-sellers, County Stamp Center offers free shipping on this item. Click the post title to order and enter the code "BEST2006" at checkout to get free shipping on this 10-stamp set and any of the many stamps in our 2006 Best Sellers category. Hurry though, this offer will only be available for a limited time.

Use our handy drop-down category list to find your favorite stamps quickly or enter a key word in our unique search feature. At County Stamp Center we make it easy for you. You can find stamps on our website by category, key word or Scott catalog number. Visit County Stamp Center for all your philatelic needs.

Collection Features Portraits of African Birds

This stunning collection of early African birds issued by Botswana is just one of the many featured topical collections you'll find at County Stamp Center. The collection includes early African bird definitive and commemorative sets in mint condition. Beautifully detailed drawings of a large variety of African birds in their natural habitats grace these stamps.

The 2008 Scott catalog value for the complete set is more than $180. County Stamp Center's price is just $135, a phenomenal savings. Click the post title for complete details and to order.

The collection includes:

• 1967 Scott set of 14 values
• 1978 bird definitive set of 17 values featuring woodpeckers, plovers, kingfishers, storks
• 1982 definitive set of 18 values
• 1989 set of 4 slaty egrets

Visit the County Stamp Center website to explore our complete selection of topical collections. We also have collections on Lindner pages. Use our unique search feature to find what you're looking for by key word, category or Scott catalog number. Come to County Stamp Center for all your philatelic needs.

Blooming Tulips Herald Spring

Spring is finally here. The tulips are blooming! In my garden, the first delicate yellow stars opened their petals today. A beautiful patterned carpet of gold glints in the sun under my maple tree. Red-hatted soldiers march along the backyard fence, standing straight and tall against the white pickets. In the front yard, slender green stems show off their pale pink and purple hats among the yellow trumpets of the daffodils. For me, spring isn't here until the flowers start to bloom.

This lovely stamp sheet issued by Romania captures the beauty of a woodland spring. Lovely tulips rise above greening meadow grasses, filling each pane with a splash of colorful blooms. Click the post title to order this beautiful tribute to spring from County Stamp Center.

Whatever signals the beginning of spring to you -- whether it be beautiful blooms or the crack of a baseball bat -- you'll find a stamp that puts you in the spring mood on our website. Visit County Stamp Center for all your philatelic needs.

Beatles Mania! Yeah, Yeah, Yeah!

I remember when the Beatles made their first trip to America in 1964. My cousin was just coming into her teens and was besotted with the mop-haired British rock band. The night they appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show, our families crowded into the living room to gather around our 19-inch black and white console TV. Even my folks wanted to know what all the hullabaloo was about. I don't know that our parents were terribly impressed, but my cousins and I were captivated by the look and sound of music so excitingly new.

Leading the British Invasion, the Beatles took America by storm, leaving screaming, swooning fans in their wake and inspiring thousands of garage bands. John, Paul, George and Ringo redefined popular music with innovative sounds and the use of unconventional instruments from the early 1960s until their breakup in 1970. Selling billions of records worldwide, the Beatles became the best-selling musical act of all time according to the Recording Industry Association of America. The style, clothes, and social causes taken up by the Fab Four set instant trends and helped define the cultural revolution of the 1960s.

County Stamp Center offers a number of fabulous Beatles commemorative stamps to enhance your collection. The colorful six-value commemorative shown above left features six of the Beatles' greatest album covers. Click the link to view all six stamps and to order from County Stamp Center. Round out your collection with the souvenir sheet of Beatles memorabilia shown at right. Beatlemania spawned all manner of souvenir products. Recapture the memories by ordering this colorful souvenir sheet from County Stamp Center; just click the link. For more Fab Four issues at County Stamp Center, click the post title.

County Stamp Center offers a huge variety of stamps to tickle the fancy of every collector. We sell supplies too. And at County Stamp Center you're always assured of great prices. Visit the County Stamp Center website for all your philatelic needs.

We Buy Stamp Collections

If you're cleaning out the attic and run across Aunt Mae's dusty old stamp album, give us a call. County Stamp Center buys stamps collections. If you haven't looked at your stamp collection in some time, this might be an opportune time to sell. Your collection could be gathering cash instead of dust!

"County Stamp Center is now expanding its internet sales; and with increased demand from European markets, our need for collections has never been greater," says County Stamp Center owner Alex Birman. "We are especially interested in
purchasing better United States, European and topical collections."

Since starting business in 1953, County Stamp Center has earned an enviable reputation for fairness and integrity. We have been purchasing stamp collections for more than 50 years and offer the most competitive prices on the market. You can trust our appraisals which are certified by the American Philatelic Society.

If you have a collection you might consider selling, the first step is to arrange for an appraisal. Call County Stamp Center's owner Alex Birman toll-free at 800-245-7597, or click the post title for additional contact information. Alex will travel to your site to inspect large holdings. Smaller collections can be shipped at our cost to our office in Annapolis, Maryland. Packing and shipping expenses will be immediately reimbursed. Within 10 days of receipt, County Stamp Center will make you an offer. Should you decide not to accept our offer, your collection will be immediately returned.

Visit the County Stamp Center website to find out more about County Stamp Center and view the many stamps and collections we offer. If you are interested in selling your stamp collection, please contact Alex Birman via our website, the toll-free number noted above, or e-mail at alex@stampcenter.com. Come to County Stamp Center for all your philatelic needs.

Booklet Features Stunning Photos of Egyptian Antiquities

The fascinating Treasures of Egypt commemorative stamp booklet features stunning photographs of ancient treasures. From the pharaohs to the pyramids, this amazing booklet takes you on a breathtaking tour of Egyptian antiquities. Click the post title to view and order from County Stamp Center.

One of our 2006 best sellers, County Stamp Center offers free shipping with the Treasures of Egypt booklet. Just enter the coupon code "BEST2006" at checkout to get free shipping for this and any of the more than 200 stamps in our 2006 Best Sellers category.

Make sure you don't miss any of our special offers, sign up today to receive our monthly online newsletter. It's easy. Just visit the County Stamp Center website and enter your e-mail address and name in the right-hand column. Each month we'll notify you of specially priced items, detail special features, provide codes for free shipping, and invite you to enter our monthly contest for free supplies. Whether you're a a novice or veteran stamp collector, you'll find everything you need at County Stamp Center.

Silver Foil Decorates Graceful Zodiac Signs

From County Stamp Center's strange and unusual category comes a beautiful set of 4 mini sheetlets from Russia. Raised pictures and silver foil decorate these lovely portrayals of the signs of the zodiac. Click the post title to view and order from County Stamp Center.

Zodiac, aptly meaning "circle of little animals" in Greek, refers to 12 signs associated with Earth's yearly cycle and with constellations of stars that lie along the path of the Sun as it crosses the heavens. In the first millennium BC, Babylonian astronomers divided the Sun's path into 12 equal zones, the first known celestial coordinate system. Indo-European astrologers used the movement of the plants and the Sun through the 12 signs of the zodiac to explain and predict events on Earth. Our modern western astrological signs are simplifications of the ancient Greek characters used to represent each sign.

You'll find unique and interesting stamps on every subject imaginable at County Stamp Center. Visit our website and use our handy search feature to find stamps by key word, category or Scott catalog number. Come to County Stamp Center for all your philatelic needs.

Bold Distortion Characterized Friedensreich Hundertwasser's Art

Eye-catching and bizarre, the richly colored art of Friedensreich Hundertwasser fascinates. A well-known but always controversial Austrian artist, Hundertwasser (1928-2000) applied the sinuous forms and expressive distortions of Art Nouveau to a broad range of new forms. Stretching his art beyond traditional canvas, he applied it to buildings, postage stamps, flags, clothing, even toilet design!

Fascinated by spirals, Hundertwasser called straight lines "the devil's tools." In his work he explored the relationship between man, the constructed world and nature. Hundertwasser practiced and preached a philosophy of peaceful harmony with the environment in both his art and life. "If man walks in nature's midst, then he is nature's guest and must learn to behave as a well-brought-up guest," he said.

First achieving notoriety for his boldly-colored paintings, Hundertwasser is more widely renowned today for his revolutionary architectural designs. His buildings juxtaposed natural landscape features with irregular forms, resulting in surprising and unsettling perversions of traditional architecture that demand attention. Among the unusual features found in his buildings are undulating floors, sloping walls to create distorted perspectives, a roof covered with earth and grass, and large trees growing from inside rooms, their limbs extending from the windows.

This month's special offer at County Stamp Center, the Hundertwasser souvenir sheet set features three different works of art: Black Trees, Rainbow Windows and Man's Head (shown). Issued by Senegal in 1979, the three sheets carry a Scott Catalogue value of $525 but are priced at only $235 (shipping included) at County Stamp Center. Click the post title to learn more about Hundertwasser and to view the other two art works featured. Visit the County Stamp Center website for all your philatelic needs.

Stylized Concorde Adorns Unique Silver Foil Stamp

This unique stamp, issued by Senegal in 1976, commemorates the second international fair in Dakar, Africa. A stylized flight of the Concorde is beautifully rendered in silver foil, the drawings carefully etched into the delicate silver. This unique stamp is sure to be a prized addition to your collection. Click the post title to order from County Stamp Center.

Situated on the western coast of Africa, Senegal is one of the most successful post-colonial democratic countries in Africa. A former French colony, the Republic of Senegal embarked on an ambitious economic reform program in 1994, solidifying it's economy and strengthening ties to Europe.

You'll find fascinating stamps from around the world at County Stamp Center. Using our unique search feature, you can find what you're looking for by key word, category or Scott catalog number. Visit the County Stamp Center website for all your philatelic needs.

Real Pearls Are Attached to Pearl Diving Sheetlet

Actual pearls are attached to this Pearl Diving Tools sheetlet issued by the United Arab Emirates in January 2007. Fascinating photographs show native pearl divers using traditional primitive diving implements to retrieve pearls from the ocean floor. You'll want to add this very unusual and unique issue to your collection. This month's featured item at County Stamp Center, the price is just $51.72 and shipping is free. Click the post title to order.

Before the 20th century, the only way of obtaining pearls was to dive to the bottom of the ocean floor and manually open the oysters found there. Diving without benefit of wetsuits or oxygen tanks, free divers risked their lives to collect the precious pearls. Divers might have to dive 40 to 125 feet on a single breath to search for rare pearls, braving sharks, jelly fish and other underwater perils.

Unlike native divers, you needn't risk your life diving for pearls. You'll find actual pearls attached to the Pearl Diving Tools sheetlet when you purchase it from County Stamp Center. Visit our website to find more interesting and unusual stamps. Come to County Stamp Center for all your philatelic needs.

Check Out County Stamp Center's Newly Updated Topical Collections

You have to check out County Stamp Center's marvelous topical collections. We have just updated our website and you're sure to find a collection you won't want to miss. Click the post title or link and scroll down to view each fascinating collection. You'll find a wide variety of topics among our collections: early African birds, hot Ferrari race cars, colorful Disney fairy tale classics, fascinating historical collections including the 150th anniversary of the Penny Black, and much, much more.

The Worldwide Train & Railways souvenir sheet collection is just one of the interesting collections offered at County Stamp Center. Click the link for additional views and to order. The Worldwide Train & Railways collection features 55 different mint souvenir sheets and sheetlets depicting railroads and related topics. The collection includes a wonderful selection of sheets from the 1960s through early 1990s. This collection has a retail value of $100, but it's yours for only $55 when you shop smart at County Stamp Center. The collection comes with a new Lindner 36-page stock book for display.

While you're browsing, take a look at all the marvelous collections offered at County Stamp Center. Don't forget supplies so you can showcase your collections immediately. Visit County Stamp Center for all your philatelic needs.

In Like a Lion: Stamps Capture Majestic Beast

March roars in like a lion but sometimes he lurks in the grass as in this delightful stamp. In his paintings Henri Rousseau captured the beauty and mystery of the majestic African beast. In 2004 the Maldives issued the wonderful commemorative stamp shown to showcase Rousseau's dramatic and colorful paintings. Click the post title to order from County Stamp Center.

A post-impressionist French painter, Henri Rousseau (1844-1910) was a self-taught genius whose colorful primitive paintings always contained a charming bit of whimsy. He is best known for his jungle scenes though he never traveled beyond the borders of his native country. Rousseau took inspiration from Paris' lush botanical gardens, illustrated books, and tableaus of wild animals in natural history museums. He once said, "When I see the strange plants of exotic lands, it seems to me that I enter into a dream."

You'll find additional stamps featuring Rousseau paintings on the County Stamp Center website. You'll also find all manner of lion stamps to celebrate the beginning of March, from photographs of the mighty beast in his natural habitat to fanciful pictures from the movie Narnia. Just enter "lion" in our unique search feature to view our complete selection and choose your favorites. Visit County Stamp Center for all your philatelic needs.