Stamp Auction

Do you have an extra million dollars lying around? If so, there is an auction coming up in New York City that you might be interested in. The entire collection is estimated to be worth $5 million!

The Islander Collection auction will feature a historic collection of early South American postage stamps from the 1800’s. There are more than 300 rare stamps in the collection. Most stamps are from the 1840’s and 1850’s. The stamps originate in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia and Peru. The stamps have been displayed at international exhibitions for decades. This is the first time that the collection has been gathered together in its entirety.

Brazilian stamps that are nicknamed the “Bull’s Eyes” will be sold as well as the most famous and valuable item in Brazilian philately, which is called the “Pack Strip”. The strip has two 30-reis and one 60-reis stamps joined together. They are estimated to sell for $1 million plus for just these stamps. A stamp from Argentina, that is the only surviving one-peso head to foot pair of stamps, which are printed upside down to each other, will also be for sale. There are many more treasures to be had in this auction.

The auction will be held on June 5 and 6th. Visit www.SiegelAuctions.com for more information. Bids will be taken both online and in person. The owner of the collection is a retired professor of economics. He lives outside of the United States and as of now, wants to remain anonymous. It will be fun to see how much the stamps actually go for. That’s a lot of dough!

Flags Of Our Nation Stamps Coming Soon

From a very young age, Americans are taught to honor the flag. The United States Postal Service has always had flag stamps available, but their new stamp program called “The Flags Of Our Nation” will not only honor the American flag, but state flags as well. Appropriately planned, the new series will be released on June 14, 2008…..Flag Day.

This series is a multiyear set of 60 stamps which will include the five overseas territories and the District of Columbia. They are due to be released in 2008, 2009 and 2010. The stamps will be released in sets of 10. The sets will be alphabetical with Alabama being the first listed and Delaware being the last in this first set. Four of the six groups of ten stamps will depict a different American Flag. The first set will include the American Flag as well. The second set will represent the District of Columbia through Kansas.

In addition to the actual state flag, the artwork shows a tiny glimpse into an everyday scene in each particular state. Don’t expect commonplace scenes though.

Just like the release of the state coins, it will certainly be fun seeing and collecting these new stamps. What a great idea!

Another Reason To Collect Stamps

Stamp collecting has been a beloved hobby of millions of people from all over the world for more than 100 years. Many people try to collect stamps for a profit. You will find that you have to know a lot of information in order to make the big bucks! Most people collect just for the fun of collecting. Of course you could be one of the lucky ones and come across something fantastic in your experience of being a collector.

A study done by the Royal Mail in England has revealed some fantastic and encouraging information for all stamp collectors….especially the young up-and-coming collectors. It has been found that children who collect stamps grow up to be more successful, more intelligent and overall have a better adult life. Adults also gain important skills and knowledge that are transferred into everyday life.

The study revealed that 74 percent of stamp collectors have a college degree in comparison to the general public, where only 20 percent have a degree. It was also found that stamps collectors generally make more money per year than non-stamp collectors. Stamp collectors typically have larger homes than non-collectors and often times have a second home for vacation use. Stamp collectors typically take more vacations per year, which sells the idea totally
in my book!

Even though this study was done in England and applies to the people of England, I am sure that the Yanks across the pond will tend to agree with their findings! We are more intelligent and more successful because of stamp collecting!

Canadian Braille Guide Dog Stamp

The new Canadian Braille Guide Dog stamp has been a huge selling success! There were 3.5 million copies that were sold across Canada in the first four days that they were available to the public. The bad news is that in Canada, once stamps are sold out, they are no longer available. They do not reprint stamps like they do in other countries. The pace of the stamp’s selling set record for the Canada Post. So now we have an instant collector’s item to search for.

The 52 cent stamp has the denomination in both Braille and print, which is a first for Canada. They were sold in booklets of 10. Opening sales began on April 21st to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the Montreal Association for the Blind.

The dogs photographed came from the Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides training facility. Ten dogs were photographed with a total of 8 pictures used for the campaign. There were 100 images of each dog submitted for approval by the committee, which I am sure was no easy feat to accomplish.

An interesting bit of information is that the Canadian Guide Dogs for the Blind collects used postage stamps to raise funds for their organization. They collect special issues, foreign stamps and commemorative stamps. They do not collect regular every day stamps however. If you would like to donate any stamps to this worthy organization, send them to:

Canadian Guide Dogs for the Blind

National Office and Training Centre

PO Box 280

4120 Rideau Valley Drive N

Manotick, Ontario

K4M 1A3

Ol' Blue Eyes Stamp Part II Of II

In continuation to the post on Monday.

Sinatra helped play a major role in the desegregation of Nevada hotels and casinos in the 1960’s. He and the other “Rat Pack” members refused to patronize establishments that would not allow black singers to play live or black patrons to enter the building. He often played benefit shows for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

His talent seemed never ending. He recorded albums and performed with the likes of Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Quincy Jones and Antonio Carlos Jobim. One of his most notable collaborations came from his work with Paul Anka. Anka wrote the song “My Way” with Sinatra in mind. Without a doubt “My Way” is the song that most identifies Frank Sinatra. His efforts were celebrated with many distinguished awards (Academy, Emmy, Peabody, Kennedy Center Honors and Grammy Trustees Award) throughout his lifetime.

Sinatra retired in 1971, only to return to the stage and television in 1973. He continued to perform until his last engagement in 1995. Sinatra died on May 14, 1998.

He was known for being “The Chairman of the Board”, “Ol’ Blue Eyes”, and a member of the “Rat Pack”. His career spanned decades. He is, and will always be, one of the most treasured American entertainment icons of the century and is certainly deserving of the great honor of receiving a stamp by the USPS.

Ol’ Blue Eyes Stamp Part I Of II

On May 13, 2008, the new Frank Sinatra commemorative stamp was issued by the United States Postal Service. It was released one day before the 10th anniversary of his death. There were ceremonies in Las Vegas, New York and Hoboken, NJ, where Sinatra was born. This stamp is the latest stamp released in the Legends of Hollywood series. The color stamp image was based on a photo of Sinatra originally taken in the 1950’s. It shows his trademark hat, smile and twinkling blue eyes.

Frank Sinatra was born on December 12, 1915. He was an extremely popular singer and actor who began his singing career in the 1930’s. Beginning in 1939, he spent two plus years singing with The Tommy Dorsey Band. In his first year, he recorded and released more than forty songs. Up until Frank Sinatra, most music was recorded mainly for adult listening. With his appeal to young teenage girls, the music audience was forever changed.

In 1945, Sinatra co-starred with Gene Kelly in the wildly popular film Anchors Aweigh. He went on to do two more films with Kelly, Take Me Out To The Ball Game and On The Town. Sinatra experienced a brief decline in his popularity throughout the remainder of the 1940’s. In 1953, his career was back in full swing after starring in From Here To Eternity. He won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in the film and was once again one of the top recording artists in the world.

Please check back on Wednesday for the conclusion to this post.

Alphabet + Philately = Alphabetilately!

Alphabetilately is a combination of "Alphabet" and "Philately." In celebration of their 15th anniversary, the Smithsonian National Postal Museum will be planning a new exhibition called the Alphabetilately. The Smithsonian Postal Museum has been entertaining visitors from around the world since 1993. According to their website, it is “dedicated to the preservation, study and presentation of postal history and philately”.

This exciting new exhibit will be coming to Washington, DC on September 26, 2008. It is dubbed to be a universally appealing exhibition and a lively educational experience for visitors of all ages. The collection will showcase various selections from the American postal system and philatelic history.

Each letter of the alphabet will be represented and will feature various aspects from mail sending or of the collection of stamps. According to the Smithsonian’s website, “the stamps, ephemera, and artifacts exhibited in Alphabetilately will graphically document the spectrum of the American experience, from historical subjects to popular culture, from actual events to important ideas.”

This exhibit is the brainchild of Bill Senkus of Walnut Creek, California. According to his website, “One important criterion was that each topic we chose had to be able to be easily and attractively illustrated both visually and verbally, and if possible should include a good story or two.” Taking into consideration that the Smithsonian is now planning on displaying his works, it is sure to be a fantastic exhibit.

Washington, DC is a wonderful tourist destination. The Postal Museum is one of the very interesting spots to visit while in the area.

Potential Clyde W. Tombaugh Stamp

Here is another potential stamp that fans are hoping will soon be approved by the Citizen’s Advisory Committee. There is an online petition that is available for signing to have a stamp issued in honor of Clyde W. Tombaugh.

Astronomer Clyde W. Tombaugh discovered the planet Pluto on February 18, 1930. He was just 24 years old. Pluto was the only planet discovered in the twentieth century and the only one found by an American. In addition to being a world-renowned scientist, Tombaugh went on to a distinguished career as an author, writer, teacher and inventor.

He passed away on February 4th, 1997 so he is now eligible to have a United States commemorative postage stamp issued in his name.

This postage stamp request was created by Gene “Bean” Baxter. Bean is a postal enthusiast as well as a space enthusiast and his twin interests converge in this effort to encourage the Citizen's Stamp Advisory Authority to name Clyde W. Tombaugh to the roster of 2007 U.S. commemorative postage stamps in the world renowned astonomer's first year of eligibility.

He currently lives in Seattle, Washington with his wife Donna and co-hosts the popular KROQ radio Kevin and Bean morning show, heard on 106.7 FM in Southern California and streaming online at www.kroq.com. He can be reached at bean@kroq.com.

If you would like to sign the online petition, click here .

British Cathedral Stamps – New Release

After facing criticism in 2006 about the lack of a Christian theme on its Christmas stamps, the Royal Mail will be releasing a fantastic set of stamps tomorrow, May 13, 2008. These new stamps feature ten amazingly detailed photographs of the most famous cathedrals throughout The United Kingdom. Each stamp depicts interior pictures in black and white and perfectly shows how grand these fine structures are. Buyers will experience a first hand view of the high alter in each of these great cathedrals.

The Lichfield, Belfast, Gloucester, Westminster, St David's and St Magnus Cathedrals are featured in this stamp series.

Lichfield Cathedral is the only English cathedral with three spires which are called “the Ladies of the Vale”. This Gothic cathedral was begun in 1195. The Belfast Cathedral, located in Northern Ireland, was built around a parish church. There is only one window left of the original structure. There is a 100 meter stainless steel spire that was added in 2007. The Gloucester Cathedral was built in the 11th century. There is a 14th century stained glass window with what is believed to be the earliest image of golf ever depicted. St. David’s Cathedral is located at the most westerly point in the British Isles. The Westminster Cathedral (not to be confused with Westminster Abbey) began being built in 1895 and opened its doors in 1903, but work on the interior mosaics still continues to this day. St. Magnus Cathedral is located in the Orkney Islands and begun in 1137.

There is a four stamp mini-sheet set that will also be issued to mark the 300th anniversary of the completion of the beautiful St. Paul’s Cathedral in London.

Viewing these stamps will take you back in history, hundreds of years ago. Simply spectacular!

Potential Childhood Cancer Stamp...Help Needed Part II Of II

In continuation to the post on Wednesday.

Childhood cancer continues to be the number one disease that children will die from in the United States. More children will die from Cancer than AIDS, Asthma, Cystic Fibrosis and Diabetes combined. Currently about 80 percent of children survive Cancer in comparison to the 10 percent of children who survived in 1950. Many breakthroughs in childhood Cancer have helped with the survivability of adults. Often times drugs tested on children will in fact benefit adults instead. Only 4 percent of the money donated to the American Cancer Society goes to the funding of
pediatric Cancer.

The Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Foundation is looking for help from the public. They want to have a stamp issued to bring attention to the issues of childhood Cancer that are facing many American families.

They are asking that letters be submitted to the Citizen’s Advisory Committee so that they will consider distributing a stamp. They have a letter template made for anyone who would like to submit a request to have a stamp made honoring these children who are fighting for their lives daily. The template is not required to be used. Feel free to write your own letter if you so choose.

Letters of support can be submitted to:

Citizens Stamp Advisory Committee
c/o Stamp Development
U.S. Postal Service
475 L'Enfant Plaza, SW, Room 5670
Washington, D.C. 20260-2437

Please consider helping this great cause and help bring awareness of childhood Cancer to the forefront. For more information or to obtain the sample letter template, to visit the Candlelighters website at www.candlelighters.org .

Potential Childhood Cancer Stamp...Help Needed Part I Of II

Each year the Citizen’s Stamp Advisory Committee reviews stamp subjects that are submitted by the public at large. Through their approval process, they only consider stamps that are “events and themes of widespread national appeal
and significance.”

There are currently stamps released for diabetes, organ donation, hospice, breast and prostate cancer, but none for pediatric or childhood Cancer. There are thousands of requests submitted each year for consideration. It is quite
possible that they do not know the widespread national significance of childhood cancer. Now is the time to let them know that Cancer can affect any of the children in our great country and those affected should be recognized. All we are asked to do is write a simple letter to help make this stamp a reality.

Here are a few interesting facts about pediatric Cancer…

Childhood Cancer strikes approximately 12,500 children each year. That is the equivalent to two average size classrooms diagnosed each day in the United States. Just like adults, Cancer can strike at any time. With children, there are not usually contributing factors…example: smoking. Children typically get different types of Cancer than adults do. There are over 40,000 children that are currently receiving treatment in the United States.

Please check back on Friday for the conclusion of this post.

The Griffin & Sabine Stamps In Fiction Part II of II

Publishers Weekly had this to say about Griffin & Sabine: An Extraordinary Correspondence: “This singular, magical volume invites readers to examine handmade postcards and open colorful envelopes as they eavesdrop on personalities shine through both their art and penmanship: Griffin's faintly disturbing, often subliminally violent collages, blocky printed words and imperfectly typewritten pages contrast with Sabine's whimsical doodles, fanciful postage stamps and flowing, calligraphic script.”

The first installation of the trilogy reveals a seemingly psychic connection between the two characters--a connection so strong that it causes Griffin to doubt whether Sabine even exists…along with questioning his own sanity.

The second book of the series, Sabine’s Notebook, adds Sabine’s sketches in between the correspondence that follows Griffin as he travels around the world. He is in search of scenery that will help him access his inner worlds, with the intent of finally meeting Sabine in person. In the meantime, Sabine has arrived in London with a similar intent only to find that their separation will continue to deepen each one’s longing for and understanding of the other.

In the final book of the series, The Golden Mean, the mystery deepens and a new challenge arrives in the form a menacing man interested in their telepathic connection. The two decide to meet someplace in the world between their
homes, but then nothing is heard from them for years...until another mysterious postcard is sent, beginning a new series known as the Morning Star Trilogy.

And through it all, the reader learns what it would be like to have what some might consider a dream job: to be an artist who designs and creates postage stamps for a living!

Griffin and Sabine - Stamps In Fiction Part I of II

Anyone who has a love of stamps will adore the Griffin and Sabine book series. Created by artist and author Nick Bantock, it follows the correspondence of Griffin Moss, a postcard designer in London , and Sabine Strohem, an illustrator of stamps on a (fictional) island in the South Pacific.

The book is designed in such a way that many letters must be pulled from an envelope to be read, and artwork and handwriting on the front and back of each envelope, postcard or piece of stationary is available for the reader’s examination. In the days of e-mail, handwritten letters and personally-created stamps create a romantically nostalgic mood, and with these books, Nick Bantock has allowed readers to voyeuristically share in the romance between two artists and their love of artistic expression.

According to Amazon.com, “The Griffin & Sabine saga has sold over 3 million copies worldwide, led to 12 international editions, and spent over 100 weeks on the New York Times best-seller list.”

The artwork alone can be enjoyed as part of a stationary set, allowing fans to enjoy playing the roles of the hero and heroine themselves. With elements of romance, mythology, modern philosophy, and Jungian psychology, this lovely and poetic book offers many layers to explore. It was inspired by the imagery of the poem "The Second Coming" by William Butler Yeats, and has itself inspired readers around the world for over a decade now.