Simpson’s On Postage Stamps

Kids (both young and old) are going to love this news! Hold back the State stamps and send in the Simpson’s! The United States Postal Service announced that they will be issuing postage stamps for the always dysfunctional animated Simpson family.

The stamps will be issued to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the television show which airs on the FOX network as well as around the world. To date, the Simpson’s is the longest running comedy in the United States. An interesting twist on these stamps is that they will be the first stamps ever issued to a current ongoing prime time show. The fact that it’s an animated show just makes it more fun.

This new set of stamps will feature each of the Simpson family members. There is Marge, the forever forgiving Mom; Homer, the dim-witted Dad; Bart, the wise cracking trouble maker; Lisa, the Saxophone playing smarty pants; and Maggie, the pacifier sucking baby. The stamps will appropriately be designed by the producer and creator of the show, Matt Groening.

The United States Postal service is asking for votes to determine who the public’s favorite Simpson’s character is. To cast your vote for favorite character, visit here. As of today, “Bart” is winning in the votes, but only by a smidge. Look for these fantastic postage stamps to become available to the public on May 7, 2009.

Be sure to visit Stamp Center for all your stamp collecting needs.

Honest Abe On Sale Now

The new set of Abraham Lincoln postage stamps were released by the United States Postal Service on Monday. The release ceremony was held in Springfield, Illinois at the Old State Capitol building where Lincoln spent many days as a lawmaker. These postage stamps commemorate the 200th birthday of this amazing past President. In keeping with his continued connection with Abraham Lincoln, President Barack Obama and other invited guests attended a banquet in Springfield on Monday to help kick off the release. Another special ceremony was also held at Lincoln High School in Rhode Island in front of hundreds of students and dignitaries.

The first day sales of these new postage stamps have drawn huge crowds already. It was reported that within a short time, the line to receive a free limited edition “first day of issue” envelope stretched around the Old State Capital. The free envelope contained all four first class stamps that were officially cancelled with a special Lincoln stamp, by the USPS. These 42-cent stamps show Lincoln as a rail splitter, a lawyer, a politician and a president.

Abraham Lincoln is one of America’s most treasured presidents. He is a hero and he serves as an example to all of the greatness that is the United States.

Great Lakes Dunes Postage Stamps

The beautiful sand dunes that line portions of the five Great Lakes in the United States have been honored by the United States Postal Service. The stamps are the tenth installment by the USPS’s Nature of America educational series. Previous educational issues include the Sonoran Desert issued in 1999, the Pacific Coast Rain Forest in 2000, the Great Plains Prairie in 2001, the Longleaf Pine Forest in 2002, the Arctic Tundra in 2003, the Pacific Coral Reef in 2004, the Northeast Deciduous Forest in 2005, and the Southern Florida Wetlands in 2006 and Alpine Tundra issued in 2007. All of these stamps have shown just some of the amazing natural beauty that can be found in the United States.

One of the largest freshwater dune systems in the world can be found around all of our own Great Lakes. The bulk of the United States dunes can be found on the west Michigan shoreline. The dunes are a dynamic landscape that is formed when the shifting sand, wind and water work in perfect harmony. It is a playground for the young and old and should certainly be protected so that it can be enjoyed for years to come.

The Sleeping Bear Dunes in particular is showcased in this stamp collection. It receives its name by the site of the huge dune formation that resembles a sleeping bear. There are 27 different types of plant life, animals, birds and insects imbedded on the stamp sheet. The stamps show the diverse wildlife that effortlessly co-exists in the dunes.

The back of the stamp pane features a numbered key to the artwork with the corresponding list of both the scientific and common names for the 27 selected species. This makes a neat addition to any stamp collection. First day of issue postmarks are available for envelopes postmarked by December 3, 2008 from the USPS.

Postage Stamps In Outer Space

No, there is no known post office in outer space, but there have been some postage stamps that have made it there.The crew of the Apollo 15 space mission had a successful mission on all accounts; that is until they returned back to earth. Their reputations were tarnished when it was discovered that one of the astronauts had made a deal to take 398 First Day Covers hidden in his space suit on the flight.

Each astronaut was promised $7000 to sign the covers and to keep mum about the secret mission to the moon. Upon their return home, the First Day covers were distributed to H. Walter Eiermann who then gave them to a stamp dealer in Germany. The covers sold on average for $1500 each.

Realizing their error in their ways, the crew of Apollo 15 did decide to not accept any money for the Covers that they had brought into space. Once Scott heard that the stamp dealer was selling the covers, he asked that they be stopped immediately. NASA eventually got word of the sale of the Covers and confiscated the additional 298 covers from Scott. I wonder where those covers are today. Most likely they are locked in a vault someplace. It would be amazing to own the first postage stamps to travel to outer space.

Each crew member was reprimanded for their lack of good judgment in the “Stamp Affair”….as Congress called it. It makes you wonder what other items have secretly traveled throughout the stars.

Personally, I think that sending postage stamps into space sounds like a great way for NASA to help fund their space programs.

United States Beijing Olympic Stamp

The United States Postal Service released their Beijing Olympic postage stamp on June 19, 2008. The stamp was released during first day competition of the 2008 Olympic Team Gymnastic Trials.

The elegant stamp features a drawing of a female gymnast which is surrounded by ribbon design elements. The symbolic Olympic rings appear in the far left hand corner of the stamp with the denomination at the top right hand corner.

There are only three philatelic products available for this particular stamp issue. The First Day Cover is $.80. The Ceremony Program is $6.95 and the First Day Cover Keepsake is $9.20.

The deadline for issuing the First Day of Issue Postmark is TODAY, August 20, 2008. Stamps can either be purchased at www.usps.com/shop or by calling (800) STAMP-24. You can also purchase your new stamps at your local post office if you so choose. Stamps should be affixed to an addressed envelope of your choice and placed into a larger envelope. Those envelopes should be mailed to ASAP on postmarked today. The address to mail envelopes to is:

Olympic Games Stamp

Postmaster

Attn.: First-Day Cancellation – Olympic Games Stamp

3190 S. 70th Street Room 509

Philadelphia, PA 19153-9611

Once the USPS applies the first day of issue postmark, they will return your envelope to you through the mail. There is no additional charge for the postmark, but remember, the deadline is today, so don’t miss this one in a lifetime opportunity!

Prince Caspian Stamps

New stamps out of New Zealand are sure to delight the Chronicles of Narnia fans. New Zealand is celebrating it’s place as an amazing filmmaking location for both Chronicle movies to date; The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and Prince Caspian. The next movie, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, is set to be filmed in Mexico.

In these stamps, there is a set of four Prince Caspian stamps and covers that depict Peter, Susan, Caspian and Pevensies on the beach.

Those purchasing the Prince Caspian stamp issue will enjoy five first day covers. One cover features the four stamps in the set and the others feature miniature sets that depict Prince Caspian, Queen Susan, High King Peter and the four Pevensie children. Each main character is shown in various Prince Caspian locations that are simply stunning.

The Chronicles of Narnia is a series of seven fantasy novels that were written for children. The books were written from 1949 to 1954 by C.S. Lewis. They have been translated into 41 languages and over 100 million copies have been sold worldwide. Narnia is a place where animals talk, good battles evil and magic is commonplace.

New Stamps Out Of England

When you think of movies, usually you would think of the glitz and glamour of Hollywood. The year 2008 marks the 50th anniversary of the release of the first Carry On film, Carry on Sergeant and Hammer Film's, iconic Dracula. Both films were a staple of British cinema in the 1950’s. They defined English cinema at the time of their release. Great Britain deserves kudos with their new stamps that were issued on June 10, 2008. The Classic Carry On and Hammer Films stamps reminds the public of the fun movies that have been produced in England.

The Royal Mail has recently released a First Day Cover envelope that features all 6 stamps. Buyers have a choice of First Day Cover postmarks as well. The presentation pack is fully illustrated and written by cult film and television critic Kim Newman. There is also a set of six postcards available. You can even purchase these postcards with a brick background, that makes the cards look like the original move poster setting. A retail stamp book with six First Class Machins with a “Carry On” collecting advertisement is also available, if you prefer.

The movies that are featured on these stamps are: Carry on Sergeant, Dracula, Carry on Cleo, The Curse of Frankenstein, Carry On Screaming and The Mummy.

On Memorial Day We Honor Those Who Served

This weekend will be filled with Memorial Day parades and solemn ceremonies honoring our war dead. We'll stand and salute the flag as the veterans march past. Some will be old and bent, others will struggle past in wheelchairs or on crutches, some will seem far too young.

At County Stamp Center we thank the men and women of our armed forces who protect our country and fight for freedom at home and abroad. We honor the brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice protecting our country. They fought courageously so that we might all be free. They live on in our memories. To all, you have our enduring thanks.

Note: The first day cover pictured is of the World War II Memorial in Washington DC. All cachets are individually hand drawn, hand painted, numbered and signed by award winning artist Nirlay Kundu. Click the post title for more information.