A woman I work with is from Jamaica and, when she was home over the holidays, collected some fascinating philatelic bits for me!  Researching them, I learned a little about the history of Jamaica and it’s postal service while looking into these stamps.  Jamaica established its postal system in 1671 and was the first British [...]

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The more I learn about New Zealand, the more I think they issue some of the most fun (and beautiful) stamps.  Plus, many of them are within easy reach of beginner collectors (e.g. they’re not all that expensive).  In fact, this one, the 1991 $1.50 (NZD) round, I received in a Swap-Bot stamp swap.  I [...]

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This year, I didn’t send holiday cards.  Not because I suddenly decided that it’s arbitrary we send love in December (and not year round), not because I decided I was way into 2011, and not even really because I couldn’t do it.  Frankly, I just didn’t have any ideas for Christmas cards.  I soft of [...]

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Beyond the Perf, the online newsletter from USA Philatelic, released the 2011 stamp preview yesterday.  There are some great stamp releases planned for next year!  July is going to be an especially exciting month for me!  That’s when the Owney stamps and the industrial design stamps will be released.

The art of Pixar, the Civil War, [...]

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(Click through for a larger version)
The busiest postal day of the year is behind us and it’s too late to ship things for Christmas delivery (unless you’re willing to pay out the nose).  So, thanks to the lovely folks at Zen Desk (via Gizmodo), let’s take a look at just what the USPS has to [...]

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This is the first year in, maybe, 7 years that I haven’t gotten it together to make my own holiday cards and get them sent in time for a Christmas delivery.  It’s not that I didn’t want to make my own, I was busy (more on that later).  So, I’m going to use some of [...]

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As part of NPR’s series “Snail Mail Suffers” (a title that I think is a bit damning, but that’s for another post), the folks at KUT in Austin, TX collected 10 songs about the postal service.  Most of them are classics, but I can’t believe they left off “Some Postman!”  I’m a sucker for the [...]

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I’ve recently received loads of pretty postage…  Today, a few of the great bits that arrived in my mailbox over the past few weeks.  All the stamps in the above block, for example, arrived on a great Swap-Bot envelope.

A few stamps featuring Turkey’s first president, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, via a Postcrossing card.

“With Good Wishes” stamp [...]

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Just a quick announcement, NPR wants to hear about the special, meaningful, or delightful pieces of mail you keep.  Here’s their request (via Facebook):
Have you ever received a letter or postcard that you keep close to your heart — a love letter, a note from a dear relative, a reply to fan mail? Please share [...]

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This weekend I attended a book talk and signing at the National Postal Museum here in DC.  Philip Rubio, a former USPS letter carrier, discussed his new book There’s Always Work at the Post Office: African American Postal Workers and the Fight for Jobs, Justice, and Equality.  I attended the event because it’s a nice [...]

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