Benny here. The Smithsonian magazine has an interesting
article, suggesting that the Postal Service issue stamps that commemorate living subjects.
Currently, the only way to get a stamp is to be ... um, no longer here for at least five years.
That's why it took a few years for me to get my own stamp! But I got mine before Alexander Hamilton, so that's the most important thing.
There's an exception -- Presidents get a stamp right after their death.
Other countries waste no time getting living subjects on stamps. Designer Ralph Lauren has his own stamp in Jamaica. Grenada has a stamp with Cleveland Cavaliers star Zydrunas Ilgauskas.
Australia has no problem with living persons. Cate Blanchett, Russell Crowe and Nicole Kidman all have their own stamps in the
“Australian Legends” series.
The Smithsonian magazine believes that issuing these kinds of stamps would increase sales to collectors worldwide.
What do you think? Good idea? Bad idea?
What living person do you think should get their own stamp?
Comment
here.
16 comments:
It might be a good idea. Just think how many Jonas brothers or Twighlight star stamps we could sell. Young people would probably like to see their favorite stars on stamps. They would be cheaper than posters. Maybe it would encourage them to write a letter.
ANYTHING to encourage people to use the postal service more would be a great idea!!
What about the Simpsons? They're still very much alive!
Great idea to put on stamps:
Movie stars
cat breeds
dog breeds
horse breeds
popular peoples
then be sure to have them AVAILABLE
in EVERY OFFICE FOR SALES :)
RR 17 D.Carey
Hudson station
Modesto,Ca.
No. Personally the fewer stamps we print are fine. We destroy tons of them only because they are not used-doesn't mean we don't pay to have them printed. If people want specific pictures on stamps let them go to photostamps .com. I'm for keeping the forever, purple heart, breast cancer, and holidays (Love stamp, chiness new year, etc). Be general rather than specific.
I suppose if you can get them sold it would be a good idea. I like the idea of people printing their own stamps if they want a living person.
The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton & Brad & Angelina with the kids would sell real well. Make these stamps photographs that people can buy and use forever without having to buy extra would really sell these stamps. But I think our customers would buy anything right now that would be different because there is nothing good right now. People just buy the forever stamps in my office until the pretty stamps come out then they put their forever stamps away until the next year.
I think it's a good idea to wait a respectable period of time after someone's death -- to see what their enduring legacy turns out to be -- before honoring them with a stamp. That doesn't mean that pop culture cannot be recognized -- a la the Simpsons -- but, again, it should require a significant accomplishment, like their 25-year tenure as the longest-running show. Personally, I would hate to see Brangelina, the Octomom, John & Kate, Lindsay Lohan and other similar tabloid fare selected.
when did it go from 10 years deceased to five something?
Absolutely, A GREAT IDEA!! With a lot of scrutiny, we could have some real "sellable" stamps for the here & now people. I would vote for "Tiger Woods".. he's a living example of "unfaithful" men worldwide AND he's probably the GREATEST Golfer of all time !!
We could always use it as a revenue maker and sell space on stamps to living Icons or people. I'm sure there are people out there that would spend alot of money to have there face on a stamp.
It would be GREAT if we could get certain pictures put onto stamps (i.e. Yellowstone N.P., Grand Canyon N.P.etc.) for our Foreign Visitors that travel this Great Nation of ours.. AND then all we would have to do is increase the postage amount on that particular stamp..OR even better.. create a "forever" stamp w/that designation picture so that only the barcode would indicate the cost increase !!
Ditto...........when did it go from 10 years to 5 years????????
The citizne's committee that chooses stamp subjects is already overwhelmed with requests and organizations upset because their idea isn't selected. Maybe we could devise something like the photo stamps that we could use at the retail counter to immediately produce stamps from computer photos or customer's photos. The only problem would be making sure there is a way to tell real stamps from counterfeits or everyone with a computer & printer would be making them without USPS getting revenue.
PLEASE lets keep with the tradition of honoring deceased individuals (was 10 years now 5 yeas except Presidents 1 year). American citizens only (including honary ones)
These stamps bearing current movie stars and such from some foreing countries are tacky and are equivalent to Franklin Mint Plates.
I think the folks at the Smithsonian -- while they may be good historians and good museum operators -- don't have a clue about postal finances. It doesn't matter who you put on a stamp. When First-Class Mail drops eight billion pieces in a year, you ain't gonna sell enough stamps of movie stars -- alive or dead -- to make a difference.
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