Monday, September 26, 2011

Living Subjects on Stamps

It used to be the only way a person could get a stamp was to be -- well -- not around anymore. 
For a long time, to be on a stamp, a person had to deceased for ten years. Later it was changed to five years.
As announced today, living subjects can be put on stamps.  Soon, musicians, sports stars, writers and artists will adorn stamps.
Two questions
1 - Do you think this a good idea?
2 - Who would you put on a stamp?
You can submit the top five living people you would like to see on a stamp to the Postal Service. Send ideas via Facebook (facebook.com/USPSStamps) and Twitter (@USPSStamps)

26 comments:

Anonymous said...

The cost of creating new stamps has to be huge! During a time when we are posting record loses...I think we should stick to the current forever stamp variety and not spend the time or money changing things.

Anonymous said...

I am not really for this. Lots of people have been a hero one year but then the next a zero. Let's stick with waiting until the are deceased and earning it. If you want a person on your stamps use stamps.com.

Anonymous said...

I agree, bad timing and a bad idea. I guess they are changing everything else, why not the criteria to be on a stamp too.

Anonymous said...

Stamps used to be beautifully designed and worth collecting...a minature art gallery you could put on an envelope. No, it is not a good idea to allow living people on official postage stamps. I'm not in favor of advertising on stamps either!

Anonymous said...

The Postal Service creates WAY TO MANY stamps as it is. To cut costs we need to go to 5 a year and say to HECK with the rest of the different kind of stamps. I have said this for the last 2 or 3 years. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH WE CAN'T AFFORD TO MAKE 30 DIFFERENT KINDS OF STAMPS THAT NOBODY BUYS. We need to stop spending money in order to save money JUST LIKE THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.

Anonymous said...

I agree with all the previous comments. But the first thing that came to my mind was that some famous people become disliked for any given reason. They might bring it upon themselves... they might not. Either way, I think it's best to wait until they're deceased before honoring them with a stamp.

Anonymous said...

We seem to keep insulting and complicating what should be our friends - philatelists. I have a customer who buys 2 full sheets of every stamp issued - $200 to $300 per quarter. They are never used, but are pure profit. I have another who collects postmarks, spending two stamps to get one collection several times a month. But instead of asking what could be done to enhance their hobby, we change all the rules on them. (sounds like how we treat employees too) No one else cares, so why alienate these collectors by changing everything?

Anonymous said...

All the comments above....Agreed!
The majority of people we have left that actually use us, just want to get there letter there. So lets just work on doing that!

Anonymous said...

I would like to see some UFC fighters on stamps/Boxers/all cats variety stamps/movie stars like Javiar Bardem etc. etc. Also flowers of all kinds :)

Anonymous said...

We should definitely continue offering a variety of stamp designs. Collectors and ordinary customers alike like the variety and it keeps them interested in our business. That's always a good thing!!

I disagree, however, that living people should be honored with their images on stamps. Too many "heroes" and celebrities are lauded for their accomplishments, then later fall into an embarrassing scandal. Having your picture on a stamp should honor a lifetime of achievement and good works.

Anonymous said...

I agree that only people who have been deceased and accomplished something in their field should be put on stamps. There are so many requests already for subjects on commemoratives this will make the job more difficult for the Stamps Advisory Board. I think the most popular stamps are patriotic subjects, flowers, pets/animals and famous actors or singers.

Anonymous said...

I also disagree with honoring living people on stamps at this time. I would have liked to see a stamp honoring those who died on 9/11/01 and a stamp honoring the Firemen, Port Authority, and other heroes who died that day.

Anonymous said...

I think we should set an EXAMPLE in these tough economic times. I would like to see the Postal Service step up and say....HERE is our SOLUTION....we are only going to PRINT ONE (count it) ONE FOREVER STAMP. It will be the AMERICAN FLAG. It will HONOR our COUNTRY...and ALL WHO HAVE FOUGHT TO DEFEND IT. It will also HONOR EVERYONE who was born here or came here to enjoy the FREEDOMS in AMERICA to become FAMOUS, HEROIC,or to accomplish WHATEVER it may be that has brought recognition to them. It will also serve as a REMINDER that there is NO GREATER NATION in the WORLD...JUST BY THE WAVE of our FLAG....ON ALL OUR MAIL! GO...USA! GO...USPS!
Wanda Frasier, Postmaster of Burr Oak, Ks 66936 (and proud of it) :)

Anonymous said...

I do not want stamps of the living--which just creates advertisement for them---we have a stamp program which anyone can create stamps of their own. Now, I would like to see NBA or WNBA or football stamps or more school stamps or remember 9-1-1 or other old cartoons, like 'Hot Stuff' and Casper--showing my age, here.

Anonymous said...

If a star wants his/her name on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, they have to pay for it. If living person wants to be on a stamp then charge them a fee.

Robert said...

Tiger Woods. Need I say more?

Anonymous said...

I have always thought we should sell advertising on our stamps. Not for an individual per say, but for huge companies. I bet Cocoa Cola or Google or some other huge companies would be willing to pay dearly to have their image plastered on letters nationwide.

If we'd have just done these things all along, we would not have a money problem. Our mistake is trying to be half a company. It''s like being a "little bit" pregnant. Congress needs to either untie our hands, or fill them with tax money again.

Anonymous said...

I Agree with the PRINT ONE (count it) ONE FOREVER STAMP - THE AMERICAN FLAG. She just about said it all. Good job, Wanda.

Anonymous said...

The point will be moot soon! Nobody will by mailing anything!!!

Anonymous said...

Tiger Woods DOES say it all!!! Only after the WHOLE life is viewed should anyone be honored...not a spash on the scene.

Anonymous said...

No. Make it simple. The flag stamp is a great idea. Some people do like a little variety, so keep those down. Most of us only receive very few sheets of the good stamps in our offices on Automatic shipments, and the horrible stamps we receive more than we can sell. Keep it simple, small variety, but not overboard. Honoring our forefathers is great, but do not honor the flavor of the month club. They haven't earned it yet. Many others have said it better and I agree with them.

Grannybunny said...

I think it's a good idea. I would like to see Michael Jackson, Pete Seeger, Bob Dylan, Ralph Nader, Bill Clinton, Paul Newman, and many other living or recently-deceased people on stamps. Contrary to -- apparently -- widely-held belief, it does not cost that much to issue a new stamp design, and the more people who buy -- or collect -- them, just because they like the design, the more revenues for the Postal Service.

Anonymous said...

We are constantly "giving" something free under the heading of service. Free boxes, free curb delivery, free packaging. We are a business, putting an image on a stamp should be paid for, advertising shouldn't be free and selling an image of a person that's still alive is advertising them. Who benefits? Companies would pay for this, why not?

Anonymous said...

The article actually refers to "living" and recently "deceased" (under 5 yrs.) So, IF we're going to open this Pandora's Box... then here's my Humorous suggestion...
LIVING: Lady GaGa for all that she has tried to do FOR the children.
DECEASED: Michael Jackson for all that he tried to do WITH the children... HA, HA, HA, Ha !!!!

gerardf1957 said...

Once we allowed people to print their own stamps with any kind of photo on it, we lost the stamp collectors, so who cares about stamps anymore.

Anonymous said...

AGREE with the FOREVER FLAG idea !! GOOD ONE !!!

and with the above comment on printing your own !!

Employ the K.I.S.S. method...