Publisher's Note I apologize for not publishing during my vacation - I was having major computer problems, and was lucky just to be able to check my email. I am now returning to a weekly publication schedule. New Stamps - A Review I've been able to view and purchase several of the newer stamps issued over the past month. Overall, I am not terribly impressed with them. I'll give a brief review of what I have seen. Heroes of 2001 - This is actually a nice looking stamp. I like the large size, I was hoping it would be larger than a normal definitive stamp. My only complaint about this stamp - Why aren't they being used? Upon returning from my vacation, I easily had 200 letters waiting for me, and none of them used this stamp. I purchased a sheet from the post office, and intend to use them. Perhaps there is some confusion about this stamp? It will be interesting to see how much use this stamp gets in the future. 37˘ Flag Stamp - I have only seen the undenominated version of this stamp - I purchased a coil roll of 100, so I could save the plate number strips. If I had not heard this from others, I would have thought that my roll was one of the worst centered issues I have ever seen. Apparently this is common, so it looks like they really just did a poor job with this one. If you can find nicely centered stamps, you may want to hold onto them, because I don't think there are that many out there. Masters of American Photography - This was one of the new sheets that I had been anticipating this year (along with the Greetings from America stamps, and the Hawaiian Missionaries due out this Fall) - I have to say that I am really disappointed with this issue. How can you issue a sheet of 20 stamps without including Matthew Brady, or only showing Ansel Adams on the selvge? I've not heard of most of the photographers. To make matters worse, the stamps appear to me as very dull. It's really unacceptable for a sheet to honor master photographers has problems with how the pictures look. Harry Houdini - I actually do like this stamp. Its not fancy, but the portrait is a nice one. The postal clerk today commented that she had never seen a picture our Houdini, and had only seen him portrayed in the movies. I hope she sees lots of portraits, and gets people to buy commemorative stamps. Canada Post - No Rate Increase Unlike the US Postal Service, Canada Post decides if there is a rate increase based on the rate of inflation. There is a set formula, and for the past year, that rate did not increase enough to justify a postal rate increase, so the rates remain the same for 2003. I think this is the best way to judge whether rates should be increased or not. If there is an increase, it will most likely be small, not like the rate increases we have been forced to endure by the US Postal Service
USPS on the Radio
On my way home from Nevada, I listened to a nationally syndicated program that was talking about the rate increases, with a person from The Citizens Against Government Waste talking, and then a spokesman from the USPS. When asked about unnecessary items such as loony tunes merchandise and phone cards, the spokesman incorrectly stated that these items sold well. If you look at the books (although these days who knows anymore about that) these items were money losers for the USPS. The spokesman also claimed that if the USPS could close post offices that were not doing much business, that would solve all of their financial problem. Yeah, right!
F&W Publications announces acquisition of Krause Publications
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CINCINNATI—June 27, 2002 -- F&W Publications, Inc., a leading special interest book and magazine publisher, announced today an agreement to acquire Krause Publications of Iola, Wis.
Once the sale is completed, the companies combined will generate approximately $200 million in annual revenue.
The two companies will operate independently of one another, with no redundancies, or change in product offerings. When put together, the companies specialize in a variety of enthusiast categories including writing, fine art, genealogy, crafts, antiques and collectibles, coins and stamps, and outdoors.
"Krause Publications and F&W share a common business model," said Stephen J. Kent, president and CEO. "We provide value-added content across multiple platforms for the enthusiast market. The acquisition is a natural fit for both companies and will allow F&W to continue to grow the business both organically and through further acquisitions."
With the acquisition, Roger Case, president of Krause, assumes an expanded role as president of the Magazine Division for all F&W Publications, and joins the F&W executive committee. William Budge Wallis, current president of the F&W Book Division, will assume responsibility for all Krause book imprints.
"By combining our talent and long publishing traditions, the company can remain committed to the same quality product lines, while expanding to meet the needs of our audience," said Case.
"We have long respected the books and magazines from Krause," said Wallis, "and are looking forward to growing the business together."
Paul McCartney Postage Stamps
PRESS RELEASE
ISLE OF MAN POST OFFICE
New Issue - The Paul McCartney Postage Stamps
PAUL McCARTNEY has become the world’s first musician to design a set of legal postage stamps.
The Paul McCartney stamps will be issued by the Isle of Man Post Office on 1st July 2002.
The designs for the set of six stamps were done by Paul following an official request by the Isle of Man Post Office. The issue marks the first time that a famous artist has created original designs specifically for an entire set of stamps.
"Paul’s stamps are truly works of art", said Dot Tilbury, department manager of the Isle of Man stamp bureau, "They will be prized by collectors worldwide".
The stamp bureau will be printing 170,000 of the McCartney edition, which has been given royal approval by HM The Queen. Part of the proceeds from the issue will be donated to Adopt A Minefield UK, the anti-landmine charity fronted by Paul and his fiancée Heather Mills.
"We anticipate that the issue will be extremely popular; the stamps have just the look that collectors like and, as art, they can hang on the wall in any décor".
The stamp bureau invited Paul McCartney to design an issue after hearing of the success of an exhibition of his paintings in New York two years ago.
"It wasn’t the usual formal letter", said Dot Tilbury, "I said if he did it we’d be chuffed – and we are. When we received Paul’s designs they so cheered up the whole department that we christened them the ‘Happy Stamps’, a theme Paul loved as it reflected his inspiration from fond memories he had of the island from a childhood visit when he was growing up in Liverpool".
Said Paul McCartney: "I’m very pleased that the Adopt A Minefield campaign will benefit from this issue, which I was honoured to create from happy memories of an old stamping ground".
Thanks for reading, see you next week.
Alan Cohen
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