Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
I was toying with the thought of having some made (with photos of my grand kids) to give to them or their parents as a Christmas gift, and perhaps even get someone interested in collecting..
Any thoughts?
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I haven't made any myself, but I know a few people who have. They look great from what I have seen.
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Clayton:
Canada Post used to sell personalized stamps about two decades ago, and may still do so for that matter.
They were a flash-in-the-pan novelty and, initially, I received some on wedding invitations, seasonal cards and other occasions of that ilk. Don't encounter them anymore; suspect the internet was a dagger in the heart. The photographic quality seemed fine at the time and, given the vast improvements in electronic digitalization, I don't doubt that today's quality would be superior.
My only advice if you go this route is that you avoid a lot of image detail because of the limited space. Head shots work best from what I remember examining.
As for Tuscany - all I can say is bloom where you're planted. Life has a habit of dealing up an ineffable irony at the most unexpected and unwelcomed time.
Welcome to stamp-collecting and to Stamporama.
John Derry
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12:40:32am
A group of Coast Guard veterans had several made, including sheets of this one of a 180' general auxiliary long range light cargo ship, search and rescue vessel, light icebreaker and all round ship-of-all-trades.
I spent the best part of four years aboard two of them, the CGC Papaw WAGL-308 out of Charleston SC., and the CGC Buttonwood WAGL-306 homeported at Honolulu, Hawaii. The latter spent most of its time sailing about the Western and Southern Pacific visiting ports from Pago Pago to Hong Kong to Yokusuka and most of the significant islands in between.
And my one regret in life is that I did not continue aboard her longer.
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I must admit (and I might be very old fashioned here), I think the personalised stamps are just another nail in philately´s coffin. A fashion thing that will help kill the interest in new stamps. Oooops, a burb 
With this .... I dunno what to call this .... it gets increasingly more impossible to collect the stamps of a country complete.
Where I come from (Denmark) they don´t sell personalised stamps and that´s fine by me. Please tell me: Who other than me and my grand kids will take interest in stamps with my grand kids?
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Thank you all for your comments. really appreciate the input.
@cdj1122. I like the photos of the ship, but don't really care for the inkjet stuff. I guess I was thinking more along the lines with a "real stamp" with the price, date etc, on the stamp (not printed next to it.)
@PeterG, to answer who would appreciate a stamp depicting my grand kids (other than myself)
1. my wife,
2. my grand kids
3. grand kid's parents
4. Aunts and Uncles
5. God Parent's
6. The "other" kid's grand parents
7. kids' cousins
For as I was considering this... I was thinking of commemorative, such as a birth, birthday, special event, etc.
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Clayton
That is a wonderful idea. I do not know where you can get some made though.
In the field of philately non government stamps not used for postage are called cinderellas. There are many tens of thousands maybe even hundreds of thousands of different cinderells stamps out there. There is also a club dedicated to collecting them. Here is the link
http://www.cinderellastampclub.org.uk
Someone here might know where you can have your private stamps made. However, most photosmart printers can print a postcard. So you do have another option, though not as special as a cinderella stamp with your grandkids smiling faces.
Best of luck with that project,
John
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As a hobby, we stamp collectors have the privilege of collecting whatever satifies us, and, this is the way it should be.
For me personally, I am not a fan of 'personalized' stamps. I guess it could be because I prefer the old time stamps and the regular mail system they were sent through.
We now live in an age that have practically all of the post office entities issuing 'gimmicks', for a lack of a better word. These gimmicks, of course, are to get more money out of the collector.
I would prefer that the post office (Canada Post for me) would just stick to issuing stamps for the payment of postage service, nice designs certainly, but not the gimmicks.
If we are on top of all the stamp magazines and papers, we see a lot of articles about trying to get more people in to the hobby and yet, all of these postal entities are pumping out stamps quicker than we can fill our albums. Some people just gave up simply because it was too expensive for them. This does seem counter productive, to me anyway.
If we are truly concerned about our hobby, forget the gimmicks and issue stamps, in moderate amounts, so that collectors can keep up with them.
When I use the term 'gimmicks', I am not solely referring to the personalized stamps but other odds and ends that the post offices around the world are pumping out.
My personal opinions of course, and my two cents worth. 
Chimo
Bujutsu
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Hi Clayton,
If you find out where to get the personalized stamps, please let us know. I think if could be fun for family situations just you were suggesting.
Regards ... Tim.
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02:31:56pm
I certainly agree with the general disdain for gimmicks, all kinds of gimmicks, and am not all that pleased with inkjet printing or cancellations which in this country are nearly unintelligible even when a clear copy is available.
However I will point out that the one I illustrated of a ship, which to a sailor, takes on a personification closer than some men have with their wives, are genuine stamps valid for postage and, as far as the several sheets I bought, were just about all used, not just on favor cancelled mail, or hand-backs, but all used on regular mail to actual people carrying real messages.
So in my mind, while they may occupy a slot in the world of postal gimmicks, it is at the very end and are far from the contrived souvenirs often produced and collected that either have no postal validity or were never intended to be actually used to grace the corner of and envelope in the mail stream.
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@cdj1122.. My apologies to you for my poor use of the term "real" stamp. I certainly did not mean to imply that the ship stamps were not "real."
But as I was picturing (in my mind) a personalized stamp, was just picturing the "traditional" (hope that's the right word I'm looking for) postal stamp.
The ship stamps you show, I like, as far as the picture, but the inkjet stuff off to the side threw me off.
@John... thanks, but just to clarify, I have no interest in seeking out personalized stamps for collecting, it would just be an interesting novelty as a gift for such events as I previously mentioned.
"WIFM" (what's in it for me) I was kinda thinking that as the kids saw "themselves" on actual stamps, perhaps that would get them excited and perhaps interested in possibly collecting. Kids are like most people, they are interested in things "about them."
@Tim, Will do sir..
Thanks for the thoughts all. Clayton
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Charlie and All
I have to admit that I saw a cover with a personalized stamp on it that would fit properly in to a category. It belonged to a friend of mine who passed away about two years ago. It was a personalized picture of one of the RCN ships and posted from that ship. I can't remember which ship because I only saw the cover once. It could certainly fall well in place for a military naval album because it was used appropriately with the same subject pictured on the stamp and the ship's cover.
Like I stated in a previous posting, to each their own but, having said that, on the rare occasion, I guess even these gimmicks can be properly used.
Chimo
Bujutsu
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stamps.com is one place where you can purchase personalized US postage. There are some more, but I can't think of them right now.
BidStart sells a sheet of personalized postage.
I would prefer that Scott move the personalized stamps printed by the various postal services in the world (Canada, Australia and others) out of the main catalog listings. I would prefer not to collect them, and do not like seeing them pictured on album pages.
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01:20:43am
Canada Post does continue to sell personalised stamps (you often see ads about them closer to Christmas time but they are always available).
When they first came out with the personalised stamp I thought it was cool but then I thought "ugh, I wouldn't want my face circulating through the philatelic world for posterity!".
The stamp frames that have been designed for the personalised stamps exist in my Canada collection naked as the day we were born & thus will they stay.
Kelly
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I hope I didn´t offend anyone, I surely didn´t mean to
I wonder how I "like" a comment 
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Hi folks! This is my first post since I joined several years ago!
I must say I really enjoy this club.
But down to the subject at hand.
There is an outfit where you can design your own stamps, www.Zazzle.com.
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Clayton
I did not think you were about to join the Cinderella Club. I read one of your posts here and you say you are new to philately and I thought you might like to know that the "personalized stamp" is known as a cinderella. I was only trying to be instructively helpful. The hazards of being a professor, I guess.
I understood your original intention to have the stamps with grandkids pics, maybe stimulating their minds and imaginations sparking an interest in stamp collecting. Regardless I think the whole idea is very charming.
PterG
Hej Peter
I can only assume your gripe about personalized stamps reflects a very broad frustration that hundreds of thousands of stamp collectors worldwide feel about the difficulty to collect the various official government issues alone, and the running out of control rate of inflation making the hobby more difficult in a general way.
I have been collecting stamps and coins for about 55 years. In the field of numismatics the equivalent to a personalized stamp is a token. There must be a million or more different ones minted worldwide. There are numerous thick books on tokens. Some numismatists specialize in tokens. Looking at it from this different perspective you get a different take on things and personalized stamps are merely the tokens of philately. I thought I might share this thought with you. But, I do not find anything you wrote to have been offensive.
Clayton best of luck with having personalized stamps made.
Best wishes to all,
John
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Australia Post and NZ Post have certainly embraced Personalised stamps. You might be interested in seeing how AP does it. If you click on Step 2: select a stamp, you can see which stamps are currently available for personalising. The NZ Post works on similar lines.
I don't think that they are considered as Cinderellas.
http://pstamps.auspost.com.au/index_wf.html
(Modified by Moderator on 2012-09-27 07:26:21)
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John's invitation to the Cinderella group requires some clarification. I looked at the site, and it does appear to include some "stamps" that have some postal validity. It's a UK group, so the nomenclature there might be a bit different than it is in the US, where a Cinderella takes on a slightly different meaning, in that it excludes any stamp that has postal validity, including revenues. In the US, a Cinderella could include seals, poster stamps, bogus creations of any kind, fantasy stamps, exhibition labels, and the like. It would NOT include locals, forgeries, nor personalized stamps, because the latter most definitely has franking power.
I find this a fascinating discussion. I see very few personalized stamps, and save any I encounter, not knowing what in the world i will do with them, but knowing that they will be an interesting element of postal history at some later date, and knowing, by their nature, that they will be rare. I suspect that most of the resistance to these is found in their cost, which is a sizable increase over their franking power.
An offshoot of these, which I also have been saving for the very same reason, is the pictorial meters issued in the APC (Automated Postal Counter, or something similar). They feature either images promoting the PO or generic pablum, like flowers and flags. They are all black on white. Earlier issues had only QR code blocks. In my mind, even though I am unlikely to ever collect them, per se, I find this fascinating for the exploration of technology that they represent.
David
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Hi Jill
You are right that any legal postage stamp is not a cinderella. I have never heard of such a phenomena in the U.S.A., which is what I addressed Clayton;s question to mean. So far a few foreign countries have been posted on this thread that do allow for a personalized stamp to be a legal postage stamp of that country. I was addressing Clayton's question and not thinking outside the box globally. Actually, I never knew other countries were allowing personalized stamps as legal postage stamps. This is a new to me. So, I am enjoying this notion imagining putting pics of family members on legal postage stamps of foreign countries. I think that is very cool! Too bad the U.S.A. does not do it that I am aware of. If I am wrong about that I hope someone on this thread will enlighten me. I do know that you can have a mock postage stamp made in the U.S.A. as many do like Christmas seals or other cinderellas.
All the best,
John
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Hi David
I see you were posting as I was writing. Yes, the cinderella in the U.S.A. is any stamp to the exclusion of a legal postage stamp; and in the USA revenue stamps had been used and franked as legal postage. So, you are quite right that the definition on a global level is a bit fuzzy, but for the USA it excludes legal postage stamps.
Cheers,
John
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John, you can put a picture of your family on a USA personalized stamp.
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Yes John, I would feel that if 5000 different people put 5000 different pictures in the same frame for a personalized stamp, I would have to have 5000 different stamps.
Even though I don´t like the concept, I will defend tham as long as to: They are not cinderella.Official frames iisued by postal administrations in which you can put a picture of your own choice. We don´t have them in Denmark, but I received this postcard from Holland with a personalized stamp made by the sender 
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Good morning All from So. Cal.(afternoon/evening, depending where you are)
Not sure what to say, wow! Most of this thread has been "over my head." I just had to skate over to wikipedia to see a "sample" of cinderella stamps. OK, now I know what you have all been talking about. I'm just bad at descriptions, I'm one of those guys that needs PICTURES.(lol)
I have a small stamp "field guide," and half of it it just listings without photos of the stamps. 
NO PICTURES? but now I know what a cinderella stamp is..
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Uhh Ohh
a new term for me... Official Frame? but I think I get this one.
Peter.. Yep, looks like official stamp to me. Interesting.. much better than the sample of personalized stamps I've seen here in US so far...
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Tuscany, you mention a 'cinderella stamp'. Technically there is no such a thing! A cinderella ( without the word 'stamp' after it ) is a 'look-alike'; it looks (maybe) like a stamp but it is not issued by a
postal administration and more important, it is not valid for postage!
Personalized stamps, on the other hand, are issued by permission of the postal administrations.
Again, check www.zazzle.com (among others) as one source of these stamps. You can even design your own; as the sample from Holland shows one does not need to put a person on them!
Peter
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Peter, I will have to differ with you on the "no such thing as a Cinderella stamp." I have a sheetlet of regular postage stamps issued by Grenada. The stamps depict scenes from the Disney movie "Cinderella". So, there are "Cinderella" stamps! 
Pictures and designs other than people are common on personalized stamps. The American Philatelic Society has been issuing APS-related stamps. Mystic Stamp Company issued some a while back. I don't think they still do. I know collectors who have created personalized stamps incorporating a "Local Post" scenario.
Just like regular issue stamps, personalized stamps can be found depicting a wide range of topics and subjects.
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Hi Michael! I still think there is no such thing as a cinderella stamp. And yes, Grenada has Cinderella stamps! See the difference?
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i believe the dispute between Michael and Peter centers on the word "stamp," such that, at least in the US, stamps are reserved solely to describe paper with franking power, whereas Cinderella "label" would work just fine.
do i have this right?
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Nah...I was just playing with Peter...a play on words.
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To Everyone
I've been cataloging United States 19th century stamps and covers too long. I just found that zazzle link and discovered that you can make a U.S. personalized stamp valid for postage. So, thanks Clayton for your question it has opened my eyes to a world I never knew existed.
John
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Maybe the powers that be could create a StampoRama postage stamp that could be sold to the members to help support the site?
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Michael
Don't you think dealers who are making money off this site should pay something to the list owner? That seems fair to me.
John
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John, sellers paying a final value fee for selling an item on a web site is customary. While I have yet to sell anything here, I would not disagree with any decision to have sellers pay a fee. Not all philatelic sales sites, however, charge fees, so Stamporama is not alone in that regard.
Stamporama is maintained as a club. I believe it is for that reason that no fees are charged for sales. I thought if a Stamporama Stamp were created, then all the members who wanted to could share in their support for the club and its web site. That's why I made that suggestion.
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Let me share with you a few interesting and useful considerations about personalized stamps.
I have created, with Zazzle and other providers, over 150 different designs of personalized stamps, from several countries, of which I have actually bought, generally in sheets of 20 stamps each, (and sometimes personally re-sold) personalized stamps in over 50 different designs. Some of those 50 were available for sale only to me, since I have only uploaded them to my Private Gallery at zazzle.com. Or, I have used providers with NO gallery to sell MY stamp designs to the public, such as endicia.com, pictureitpostage.com, royalmail.com, auspost.com.au, tntpost.com. Additionally, some of my other designs at Zazzle, the other 100 or so, were materialized by other people when they ordered them from my Public Gallery at zazzle.com.
If you want to explore ideas about what YOU, too, can create, please visit (you don’t have to buy anything) my Public Gallery, the Postage section, at Zazzle: http://www.zazzle.com/dorinco*/gifts?cg=196687342138137670
For search engines consideration, I have put in the title both the American English version (“personalizedâ€) and the British English version (“personalisedâ€).
In English, “stamp†may also mean “postmarkâ€, “cancelâ€, “rubber stamp†– but I use “stamp†for “postage stampâ€, and “postmark†for “the cancel applied with a postmarking deviceâ€.
What is a personalized stamp? It’s a stamp that is customized, to some degree, and it’s valid for postage. Read the Wikipedia definition here:,or postage. Read the Wikipedia definition here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personalized_stamp. Not to be confused with a fantasy stamp, that is NOT valid for postage. Synonyms for a fantasy stamp are: “cinderellasâ€, “artistampsâ€, “fantasy local post†stamps (as opposed to some stamps of real local posts, that WERE valid for postage; for example, the Zemstvo stamps), etc. So, since they ARE valid for postage (“postal useâ€), the personalized stamps are a special kind of legitimate stamps. They are legal, therefore accepted for official use by the postal administrations.
Terminology is important here, because of the legal interpretations, philatelic interpretations, and the consequences of all that – specifically, HOW are the authorities and the people (stamp collectors or not) considering and using them. In all countries that allow the issuance of personalized stamps, they are recognized and named as such: “personalised stampsâ€, “personal stampsâ€, “IDtimbreâ€, etc. In USA, the technicality of “legalese†(the language of lawyers…) has generated the term “customized postageâ€, instead of “personalized stampâ€. There are laws that prohibit the modification of “currencyâ€, and postage stamps are viewed as some sort of currency (“legal tenderâ€).
Other American legal/postal interpretation is that “personalized stamps†are “some sort of meter labels†and USPS said that they “don’t require postmarkingâ€.
In the context of such interpretations (more or less subjective), my interpretation is the following: personalized stamps are NOT simply “meter labelsâ€. They are intentionally manufactured to LOOK like stamps and to SERVE FUNCTIONS like stamps do, both postally and philatelically.
The personalized stamps sold by zazzle.com, for example, do NOT have a date of use on them (they will be indefinitely valid as postage for the denomination at which you bought them, such as 46 cents, for example). The truth is that the difference between traditional postage stamps and “meter labels†is becoming more and more blurred, worldwide, with the use of “variable value stamps†and various labels (meter or not) with images (customized or not). Meter labels of all sorts look more and more like traditional stamps.
My interpretation about postmarking not being “required†is that postmarking is NOT absolutely necessary, but it’s OK to be done, for philatelic purposes, at least. In theory, the post office is supposed to decode the†barcode†information (IBI = information-based indicia) on the personalized stamp (I am talking about USA now) so no postmark is needed. In practice, most post offices still operate traditionally, handcanceling or machine-canceling them at the sorting facility. Even if the mail pieces have personalized stamps, even if the mail pieces have precancelation by a MPP device (Mailer’s Postmark Permit, see USPS Form 3615)…
Now that we clarified, hopefully, the terminology and some interpretations of the official status of the personalized stamps, let’s talk about what YOU can do, from now on.
YOU, the reader of this, may choose to diversify. Instead of (or in addition to) being a passive COLLECTOR of traditional stamps (designed by others, hired by national postal administrations), you might be interested in DESIGNING stamps of your own liking.
Since you’ll probably never get the chance to do it with traditional stamps, approved by your national postal administration, you can do it with Personalized Stamps!
My main recommendation to you is to use zazzle.com, even if you use that website only for its superior capabilities of design, and then you take that draft design and finalize your creation with some other provider.
Also, Zazzle is the only provider of personalized stamps worldwide, as far as I know, that gives you a Public Gallery on their website. There, you can re-order or edit your creations, and everybody else in the world can order your stamp designs, if they want. But Zazzle only ships “customized postage†to U.S. or Canadian addresses, so you would need an American or Canadian partner to buy such stamps for you.
If you only want to insert an image, to design a stamp, it may be simple. But there are many tips and tricks about the other options and decisions, beyond that step. There’s a learning curve.
If you want to manipulate an image, or to add text in various font types, font sizes, font color, orientation, placement, border, zoom, layers, etc., then it can get complicated and time-consuming. Frustrating, too. If you want and can afford to pay, you can hire somebody who knows exactly how to do it, according to your detailed specifications. In case you are computer-savvy, you can learn by yourself, eventually. That’s what I did, since 2006.
(Modified by Moderator on 2014-10-10 23:23:24)
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I have made quite a few Canadian Picture Postage stamps, and needless to say LIKE the concept
Here is a block from a sheet I had made a while back for my dog Ginger.
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This came up in another post, and I want to thank the member who did speak of it. I went to Zazzle, and created a stamp that I just received.
On a somber note, this is the last photo of my dog, Lobo. It was taken an hour before he was put down this past January.
On a lighter note, it really is quite easy to create these. I intend to make stamps of my books, trains and whatever comes to mind that I want to publicize about myself to those special people to whom I send mail. I just wish it didn't cost so much. The cost per stamp about $1.35, including shipping.
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Personalized stamps have been used by many fund raising groups in Canada UK and the US to name a few. Some are legal tender for a specific time...some are just local posts...but all quite collectable
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Hi Everyone;
@ Bujutsu;
"If we are truly concerned about our hobby, forget the gimmicks and issue stamps, in moderate amounts, so that
collectors can keep up with them.....Bujutsu"
I agree with you about gimmicks. this particular one is more about Human vanity, which seems to be encouraged these days.
We are becoming a self-indulgent ego-centric society.
As for issuing stamps in moderate amounts, simple human greed will never let that happen. Nearly every nation on the planet
has hyper-active presses spewing out all kinds of crap they call stamps, that do not look like stamps and were never meant
to frank a letter.
As for never being able to complete a collection, that does not need to be a problem. I got tired of all the new crap
they called stamps, and tired of adding supplements to my Internationals (Scott's big blue). About that same time
1970s or so I learned that Scott was no longer producing many albums in the "specialty" series (Scott greens). So I
bought up all I could find. I now have vol. 1-7 of big blue, and 26 volumes of the greens, most of which end
from mid 1970s to a few 1981s.
I use a sharpie to put END in the Scott catalogs at the last stamp in each album. Any stamp issued after that date
gets thrown into "duplicates" and sold. My collected country is complete when I SAY SO, France #1-to-#1681, issued Nov. 1979.
I don't realistically expect to complete France due to cost, but do expect to complete it up to certain price limits.
Most of us will never be able to afford all of those classics, to complete a country.
Just another rant from the Sand People
TuskenRaider
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TuskenRaider:
No, that was not a "rant", but commentary that I find helpful.
It is interesting to learn how others view and practise stamp collecting.
Gratifying to learn when one shares an opinion; less so when
viewpoints diverge, but educational nonetheless.
Your stamp collection is what you make it. I have borrowed ideas,
from many stamp collectors such as you, to develop and evolve
my own methods of collection, storage and presentation.
Stamporama's discussion board is the perfect place to release
philatelic and philosophic steam.
John Derry
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"Your stamp collection is what you make it. I have borrowed ideas,
from many stamp collectors such as you, to develop and evolve
my own methods of collection, storage and presentation.
Stamporama's discussion board is the perfect place to release
philatelic and philosophic steam."
Very well said! I put a lot of thought, research, and consideration into what is included, and excluded, from my collection. I have also borrowed many ideas from others and appreciate the opportunity to exchange ideas here!
Lars
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I really don´t like them and don´t collect them. It is practically impossible to track how many "pesonalizations" will exist for every type of personalized stamps. I also think they don´t have to be in the catalogues together with the usual stamps (maybe in a special section?)
On the other hand, everyone is entitled to collect what he likes best. So, if you think personalized stamps are an interesting addition to your collection, just take them and be happy.
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These items hold no interest for me, either. I even have a lot of difficulty thinking of these as stamps, even though they do move the mail. I'll apologize in advance to anybody who thinks my comments harsh, but these items seem just another aspect of the social media "look at me!" mentality:
Look at me! I'm on Facebook! Thousands of people have "friended" me, so I must be somebody special.
Look at me! I'm on Twitter! Thousands of people are following me, waiting on my every word, so I must be special.
Look at me! Stamps that I designed are being used to send mail. It's like I'm my own postal service. Aren't I special?
There's something unhealthy in all this, but I'm not a psychologist, so I can't label it and describe it scientifically. All these social media services have gone far beyond being a means of keeping in touch with family and friends. They've become the means by which so many people are finding validation. Proof of life. A self-manufactured celebrity. It kinda creeps me out.
MinorFaults
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Only one aspect of personalized postage has caught my eye. I'm not sure why, but I save the ones with dogs - just for the heck of it! I have a tiny dogs topical collection, just a magpie, whatever catches my eye sort of collection and the real life dogs add a touch of humor.
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I'm on Facebook but I don't have thousands of "friends", a handful perhaps, my Birthdate there is 27/3/1905 (untrue) but amazing how many family have wished me happy birthday on the wrong day!
I'm sure psychologists / psychiatrists will be having a field day with the data uploaded, many years of employment.
No, I do not like or collect personalized stamps and hate Christmas cards that show the senders family with cheesy smiles.
Unless the postal services are informing catalogue publishers how will they ever know what has been issued and would that be a breach of privacy?
vic
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I'd suggest that releasing such information to catalog publishers would just add to the personal validation:
Look at me! Stamps that I designed are being used to send mail. It's like I'm my own postal service. And my stamps are listed in catalogs! People all over the world will be collecting my designs!! Aren't I REALLY special?
And anybody who uses social media has already given up any expectation of privacy, whether they realize it or not. I must read on a monthly basis that Facebook has changed their privacy policy yet again. Social media services are nothing more than personal data repositories for data mining and resale to any corporation or government agency who wants it. And that data lives forever. A seeming innocent post today can prevent you from getting a job 10 years from now. Companies are already asking for job candidates' social media usernames. It's not science fiction to imagine a future where someone doesn't get into the school of their choice, or doesn't get a plum job, not because of something they tweeted five years ago, but because they've avoided social media and don't have a history that can be examined.
MinorFaults
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"but these items seem just another aspect of the social media "look at me!" mentality"
MinorFault, your comments comparing personal stamps to social media are absurd and offensive. Look at your post again.
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BeeSee:
The entire quote was:
"I'll apologize in advance to anybody who thinks my comments harsh, but these items seem just another aspect of the social media "look at me!" mentality:"
I'm always willing to learn new things. Please explain to me what offended you?
MinorFaults
NOTE TO ADMINS: This discussion seems to be moving off-topic, so feel free to relocate whichever portion you think appropritate elsewhere.
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The beauty of a hobby like this is that no one way to collect is right. If someone likes Christmas Seals - Awesome! If they like pristine Victorian covers - Awesome! If they like bright topicals with dinosaurs - Awesome! The important thing is they are having FUN!!! If a silly personalized stamp with some goofy picture makes someone happy, well that's awesome! It doesn't float my boat, but there is a lot of room on the ocean for lots of boats, so let them go merrily down their stream pursuing their delights.
It's all good!
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"If a silly personalized stamp with some goofy picture makes someone happy, well that's awesome!"
Right on Philatelia. It is all good!
As an
photographer, I think it is great to design my own stamps. I have produced several, in addition the the dog above. Here are some more:
And for Philatelia, another dog!
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Love the dog stamp! What a mug on that puppy LOL
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03:49:34pm
MinorFaults
Couldn't you express yourself without being so sarcastic and demeaning to folk who do collect personalized postage? You have a right to express yourself, but why do you have to do it in such a way that makes someone else feel bad? I am not a "political correctness" censor or a paladin for the bullied, but I do feel the need to advocate a little sensitivity to the feelings of others here.
Bobby
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bobby1948, BeeSee, and anybody who was offended by my post:
I made no comment at all about anyone who chooses to collect personalized postage, other than to explain why I do not. As philatelia so aptly said:
"The important thing is they are having FUN!!! If a silly personalized stamp with some goofy picture makes someone happy, well that's awesome!"
It's none of my business what someone wants to collect, and I have no right at all to tell someone what to collect -- or not collect. I would never do so.
My criticism was of social media. I admit, I don't understand it. I value my own privacy too much to make use of it. I don't care that somebody I don't know and will never meet took a lovely walk in the park today, or that they had a good time at a concert last night. And nobody cares (or should care) whether I have a pet goldfish or if I really love Thai food. The fact that some people think that their everyday mundane activities are of such importance that they must tweet about it, or announce it on Facebook, to complete strangers, smacks of an unhealthy narcissism. That's just my opinion. And yes, I did make a connection between creating personalized postage -- not the collecting of it, or stamps, or any other form of stamp collecting -- and social media.
The initial concept of social media sounded good: a more immediate way of connecting with family and friends. I'm sure a lot of people -- maybe even most people -- still use it for that purpose. But it's also being misused by cyber-bullies, cyber-stalkers, child predators. Name the unsocial activity and social media is being used to facilitate that activity.
And I decry a further loss of individual privacy -- the right to be left alone, if one wishes -- that social media has compromised, even though it be with the knowing or unknowing consent and collusion of the users. What nobody was told when social media was being sold to them as The New Best Thing is that whatever they post is now data, and they not only don't own it, they have no control over how it's used -- or misused. To me, that is a lamentable fact of today's human society, and we'll never get that tiger back in its cage.
So, as I said in my first post in this thread:
"I'll apologize in advance to anybody who thinks my comments harsh ...
"
And with that said, I will now go back to working on Belgian officials, and, having learned my lesson, will refrain from further commentary on any subject not directly related to stamps of government issue.
MinorFaults
PS: Can this series of posts be considered as my application for membership in the SoR Curmudgeon's Club?
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06:32:08pm
" PS: Can this series of posts be considered as my application for membership in the SoR Curmudgeon's Club?"
Welcome to the ranks, MinorFaults.
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"Minorfaults said, "The fact that some people think that their everyday mundane activities are of such importance that they must tweet about it, or announce it on Facebook, to complete strangers, smacks of an unhealthy narcissism.""
As a licensed curmudgeon, I must take exception to Minor Fault's comment (and come to my wife's defence as well).
First of all, anyone reading this, and I assume that includes Minor Fault, is in a "social medium"! If you're here, you can't very well disparage all social media!
Secondly, my wife is a good example of a sensible user of social media, which in her case is Facebook. No, she isn't 100% in favour of Facebook, which occasionally drives her nuts, not because it's a "social medium" but because of unfriendly design. I don't think anyone on the planet could be fully cognizant of its sprawling interface. I'm certainly not, although I use it on occasion. Anyhow…
My wife is a retired teacher. She taught elementary school for something like 20 years, then switched to secondary education, where she taught English, including Advanced Placement English lit. She loved teaching, and was not pleased when stress finally signalled an end to her 32-year career. (I should add that the stress didn't come so much from students as from incompetent parents and administrators.) I'm not sure when she started using Facebook — four or five years ago, perhaps — but she soon found it to be a wonderful way for her to keep track of her students, many of whom now correspond with her on a regular basis. Just last night she showed me a wonderful photograph of a young woman that both of us knew, and who has become a credit to her family and her community. She often receives thank-you notes from former students for her dedication to her job; I suppose that could be construed as narcissism, but unhealthy? I think not. Who doesn't wish to be appreciated for their hard work?
Of course, social media can be and is abused. That's not the fault of social media, but of individuals and societies who haven't learned that democracy and freedom are not the same as entitlement. Let's not throw the baby out with the bathwater.
Bob
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Thank you Bob..I too taught school for over 33 years and have reconnected with former students via social media....Red Cross volunteers who have moved out of my area.... my teenage grandchildren who share their life via photos...and to top it off my maid of honour of 48 years ago who I had not located until 3 years ago... I have not made a selfie...lol But do enjoy the adventure of electronic communication
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I thank you too Bob. This site is total social media, and a great benefit for stamp collectors, as are other similar boards. 
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given that most media have surrendered any pretense of journalism (or if they retain journalism, with few exceptions, it's really partisan editorialism), social media, for those who still have open minds, can serve to open dialogues among interested individuals and allow otherwise hidden facts and interpretations to see the light of day.
and the irony hadn't escaped me that this site, while also other things, is part of social media.
Finally, I still don't see the connection between personalized stamps, which can range from homage of a hero to promos for endangered species to selfie selfies, and social media, which, as we see from FB, SOR, and blogs of every color. Am I self-indulgent by posting here?
David
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Would, or could, you rephrase this please, "amsd",
as I am not sure I understand what you have said.
John Derry
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A lot of people must collect them. One dealer at the Hamilton stamp show tries to get as many as she can. She can't keep them in stock. Her price, $2.00 EACH. She sells them as fast as she can get them. Doesn't matter what is on them, as long as they are personalized.
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John, I said a bunch of things, and it's a pity that their brilliance didn't shine through immediately. Maybe it's the William F Buckley effect.
So, here's what I said, sorta:
Social media has its place: it can help fill in the gaps left by all the journalism that has died completely or been replaced by Faux News. That, of course, requires literate posters and literate readers, both of whom who should be open-minded and non-partisan, which is a big, fat order.
I also complimented Bob Ingraham for pointing out that this site is part of social media, and it's ironic that one posts one's disdain for social media on a social media site.
Finally, I wrote that I couldn't understand the connection between personalized stamps and social media. Maybe I should have asked the poster to do what my good friend John asked me to do.
David
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Thank you, "amsd", for that explanation. My confusion arises
with the term "social media", a relatively new addition to
communication, and nowhere adequately defined.
I'll lump it in with "media" for now to see if it has legs,
or whether it will be egested into that vast wasteland of
buzzwords and flavour-of-the-moment terms that are no
longer fashionable.
This thread is defying gravity, and disturbingly so.
The attraction (for me) of Stamporama's discussion board
has been the wide scope of its content. To see comment
reduced to the point of non-offensive, politically-correct,
mindless pap benefits no stamp collector.
Two anecdotal observations over my period of membership,
that I have made before to a hostile reception: (1) there is a
tendency for some members to misread or misunderstand
discussion-board commentary; and (2) a few members have
unduly low sensitivity thresholds and get upset (that is as
mildly as I can phrase it) when a post does not sit comfortably
with their stamp-collecting habits or their personal views.
I would not like to see Stamporama's discussion board
parallel the heart-stopping drama and content of a
stamp catalogue, yet I see it drifting that way.
John Derry
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There are several other forums where folks post messages that are completely without concern for the sensitivities of others. I'm sure the types of comments you wish to make would be exceedingly welcome in those places. But I think Stamporama's moderators have embraced a more gentle, kinder model for this site's discussions. That doesn't mean that the chat can't be lively, but it does preclude attacks, cruelty, belittling, or any comments that are drenched with sarcasm or negativity. We're all here to enjoy our hobby and unpleasant comments don't make anybody's day brighter or enrich the stamp collecting experience, they are only an outlet for one person's vitriol.
I think our moderators have been spot on in their decisions and I back maintaining the pleasant quality that is one of the most delightful aspects about participating in this site.
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Amen to Philatelia's comments. Back in the Proterozoic period of the internet, I first got in touch with other on-line collectors via the rec. collecting.stamps.discuss forum of usenet. It still exists as a Google group, but it's a mere wraith now compared to the good old days, when it was as busy as Stamporama is today. The downside was that members would not agree to have it become a moderated group, so spam and flame wars were rampant, and turned off many people. Yay for good moderators!
Bob
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I see valid points in every comment here ("your mileage may vary"...).
=======
Tigers.
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I love the tigers. It would certainly be great to see some of them in the mail. Just beautiful.
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Since Canada Post did not commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Seaway Invert, I decided to do so in 2009:
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Polar bear, giant panda, Tibetan blue bear...
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Felines.
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Over time I've gathered a lot of older personalized Canadian Stamps. I leave most of them on cover now. I used to take them off. Now I think it's better if they stay on the envelope.
Here are some I just came across in a box of stuff I had tucked away. Sorry they are all helter skelter. Hard to scan a bunch at once on different sized envelopes.
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On Facebook, I founded this group: "Create stamps: Personalized stamps/ Personalised stamps." Message me if you don't find it.
=============
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Hi I am rather new to StampoRama but enjoy reading the threads.
New Zealand post has them and I know of a few people that have had them printed
Their web site is below and should they should answer any queries you may have.
https://www.nzpost.co.nz/personal/sending-within-nz/personalised-stamps-cards/personalised-stamps
All the best
Ronnya
(Modified by Moderator on 2015-07-01 23:11:04)
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Phil, I've left the ones I have on the full cover!
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I believe the ones I have are all on card sized envelopes. The first one was a high school graduation invitation, with a photo of the graduate. The other one was pilfered from my daughter on a wedding invitation. My daughters are of the age where their friends are getting married. I will have to beg their mail!
And since I've decided not to prejudice against odd size envelopes, I'm now keeping things in the Ultra-Pro 2 pocket (5x7) pages, I did buy 500 of those! I also have one pack of their 1 pocket (8x10) for the number 11 envelopes and such.
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I see many big cats, but where are the cheetahs??
Randy
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OK, here's a cheetah, Randy!
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Awesome!!!
Okay, I forgive you for waiting 2 years to put up a cheetah
Thanks for the pic!
Randy
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I forgot to check this specific thread...so yesterday I created that cheetah stamp!
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https://www.zazzle.com/z/o0zkz?rf=238693463283865848
North American cave lion.
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Dear All,
What a treat to see old names and arguments being displayed. For me, it was thoroughly enjoyable. As to the subject at hand (personalized stamps) I love the idea that one need not be dead before being considered for this type of immortality. I too have a few personalized with my son and son-in-law, and they are most precious to me.
As to the rarity factor-they rank way up there with the one penny Black and two penny Blue. Even more so-probably with the z grilled 85a(U.S.) of which only 2 copies are known. Yep-that's the right category for my personalized items.
As for the philatelic value- I couldn't care less-to me they shine!
Thank you for the resurrection of this delicious thread.
Dan C.
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"...waiting 2 years to put up a cheetah..."
You could always watch the Russian Olympians...
Dave.
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Just out of curiosity, do any members think it would be possible in the foreseeable future that a catalogue, or even a specialized list, could ever be made for these personalized stamps? I ask this because there are so many and almost all, if not all of them, would be unique?? To me, it would seem mind boggling that any such list or catalogue would be possible? Even if it was, the listing, or catalogue(s) would be greater than the volume of a complete set of the Scott's Catalogues lol.
Just a thought.
Chimo
Bujutsu
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it would be utterly and completely impossible
why?
because it requires self-reporting by the people printing and mailing these stamps and/or the people receiving them.
self-reports are unreliable for two reasons: the impossibility of reaching them to tell us about it; and the lack of motivation to actually report
secondarily, the growing number of pieces will be monumental, much of it issued in quantities of 20 or 100, meaning that for those who desire completeness, well, it's unattainable
that latter detail helps to explain why so few people would actually invest in it.
finally, the organizational complexity of this thing would stump (not stamp) the folks at Bletchley Park
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Agreed. There is no way to collect the whole set! You'd wind up with thousands of stamps with engaged couples you never knew alone! I do like the philatelically generated sets above. I can see someone collecting topicals wanting specific ones. But those are collectibles printed to order.
I would rather collect them like I collect early 20th century private perforations. Examples of each manufacturer's product, and I'd prefer to have them on cover. So you'd want examples of Zazzle.com's product, Stamps.com's product etc. The ones you order from them, and the ones people can print out on their computers.
As postal history goes, I'll bet few are collecting them on cover and that will be scarce someday when people go back to collect this era of postal history and the last gasp of stamps! So every time someone in my family gets one on an invitation etc, I save the whole envelope.
Same with the USPS lobby vending stamps. Two years ago I realized that the regular issue Charlie Brown Christmas stamps had been duplicated for use in the vending machine. Instantly I saved a sheet. And I have a block of the single Christmas stamp from this past year. I have saved all the examples I received on our mail. These are Scott listed and I believe in the future these will be the key stamp to the year set.
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Tom,
your thinking mirrors mine. I prefer collecting these oddities on cover; and I"ve saved all the various promotional offers, including enclosed postage, from the various personalized stamp companies intact. When I get one on cover in the general mails, I save those intact, too.
At some point, I should cull the accumulation.
David
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The personalized stamps have many similarities, and many differences with the regular stamps. Not only MANY, but IMPORTANT ones, too. Quantity and quality of similarities and dissimilarities.
Therefore, they require a different mindset, in some crucial respects.
The purpose of the personalized stamps is NOT to be easily put in a catalog.
Also, it's NOT to be collected, by anyone, in a "complete collection", worldwide.
There are over 60 countries who offer such services, of personalizing either a stamp (or "stamp"), or just the tab of a stamp.
Instead, the purpose is to give you the thrill of personalizing a "stamp", regardless of any cataloging, ever, and regardless of any other personalized stamp, anywhere in the world. Also, the main purpose for the postal issuing company is to make a profit, but that's common for any regular stamps from them, and for any kind of business that is "for profit".
To make a parallel, you may say that a zebra is an equid, just like a horse.
But you should not treat a zebra with the same mindset as you would with a horse.
Horses can be wonderful, and zebras can be, too. It depends.
I don't criticize a "zebra" (a personalized stamp) for not having all the characteristics of a "horse" (a regular stamp).
I can appreciate a "zebra", even if I have to..."hold my horses", in a "stable" place.
.
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Nowadays, the only provider of "personalized stamps" in USA is stamps.com.
Others, like minted.com, still offer through stamps.com partnership.
Also, there are over 60 countries that offer personalized stamps, or personalized tabs.
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UPDATE: shutdown as of 6.10.2020.......No more personalized stamps in USA, per USPS.
The Zazzle, Endicia and the old "stamps dot com" personalized stamps have become extremely rare, since many were printed in only 1 sheet of 20 personalized stamps. That's because the lawyers of USPS got busy with legalese and are "sue-happy". Happy to sue, making for themselves "a pretty penny" for lawyering against the American personalized stamps. Now only stamps dot com still has a deal with USPS for "photostamps", even through affiliates of SDC such as Minted or Shutterfly. We'll see if the lawyers of USPS will finally shut down, or not, all the personalized stamps options left in USA. "Sue Happy", a famous American woman...
UPDATE: shutdown as of 6.10.2020.
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I realize since I am new to stamp collecting, the thought of personalized stamps is a great novelty. Has anyone had any made? If so, how did they come out?
I was toying with the thought of having some made (with photos of my grand kids) to give to them or their parents as a Christmas gift, and perhaps even get someone interested in collecting..
Any thoughts?
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05:03:12pm
re: Personalized Stamps / Picture Postage
I haven't made any myself, but I know a few people who have. They look great from what I have seen.
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The past is a foreign country, they do things different there.
22 Sep 2012
09:03:47pm
re: Personalized Stamps / Picture Postage
Clayton:
Canada Post used to sell personalized stamps about two decades ago, and may still do so for that matter.
They were a flash-in-the-pan novelty and, initially, I received some on wedding invitations, seasonal cards and other occasions of that ilk. Don't encounter them anymore; suspect the internet was a dagger in the heart. The photographic quality seemed fine at the time and, given the vast improvements in electronic digitalization, I don't doubt that today's quality would be superior.
My only advice if you go this route is that you avoid a lot of image detail because of the limited space. Head shots work best from what I remember examining.
As for Tuscany - all I can say is bloom where you're planted. Life has a habit of dealing up an ineffable irony at the most unexpected and unwelcomed time.
Welcome to stamp-collecting and to Stamporama.
John Derry
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Silence in the face of adversity is the father of complicity and collusion, the first cousins of conspiracy..
23 Sep 2012
12:40:32am
re: Personalized Stamps / Picture Postage
A group of Coast Guard veterans had several made, including sheets of this one of a 180' general auxiliary long range light cargo ship, search and rescue vessel, light icebreaker and all round ship-of-all-trades.
I spent the best part of four years aboard two of them, the CGC Papaw WAGL-308 out of Charleston SC., and the CGC Buttonwood WAGL-306 homeported at Honolulu, Hawaii. The latter spent most of its time sailing about the Western and Southern Pacific visiting ports from Pago Pago to Hong Kong to Yokusuka and most of the significant islands in between.
And my one regret in life is that I did not continue aboard her longer.
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re: Personalized Stamps / Picture Postage
I must admit (and I might be very old fashioned here), I think the personalised stamps are just another nail in philately´s coffin. A fashion thing that will help kill the interest in new stamps. Oooops, a burb With this .... I dunno what to call this .... it gets increasingly more impossible to collect the stamps of a country complete.
Where I come from (Denmark) they don´t sell personalised stamps and that´s fine by me. Please tell me: Who other than me and my grand kids will take interest in stamps with my grand kids?
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re: Personalized Stamps / Picture Postage
Thank you all for your comments. really appreciate the input.
@cdj1122. I like the photos of the ship, but don't really care for the inkjet stuff. I guess I was thinking more along the lines with a "real stamp" with the price, date etc, on the stamp (not printed next to it.)
@PeterG, to answer who would appreciate a stamp depicting my grand kids (other than myself)
1. my wife,
2. my grand kids
3. grand kid's parents
4. Aunts and Uncles
5. God Parent's
6. The "other" kid's grand parents
7. kids' cousins
For as I was considering this... I was thinking of commemorative, such as a birth, birthday, special event, etc.
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re: Personalized Stamps / Picture Postage
Clayton
That is a wonderful idea. I do not know where you can get some made though.
In the field of philately non government stamps not used for postage are called cinderellas. There are many tens of thousands maybe even hundreds of thousands of different cinderells stamps out there. There is also a club dedicated to collecting them. Here is the link
http://www.cinderellastampclub.org.uk
Someone here might know where you can have your private stamps made. However, most photosmart printers can print a postcard. So you do have another option, though not as special as a cinderella stamp with your grandkids smiling faces.
Best of luck with that project,
John
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re: Personalized Stamps / Picture Postage
As a hobby, we stamp collectors have the privilege of collecting whatever satifies us, and, this is the way it should be.
For me personally, I am not a fan of 'personalized' stamps. I guess it could be because I prefer the old time stamps and the regular mail system they were sent through.
We now live in an age that have practically all of the post office entities issuing 'gimmicks', for a lack of a better word. These gimmicks, of course, are to get more money out of the collector.
I would prefer that the post office (Canada Post for me) would just stick to issuing stamps for the payment of postage service, nice designs certainly, but not the gimmicks.
If we are on top of all the stamp magazines and papers, we see a lot of articles about trying to get more people in to the hobby and yet, all of these postal entities are pumping out stamps quicker than we can fill our albums. Some people just gave up simply because it was too expensive for them. This does seem counter productive, to me anyway.
If we are truly concerned about our hobby, forget the gimmicks and issue stamps, in moderate amounts, so that collectors can keep up with them.
When I use the term 'gimmicks', I am not solely referring to the personalized stamps but other odds and ends that the post offices around the world are pumping out.
My personal opinions of course, and my two cents worth.
Chimo
Bujutsu
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re: Personalized Stamps / Picture Postage
Hi Clayton,
If you find out where to get the personalized stamps, please let us know. I think if could be fun for family situations just you were suggesting.
Regards ... Tim.
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Silence in the face of adversity is the father of complicity and collusion, the first cousins of conspiracy..
23 Sep 2012
02:31:56pm
re: Personalized Stamps / Picture Postage
I certainly agree with the general disdain for gimmicks, all kinds of gimmicks, and am not all that pleased with inkjet printing or cancellations which in this country are nearly unintelligible even when a clear copy is available.
However I will point out that the one I illustrated of a ship, which to a sailor, takes on a personification closer than some men have with their wives, are genuine stamps valid for postage and, as far as the several sheets I bought, were just about all used, not just on favor cancelled mail, or hand-backs, but all used on regular mail to actual people carrying real messages.
So in my mind, while they may occupy a slot in the world of postal gimmicks, it is at the very end and are far from the contrived souvenirs often produced and collected that either have no postal validity or were never intended to be actually used to grace the corner of and envelope in the mail stream.
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re: Personalized Stamps / Picture Postage
@cdj1122.. My apologies to you for my poor use of the term "real" stamp. I certainly did not mean to imply that the ship stamps were not "real."
But as I was picturing (in my mind) a personalized stamp, was just picturing the "traditional" (hope that's the right word I'm looking for) postal stamp.
The ship stamps you show, I like, as far as the picture, but the inkjet stuff off to the side threw me off.
@John... thanks, but just to clarify, I have no interest in seeking out personalized stamps for collecting, it would just be an interesting novelty as a gift for such events as I previously mentioned.
"WIFM" (what's in it for me) I was kinda thinking that as the kids saw "themselves" on actual stamps, perhaps that would get them excited and perhaps interested in possibly collecting. Kids are like most people, they are interested in things "about them."
@Tim, Will do sir..
Thanks for the thoughts all. Clayton
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re: Personalized Stamps / Picture Postage
Charlie and All
I have to admit that I saw a cover with a personalized stamp on it that would fit properly in to a category. It belonged to a friend of mine who passed away about two years ago. It was a personalized picture of one of the RCN ships and posted from that ship. I can't remember which ship because I only saw the cover once. It could certainly fall well in place for a military naval album because it was used appropriately with the same subject pictured on the stamp and the ship's cover.
Like I stated in a previous posting, to each their own but, having said that, on the rare occasion, I guess even these gimmicks can be properly used.
Chimo
Bujutsu
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01:00:12am
re: Personalized Stamps / Picture Postage
stamps.com is one place where you can purchase personalized US postage. There are some more, but I can't think of them right now.
BidStart sells a sheet of personalized postage.
I would prefer that Scott move the personalized stamps printed by the various postal services in the world (Canada, Australia and others) out of the main catalog listings. I would prefer not to collect them, and do not like seeing them pictured on album pages.
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A Service Dog gives a person with a disability independence. Never approach, distract or pet a working dog, especially when (s)he is in harness. Never be afraid to ask questions to the handler (parent).
24 Sep 2012
01:20:43am
re: Personalized Stamps / Picture Postage
Canada Post does continue to sell personalised stamps (you often see ads about them closer to Christmas time but they are always available).
When they first came out with the personalised stamp I thought it was cool but then I thought "ugh, I wouldn't want my face circulating through the philatelic world for posterity!".
The stamp frames that have been designed for the personalised stamps exist in my Canada collection naked as the day we were born & thus will they stay.
Kelly
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re: Personalized Stamps / Picture Postage
I hope I didn´t offend anyone, I surely didn´t mean to
I wonder how I "like" a comment
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07:10:29pm
re: Personalized Stamps / Picture Postage
Hi folks! This is my first post since I joined several years ago!
I must say I really enjoy this club.
But down to the subject at hand.
There is an outfit where you can design your own stamps, www.Zazzle.com.
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re: Personalized Stamps / Picture Postage
Clayton
I did not think you were about to join the Cinderella Club. I read one of your posts here and you say you are new to philately and I thought you might like to know that the "personalized stamp" is known as a cinderella. I was only trying to be instructively helpful. The hazards of being a professor, I guess.
I understood your original intention to have the stamps with grandkids pics, maybe stimulating their minds and imaginations sparking an interest in stamp collecting. Regardless I think the whole idea is very charming.
PterG
Hej Peter
I can only assume your gripe about personalized stamps reflects a very broad frustration that hundreds of thousands of stamp collectors worldwide feel about the difficulty to collect the various official government issues alone, and the running out of control rate of inflation making the hobby more difficult in a general way.
I have been collecting stamps and coins for about 55 years. In the field of numismatics the equivalent to a personalized stamp is a token. There must be a million or more different ones minted worldwide. There are numerous thick books on tokens. Some numismatists specialize in tokens. Looking at it from this different perspective you get a different take on things and personalized stamps are merely the tokens of philately. I thought I might share this thought with you. But, I do not find anything you wrote to have been offensive.
Clayton best of luck with having personalized stamps made.
Best wishes to all,
John
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04:34:32am
re: Personalized Stamps / Picture Postage
Australia Post and NZ Post have certainly embraced Personalised stamps. You might be interested in seeing how AP does it. If you click on Step 2: select a stamp, you can see which stamps are currently available for personalising. The NZ Post works on similar lines.
I don't think that they are considered as Cinderellas.
http://pstamps.auspost.com.au/index_wf.html
(Modified by Moderator on 2012-09-27 07:26:21)
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re: Personalized Stamps / Picture Postage
John's invitation to the Cinderella group requires some clarification. I looked at the site, and it does appear to include some "stamps" that have some postal validity. It's a UK group, so the nomenclature there might be a bit different than it is in the US, where a Cinderella takes on a slightly different meaning, in that it excludes any stamp that has postal validity, including revenues. In the US, a Cinderella could include seals, poster stamps, bogus creations of any kind, fantasy stamps, exhibition labels, and the like. It would NOT include locals, forgeries, nor personalized stamps, because the latter most definitely has franking power.
I find this a fascinating discussion. I see very few personalized stamps, and save any I encounter, not knowing what in the world i will do with them, but knowing that they will be an interesting element of postal history at some later date, and knowing, by their nature, that they will be rare. I suspect that most of the resistance to these is found in their cost, which is a sizable increase over their franking power.
An offshoot of these, which I also have been saving for the very same reason, is the pictorial meters issued in the APC (Automated Postal Counter, or something similar). They feature either images promoting the PO or generic pablum, like flowers and flags. They are all black on white. Earlier issues had only QR code blocks. In my mind, even though I am unlikely to ever collect them, per se, I find this fascinating for the exploration of technology that they represent.
David
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re: Personalized Stamps / Picture Postage
Hi Jill
You are right that any legal postage stamp is not a cinderella. I have never heard of such a phenomena in the U.S.A., which is what I addressed Clayton;s question to mean. So far a few foreign countries have been posted on this thread that do allow for a personalized stamp to be a legal postage stamp of that country. I was addressing Clayton's question and not thinking outside the box globally. Actually, I never knew other countries were allowing personalized stamps as legal postage stamps. This is a new to me. So, I am enjoying this notion imagining putting pics of family members on legal postage stamps of foreign countries. I think that is very cool! Too bad the U.S.A. does not do it that I am aware of. If I am wrong about that I hope someone on this thread will enlighten me. I do know that you can have a mock postage stamp made in the U.S.A. as many do like Christmas seals or other cinderellas.
All the best,
John
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re: Personalized Stamps / Picture Postage
Hi David
I see you were posting as I was writing. Yes, the cinderella in the U.S.A. is any stamp to the exclusion of a legal postage stamp; and in the USA revenue stamps had been used and franked as legal postage. So, you are quite right that the definition on a global level is a bit fuzzy, but for the USA it excludes legal postage stamps.
Cheers,
John
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11:12:07am
re: Personalized Stamps / Picture Postage
John, you can put a picture of your family on a USA personalized stamp.
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re: Personalized Stamps / Picture Postage
Yes John, I would feel that if 5000 different people put 5000 different pictures in the same frame for a personalized stamp, I would have to have 5000 different stamps.
Even though I don´t like the concept, I will defend tham as long as to: They are not cinderella.Official frames iisued by postal administrations in which you can put a picture of your own choice. We don´t have them in Denmark, but I received this postcard from Holland with a personalized stamp made by the sender
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re: Personalized Stamps / Picture Postage
Good morning All from So. Cal.(afternoon/evening, depending where you are)
Not sure what to say, wow! Most of this thread has been "over my head." I just had to skate over to wikipedia to see a "sample" of cinderella stamps. OK, now I know what you have all been talking about. I'm just bad at descriptions, I'm one of those guys that needs PICTURES.(lol)
I have a small stamp "field guide," and half of it it just listings without photos of the stamps. NO PICTURES? but now I know what a cinderella stamp is..
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re: Personalized Stamps / Picture Postage
Uhh Ohh
a new term for me... Official Frame? but I think I get this one.
Peter.. Yep, looks like official stamp to me. Interesting.. much better than the sample of personalized stamps I've seen here in US so far...
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12:05:16pm
re: Personalized Stamps / Picture Postage
Tuscany, you mention a 'cinderella stamp'. Technically there is no such a thing! A cinderella ( without the word 'stamp' after it ) is a 'look-alike'; it looks (maybe) like a stamp but it is not issued by a
postal administration and more important, it is not valid for postage!
Personalized stamps, on the other hand, are issued by permission of the postal administrations.
Again, check www.zazzle.com (among others) as one source of these stamps. You can even design your own; as the sample from Holland shows one does not need to put a person on them!
Peter
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12:55:04pm
re: Personalized Stamps / Picture Postage
Peter, I will have to differ with you on the "no such thing as a Cinderella stamp." I have a sheetlet of regular postage stamps issued by Grenada. The stamps depict scenes from the Disney movie "Cinderella". So, there are "Cinderella" stamps!
Pictures and designs other than people are common on personalized stamps. The American Philatelic Society has been issuing APS-related stamps. Mystic Stamp Company issued some a while back. I don't think they still do. I know collectors who have created personalized stamps incorporating a "Local Post" scenario.
Just like regular issue stamps, personalized stamps can be found depicting a wide range of topics and subjects.
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01:26:49pm
re: Personalized Stamps / Picture Postage
Hi Michael! I still think there is no such thing as a cinderella stamp. And yes, Grenada has Cinderella stamps! See the difference?
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re: Personalized Stamps / Picture Postage
i believe the dispute between Michael and Peter centers on the word "stamp," such that, at least in the US, stamps are reserved solely to describe paper with franking power, whereas Cinderella "label" would work just fine.
do i have this right?
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03:24:06pm
re: Personalized Stamps / Picture Postage
Nah...I was just playing with Peter...a play on words.
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re: Personalized Stamps / Picture Postage
To Everyone
I've been cataloging United States 19th century stamps and covers too long. I just found that zazzle link and discovered that you can make a U.S. personalized stamp valid for postage. So, thanks Clayton for your question it has opened my eyes to a world I never knew existed.
John
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09:01:47am
re: Personalized Stamps / Picture Postage
Maybe the powers that be could create a StampoRama postage stamp that could be sold to the members to help support the site?
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re: Personalized Stamps / Picture Postage
Michael
Don't you think dealers who are making money off this site should pay something to the list owner? That seems fair to me.
John
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07:51:03pm
re: Personalized Stamps / Picture Postage
John, sellers paying a final value fee for selling an item on a web site is customary. While I have yet to sell anything here, I would not disagree with any decision to have sellers pay a fee. Not all philatelic sales sites, however, charge fees, so Stamporama is not alone in that regard.
Stamporama is maintained as a club. I believe it is for that reason that no fees are charged for sales. I thought if a Stamporama Stamp were created, then all the members who wanted to could share in their support for the club and its web site. That's why I made that suggestion.
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re: Personalized Stamps / Picture Postage
Let me share with you a few interesting and useful considerations about personalized stamps.
I have created, with Zazzle and other providers, over 150 different designs of personalized stamps, from several countries, of which I have actually bought, generally in sheets of 20 stamps each, (and sometimes personally re-sold) personalized stamps in over 50 different designs. Some of those 50 were available for sale only to me, since I have only uploaded them to my Private Gallery at zazzle.com. Or, I have used providers with NO gallery to sell MY stamp designs to the public, such as endicia.com, pictureitpostage.com, royalmail.com, auspost.com.au, tntpost.com. Additionally, some of my other designs at Zazzle, the other 100 or so, were materialized by other people when they ordered them from my Public Gallery at zazzle.com.
If you want to explore ideas about what YOU, too, can create, please visit (you don’t have to buy anything) my Public Gallery, the Postage section, at Zazzle: http://www.zazzle.com/dorinco*/gifts?cg=196687342138137670
For search engines consideration, I have put in the title both the American English version (“personalizedâ€) and the British English version (“personalisedâ€).
In English, “stamp†may also mean “postmarkâ€, “cancelâ€, “rubber stamp†– but I use “stamp†for “postage stampâ€, and “postmark†for “the cancel applied with a postmarking deviceâ€.
What is a personalized stamp? It’s a stamp that is customized, to some degree, and it’s valid for postage. Read the Wikipedia definition here:,or postage. Read the Wikipedia definition here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personalized_stamp. Not to be confused with a fantasy stamp, that is NOT valid for postage. Synonyms for a fantasy stamp are: “cinderellasâ€, “artistampsâ€, “fantasy local post†stamps (as opposed to some stamps of real local posts, that WERE valid for postage; for example, the Zemstvo stamps), etc. So, since they ARE valid for postage (“postal useâ€), the personalized stamps are a special kind of legitimate stamps. They are legal, therefore accepted for official use by the postal administrations.
Terminology is important here, because of the legal interpretations, philatelic interpretations, and the consequences of all that – specifically, HOW are the authorities and the people (stamp collectors or not) considering and using them. In all countries that allow the issuance of personalized stamps, they are recognized and named as such: “personalised stampsâ€, “personal stampsâ€, “IDtimbreâ€, etc. In USA, the technicality of “legalese†(the language of lawyers…) has generated the term “customized postageâ€, instead of “personalized stampâ€. There are laws that prohibit the modification of “currencyâ€, and postage stamps are viewed as some sort of currency (“legal tenderâ€).
Other American legal/postal interpretation is that “personalized stamps†are “some sort of meter labels†and USPS said that they “don’t require postmarkingâ€.
In the context of such interpretations (more or less subjective), my interpretation is the following: personalized stamps are NOT simply “meter labelsâ€. They are intentionally manufactured to LOOK like stamps and to SERVE FUNCTIONS like stamps do, both postally and philatelically.
The personalized stamps sold by zazzle.com, for example, do NOT have a date of use on them (they will be indefinitely valid as postage for the denomination at which you bought them, such as 46 cents, for example). The truth is that the difference between traditional postage stamps and “meter labels†is becoming more and more blurred, worldwide, with the use of “variable value stamps†and various labels (meter or not) with images (customized or not). Meter labels of all sorts look more and more like traditional stamps.
My interpretation about postmarking not being “required†is that postmarking is NOT absolutely necessary, but it’s OK to be done, for philatelic purposes, at least. In theory, the post office is supposed to decode the†barcode†information (IBI = information-based indicia) on the personalized stamp (I am talking about USA now) so no postmark is needed. In practice, most post offices still operate traditionally, handcanceling or machine-canceling them at the sorting facility. Even if the mail pieces have personalized stamps, even if the mail pieces have precancelation by a MPP device (Mailer’s Postmark Permit, see USPS Form 3615)…
Now that we clarified, hopefully, the terminology and some interpretations of the official status of the personalized stamps, let’s talk about what YOU can do, from now on.
YOU, the reader of this, may choose to diversify. Instead of (or in addition to) being a passive COLLECTOR of traditional stamps (designed by others, hired by national postal administrations), you might be interested in DESIGNING stamps of your own liking.
Since you’ll probably never get the chance to do it with traditional stamps, approved by your national postal administration, you can do it with Personalized Stamps!
My main recommendation to you is to use zazzle.com, even if you use that website only for its superior capabilities of design, and then you take that draft design and finalize your creation with some other provider.
Also, Zazzle is the only provider of personalized stamps worldwide, as far as I know, that gives you a Public Gallery on their website. There, you can re-order or edit your creations, and everybody else in the world can order your stamp designs, if they want. But Zazzle only ships “customized postage†to U.S. or Canadian addresses, so you would need an American or Canadian partner to buy such stamps for you.
If you only want to insert an image, to design a stamp, it may be simple. But there are many tips and tricks about the other options and decisions, beyond that step. There’s a learning curve.
If you want to manipulate an image, or to add text in various font types, font sizes, font color, orientation, placement, border, zoom, layers, etc., then it can get complicated and time-consuming. Frustrating, too. If you want and can afford to pay, you can hire somebody who knows exactly how to do it, according to your detailed specifications. In case you are computer-savvy, you can learn by yourself, eventually. That’s what I did, since 2006.
(Modified by Moderator on 2014-10-10 23:23:24)
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re: Personalized Stamps / Picture Postage
I have made quite a few Canadian Picture Postage stamps, and needless to say LIKE the concept
Here is a block from a sheet I had made a while back for my dog Ginger.
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08:47:46pm
re: Personalized Stamps / Picture Postage
This came up in another post, and I want to thank the member who did speak of it. I went to Zazzle, and created a stamp that I just received.
On a somber note, this is the last photo of my dog, Lobo. It was taken an hour before he was put down this past January.
On a lighter note, it really is quite easy to create these. I intend to make stamps of my books, trains and whatever comes to mind that I want to publicize about myself to those special people to whom I send mail. I just wish it didn't cost so much. The cost per stamp about $1.35, including shipping.
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06:57:40am
re: Personalized Stamps / Picture Postage
Personalized stamps have been used by many fund raising groups in Canada UK and the US to name a few. Some are legal tender for a specific time...some are just local posts...but all quite collectable
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re: Personalized Stamps / Picture Postage
Hi Everyone;
@ Bujutsu;
"If we are truly concerned about our hobby, forget the gimmicks and issue stamps, in moderate amounts, so that
collectors can keep up with them.....Bujutsu"
I agree with you about gimmicks. this particular one is more about Human vanity, which seems to be encouraged these days.
We are becoming a self-indulgent ego-centric society.
As for issuing stamps in moderate amounts, simple human greed will never let that happen. Nearly every nation on the planet
has hyper-active presses spewing out all kinds of crap they call stamps, that do not look like stamps and were never meant
to frank a letter.
As for never being able to complete a collection, that does not need to be a problem. I got tired of all the new crap
they called stamps, and tired of adding supplements to my Internationals (Scott's big blue). About that same time
1970s or so I learned that Scott was no longer producing many albums in the "specialty" series (Scott greens). So I
bought up all I could find. I now have vol. 1-7 of big blue, and 26 volumes of the greens, most of which end
from mid 1970s to a few 1981s.
I use a sharpie to put END in the Scott catalogs at the last stamp in each album. Any stamp issued after that date
gets thrown into "duplicates" and sold. My collected country is complete when I SAY SO, France #1-to-#1681, issued Nov. 1979.
I don't realistically expect to complete France due to cost, but do expect to complete it up to certain price limits.
Most of us will never be able to afford all of those classics, to complete a country.
Just another rant from the Sand People
TuskenRaider
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The past is a foreign country, they do things different there.
17 Oct 2014
10:12:31pm
re: Personalized Stamps / Picture Postage
TuskenRaider:
No, that was not a "rant", but commentary that I find helpful.
It is interesting to learn how others view and practise stamp collecting.
Gratifying to learn when one shares an opinion; less so when
viewpoints diverge, but educational nonetheless.
Your stamp collection is what you make it. I have borrowed ideas,
from many stamp collectors such as you, to develop and evolve
my own methods of collection, storage and presentation.
Stamporama's discussion board is the perfect place to release
philatelic and philosophic steam.
John Derry
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re: Personalized Stamps / Picture Postage
"Your stamp collection is what you make it. I have borrowed ideas,
from many stamp collectors such as you, to develop and evolve
my own methods of collection, storage and presentation.
Stamporama's discussion board is the perfect place to release
philatelic and philosophic steam."
Very well said! I put a lot of thought, research, and consideration into what is included, and excluded, from my collection. I have also borrowed many ideas from others and appreciate the opportunity to exchange ideas here!
Lars
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03:49:59pm
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re: Personalized Stamps / Picture Postage
I really don´t like them and don´t collect them. It is practically impossible to track how many "pesonalizations" will exist for every type of personalized stamps. I also think they don´t have to be in the catalogues together with the usual stamps (maybe in a special section?)
On the other hand, everyone is entitled to collect what he likes best. So, if you think personalized stamps are an interesting addition to your collection, just take them and be happy.
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re: Personalized Stamps / Picture Postage
These items hold no interest for me, either. I even have a lot of difficulty thinking of these as stamps, even though they do move the mail. I'll apologize in advance to anybody who thinks my comments harsh, but these items seem just another aspect of the social media "look at me!" mentality:
Look at me! I'm on Facebook! Thousands of people have "friended" me, so I must be somebody special.
Look at me! I'm on Twitter! Thousands of people are following me, waiting on my every word, so I must be special.
Look at me! Stamps that I designed are being used to send mail. It's like I'm my own postal service. Aren't I special?
There's something unhealthy in all this, but I'm not a psychologist, so I can't label it and describe it scientifically. All these social media services have gone far beyond being a means of keeping in touch with family and friends. They've become the means by which so many people are finding validation. Proof of life. A self-manufactured celebrity. It kinda creeps me out.
MinorFaults
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re: Personalized Stamps / Picture Postage
Only one aspect of personalized postage has caught my eye. I'm not sure why, but I save the ones with dogs - just for the heck of it! I have a tiny dogs topical collection, just a magpie, whatever catches my eye sort of collection and the real life dogs add a touch of humor.
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I'm on Facebook but I don't have thousands of "friends", a handful perhaps, my Birthdate there is 27/3/1905 (untrue) but amazing how many family have wished me happy birthday on the wrong day!
I'm sure psychologists / psychiatrists will be having a field day with the data uploaded, many years of employment.
No, I do not like or collect personalized stamps and hate Christmas cards that show the senders family with cheesy smiles.
Unless the postal services are informing catalogue publishers how will they ever know what has been issued and would that be a breach of privacy?
vic
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re: Personalized Stamps / Picture Postage
I'd suggest that releasing such information to catalog publishers would just add to the personal validation:
Look at me! Stamps that I designed are being used to send mail. It's like I'm my own postal service. And my stamps are listed in catalogs! People all over the world will be collecting my designs!! Aren't I REALLY special?
And anybody who uses social media has already given up any expectation of privacy, whether they realize it or not. I must read on a monthly basis that Facebook has changed their privacy policy yet again. Social media services are nothing more than personal data repositories for data mining and resale to any corporation or government agency who wants it. And that data lives forever. A seeming innocent post today can prevent you from getting a job 10 years from now. Companies are already asking for job candidates' social media usernames. It's not science fiction to imagine a future where someone doesn't get into the school of their choice, or doesn't get a plum job, not because of something they tweeted five years ago, but because they've avoided social media and don't have a history that can be examined.
MinorFaults
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re: Personalized Stamps / Picture Postage
"but these items seem just another aspect of the social media "look at me!" mentality"
MinorFault, your comments comparing personal stamps to social media are absurd and offensive. Look at your post again.
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re: Personalized Stamps / Picture Postage
BeeSee:
The entire quote was:
"I'll apologize in advance to anybody who thinks my comments harsh, but these items seem just another aspect of the social media "look at me!" mentality:"
I'm always willing to learn new things. Please explain to me what offended you?
MinorFaults
NOTE TO ADMINS: This discussion seems to be moving off-topic, so feel free to relocate whichever portion you think appropritate elsewhere.
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re: Personalized Stamps / Picture Postage
The beauty of a hobby like this is that no one way to collect is right. If someone likes Christmas Seals - Awesome! If they like pristine Victorian covers - Awesome! If they like bright topicals with dinosaurs - Awesome! The important thing is they are having FUN!!! If a silly personalized stamp with some goofy picture makes someone happy, well that's awesome! It doesn't float my boat, but there is a lot of room on the ocean for lots of boats, so let them go merrily down their stream pursuing their delights.
It's all good!
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"If a silly personalized stamp with some goofy picture makes someone happy, well that's awesome!"
Right on Philatelia. It is all good!
As an
photographer, I think it is great to design my own stamps. I have produced several, in addition the the dog above. Here are some more:And for Philatelia, another dog!
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Love the dog stamp! What a mug on that puppy LOL
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They who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety. -Benjamin Franklin
15 Nov 2014
03:49:34pm
re: Personalized Stamps / Picture Postage
MinorFaults
Couldn't you express yourself without being so sarcastic and demeaning to folk who do collect personalized postage? You have a right to express yourself, but why do you have to do it in such a way that makes someone else feel bad? I am not a "political correctness" censor or a paladin for the bullied, but I do feel the need to advocate a little sensitivity to the feelings of others here.
Bobby
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bobby1948, BeeSee, and anybody who was offended by my post:
I made no comment at all about anyone who chooses to collect personalized postage, other than to explain why I do not. As philatelia so aptly said:
"The important thing is they are having FUN!!! If a silly personalized stamp with some goofy picture makes someone happy, well that's awesome!"
It's none of my business what someone wants to collect, and I have no right at all to tell someone what to collect -- or not collect. I would never do so.
My criticism was of social media. I admit, I don't understand it. I value my own privacy too much to make use of it. I don't care that somebody I don't know and will never meet took a lovely walk in the park today, or that they had a good time at a concert last night. And nobody cares (or should care) whether I have a pet goldfish or if I really love Thai food. The fact that some people think that their everyday mundane activities are of such importance that they must tweet about it, or announce it on Facebook, to complete strangers, smacks of an unhealthy narcissism. That's just my opinion. And yes, I did make a connection between creating personalized postage -- not the collecting of it, or stamps, or any other form of stamp collecting -- and social media.
The initial concept of social media sounded good: a more immediate way of connecting with family and friends. I'm sure a lot of people -- maybe even most people -- still use it for that purpose. But it's also being misused by cyber-bullies, cyber-stalkers, child predators. Name the unsocial activity and social media is being used to facilitate that activity.
And I decry a further loss of individual privacy -- the right to be left alone, if one wishes -- that social media has compromised, even though it be with the knowing or unknowing consent and collusion of the users. What nobody was told when social media was being sold to them as The New Best Thing is that whatever they post is now data, and they not only don't own it, they have no control over how it's used -- or misused. To me, that is a lamentable fact of today's human society, and we'll never get that tiger back in its cage.
So, as I said in my first post in this thread:
"I'll apologize in advance to anybody who thinks my comments harsh ...
"
And with that said, I will now go back to working on Belgian officials, and, having learned my lesson, will refrain from further commentary on any subject not directly related to stamps of government issue.
MinorFaults
PS: Can this series of posts be considered as my application for membership in the SoR Curmudgeon's Club?
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They who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety. -Benjamin Franklin
15 Nov 2014
06:32:08pm
re: Personalized Stamps / Picture Postage
" PS: Can this series of posts be considered as my application for membership in the SoR Curmudgeon's Club?"
Welcome to the ranks, MinorFaults.
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"Minorfaults said, "The fact that some people think that their everyday mundane activities are of such importance that they must tweet about it, or announce it on Facebook, to complete strangers, smacks of an unhealthy narcissism.""
As a licensed curmudgeon, I must take exception to Minor Fault's comment (and come to my wife's defence as well).
First of all, anyone reading this, and I assume that includes Minor Fault, is in a "social medium"! If you're here, you can't very well disparage all social media!
Secondly, my wife is a good example of a sensible user of social media, which in her case is Facebook. No, she isn't 100% in favour of Facebook, which occasionally drives her nuts, not because it's a "social medium" but because of unfriendly design. I don't think anyone on the planet could be fully cognizant of its sprawling interface. I'm certainly not, although I use it on occasion. Anyhow…
My wife is a retired teacher. She taught elementary school for something like 20 years, then switched to secondary education, where she taught English, including Advanced Placement English lit. She loved teaching, and was not pleased when stress finally signalled an end to her 32-year career. (I should add that the stress didn't come so much from students as from incompetent parents and administrators.) I'm not sure when she started using Facebook — four or five years ago, perhaps — but she soon found it to be a wonderful way for her to keep track of her students, many of whom now correspond with her on a regular basis. Just last night she showed me a wonderful photograph of a young woman that both of us knew, and who has become a credit to her family and her community. She often receives thank-you notes from former students for her dedication to her job; I suppose that could be construed as narcissism, but unhealthy? I think not. Who doesn't wish to be appreciated for their hard work?
Of course, social media can be and is abused. That's not the fault of social media, but of individuals and societies who haven't learned that democracy and freedom are not the same as entitlement. Let's not throw the baby out with the bathwater.
Bob
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07:21:42pm
re: Personalized Stamps / Picture Postage
Thank you Bob..I too taught school for over 33 years and have reconnected with former students via social media....Red Cross volunteers who have moved out of my area.... my teenage grandchildren who share their life via photos...and to top it off my maid of honour of 48 years ago who I had not located until 3 years ago... I have not made a selfie...lol But do enjoy the adventure of electronic communication
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re: Personalized Stamps / Picture Postage
I thank you too Bob. This site is total social media, and a great benefit for stamp collectors, as are other similar boards.
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given that most media have surrendered any pretense of journalism (or if they retain journalism, with few exceptions, it's really partisan editorialism), social media, for those who still have open minds, can serve to open dialogues among interested individuals and allow otherwise hidden facts and interpretations to see the light of day.
and the irony hadn't escaped me that this site, while also other things, is part of social media.
Finally, I still don't see the connection between personalized stamps, which can range from homage of a hero to promos for endangered species to selfie selfies, and social media, which, as we see from FB, SOR, and blogs of every color. Am I self-indulgent by posting here?
David
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The past is a foreign country, they do things different there.
16 Nov 2014
11:51:34pm
re: Personalized Stamps / Picture Postage
Would, or could, you rephrase this please, "amsd",
as I am not sure I understand what you have said.
John Derry
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re: Personalized Stamps / Picture Postage
A lot of people must collect them. One dealer at the Hamilton stamp show tries to get as many as she can. She can't keep them in stock. Her price, $2.00 EACH. She sells them as fast as she can get them. Doesn't matter what is on them, as long as they are personalized.
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John, I said a bunch of things, and it's a pity that their brilliance didn't shine through immediately. Maybe it's the William F Buckley effect.
So, here's what I said, sorta:
Social media has its place: it can help fill in the gaps left by all the journalism that has died completely or been replaced by Faux News. That, of course, requires literate posters and literate readers, both of whom who should be open-minded and non-partisan, which is a big, fat order.
I also complimented Bob Ingraham for pointing out that this site is part of social media, and it's ironic that one posts one's disdain for social media on a social media site.
Finally, I wrote that I couldn't understand the connection between personalized stamps and social media. Maybe I should have asked the poster to do what my good friend John asked me to do.
David
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The past is a foreign country, they do things different there.
17 Nov 2014
02:59:27pm
re: Personalized Stamps / Picture Postage
Thank you, "amsd", for that explanation. My confusion arises
with the term "social media", a relatively new addition to
communication, and nowhere adequately defined.
I'll lump it in with "media" for now to see if it has legs,
or whether it will be egested into that vast wasteland of
buzzwords and flavour-of-the-moment terms that are no
longer fashionable.
This thread is defying gravity, and disturbingly so.
The attraction (for me) of Stamporama's discussion board
has been the wide scope of its content. To see comment
reduced to the point of non-offensive, politically-correct,
mindless pap benefits no stamp collector.
Two anecdotal observations over my period of membership,
that I have made before to a hostile reception: (1) there is a
tendency for some members to misread or misunderstand
discussion-board commentary; and (2) a few members have
unduly low sensitivity thresholds and get upset (that is as
mildly as I can phrase it) when a post does not sit comfortably
with their stamp-collecting habits or their personal views.
I would not like to see Stamporama's discussion board
parallel the heart-stopping drama and content of a
stamp catalogue, yet I see it drifting that way.
John Derry
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There are several other forums where folks post messages that are completely without concern for the sensitivities of others. I'm sure the types of comments you wish to make would be exceedingly welcome in those places. But I think Stamporama's moderators have embraced a more gentle, kinder model for this site's discussions. That doesn't mean that the chat can't be lively, but it does preclude attacks, cruelty, belittling, or any comments that are drenched with sarcasm or negativity. We're all here to enjoy our hobby and unpleasant comments don't make anybody's day brighter or enrich the stamp collecting experience, they are only an outlet for one person's vitriol.
I think our moderators have been spot on in their decisions and I back maintaining the pleasant quality that is one of the most delightful aspects about participating in this site.
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Amen to Philatelia's comments. Back in the Proterozoic period of the internet, I first got in touch with other on-line collectors via the rec. collecting.stamps.discuss forum of usenet. It still exists as a Google group, but it's a mere wraith now compared to the good old days, when it was as busy as Stamporama is today. The downside was that members would not agree to have it become a moderated group, so spam and flame wars were rampant, and turned off many people. Yay for good moderators!
Bob
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I see valid points in every comment here ("your mileage may vary"...).
=======
Tigers.
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I love the tigers. It would certainly be great to see some of them in the mail. Just beautiful.
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Since Canada Post did not commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Seaway Invert, I decided to do so in 2009:
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Polar bear, giant panda, Tibetan blue bear...
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Felines.
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Over time I've gathered a lot of older personalized Canadian Stamps. I leave most of them on cover now. I used to take them off. Now I think it's better if they stay on the envelope.
Here are some I just came across in a box of stuff I had tucked away. Sorry they are all helter skelter. Hard to scan a bunch at once on different sized envelopes.
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On Facebook, I founded this group: "Create stamps: Personalized stamps/ Personalised stamps." Message me if you don't find it.
=============
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10:47:28pm
re: Personalized Stamps / Picture Postage
Hi I am rather new to StampoRama but enjoy reading the threads.
New Zealand post has them and I know of a few people that have had them printed
Their web site is below and should they should answer any queries you may have.
https://www.nzpost.co.nz/personal/sending-within-nz/personalised-stamps-cards/personalised-stamps
All the best
Ronnya
(Modified by Moderator on 2015-07-01 23:11:04)
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Phil, I've left the ones I have on the full cover!
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I believe the ones I have are all on card sized envelopes. The first one was a high school graduation invitation, with a photo of the graduate. The other one was pilfered from my daughter on a wedding invitation. My daughters are of the age where their friends are getting married. I will have to beg their mail!
And since I've decided not to prejudice against odd size envelopes, I'm now keeping things in the Ultra-Pro 2 pocket (5x7) pages, I did buy 500 of those! I also have one pack of their 1 pocket (8x10) for the number 11 envelopes and such.
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I see many big cats, but where are the cheetahs??
Randy
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OK, here's a cheetah, Randy!
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Awesome!!!
Okay, I forgive you for waiting 2 years to put up a cheetah
Thanks for the pic!
Randy
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I forgot to check this specific thread...so yesterday I created that cheetah stamp!
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https://www.zazzle.com/z/o0zkz?rf=238693463283865848
North American cave lion.
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re: Personalized Stamps / Picture Postage
Dear All,
What a treat to see old names and arguments being displayed. For me, it was thoroughly enjoyable. As to the subject at hand (personalized stamps) I love the idea that one need not be dead before being considered for this type of immortality. I too have a few personalized with my son and son-in-law, and they are most precious to me.
As to the rarity factor-they rank way up there with the one penny Black and two penny Blue. Even more so-probably with the z grilled 85a(U.S.) of which only 2 copies are known. Yep-that's the right category for my personalized items.
As for the philatelic value- I couldn't care less-to me they shine!
Thank you for the resurrection of this delicious thread.
Dan C.
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"...waiting 2 years to put up a cheetah..."
You could always watch the Russian Olympians...
Dave.
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Just out of curiosity, do any members think it would be possible in the foreseeable future that a catalogue, or even a specialized list, could ever be made for these personalized stamps? I ask this because there are so many and almost all, if not all of them, would be unique?? To me, it would seem mind boggling that any such list or catalogue would be possible? Even if it was, the listing, or catalogue(s) would be greater than the volume of a complete set of the Scott's Catalogues lol.
Just a thought.
Chimo
Bujutsu
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re: Personalized Stamps / Picture Postage
it would be utterly and completely impossible
why?
because it requires self-reporting by the people printing and mailing these stamps and/or the people receiving them.
self-reports are unreliable for two reasons: the impossibility of reaching them to tell us about it; and the lack of motivation to actually report
secondarily, the growing number of pieces will be monumental, much of it issued in quantities of 20 or 100, meaning that for those who desire completeness, well, it's unattainable
that latter detail helps to explain why so few people would actually invest in it.
finally, the organizational complexity of this thing would stump (not stamp) the folks at Bletchley Park
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Agreed. There is no way to collect the whole set! You'd wind up with thousands of stamps with engaged couples you never knew alone! I do like the philatelically generated sets above. I can see someone collecting topicals wanting specific ones. But those are collectibles printed to order.
I would rather collect them like I collect early 20th century private perforations. Examples of each manufacturer's product, and I'd prefer to have them on cover. So you'd want examples of Zazzle.com's product, Stamps.com's product etc. The ones you order from them, and the ones people can print out on their computers.
As postal history goes, I'll bet few are collecting them on cover and that will be scarce someday when people go back to collect this era of postal history and the last gasp of stamps! So every time someone in my family gets one on an invitation etc, I save the whole envelope.
Same with the USPS lobby vending stamps. Two years ago I realized that the regular issue Charlie Brown Christmas stamps had been duplicated for use in the vending machine. Instantly I saved a sheet. And I have a block of the single Christmas stamp from this past year. I have saved all the examples I received on our mail. These are Scott listed and I believe in the future these will be the key stamp to the year set.
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Tom,
your thinking mirrors mine. I prefer collecting these oddities on cover; and I"ve saved all the various promotional offers, including enclosed postage, from the various personalized stamp companies intact. When I get one on cover in the general mails, I save those intact, too.
At some point, I should cull the accumulation.
David
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The personalized stamps have many similarities, and many differences with the regular stamps. Not only MANY, but IMPORTANT ones, too. Quantity and quality of similarities and dissimilarities.
Therefore, they require a different mindset, in some crucial respects.
The purpose of the personalized stamps is NOT to be easily put in a catalog.
Also, it's NOT to be collected, by anyone, in a "complete collection", worldwide.
There are over 60 countries who offer such services, of personalizing either a stamp (or "stamp"), or just the tab of a stamp.
Instead, the purpose is to give you the thrill of personalizing a "stamp", regardless of any cataloging, ever, and regardless of any other personalized stamp, anywhere in the world. Also, the main purpose for the postal issuing company is to make a profit, but that's common for any regular stamps from them, and for any kind of business that is "for profit".
To make a parallel, you may say that a zebra is an equid, just like a horse.
But you should not treat a zebra with the same mindset as you would with a horse.
Horses can be wonderful, and zebras can be, too. It depends.
I don't criticize a "zebra" (a personalized stamp) for not having all the characteristics of a "horse" (a regular stamp).
I can appreciate a "zebra", even if I have to..."hold my horses", in a "stable" place.
.
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Nowadays, the only provider of "personalized stamps" in USA is stamps.com.
Others, like minted.com, still offer through stamps.com partnership.
Also, there are over 60 countries that offer personalized stamps, or personalized tabs.
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re: Personalized Stamps / Picture Postage
UPDATE: shutdown as of 6.10.2020.......No more personalized stamps in USA, per USPS.
The Zazzle, Endicia and the old "stamps dot com" personalized stamps have become extremely rare, since many were printed in only 1 sheet of 20 personalized stamps. That's because the lawyers of USPS got busy with legalese and are "sue-happy". Happy to sue, making for themselves "a pretty penny" for lawyering against the American personalized stamps. Now only stamps dot com still has a deal with USPS for "photostamps", even through affiliates of SDC such as Minted or Shutterfly. We'll see if the lawyers of USPS will finally shut down, or not, all the personalized stamps options left in USA. "Sue Happy", a famous American woman...
UPDATE: shutdown as of 6.10.2020.
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