Renewal by Andersen ad uses presorted standard stamp
While I’ve posted on occasion about mail pieces that I’ve received from various non-profit organizations, receiving any piece of advertising mail that’s not related to a charity but still appeals to me as a stamp collector is a real rarity these days. Nevertheless, last month I did receive a flyer that fits that description from Renewal by Andersen.
This advertisement is printed on a single unfolded sheet of heavy paper that I normally would have tossed into the trash can or recycle bin except for one thing: it has a genuine United States postage stamp on it! It’s a presorted standard stamp issued in 2020, but a stamp it is.
Renewal by Andersen flyer with presorted standard stamp
The return address on the mail piece is in Austin, Texas, but the stamp is tied by a Minneapolis, Minnesota, mailer’s postmark. I wouldn’t be surprised if this was part of a campaign involving Andersen outlets in multiple regions with all of the advertisements distributed from a single location, but I don’t have proof of that one way or the other.
I do think it’s interesting that the mailer chose to use stamps. Conventional thinking is that the use of non-profit or presorted standard stamps on business envelopes boosts open rates, but it’s kind of difficult to believe that it would make much difference one way or the other on something using this particular format.
My guess is that few mail pieces like this are ever saved, so who knows? It’s not likely to ever be valuable, but one day this could be a modern postal history rarity.
Philosateleian Post to issue whooping crane stamp in June
In just a few weeks, the endangered whooping crane will become the latest bird to be featured on a local post stamp. Philosateleian Post, a private local post based in San Antonio, Texas, plans to issue a 1-stamp design picturing a whooping crane’s head on a dark red background on June 1, 2021.
Philosateleian Post whooping crane stamp
The new stamp is a non-rectangular trapezoid, the second such stamp Philosateleian Post has issued and the first since its American flamingo stamp released in June 2020. Unlike that stamp, the whooping crane stamp’s design is widest at the top and narrowest at its base. The design is based on a photograph taken by Philosateleian Post’s proprietor, Kevin Blackston.
By the early 1940s, no more than two dozen whooping cranes were known to still exist, but conservation efforts and breeding programs have led to a gradual increase in the species’ population numbers, and hundreds of the birds are alive today. The whooping crane is North America’s tallest bird with some specimens reaching heights of more than five feet.
Technical Specifications
Format: sheets of 44. Design size: 36×28 mm. Separation method: perforated 12. Adhesive: water-activated dry gum. Printing method: inkjet.
Philatelic Services
To receive a mint single of Philosateleian Post’s Whooping Crane stamp, or for first day cover service, send either $2 or a self-addressed stamped envelope and your request to:
Kevin Blackston
Philosateleian Post
PO Box 17544
San Antonio TX 78217-0544
United States of America
Orbis impresses with airplane cinderellas on reply envelope
Life has been exceptionally busy over the past few weeks, and I have a little bit of a backlog of blog posts to churn through now. I’m not guaranteeing that I’ll get through them all quickly, but I do have some interesting material to share.
The first such item is from Orbis, a nonprofit organization that provides training to healthcare professionals in developing nations in order to treat and prevent conditions that can lead to blindness. In 1982, the organization began operating its first “Flying Eye Hospital,” an aircraft specially converted to function as a teaching hospital.
That “Flying Eye Hospital” is no doubt the reason for the inclusion of the silhouette of an airplane in the Orbis logo used on this business reply envelope that I recently received from the organization. Of greater interest from a philatelic perspective, however, are the two “Vision” cinderellas bearing a matching silhouette that are attached to the envelope.
Orbis business reply envelope with airplane cinderellas
I believe the labels’ edges are die cut (measuring approximately die cut 11) since they appear to be far too clean to be regular perforations. I presume that the labels are self-adhesive.
Finally, I have to note that the printing quality on these is admittedly not great; you can probably see vertical lines in my scan, and those are actually present on the labels themselves. Nevertheless, they kind of sort of look like stamps, so they did catch my attention.
This business reply envelope is not the first mailing that I’ve seen from Orbis with a philatelic connection. Back in 2018, I received a cover from the organization with modified images of several Ethiopian stamps printed on the reverse. In both cases, I suspect the “stamps” were used simply as design elements rather than with any specific philatelic intent, but they are in my opinion very interesting.
Bat’s Private Post celebrates centennial of Four Horsemen
On March 6, Bat’s Private Post of Beverly Hills, California, issued a set of six stamps commemorating the centennial of the release of The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. The silent film released in 1921 propelled actor Rudolph Valentino to stardom.
8¢ and 60¢ stamps depict scenes from the filmwhile director Rex Ingram appears on a 10¢ value, screenwriter June Mathis on a second 60¢ stamp, and Valentino both on a $1.25 stamp with co-star Alice Terry and by himself on a $3 stamp.
Bat’s Private Post The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse local post stampsBat’s Private Post The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse local post stamps
For more information about these new local post stamps, you can write to:
Bat’s Private Post
PO Box 11175
Beverly Hills CA 90213-4175
United States of America
Purgatory Post commemorates Perseverance Mars rover
New Hampshire-based Purgatory Post on March 2 commemorated Perseverance, the Mars 2020 rover that landed on the Red Planet on February 18, with the issuance of a new 4-sola stamp picturing the rover.
The 4-sola stamp was issued in miniature sheets of four.
Purgatory Post Mars 2020 Perseverance stamp
Perseverance has several tasks including checking for evidence of past life on Mars, running tests in preparation for potential future crewed missions to Mars, and collecting rock and soil samples.
I think Purgatory Post operator Scott A. did a very nice job with this stamp. The color certainly evokes thoughts of Mars, and the font selection fits well on the stamp, too.
Scott tells me that with various spaceflight anniversaries plus other planned missions this year, collectors can expect additional space-themed stamps from Purgatory Post in 2021.
