Download this report as an MP3 sound file.

The Year in Stamps

The Stamp Collecting Report, I'm Lloyd de Vries

The top story in philately in 2009 was financier William Gross's pledge of 8 million 
dollars to the National Postal Museum. He sold two of his collections at auction for 
record prices to help finance the gift, which will be used to expand the Washington 
museum.

But in other auctions, collectors passed on 4 copies of the Inverted Jenny error 
stamps.

Money and the economy were major factors in stamp collecting in 0-9.

Many collectors cut down on their society memberships, travel to stamp shows, and, of 
course, purchases.

The U-S Postal Service was affected by the Recession, with a record budget shortfall. 
As a result, it cut back on services and even the number of stamps it produces.

But the U-S did issue 5 stamps for the television series "The Simpsons," which celebrated 
its 20th anniversary.

There’s now only one weekly stamp collecting newspaper in the U-S, and its circulation is 
below 30-thousand. Collectors...like everyone else...are getting much of their news off 
the Internet.

And a judge dismissed a lawsuit and counter-suit involving the nation's biggest stamp 
society over the conduct of an election....but not before all parties had spent tens of 
thousands of dollars in legal fees.

I'm Lloyd de Vries of The Virtual Stamp Club. For more on stamps and stamp collecting, 
and a look ahead to 2010, visit Virtual-Stamp-Club-dot-com.

----------------------------------------------------------
Go to Previous Report
Go to Next Report 

Go to Report Index