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Moving On Up

The Stamp Collecting Report, I'm Lloyd de Vries

The man in charge of the U-S Postal Service's stamp program for the past 8 years is 
leaving the agency.

Dave Failor is retiring at the end of January, then will become head of the United 
Nations Postal Administration.

Since the U-N doesn't deliver its own mail -- the three host countries' postal services 
do that -- and doesn't have 37-thousand local post offices, the new job isn't that 
different from his present one, but he'll be more independent.

At the U-S Postal Service, Failor, a career postal worker with a background in 
communications, took a real interest in the stamps AND stamp collectors. He spent time 
at stamp shows, he met with reporters and organization leaders, and he emceed many 
ceremonies himself -- none of which his two immediate predecessors did.

His leaving is the latest blow to the U-S stamp program: Its long-time chief stamp 
designer, Terry McCaffrey, is also retiring, as is the Postmaster General, John Potter, 
who I'm told paid attention to which stamps were being issued.

Dave Failor could breathe new life into the collecting of United Nations stamps, which 
have been in decline for decades -- ever since the world body issued Palestinian Rights 
stamps. Most U-N issues now are for advocacy - endangered species, the environment, 
hunger, things like that. In an interview, Failor pointed out to Linn's Stamp News that 
the number of U-S stamps for pop culture subjects increased during his tenure.

Maybe he can make U-N stamps popular again.

I'm Lloyd de Vries of The Virtual Stamp Club. For more on stamps and stamp collecting, 
visit virtual-stamp-club-dot-com

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