Download this report as an MP3 sound file.

New Frontiers

The Stamp Collecting Report, I'm Lloyd de Vries

The U-S Postal Service is doing some things new in announcing next year's stamp program.
It's doing it months earlier than usual, it's unveiling one stamp at a time, and it's
using social media and the Internet to reveal the stamps.

"I wouldn't characterize myself as a big user of social media but I did have Twitter and
Facebook accounts myself before we decided to do this." :08

Stamps chief Steve Kearney says he got the idea during a meeting this summer.

"What's the big secret? Why do we keep them secret? The program's been approved by the
Postmaster General, we're planning for next year. Why don't we tell as many people as we
can about it now, rather than waiting until maybe December, which is the way we've done
it in the past." :15

Not everyone in the Postal Service was supportive of using social media.

"Some people have told me 'Hey, we have an older audience, you can't try to make stamps
seem cool, or modern, or things like that.' My reaction to that is, well, look, I'm one
of those older people myself, I'm getting on in years, I've got kids in their 20s, and
I still want THEM to think stamps are cool." :19

Already the new system is bearing fruit.

"We got a call from the Cherry Blossom centennial committee in Washington that they are
so excited and they wanted us to include that." :07

They've also heard from several heart health groups.

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

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

Go to Report Index