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Opening Pandora's Box

The Stamp Collecting Report, I'm Lloyd de Vries

Stamp collectors and people who never SEE stamps alike are still talking about the U-S
Postal Service's recent announcement: Starting next year, it will HONOR people on stamps
who are still living.

Everyone, from The New York Times on down to online message boards and blogs, is creating
 possible stamps. Lady Gaga seems to be everyone's favorite, with Bill Gates right behind.

My guess for the first such stamp is John Glenn. Next February is the 50th anniversary of
his first orbit of the earth by an American. This year's stamp honoring the start of the
U-S manned space program showed the late Alan Shepard...but Glenn is still alive.

Reaction in the stamp collecting community to this policy change is mixed. The Postal
Service already winks at commercial subjects, like the Pixar films. It could get more
blatant.... although earlier this year, before this announcement, stamps chief Steve Kearney
told me --

"We don't have a for-sale sign on the stamp program."   :03

The U-S-P-S is also very susceptible to requests from Congress. Can it withstand pressure
to put living politicians on stamps? Can it withstand offers of big bucks to promote
products on stamps?

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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