Postal History 1945 Philatelic Agency Suspends Prexie Sales

Here's an interesting postcard I found someone selling on Ebay. A bit of insight into some long forgotten US postal history I suppose, but I do find it interesting that the USPOD Philatelic Agency was only honoring orders for commemorative and migratory bird hunting stamps only, with all of the regular issues, airmails, special delivery, special handling, parcel post stamps and even coil stamps being withheld from philatelic sales during that period:



Has anyone else ever heard this story before?

What was that for? They couldn't handle the people that were collecting? I'm sure they made money on the sales.. Keith

That sounds about right. I suppose we really have to put ourselves in the position of the Philatelic Agency at the time. No computers. No automated packaging and mailing of orders. It was the end of World War II and FDR had only recently died, so that orders for philatelic items for both the FDR memorial commemoratives as well as the military issues, along with the fact that this was just about the height of the stamp collecting interests of the general public, all must have had something to do with the Philatelic Agency being overwhelmed with orders.

It probably wasn't as big of an issue as the postcard makes it sound, as I would assume all of the Prexies and airmail, special delivery, coils, etc., were available at local post offices, it is just that the Philatelic Agency wasn't going to be making those sales in deference to the popularity of the issues that were in high demand at the time.

I would be curious if anyone knows just how long the Philatelic Agency had this policy in effect, as the statement "until further notice" could have meant anything from a few weeks to any indefinite period.