From The Suburbs Of The Boonies....a Superb Cover !

Well, it would have been !



Yet more defaced mail to contend with at a time when the Postal problems are seemingly without end.
If it's not slow mail, missing mail, uncancelled mail and more, we get the MARKER MONKEY !!

Whichever of the worlds lazy, good-for-nothing Postal Services hired this jerk to work for them, will be hearing about it from me. I have already sent a scan to Israel Post and the USPS will be receiving likewise.
Last week I got a lovely cover from Dianne....except when I got it, it wasn't lovely. Someone had tried to remove all the stamps from the cover, and where they weren't successful, destroyed some Fine Used Canadian stamps.

I am fast getting p****d off !

And there is more....see the Festive Mail thread.[Coming shortly]

From the Suburbs of the Boonies.....Yuck !



Londonbus1

The U.S. charges a $.20 non-machinable charge for parcel like this. I guess that is what they use to buy the markers. Pretty disgusting.

That is *gulp* annoying! How do the post authorities expect to promote philately if this is what they do to the covers being sent. Sorry about your cover LondonBus!

Drew

What else can I say?

I wonder if the marker monkeys just don't realize that there are are still stamp collectors let alone the hobby of collecting stamps? Can't the APS do anything like re-educate the P.O.'s in the countries that seem to be doing this? If not then maybe every member should ask the APS to help launch a campaign to do so?

Donna

Swabbie put together a great cover, what a shame.

The postal authorities do not promote philately in most places from my understanding. They are more concerned with trying to process the mail from point A to point B in a timely manner and the most cost effective way. We stamp collectors are low on the priority list. They didn't ask us to collect the stamps they issue to pay for a service.

That is why I try to send my philatelic mail from an USPS window and asked for it to be hand canceled. Most clerks are willing to provide this service without much protest or eye rolling. Some even enjoy seeing a nice selection of stamps being thoughtfully used. It is upto us to educate our local post office clerks and postmasters.

you could always start a Marker monkey collection? we could all send you marker monkey stamps and covers it could have a fun monkey cover and monkey stickers and backgrounds throughout.

Marker monkeys were on break when these 9 x 12 flats passed through last week. Machine cancel was most likely left operating unattended in San Diego during the break. I think attractive stamps stir em up, and put em in marker mode.

The marker marks are not even artistically applied. Shame! One could almost start collecting them if they had a bit of thought and care put into them. Almost.

That is what makes philately interesting, the care in hand-writing or calligraphy, the strategic placement of a well-applied eye-pleasing postmark or two. Extra little labels and markings added on along the way.

Now if the postal employees were allowed to design their own hand stamps they would take pride and compete to have sought after philatelic pieces and stamps I would think. Of course you need to give them feedback and let them know they are doing a good job.

Perhaps that is what is missing, out appreciation for a job well done. They don't think that anyone cares. It doesn't seem to make a difference no matter what they do.