2013 USPS Issues... News? Thoughts? Opinions?

Maybe I'm being too critical, as it's still early yet, but does anyone find it interesting that with the exception of the Emancipation Proclamation stamp, the USPS seems to be announcing only its "generic" issues?

Nothing has yet been officially announced commemorating any person, place or thing of any prominent note. It used to be that US stamps were a glimpse into the history and culture of our country and in my early days of stamp collecting as a child, I actually learned something from them.

So far, all I've learned for 2013 is that we have a bunch of artists creating computer generated images that, although colorful, don't really relate to anything specific.
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Hopefully the program for the remainder of the year will be more interesting in terms of subject matter.

US history and culture are quickly falling by the wayside... kids know squat about history these days. I could vent and ramble on, but I will try and control myself...

As much as I hate to say it, I think these simple stamp designs will sell better than some, only because the average stamp buyer will be attracted to no-nonsense colors and shapes.

Sort of like babies...

Unfortunately, you're probably right.

And we still have upcoming issues to look forward to with baskets and apples and other such things. Not that they don't have a place on stamps, but with all of the worthy people and events in US history that could be commemorated, it seems a shame that we focus our stamp issues on such inanimate objects.

I was just looking at US history sites for 1913 (making 2013 the centennial) and there's doesn't seem to be too much notable history from that year (unless the USPS wants to design a stamp for the centennial of the income tax and the IRS ... now that would be a really poor sell at the post office)!

WT1's last paragraph reminds me of the year I sent one of my tax returns in with a Celebrate the Century stamp... the "child labor" one!

I believe the Global stamp is going to be a winner. But as I mentioned on another thread, why not print several different designs, showing the rest of the oceans and continents also?

Peter

Think of it... rotate the Earth a bit, print that view, and you have a whole new variety! ;-) I still say the round design, while rather nifty, will result in a lot of wasted carrier paper.

As for Rosa Parks, she looks like she is sneering, though it may actually be the way her glasses are sitting.

Modern art, eh. A few designs are OK, but...

(boy, am I hard to please!)

Nells, I thought the same thing at first. Then I started thinking about her situation. I guess I would have the same look on my face if I was told to give my seat up, too.

I wish that they had done a more flattering painting of her,though.

moss - I thought of that, too!

For anyone who hasn't yet read the latest edition of Linn's Stamp News, it is being reported that the previously announced 66-cent Baskets and 20-cent Hummingbird stamps have been removed from the 2013 list of stamps to be issued and will therefore likely be delayed until at least 2014.