Harry Potter Stamps Apparently Not American Enough

As the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) launches 20 new Harry Potter-themed postage stamps Tuesday, some American stamp enthusiasts say they would have liked to see a U.S. character on postage instead of the star of J.K. Rowling's hit books, the Washington Post reports.

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Bobby, on another forum somebody mentioned the 150 year anniversary of Lincoln's Gettysburg Address. It says something about the postal service when this Potter guy gets 20 stamps and Lincoln nothing!

Peter

Admittedly, the USPS goofed big time by not commemorating Lincoln's Gettysburg Address and focused instead on a Harry Potter "pop culture" themed series of stamps. But they didn't ignore Lincoln altogther, as there is a 2014 stamp planned showing Abraham Lincoln as his statue appears in the Lincoln Memorial, albeit for the yet-to-be-official second ounce rate:

They probably figured the Emancipation proclamation was good enough. And if they went to public schools like I did, probably thought it was the same thing.

What type of potter stamp would be American though?
It's an odd issue, but I still say it would be nice to get gifts in the mail with at least one Potter stamp on it, that's pretty cool.

there was a similar article in another paper (maybe NY Times) and what was interesting to me was not the responses of Hotchner and others in the Collecting community but the very hostile reader comments that said collectors like Hotchner were being complete "snobs" about what they believed was proper to be depicted on a US Stamp. IIRC most of the comments were along those lines. So while many collectors may not like it, looks like for the average American the decision to issue Harry Potter stamps is no worse than Elvis, Star Wars or the Simpsons.

Personally it doesn't bother me one way or the other. Harry and clan have been depicted on several other nations' stamps (including IIRC France, which I don't think has any connection with the book or films either). We live in a global culture, Harry Potter has been a global phenomenon, and probably a better reflection of contemporary American pop-culture than several others I could think of (like say US 21st C Pop Stars...Miley Cyrus or Lady Gaga on a postage stamp anyone??)

Critics aside, with the USPS most every issue has detractors and admirers alike. Some would only want issues such as the 'Purple Heart' or Medal of Honor' types, some classical composers or poets, others more current subjects. One thing that remains is that for the appropriate rate, the USPS will gather, process, and deliver a mail piece coast to coast equally, or enhance a topical collection, a US collection and still be valid for postage 10, 25, 100 (?) years from the day of issue. The USPS is attempting to market to the broadest circle in a world wide competition. It will be interesting to know if these 'Harry Potter' booklets out sell worldwide or domestic. The worldwide market is almost all profit, whereas domestic sales some will most certainly end up used for birthdays, graduations, other celebratory occasions.

But if it takes the magic of Harry Potter, The Simpsons, a Baseball legend or some other pop culture icon, to get kids collecting stamps, I say go for it.
Maybe they should have taken advantage of the Twilight series when it was hot.....

I agree with "spain 1850". All I hear in the philatelic media, both print and verbal at clubs is the lament that there are no younger collectors coming along. If you make the stamps that interest them, there will be more looking at collecting than if you keep the same old crap coming out of the USPS. I say go for it. Publish a LOT of younger interest stamp subjects, it may keep the hobby going a little longer....

There are young collectors out there. Not as many as we would like perhaps, but they do exist. I volunteer with some once a month, and they are pretty enthusiastic. Harry Potter will appeal to some and not to others, just like all stamps.

I agree too.

Now that the USPS is on ebay, maybe they'll start to look at what modern issues sell for a premium on ebay and try to repeat that success. Series like "nature of america", cartoon stamps like "the simpsons" or "bugs bunny", and the "jim henson" muppet stamps are a few examples that spring to mind. not exclusively, I hope, but enough to spark an interest with kids who otherwise might not even know what a postage stamp is.

I started collecting at about 12 and some of the first stamps I had in my collection in the early 70s were the san marino disney stamps, the togo banana stamp, bhutan steel foil stamps, and some 3d stamps where the picture changed when you moved the stamp back and forth. not exactly a classic collection, but it got me started. I quit collecting at 17 and started again about 3 years ago.

(sorry, my caps key on this computer is very hit and miss... mostly miss)

Ray