2015 USPS Issues... News? Thoughts? Opinions?

Amazing the appeal that he still has.

Got my first cancelled coast guard stamp

No Bergman stamps but I got the joint FDC issue.

The Bergman stamps arrived yesterday.

In an effort to keep things together for 2015, here are the two Holiday Stamps for 2015 that I don't think were previously posted:

I would think the Charlie Brown series will do well.

Yes Tom, especially with sticker collectors!

Peter

Whimsically, I suppose, I have the 2001 Peanuts stamp in my aviation topical collection of stamps and covers.

My Dad, who is 89, has a collection of Peanuts "stuff." I wonder if any FDC's of the Christmas issue would be available by Christmas time? It would be a suitable Christmas present; you know, the kind of present you are searching for when you cannot think of what to get someone, i.e. anything different or novel.

Thanks for the pics wt1. They illustrate perfectly why current US stamps are not on my radar for collecting.

Would not be quite so ridiculous if there was just one or two, but ten? And is there going to be one that is a bit more in the Christmas spirit, or is this it?

Peter

Maybe at first glance one could think the Charlie Brown Christmas stamps are a bit strange, but snow, ice, snowmen, Christmas trees and Christmas often are seen or thought of together as in this stamp. From what I am told there is no snow or ice in the Christmas story told in the Christian Bible. However, I know snow does fall in Israel. Bethlehem and Jerusalem are on a range of hills that go north to south between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan valley. The top of these hills are about 1600 ft high. These hills often have very cold weather from November to April and snow often falls. So, although the Bible story may not have snow in it, the nativity scene may certainly have been full of ice & snow! Again from what I have been told, the reason that people think of snow and ice at Christmas is carried down from the Victorians. Although the Christmas holiday may have been taken over from the Pagan winter solstice festivals in Europe, it was the Victorians who gave Christians a 'traditional' Christmas in Europe and the USA. At the start of the Victorian era, (1837) Britain was in a mini ice age that was from about 1550 to 1850. During this time, in London, a winter fair was held on the frozen River Thames! Another reason that the Victorians put snow and Christmas together was the book 'A Christmas Carol' written in 1843 by Charles Dickens. When Charles Dickens was a child, Britain had very heavy snow falls around Christmas, so when he wrote 'A Christmas Carol' he put lots of snow and ice in it! He also put snow at Christmas in some of his other books like 'The Pickwick Papers'. Charles Dickens' books were very popular (and still are!) so when the Victorians read the books, they thought of snow and Christmas together! I understand another reason that snow and ice became popular in Victorian times is because Queen Victoria's husband, Prince Albert, came from Germany where it was colder and he was used to lots of snow and ice being around at Christmas. He made Christmas trees popular in the UK as well as lots of other Christmas traditions. Christmas cards also started in Victorian times with pictures of snow scenes becoming very popular. Still another connection between snow and Christmas is the Irving Berlin song "I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas" song by Bing Crosby and was sung in a film called 'Holiday Inn', set in the snowy countryside of Vermont, U.S.A in December (there is a 75% chance of it snowing on Christmas Day in Vermont!). Bing Crosby's recording of 'White Christmas' was the top selling single of all time and is still popular! I think this may also be the 50th year of broadcasting Charlie Brown & Christmas. Millions of kids & adults watch this every year and it has become a tradition in many families.

Acanalizo, no disrespect intended, but watching this on TV ( as I have done ) is a far cry from coming out with a bunch of wallpaper. This is not doing our hobby a lick of good! And I stay with may original remark: One or two is OK, but ten is ridiculous!

Peter

Some will like the Charlie Brown Christmas stamps ... some will not. That said, I agree that ten designs is overkill. Many of the Christmas booklets have contained 4 different designs. The same would have been sufficient for this subject.

I see it this way: Since you have to buy a whole booklet of 20 stamps at USPS I'm actually in favor of having multiple designs and more of it as it will reduce my amount of postage. Remember the Poinsettia booklet? You only needed one for your collection but had to buy 20...

What is the format going to be? sheet?