2023 US Stamp Designs Announced

Others to follow later. No details on when each will be issued.

https://about.usps.com/newsroom/loc...for-2023.htm

Cheers for the link--so far I see what I'm getting: Lunar New Year, Endangered Species, Fox, Piñatas, and Roy Lichtenstein. I've come to realize the sheer investment value in forever stamps. Save the USPS going bunk in the future, they just keep getting better. I used to buy one or two of the ones I liked, but from now on I plan to buy at least 20 of the ones I like.

So far:

Definitely getting:

Lunar Year Year of The Rabbit (estimated cost: $12.60)
Red Fox - pane, and a plate number coil from the 3,000 and 10,000. (estimated cost for pane $8, getting 30 from each coil size should procure me one plate number coil, $24)
Great Smoky Mountains Priority Mail Express - will get a pane of 4 with plate number. (about $107)
Roy Lichtenstein (12.60, assuming pane of 20)
Chief Standing Bear (12.60, assuming pane of 20)
$10 Floral Geometry -- only one with plate number from pane. ($10)
Railroad Stations (12.60, assuming pane of 20)

The total is already up to about $220. If I need to curtail this, then less Priority Mail Express and Chief Standing Bear.

MAYBES
Waterfalls
School Bus Additional Ounce



And one must budget for surprise issues as the USPS did with the unannounced Nancy Reagan Forever stamp this summer.

Chris s: Do you buy each issue on day of release or do you wait months to place a large order?

My thoughts on these:

***No partisan politics - Mod***

I might buy the snowglobes.

Did anyone else think of South Park and blood orgy in regards to the winter woodlan animals stamps.

As for the rest they are a hard pass.

I stopped collecting new US issues when the last gummed stamp was issued (I have no love for self-adhesives). Well,almost. I still collect a few single "theme" stamps, plus all high denomination ($1 and above) issues. I also collect plate blocks, so I thought my heirs might like NOT having to go into the market to fill in the missing - and very expensive - Priority and Express Mail plates issued after 2002. Note that the 2023 Express Mail stamp is $26.95 for the single for my theme page plus $107.80 for the plate block. In retrospect, I should have chosen to continue collecting EITHER singles OR plate blocks (but not both) when I took up collecting again, and just sold the other. Hindsight is always 20/20.

So, I will be buying the following:

Lunar New Year - single
Love stamps - singles and plate block
26.95 Express Mail - single and plate block
$10 Floral Geometry (why do we need a 2nd $10 stamp?) - single and plate block
24¢ School Bus (extra ounce) - plate block only
40¢ Red Fox (bulk mail) - plate block only

I have no interest in or desire for any of the others announced (so far). Will there be a new design for Priority Mail? Another non-machineable Butterfly stamp? Only the Shadow knows!

I also have no love for self-adhesives either especially since one is forced to purchase mini-sheets to obtain them and not not easily removed from sheet with release liner intact. I do not send enough mail to use the scrap.

The USPS should end annual issues like CNY, Love, Christmas, Kwanza, Diwali, etc. since they are forever anyway to make room for something that actually covers more American history, They could be done on a less often schedule

I am surprised they do not have anything to celebrate indigenous American festivals. For example, we have statehoods so why not Indian reservations so celebrate all the different tribes.

They will never end Love, Christmas, Kwanza, Diwali, etc. stamps. They are very popular, and many people do use them around the holidays, and those people tend to like having choices. And how many wedding and party invitations go out every year with love stamps on them.......

As for other yearly repeating types of stamps, one might easily say the same thing about forever flag stamps. Every time they run out of ideas for 5 minutes they issue a new one.

I am awaiting a decision on my design submissions. The subjects are as follows:

1) North American Lawn Weeds
2) House Flies
3) Bituminous Paving Products
4) Fly Ash
5) Jersey Barriers
6) Elvis (again)

1) North American Lawn Weeds-plants are done all the time
2) House Flies-insects are done all the time
3) Bituminous Paving Products-roads and highways have been done
4) Fly Ash-some country has issued coal stamps
5) Jersey Barriers-no one issues anything about Jersey

I thought - obviously incorrectly - that the concept of the Forever stamp was that they were good for all time going forward. The only thing that would change was the purchase price (aka "denomination") as postal rates changed. A new stamp would only be needed if a new class of mailing (i.e. a return to Postage Dues or Special Delivery) were to be created for which no current stamp would suffice. A series of Regular Issues in different denominations would be needed, but only once.

This concept would save the costs of constantly designing, printing, and distributing new stamps. Post offices nationwide would have far fewer designs to order and inventory.

Artistic styles come and go, and that of the 2023 issues is meh to me. I've stopped acquiring the repetitive issues like flags and holidays, and skip most issues that do not commemorate anything. That leaves the various individuals honored, and the railroad stations for which it's now around 150 years since construction.

I thought that in theory the USPS could issue one Forever design and be done with it. Maybe a giant black "X' in the middle of a white background.

X's were finished after #2 was issued.