Picture Postage Are These Really Needed.

Sorry about the next stupid question...Are these Canadian stamps...???

Robert
(wert)

I may be completely off base but I am thinking the same thing as the comment above. What is Canada Post doing other than making this wonderful hobby of ours out of reach for new and young collectors of "mint" Canadian stamps. The release of 4 sheets of unique Picture Postage at a cost of $17.90 per sheet plus taxes is a prime example. A total of $81.90 including taxes in BC.

In 1959 CP issued 6 commemoratives ...... maybe now counting definitives we average 4 or 5 a month. I am scared to add up my yearly cost for all the variations of mint stamps issued by CP.

Mom I need $100 to buy stamps this month.....good luck son!

serious collector
I know what you mean, guess I am just used to old school stamps, maybe because I have got back into stamps (and coins) after being away from it for years, and years.
That is why I am a little reluctant to post and to ask questions, for fear of looking stupid.

That's why my collection stops at 1960.

edit- just read your response wert. There are no stupid questions. We don't as, we don't learn. And believe me, this comes from a guy who's posted more than his share of stupid.

I've learned a lot in the past year that I've been on this forum and that includes from some of your postings wert, so please don't stop.

Thanks for the response jamesw....Makes me feel more at home...Just that a couple of comments I received made me a little hesitant to continue, but here I am.

And yes, my collection stops about 1975 or so also.

Thanks BlackJag

My collection stopped 1 month ago, after they started to offer those semi-official stamps, self adhesive, as a way to suck more of my money, knowing most people will not use them for postage, but hoard those pict postage stamp for future...

Another example of CP business plan.....the Chinese Lunar New Year series of 12 (years) issues with S/S etc. Nice/different, the first time was enough but in case you missed it let's do it again and again. Enough already.

I agree with puzzler and I like the Picture Postage program. It is a great opportunity to see events and personal matters produced on stamps, which would never otherwise be commemorated. I have made quite a few myself.

No one is forcing anyone to buy them. I only collect issues that have interest to me such as stamps related to Canadiana and personal events of friends and relatives. The key is to be selective. I have long since stopped buying all Canadian stamp issues, purchasing only those that interest me.

Having said that, Canada Post may take it a bit too far by producing so many Picture Postage stamps of their own. However, I will be selective in what I buy, such as the Winnipeg Jets issue, as I do collect hockey stamps.

No one is forced to buy everything. The days are long gone that anyone can keep up with a worldwide collection, and that day is quickly approaching for individual countries, not just Canada.

In 1959 each stamp was printed an average of a little more than 35 million times each. That's à lot of stamps! No wonder they're not worth anything (excluding the inverted St-Lawrence seaway of course).

The population of Canada back in 1959 was 17 430 000. 50 years later, it as doubled to 34 278 000. If we now look at the quantity of commemorative stamps that are being printed in 2010, it's more or less 1500000. That's 23x less for double the population. Of course there is more commemorative stamps issued, but not enough to equal the ratio of 1959.

And what a depressing year it would be if in 2012 there was only 6 stamps issued, specially if they were all printed 35 millions times!

Anyway, that's my point of view.

We are missing the point of the original thread.....make this hobby affordable for the younger collector. What kind of collection are you going to have if you are selective and only buy part of the stamps issued in any one year. CP don't issue peel and stik stamps only in a sheet of 21. How much do you have to spend to get one copy. If you can afford to purchase all the stamps issued what does CP do.......they issue quarterly packs containing issues only available in the pack.....die cut issues. So now you get a few new issues plus a lot of duplicates. I am not suggesting we go back to the number of yearly issues of 50 years ago but make the current issues relevant, easy available and affordable (the recent royal wedding...if that wasn't overkill). Back 50 years ago the number of stamps issued was large but there was probably a lot more letter writing than happens today. CP don't issue new releases (picture postage) and only have them available in selective post offices. Maybe I am just a skeptic but what I see is a business attempting to line it's pocket with our dollars. Sorry to everyone for venting my frustrations.

Of course they're trying to make money. Look at the US postal office...almost dead. Plus the collector are probably the biggest revenue CP has...we buy stamp that we don't use.

I agree 100% with sc.

In 1959 when everybody used stamps they issued 6 commems that year.

In 2011 when nobody uses stamps they issued what seems like
60 when you include all the extra crap.

Like, who are they issuing this stuff for ? I don't think it's for
Joe/Jane Public who might mail 5 letters a year including Christmas cards.

The beauty of the nickle stamp was that not only did a single
pay for a first class letter but a pair paid Special Delivery,
a trio paid for airmail to Europe, four got you registration
and with five your letter could go as far as Australia.

In those years I was always hoping they would issue more stamps.
I even wrote a number of times to the Philatelic Centre urging Canada Post to
increase the yearly issues and come out with Souvenir Sheets,
semi-postals , etc, etc.

Well they finally listened and we opened up Pandora's box which
was full of pretty colourful labels. Oh sorry I meant stamps.

These sheets are still available online at CP. Someone paid C$24.47 plus S/H for 2 single stamps.

http://my.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...:LNLK:MESUMX

Or USD $23.95. This looks to have been caused by one bidder placing a large bid the day before it ended and the other bidders trying to outbid that.

Someone wanted it first thing and had to have it and that was that.

I said it here, my only problem with the Picture Postage Canada Post issues:

https://goscf.com/t/20057&whichpage=2#176391