Personalized Stamps: Where Do They Fit, In Stamp Collecting?

Whilst admittedly I only briefly skimmed your post's contents I can most steadfastly state that they are indeed valid for postage however, the main issue with such an item as this is that it can't be cataloged as each individual stamp would have to be listed and one could never ever EVER complete a complete collection as there are just too many. I hope this was kind of useful to you.

P.S.
There is actually a section is the Scott's specialized about them though you may want to reference.

If I received postally used covers with personalized stamps on them, I would certainly add them as legitamate covers in my cover collection. Although legal postage stamps, I don't think there would be any value in mint or used, off-cover stamps since there is virtually no limitation as to quantity or design.
An interesting experiment would be anyone in SCF who is interested to create some stamps and send a cover to each other.

Here's the way the Scott Specialized Catalog of US Stamps addresses it:




If you're asking where they fit within the scope of a stamp album, the Scott catalog includes the above reference after all back-of-the-book stamps (i.e. air mail, postage due, official mail, etc.) but before postal stationery items.

As stated by others, and as supported by the reference from the Scott catalog quoted above, there's not only an infinite number of possible varieties of these stamps, but there are no restrictions in place that the companies or the number of personalized stamps may increase in the future, making it a virtual impossibility to catalog them in any efficient manner.

It seems to me the best we can hope for is a listing of the various companies who have put personalized stamps into the marketplace and then it's up to individual collectors to gather whatever examples may reach them through legitimate mail use.

I think I would err on the side of collecting any examples that came my way as a entire cover and not just the stamp, as that would help identify the date and legitimate postal use of the specimen.

Boy, you touched on a lot of ideas that I have opinions on, and some different subjects that are not related to personalized stamps (personalised stamps for Queen's English speakers, so you can find this thread when Googling).

To start off with I am going to say I like them and I like them all, from whichever countries, and whatever type of stamp or stamp and label combination. I like some better than others of course.



I consider them to be just another type of personalized item that makes it's way into stamp collecting. There are cancels, cachets or designs on covers, signatures on covers, different cancels (hand-written and machine made) on stamps (postal and revenue) and different designs on government-issued stamps even, to represent the country or ideas behind the country.

Personalized stamps are just a way (long overdue) for an individual to, more or less, (dependent upon design restrictions) express his idea(s) and celebrate his triumphs and share his joys with his friends and family (and whoever else happens to get a stamp on cover!). That's the basis of the idea of them.

Everybody likes things in different ways.

Of course, topical and thematic collecting are another great ideas to use on these stamps (and postcards now also). If you happen to like horses, cats, dogs, cars, railroads, planes, etc, etc, then what an opportunity to share your joy of them.

You think that certain landmarks in your country are not dealt with thoroughly enough with regular stamps, then you can make your own and show people what you think is a great landmark or feature.

Events of many sorts, celebrations, beauty, even having a happy smile from you on your envelope to spread some little bit of joy throughout the world, there are all kinds of things that maybe you don't want to have a billboard or full page ad in the newspaper about, or have millions of stamps printed up and everyone use, but still want to say something about it in a small, important and nice way.

Personalized stamps are the way to go!

They have a special place in my collection. I group them with machine postage stamps. In some sense, half way between meters and "real" stamps.

I care about varieties in the border, with no care whatsoever about the image. They are so rare for me, that I wouldn't dismiss any image in the middle. Although, I worry that I will get a stamp that has a image I hate. I think I would tend to favor stamps with pictures of kids, as I think they emphasize the key, personal use of these stamps, which I think of as franking letters to grandparents.

Be careful with the darn things, though. Cut them square if you don't collect on cover. They don't soak well. Neither do machine postage stamps. I've lost good stamps this way.

How are they similar? FRAMAs and ATM stamps have a preset choice of picture to use. Most are not personalizable in any way.

There may be though, some countries that have ATMs that take your photo or that you can subit a photo or something to the machine and then get stamps made. Belgium perhaps?

There are also no restrictions in place to limit the number of government issued stamps and this doesn't seem to hinder the making of catalogue pages and albums for them.

I do admit, though, that the loss of someone keeping a record of which stamp was issued when and in what numbers does make difficult the recording of them. Or, if a record is made, the releasing of that to the public hinders the valuation and thus collecting draw of them.

If something is known and valued in similar ways around the country (or world) then people can track it and see what it is worth and it's value to them, if they find some or buy some cheap and sell dear, etc.

Having no price or record does turn the collecting of these into a chase after the prettiest ones or most eye catching or arresting visual impact ones. I see this with the Canada personal stamps now.

Some people have them made and just keep them, mint, and do not use them. Some use them all (small number) on covers to family and friends and they do not see the stamp collecting market at all, or perhaps in 50 years one or two may.

Austria is the one country that records what is made and that record is accessible somewhat to the public I believe. But, and this is the kicker perhaps, I doubt that they are priced differently in a catalogue because some subject matter would be more collectible than others.

Canada Post has links on their web site to the Canadian Bank Note Company's web site to order them.

In CP's stamp magazines (available free at Post Offices or online) they are advertised. They used to have counter displays when they were first introduced but now concentrate on 'year of' stamps and other non-personal stamps.

I think it is a niche market that, now the Post Office's know exist, can't really ignore.

The US Postal Service does essentially the same thing:

https://store.usps.com/store/browse...ustomPostage

Here's another source. (This ad is even promoted at the top of the SCF web page):

http://photo.stamps.com/Store/

I never connected it before, but since these personalized stamps are denominated, they also offer a PhotoStamps 1c additional postage stamp to be affixed to customized postage stamps that may indicate the old 44c first class rate. Yet another collectible!

Canadian personal stamps have, since 2000, not had a denomination stated, just 'Domestic Postage Paid' (NVI) is all. In order to show a rate change, a nice way to record it I agree, plus the year the change took place, we have to add the year and denomination ourselves to the stamp's design, which is ignored by the post office actually. They treat the middle picture part as, well, the picture part, and the outside border as the official stamp part.

Otherwise it doesn't tell us and the stamp's two basic designs have remained the same since Oct 2004, not changed every year like come countries. No other way to tell here.

Here is a stamp made with the year and rate added to the picture (2010 and 57c).

The rate now is 61c but since this stamp is 'Domestic Postage Paid' in the 'official part' (small print on bottom) it still works as a 61c stamp.



I haven't tried to make a $1,000,000.00 stamp yet though.

They take up postion, back of book, after say

Country
Country Postage dues
Country Precancels
Country Perfins
Country Stationery
etc etc

Country Personalised Stamps.

I collect them, haphazardly of course mounted on pages
in any sort of random order.
I have maintained my obligation to future stamp collectors
by collecting them and preserving them.
I shall leave it up to them to sort them out, or deal with
them in their time.

One attempt at a numbered, ongoing, constantly updated, online visual catalogue of the Canada personal stamps from day one of their use, plus a World gallery of personal stamps from counties around the world (no numbering system) is at www.picturepostage.net by our member rallymann.

I try to keep pics from www.ebay.com/b/260/" rel="nofollow">ebay of any myself, Canada mostly but others also, but no numbering system, well, really a topical file name is all.

But in this electronic age one must be constantly aware of media failing and the need for back-up copies of your backup copies.

I have not searched for any other country's list or presentation of their personal stamps though.

I see France personal (personnalise) stamps on www.ebay.com/b/260/" rel="nofollow">ebay and elsewhere have a large following and I like their newer stamps (without labels) versions, similar to Canada's, but much more French of course.

I wonder if other catalogues (Yvert, Michel, Stanley Gibbens, etc) follow the personal stamps at all?

Yes, same worldwide. Another reason these are not more popular and widely used and seen, and thus catalogues aren't made for them too probably.

edit: maybe the catalogues would have a premium over regular catalogues too. lol

There's a man who has lost data

I have my HDD,
a backup HDD, inside the box
I have 300Gb pocket HDD which I keep in the shed
I don't intend losing 12 years of typing and scanning