US Circus Themed Sheetlet Only Available In Stamp Yearbook

I can't recall which issues and I'm not going to go through old postal buuletins to look it up, but I have the impression that not all issues this year have had an auto distribution.

"Worst-case scenario I'm out the $22 beyond the postage face value"

That depends on whether you have a need for the other stamps in the book. If you have already purchased the same stamps for your collection, and if you are like many of us who alreasy have too much excess postage, then what you are buying would be valued as discount postage, not as face value postage.

A good Linn's editorial on the subject of this thread:

http://linns.com/news/editorial-ins...Circus-sheet

I also point out this quote:




If that holds true, I wonder if Album Supplements will or will not include a space for this item?

The USPS Store's website for the 2014 Stamp Yearbook now offers a detailed image of the US Circus-themed sheetlet (available in mint condition in the Stamp Yearbook only).

It is interesting that the USPS rendition shows a larger red border and different die cuts than that previously published by Linn's Stamp News. I would assume the USPS version is the more accurate one, as shown below:



Here's a side-by-side comparison of the two images, although in all fairness, the Linn's image was noted to be only a "preliminary" design:

The original Linns image actually is more aesthetically appealing than the USPS image, IMHO.

"I wonder if Album Supplements will or will not include a space for this item?"

Different album makers will handle it differently (like they have with the imperfs from the press sheets)

The latest Linn's Stamp News report is that the 2014 Yearbook will be released on December 10th (including the Circus Poster Souvenir Sheet) and it is also being reported that the USPS plans to issue PRESS SHEETS for the Circus Poster Souvenir Sheet in a yet-to-be-announced quantity and configuration (i.e. with or without die cuts).

Add yet another collectible to your Holiday Wish List!

http://linns.com/news/us-stamps/899...ebuts-Dec-10

that solves it for me - I'll buy a press sheet and cut it up - selling or using the extras.

If the press sheets aren't too expensive, I'll buy an imperf sheet to use as postage. But at $2 per sheet face value, and being a small sheet, I'm guessing a full press sheet contains quite a lot of sheetlets. I'd just use the 50 cent-ers on regular mail and just overpay by a penny, but the $1 stamps would probably take me awhile to use up.

The circus s/s is being advertised as an exclusive to the 2014 yearbook. However, if the exact same s/s can be gotten from another source (for example, by cutting up a press sheet sold separately from the yearbook), then I'd argue that the USPS is engaging in blatant false advertising.

Technically they are different products-one is a single souvenir sheet and the other is an uncut press sheet. USPS said "$2 Circus souvenir sheet that will be available singly only with the purchase of the(year) book" A side question, for my info, if one cuts the press sheet into individual sheetlets,are the sheetlets considered the same as single sheetlets as supplied in the year books(assuming the press sheets are die-cut)? I would think the individual die cut stamps would be same. Anyway, happy USPS is planning on having these available, thus widening availability of stamps to collectors and increasing chances of these stamps actually being used as postage.

If the press sheets are cut well enough, one probably couldn't tell the difference. Regardless, it doesn't sound like Scott will assign a number to them either way. They already said they almost certainly won't list the yearbook sheet, and their standing policy regarding press sheets is not to list those either, except in footnotes. I understand (and somewhat support) their decision not to list them. However, if press sheets become availabe, their use as postage is pretty much guaranteed and it will be kind of odd to see valid stamps, used for their intended purpose (i.e. paying postage), going unlisted by Scott in any format.

Linn's announced Mark Saunders of USPS advised them that each press sheet will contain 12 sheetlets of Circus Themed stamps-that's only $24 per uncut sheet but only 2500 are planned to be issued. Die cutting still unknown.

At $24, I'm definitely buying a sheet for postage. I plan on buying the no-die cut sheets and, when using individual stamps, leaving the corner (or half) selvage attached. I just hope they all get through the mail without a clerk somewhere sending it back because they think they're not real stamps. Happened to me a couple times when using a recent Civil War imperf sheet in the same manner.

I wonder if we can guess what dealers will charge for just the Souvenir Sheet?