Macy's Stamp Department

I can remember going to Macys in NYC a couple times a year in the late 1970s and early 1980s. My father would take me(maybe 10yo) into the city from long island on the LIRR, and we would make a day of it in the city. Can remember going to the main post office on 8th ave, and looking at the what seemed like an endless set of steps to get in there, and go to the philatelic window!. Loved going to Macys, riding up the old wooden escalator and buying a few coins and stamps. Was sad when I hadnt been there in a while, and went up to where it was located to find it was gone, that was sometime in the mid 1980's if I recall. Still keep cancelled stamps in this old Macys envelope. Whenever I open the box its kept it, just brings back memories of time spent with my father. That envelope is worth more to me than the stamps I have collected.

I remember the stamp counter in Bambergers in Newark. I think the store had wooden escalators also. My parents usually went there only once a year around Christmas. In the late sixties there was a stamp dealer called, if I remember correctly, The Stamp Corner on South Orange Avenue in South Orange.

My 1st US stamps We're from Gimbels Roosevelt Field In 1971.

Also started getting them at the Levittown Times Square Store through the early 80's.

I like your photo of the envelope .Nice keepsake of a era that many of us experienced .

The photo tells a lot both about what they had and what was "HOT" for new collectors . Their inventory was U.S., U.N.,Israel and Vatican once you started looking beyond that what they had was pre-packages of worldwide mixtures .

I grew up on Long Island in the 60s but didn't start working and living in NYC till the late 70s-1990. I didn't know about Gimballs and Macys stamp shops. I would have been too young to go myself, but would have been cool to visit with my mom who got me interested in stamp collecting early on. How fun to read all of your posts about old stores now a distant memory.

Macy's in Herald Square had a small stamp counter as late as 1992 or early 1993. I got back into stamp collecting in 1992 and subscribed to Linn's Stamp News and Macy's had a small ad in Linn's. I went once after seeing the ad and went up to the floor and there was a small counter for stamps (and maybe coins, I don't remember). There was not much there but it was still a surprise that they had any stamp items.

I did buy most of my stamp supplies shopping at Subway Stamp Shop when they still had a retail store in lower Manhattan until 1994. That store was great. It was small but they had a lot of albums, binders, pages, mounts, etc. in stock.

The last place where I saw more than a handful of stamp supplies was Books-A-Million and that was 15 years ago The Hobby Lobby I sent to last year had almost nothing.

Our local Books-A-Million had stamp supplies in the early 2010s but, when I went looking again about two years ago, they no longer had stamp supplies but still handled coin supplies.

Interesting hearing from the folks who grew up in Queens NY. I remember hearing the name Lapin, but don't remember going there. I grew up in Richmond Hill, and remember riding my bike to Lang's Stamp and Coin on 114th Street a few doors down from the Jamaica Avenue El. Mr Lang and half his clientele smoked cigars and the place smelled like a humidor. My mom always knew when I'd gone there.

The place was tiny. Two adults could fit in the customer area, and I'd stand in the doorway next to the 2 cent box, and that was it.

What folks today might find amazing is that there were tiny stores like this in every neighborhood - I think there were stores in Woodhaven, Ozone Park and Forest Hills, the neighborhoods near mine.

This was a while ago, but not ancient days. I'm 64, and I was probably 8 to 10 when I remember this.

I also remember the stamp department at Woodward & Lothrop in Washington, DC in the early 80s...

I am also from Queens and have mentioned Lapins several times in the forum. They were on 169th steet just a couple of doors up from Hillside Ave. I believe they were gone by around 1975 or so after Bernie Lapin passed away.

Marlen Stamp and Coin was around at that time in Fresh Meadows (or Bayside??)- 73rd Ave and Bell Blvd however they were not at all kid friendly. Plus, I needed a parent to drive me as the bus ride required 2 transfers. With Lapins I took the bus on 164th street to Hillside Ave and walked 5 blocks. Took maybe 25 mins.

Marlen is still in business in Great Neck NY.

Just saw this thread and it brought back old memories. I grew up in Queens and my best friend and I would take the subway to Manhattan and go to both the Gimbels and Macy's stamp shops.

Later on we found Nassau Street and were in awe of all the shops. This was in the early 50's. We also collected coins in those days and visited coin shops as well on 14th Street in Manhattan. Great memories. Still have some of those early purchases.

I acquired this Brit cover from our late great friend ILS (Jeff) some time back. Hard to believe he's been gone 5 years now!
AND, if I'm mistaken and someone else here sent this to me, I apologize, but I'm pretty sure it was Jeff.
Anyway been trying to figure out how to 'catalogue' this cover. Certainly philatelic.
Including it here because of the Gimbel's card included inside.



Interesting to note the Poste Restante return address. Poste Restante is a system in which a post office keeps someone's post until it can be collected, usually used by people who are travelling. Obviously pilot Dick Merrill travelled a lot!

Some great memories being shared here. It's nice to read about other's experiences "doing stamps" as kids. I recall a few of these in the Detroit area. My dad would go into work downtown on Saturdays sometimes and take me with him. After playing with a copying machine for 30 minutes I'd walk over to JL Hudson's which had a stamp retail area. Still have a few I purchased there.

My big stamp adventure when I was a kid, was to go to San Francisco to visit the United States Stamp Company (on Bush St. I believe). I would probably have all of $15-20 saved up to go and buy another 'set' of stamps. I remember my favorite purchase at the time being a set of mint National Parks, which I thought were absolutely gorgeous! I'd get a new "FREE" pocket catalog of scott U.S. values, have lunch with my Dad, and get to look in amazement at the "exhibits" displayed on all the walls of the long narrow shop.

i also grew up in queens and worked at macy's. I do not remember a stamp department, but remember gimbels counter on the main floor. I only remember one small shop in queens and that was in elmhurst. I later worked in a camera store whose owner also sold stamps. around the corner on 48th st was the dumont stamp shop and across the street was another place I cannot recall. thanks for the memories this thread has brought back.